Polaris: Lorna Dane Appreciation 2019

[salarta]

I wish Lornaxwas on the Summers book with Jean and Rachel.

If you mean the main X-Men title, I'd like that if Havok wasn't around at the same time. If he's on it, she'll be reduced to existing only for him - as proven not only for most of her history, but recently with Blue and Rosenberg's Uncanny.

I've become partial to the idea of Lorna getting in a bi/lesbian relationship with Jean. Lorna would be able to re-establish that connection in a strong and good way, while Storm can retain the best friend role she took on.

[Soulsword323]

Would love to see Jean and Lorna on a team together eventually. I understand why she wasn't included in that lineup though. She isn't a part of that family. Though people have been saying that the main roster will probably be rotating, so I'm sure Polaris will be used eventually. Hopefully it'll lead to some new interactions for her.

[Magnetic]

When are the next round of lineup reveals? It seems like we go through this too often with the revamps.

[Damien]

Does it always have to be a one or the other situation? Can't Polaris, Jean and Storm be on one team together and be friends with each other? While Storm and Lorna haven't shared much panel space together throughout the years I think they could work well together. Polaris already has differing views from Scott and Xavier let Storm join her on that opinion and offer a third option. All that besides both Lorna and Storm have a flair for the dramatic and a regal air about them throw in Jean and you have a counter Trinity to Xavier, Cyclops and Magneto.

[jmc247]

Does it always have to be a one or the other situation? Can't Polaris, Jean and Storm be on one team together and be friends with each other? While Storm and Lorna haven't shared much panel space together throughout the years I think they could work well together. Polaris already has differing views from Scott and Xavier let Storm join her on that opinion and offer a third option. All that besides both Lorna and Storm have a flair for the dramatic and a regal air about them throw in Jean and you have a counter Trinity to Xavier, Cyclops and Magneto.

That is an idea, its not where Marvel is headed, but its an idea. Right now they are at mutants under one roof and one ideology for protecting the mutant race. But, the books are going to need a serious counterpoint set of views and that will be coming.

For Jean and Lorna their relationship is so old that Jordan White didn't even recognize they had one when we discussed the topic. Morrison and Austen did some with them, but the way forward wasn't apparent enough and not enough effort put in to build a new way forward for them.

Lorna's friendships by in large are defunct and a great deal of that is because they straight up lack drama. Fans are in part responsible for this situation because they often say they love the idea of Lorna having conflict free relationships with other X-Men, but they also vote with their wallets and they would much rather pay to see Emma and other X-Men in conflict then they would Lorna having completely drama free mature friendships as many fans who show up on this thread say they want.

That doesn't mean Lorna can't have friendships, but right now she doesn't have anything that has caught the attention of readers in the least. Many often say they don't want conflict and drama, but the reality is comic readers will actually pay for well done conflict and drama.

[Soulsword323]

Does it always have to be a one or the other situation? Can't Polaris, Jean and Storm be on one team together and be friends with each other? While Storm and Lorna haven't shared much panel space together throughout the years I think they could work well together. Polaris already has differing views from Scott and Xavier let Storm join her on that opinion and offer a third option. All that besides both Lorna and Storm have a flair for the dramatic and a regal air about them throw in Jean and you have a counter Trinity to Xavier, Cyclops and Magneto.

I'd be all for that personally. The first three X-Women together would be awesome.

As for Wave 2, I'm sure we'll learn about that at the end of this year, or sometime next year.

[salarta]

Does it always have to be a one or the other situation? Can't Polaris, Jean and Storm be on one team together and be friends with each other? While Storm and Lorna haven't shared much panel space together throughout the years I think they could work well together. Polaris already has differing views from Scott and Xavier let Storm join her on that opinion and offer a third option. All that besides both Lorna and Storm have a flair for the dramatic and a regal air about them throw in Jean and you have a counter Trinity to Xavier, Cyclops and Magneto.

It doesn't "have" to be a one or other situation, but some fans can be certain ways. During the Uncanny X-Men event, one Storm fan didn't like a scene where Storm asked Lorna if she could sense if Magneto specifically had been somewhere, because they figured Storm should be able to do it herself. And that was with something that Lorna has a unique specialty in, both in powers and family relation. From that, I could easily see a fan of Storm thinking that Lorna becoming friends with Jean again to the same level as Storm is "encroaching on Storm territory," even if it forms a trinity.

I also feel I should add that when Lorna was first introduced as one of Magneto's daughters, Brevoort was very against it (and probably still is). What he said publicly didn't really fly, but there was an unspoken undercurrent to it of "only one woman can be this thing, and that woman should be Wanda, adding Lorna dilutes the specialness of Wanda's status."

So, personal interest in Lorna taking on new relationships aside, Lorna getting in a romantic relationship with Jean would be an easy way to restore a relationship dynamic between the two while changing nothing of Storm's dynamic with Jean. Of course, I'd also be fine with Jean and Storm dating and Lorna regaining best friend status. I'd also personally like the trinity idea you proposed. I just don't think Storm fans would be keen on it.


Separately, I had a significant thought today on Lorna's powers. I've noted before that given her power basis, she should be able to "connect to the internet" by picking up the signal. No computer necessary. The new thought for me is its practical application.

