Lorna Dane: Polaris Appreciation 2018

[gifted]

Bishop, Laura, Gabby, Hank, and Lorna. Interesting cast. I'm really stoked! Even if it's for only 5 issues, Lorna is gonna, hopefully, be a regular in a book!

[Havok83]

Bishop, Laura, Gabby, Hank, and Lorna. Interesting cast. I'm really stoked! Even if it's for only 5 issues, Lorna is gonna, hopefully, be a regular in a book!

Is that supposed to be Laura? I thought it was Dani or Trinary. Laura has green eyes and this girl doesnt

[Soulsword323]

Its actually Moonstar.

I'm really, really excited for this. Polaris, Bishop and Moonstar? Love these three, and I can't wait to see them together (even if its AU).

[salarta]

Lorna being in something is better than her being in nothing. If it treats her well, I'll buy and read digitally issue by issue.

But it's still not a solo, mini, oneshot or Lorna leading a team book of her own. Which she deserves not just because of her popularity via TV, her 50th anniversary, and to make up for decades of misuse, but more importantly, to make up for how she's been treated for the past few years. Especially in relation to Havok. Marvel put her into limbo for two years. Then they appeared to plan on giving Lorna a big return, only to have Havok completely hijack it. Then they gave Havok a story arc dedicated mainly to him. Using Lorna mainly as a supporting character for his story throughout. Then they gave Havok his own team book and tossed Lorna aside for all these months.

I'm a very fairness-oriented person over characters I care about. After everything they gave Havok, and how they treated Lorna to get him there, the very least they can do is give her a team book too. One they actually support and promote this time.

This is not an attack on Prisoner X before it's even gotten started. For all I know, it'll be the best Lorna's ever been written in anything. Maybe I'll end up citing it as the essential depiction for understanding her value. I won't know until it's out.

But it's still not the solo, mini, oneshot or team book she deserves after what was done to her for Havok's benefit on his path to getting his team book. And that's the key for me. I can't and won't settle for "member of a team" when that's a far cry from what they gave Havok at her expense.

[jmc247]

Looks like Lorna will be apart of AOX-Man: Prisoner X.

Curious to learn more about this. I have to wonder if Lorna will play a part in it, or will it be a Bishop book where she has a supporting role.

Thanks Soulsword323, I was actually thinking about two weeks ago before this happened that in AoA Lorna was a science experiment in prison.

From 1994.



On the other hand... Lorna as a different form of prisoner as in the political kind has become arguably her most iconic global image, especially in the undemocratic world where there is no hope of peaceful change such as China. A good political prisoner story line might be interesting, but it will need quite some emotional selling for it given the AU basis to the story.



On a grander note broadly speaking Lorna's profile has been raised over the past year at least for the comics to something more akin to what it was in 1993/1994. I can also read between lines based on who she interacts with in Uncanny #1 and the preview of #2 that Lorna won't be among the core 90s X-Men for long after this story arc. I do believe Lorna has enough on the table for a shot at an A list profile role at the same time when Scott and Wolverine and the rest of the X-Men link up after this event I don't see it happening at least old 60s way of Jean's BFF and the energy manipulator of the team, but there is a path I still see open that follows her history.

The Laura/Lorna parallels are helpful there, but by the same token comic Lorna does need an extended arc like Laura did proving her cred as both a political character an world class ass kicker willing to get her hands dirty to win like she did a decade and a half ago before Lorna can mellow for a few years as Laura was given via her more feral nature in the comics with the killing before letting her mellow. There is a legion of live action comic fans out there waiting to be converted and a popular actor who will promote the comic version.

In regard to this mini I see potential in it if it follows the political prisoner route. Either way we won't see 616 Lorna again until prehaps next Fall once AoX starts. Its clear 616 Magneto has been thralled by Nate so we will see how that turns out.

[jmc247]

By Leah. Actually it was done some weeks ago, but its apt.

The Laura/Wolverine parallels or Jean/Xavier parallels are key for the comics realizing the path to long term success for Lorna. They have not in a great many years taken advantage of Lorna’s own political hat, edge and legacy issues and no her last several years in the comics really didn’t so do.

I expect coming out of AoA there will be some tweaks that will follow MCU future plans for the X-Men. Still my suspicion in regards to the path open for Lorna remains the same. This AU mini I will pick up if in interviews I like what I hear.

In terms of grand themes though 90s nostalgia isn’t exactly Lorna’s best friend, but I am cautiously optimistic for the mini so far.

Lorna does need a close female friend and I sadly do think Jean is taken in that role and won’t be able to reciprocate. Laura is a bit young. They can interact and be friends, but Lorna needs someone older... but who?

Storm? Maybe if they both have political roles at some future date. Emma? I can see potental there. Rogue? I once saw potential there not so much these days.

[salarta]

When it comes to Lorna and her connections, the important thing Marvel needs to understand is that they should take the basic form of "Polaris, who is Magneto's daughter" and not "Magneto's daughter, who is named Polaris." It's an essential distinction. One recognizes that Lorna has her own stories to tell, her own battles she's fought, and her own views and potential relationships that Magneto might never have. The other suggests her only purpose is to promote Magneto. Then follow this pattern for any other relationship she might have, especially with men. The point is for her relationships with various characters to open doors, not close them.

[jmc247]

Lorna’s last run I felt never got the core to her character and what motivates her and basically wrote her in pretty generic mid 90s default form. If a writer can see Lorna outside her 80s/90s box they can do well with her. If they can’t then it’s which character she can promote the author likes and then time for another bout of possession.

Mike Carey had a similar problem, but he brought her home and confirmed she was a mutant along with the reunion so I could outweigh his conception of her being kind of vague 80s/90s box and using her some for other characters for the good it did overall. For her last run I simply expected more, I felt it improved with her in areas, but Cry Havok was still Lorna in not very deep 90s characterization in a solidly 90s story trying to save Havok from Fatale I mean his Inversion. That wasn’t going to move her forward.

Writers who are uber fans of one character be they Storm or any other who don’t care much about Lorna are going to use Lorna to puff up their favorites if they are writing both at the same time. That becomes harder to do in a one sided way the more popular Lorna becomes and the more readers have a solid vision of her.

One might argue no writer wrote Lorna with more similar issues to her father then Austen, but he also wrote a huge number of different features and thoughts and had her trying to reconcile her legacy, the genocide she went through, her own history and relationships. In the end Austen cared about Lorna and how things impacted her and was not using her to puff up other characters I fully understand the difference.



Lorna’s best writers of the past two decades in the comics and TV weren’t afraid of using mutant issues, legacy issues with Magneto nor of giving her a constellation of similaries and differences much like Laura and Logan or Jean and Xavier. But, these same writers never lost sight of Lorna and were writing her not writing Magneto by means of using her.

Also, in two weeks a green headdress will no longer be synonymous with just the Enchantress to casual fans..

[Soulsword323]

Lorna's had a bad go when it comes to AUs. Not all, but some of the major ones (AOA, Ultimate, AOX) weren't kind to Polaris, and I'm hoping that this will end up being a good one. Love the idea of her being a political prisoner. Someone out there going against the norm, and ending up with like minded people. Still giddy over Lorna being on a team with Lucas and Dani.

[Havok83]

First thing I thought was Gifted. I wonder if this Lorna will be inspired by season 1

[jmc247]

Love the idea of her being a political prisoner. Someone out there going against the norm, and ending up with like minded people. .

I think it’s likely. Lorna has had two political prisoner stays in fiction. Her live action prison stay powerful and iconic compared to say her entirely forgettable stay as a political prisoner of the Sh’iar.

As a political prisoner of the Shi’ar she was being tortured mostly off panel in order to elicit a response from Havok. At this point in time writers really fell back on old habits of seeing the character as simply existing to further a certain other characters story.

In terms of live action she had a code name Polaris before, but started taking to the code name more seriously a response to her oppression. In a lot of ways I think it’s smart TV (both animated and live action) didn’t overuse her code name the way comics have done at times. It gives it much more power when it gets used.

[AbnormallyNormal]

Looks like Lorna will be apart of AOX-Man: Prisoner X.

Curious to learn more about this. I have to wonder if Lorna will play a part in it, or will it be a Bishop book where she has a supporting role.

That looks pretty good actually

I will check it out

Even though it has Gabby and Beast

[darewithpeace]

how is possible that a tv show makes more justice to lorna than the comics?, for the comics is easyer since these are cartoons and you can write everything you want and make it increible, but live action is more hard because you cant to everything, marvel should use lorna in a big way and better.

[Soulsword323]

I think its because current writers often reference older runs, when Polaris wasn't treated great, and use to it influence their perception of the character. CC's run, and the 90s (the eras most writers grew up with) really didn't do much with the character. I think The Gifted was able to bypass the terrible runs, and streamline the character without being influenced by older runs.

[AbnormallyNormal]

Now that I see all the new books though it does seem like this is the "lowest priority" one in a way?

The "X-Tremist" book looks more interesting to me than this one to be perfectly honest...

But I hope this will be good, and I believe it CAN be. And I do like Lorna with Laura for sure. No real opinion on her with Bishop although it can work. Gabby Beast are : pukes : but I'll get over it.

Edit: Wait. That's not Laura. It's Dani Moonstar.

Hmmm

That... takes this down a bit...

But we'll see, it can still be good

I guess... it puts Gabby more important and maybe creates a more mentoring relationship between Lorna and her especially if they use a magnetic duo thing

I guess the theme of this squad is like "resilence/inner toughness"? Maybe? Still not sure I'd give those attributes to Gabby though. Or to Beast really. But the other 3 sure.

Maybe also ... "practical knowledge/street smarts" or something along those lines...? Idk