She doesn't need to go to a computer. She doesn't need to waste time stopping what she's in the middle of to run a search, and look at websites. Hell, the latency effect of finding information may be negligible for her vs what we encounter.

All this to say: Lorna could be one of the "smartest" mutants in a pinch. I put that in quotes because I don't mean she's a genius on par with Beast or Reed Richards. I mean she could use her powers to look it up, even in the middle of a fight. Need the tensile strength of some material? Distance from Earth to Mars? She's got it. Need to know where the latest attacks are happening in a major city? Scan Twitter for pictures. Maybe whip through millions in seconds (at great mental strain). She doesn't need to be inherently smart (though she WAS going for a Master's in Geophysics, after all). She just needs to know where to look.

Of course, being power-dependent, her limitation would be that losing her powers or being somewhere that blocks internet access would cut her off from the information.

[Havok83]

I wish Lornaxwas on the Summers book with Jean and Rachel.

for all we know she will be there but not promoted, much like they did in Disassembled

[salarta]

for all we know she will be there but not promoted, much like they did in Disassembled

Again, Lorna was on the original promo image for Disassembled, but way in the back.




The closest she's come to being on anything is the presentation at SDCC, which used her headshot from the Disassembled image, nothing new. She hasn't been on any actual promotional materials or covers.





Yes, it's possible she could be on something but not promoted. I find it doubtful, but it's possible.

[Havok83]

True but my point remains. All we have for X-men #1 is a cover and Lorna isnt promoted on it just as she wasnt promoted on the Uncanny X-men #1 cover yet was there

[jmc247]

True but my point remains. All we have for X-men #1 is a cover and Lorna isnt promoted on it just as she wasnt promoted on the Uncanny X-men #1 cover yet was there

Something was going on when The Gifted was airing. I was pretty convinced at the time that there was basically an understanding that even though she would be around the comics weren’t going to act as possible promotional material for it so she wasn’t on one cover from September 2007 to January 2008, but a bunch right after.

Then the next season same thing from September to February 2019 (even though she was the break out star of season one of The Gifted) though she appeared in the one massive group shot of nearly all the X-Men and the background of a SpiderMan variant cover.

If he doesn’t write another title which he might or might not I do wonder if Hickman is going to try setting up a major counterpoint team.

[Havok83]

Something was going on when The Gifted was airing. I was pretty convinced at the time that there was basically an understanding that even though she would be around the comics weren’t going to act as possible promotional material for it so she wasn’t on one cover from September 2007 to January 2008, but a bunch right after.

Then the next season same thing from September to February 2019 (even though she was the break out star of season one of The Gifted) though she appeared in the one massive group shot of nearly all the X-Men and the background of a SpiderMan variant cover.

If he doesn’t write another title which he might or might not I do wonder if Hickman is going to try setting up a major counterpoint team.

Vita will be getting a book in Wave 2, so I have a strong feeling Lorna will end up there

[jmc247]

Vita will be getting a book in Wave 2, so I have a strong feeling Lorna will end up there

Perhaps, time will tell.

Leah Williams: Bishop I was expecting to fall in love with after just hearing Vita talk about him, but I wasn’t expecting to instantly fall in love with Vita’s Polaris in Prisoner X–there’s a discordant aspect to her character here that allowed me to see parts of her canon that haven’t been explored in a long time. Most of the time in recent comics, Polaris is desperately working to hold herself together and present a polished, strong image–a leader. But in Prisoner X, she is treated as what her history always presented as a threat– “here is a crazy woman.” But the difference in Vita’s portrayal is the positioning of that lens (which was also a really fitting theme for every character in Prisoner X, generally), and it’s “here is a woman the world treats like she’s crazy.” It was tender and raw and sensitive to her.

https://www.adventuresinpoortaste.co...-it-interview/

I generally thought it was one of the better depictions of her in the comics this decade. She had the edge she has been missing, she was competent at the same time and it dealt with layers of the character. But, it being AU gave it more room to work with then one might have had with a 616 story.

[darewithpeace]

lorna using her powers was cool

she may not be in a new book but this was a cool moment

[Damien]

It doesn't "have" to be a one or other situation, but some fans can be certain ways. During the Uncanny X-Men event, one Storm fan didn't like a scene where Storm asked Lorna if she could sense if Magneto specifically had been somewhere, because they figured Storm should be able to do it herself. And that was with something that Lorna has a unique specialty in, both in powers and family relation. From that, I could easily see a fan of Storm thinking that Lorna becoming friends with Jean again to the same level as Storm is "encroaching on Storm territory," even if it forms a trinity.
.

That is frankly ridiculous. Yes Storm and Polaris both share in having control over electromagnetism but it is not encroaching if Storm asks if Lorna can sense her own father. I am a Storm fan I love everything she can do from terrestrial to cosmic but Storm is a jack of all trades mutant yeah she could probably sense Magneto herself but why bother if you have a direct line right next to you? The X-Men are a team each person has a specialty it's not a one man or one woman show.

Anyway I am all for Lorna forging new relationships I would love for my Trinity concept to come true one day.

I must confess though when did Lorna come out as bi/lesbian? Or is this just fanon? I haven't been keeping up with everything X-Men and my current knowledge is sporadic at best.