Why isn't Northstar more popular?

[NewMutant]

Well I think the predominant reasons behind his lack of exposure/use is Quicksilver and Iceman. In terms of the promotional stand point the two most obvious qualities (powers/sexual orientation) of Northstar are overshadow by more prominent characters. This is part of the reason why I think Iceman and Northstar would be a good couple; it promotes Northstar and ties Iceman (Marvel's now most prominent LGBTQ character) to the LGBTQ history of Marvel. However, they are settling into a fantastic friendship.

Another downfall is Northstar doesn't really have strong ties to any characters. Alpha Flight is a cult team that is rarely used and even within the team Northstar was mostly a loner except for his sister (oh look another Quicksilver similarity). Northstar joined the X-Men in Chuck Austen's run and the only characters he spoke to was Iceman and D-Lister Nurse Annie. He mentors Anole. His husband is generic (no ties to anyone or thing). Fraction had him and Dazzler pair up which I thought was the first we see him branch out. It wasn't until Liu's Astonishing X-Men that Northstar felt like he was a central figure... on the C-Team, but nonetheless a star and central player. That was a short run. And then finally Amazing X-Men debuts and it feels like might just be on the flagship team; then Jason Aaron jumps the book and it completely goes directionless and cancelled. He appears in the 12 person X-Team in Disassembled; but as a background figure. They need to play up his ties to Wolverine, continue to expand his friendship with Iceman and Dazzler, and build new friendships and role within the X-Universe.

He deserves his big break. He is on the Dawn of X character chart but I don't believe any news as to where he will appear.

[danielsan52]

He’s too much of a snoot to be likable.

[CRaymond]

Well I think the predominant reasons behind his lack of exposure/use is Quicksilver and Iceman.

He deserves his big break.

I agree with the notion of Quicksilver taking Northstar’s place in overall story development. From that perspective, JP is merely a homosexual litmus test for queer coding subtext, explosive de-closeting, workplace discomforts, and eventual gay marriage scenes. Is there anything more to the character besides redundant attitude and safe platitudes?

I disagree with the notion that he “deserves” a big break. I think there’s room for a character to portray an-always-out hero, but I think Northstar is too conceptually redundant.

I’d prefer Hulkling to be that character, but I feel he’s shackled to Wiccan for better and worse.

[Coatl]

Personally I think that is because he started as a rip off of Pietro as far as I know the author wanted to use Pietro and Wanda but he can't so created the twins Northstar and Aurora, so he gave the same character and basic traits to Northstars, while that doesn't make the character "bad" per se it makes him "unoriginal" why should I follow a character that is basically the same that other that I like but "newer and better". He has developed his own way of course but usually inside a team without relation with other characters outside said team so he lacks of connections outside a very small group. also I think that the "homosexuality issue" nowadays plays more against the character since people are fed up of pulling characters because a single trait the "llom at my charcter becuase he is homeosexual. woma-black-assian is a cheap attempt to gain sympathy that nowadays with all the representation that already exist, doesn't have impact anymore.

[H-E-D]

His powers aren't really fascinating in and of themselves either.

[mikelmcknight72]

Here are some of the roadblocks to increased popularity for Northstar:

1. His "status quo" characterization is that he's a jerk. Such characters are typically conceived as foils to the main characters rather than being main characters themselves.
2. Before Alpha Flight, he used his mutant abilities to give himself an unfair advantage in the Olympics.
3. He has too much in common with Quicksilver (jerk, mutant, has a twin sister, often disapproves of his twin's significant other, affiliated to both the X-Men and team that is often sponsored by a nation), and Quicksilver has long had a higher profile.
4. The Flash is a huge roadblock. He's iconic, popular, likable, typically more powerful, and plays well with others. Marvel's unlikely to ever have a speedster that comes even close to the Flash's popularity.
5. Writers still default to having most stories about minority characters revolve around what makes them a minority, and it is often done with all the subtlety and condescension of a PSA or a "very special episode". It is getting better, thankfully.

Quicksilver is just as screwed. Instead of the Olympics thing and being gay, he has mental instability, periodic stints as a villain, and being cheated on by his then-wife.

Short of a dramatic reboot/retcon that leaves the character almost unrecognizable, the desired level of popularity is simply not attainable. This is true for Quicksilver as well.

[DrNewGod]

Simply put, Nothstar and Aurora were not created as characters, but as shallow characterizations. Their function was to be Quebecoise representatives of a Canadian group to fight The X-Men over Wolverine, and they just happened to be given speed and light powers. Northstar's sexual orientation and radical past were bolted on later.

So, ultimately, Northstar hasn't succeeded for the same reason no one else from Alpha Flight has. He wasn't well thought-out in the beginning, and beginnings matter.

[Doombot]

He's snotty, He's Canadian with a French-Canadian accent, he's gay, he has weird twin powers, he has unclear powers in general, he has a boring costume. All these work against him.

Any character can work and be interesting with a good writer and story, but you'd really need to put in the work to do so. Is there any writer out there willing to put in the hard work of making Northstar a great character? Probably not.

I say this as a Canadian, and as someone who would love to see some of Byrne's Alpha Flight characters get some real love, as I can see a handful of them as potentially great. But I have to be honest and say that I don't ever see it happening.

[ETMike1988]

Nobody loves elfs!
https://www.cbr.com/the-abandoned-an...tar-is-an-elf/

[danielsan52]

duplicated

[Hypestyle]

Northstar could be the Marvel's Canadian Flash. Give him a set of rogues to deal with. Why not?

[Digifiend]

Then pretty much nothing until Northstar joins the X-Men almost another decade later, where the notable high points are a mentorship to Anole that takes place entirely off-screen (and a role that's ultimately taken out of Northstar's hands and given to a straight character), Mark Millar killing him off in a storyline where he has zero agency,

In Wolverine? Because we also saw that happen from a different perspective in New X-Men Academy X (where we DID see Northstar mentor Anole, by the way). That's the reason Anole ended up with a different mentor... but it WASN'T a straight guy who took on the Alpha Squadron, it was Karma, who is lesbian.

[Anduinel]

In Wolverine? Because we also saw that happen from a different perspective in New X-Men Academy X (where we DID see Northstar mentor Anole, by the way). That's the reason Anole ended up with a different mentor... but it WASN'T a straight guy who took on the Alpha Squadron, it was Karma, who is lesbian.

No, we did not see Northstar mentoring Anole in New Mutants/Academy X. We see Anole bouncing from mentor to mentor; this is something he discusses with Karma early on, but Northstar doesn't feature in that. We see Anole mention to Elixir that Northstar is his mentor, but Northstar doesn't show up there either. We get to see Anole mourn Northstar's death; Northstar's not in that scene either, for the obvious reasons. We get to see Anole later *reject* Northstar as his mentor on-page TWICE (Divided We Stand and Amazing X-Men). But we never actually see their actual bond form on-page. The closest we get to seeing any of that is a brief reunion in X-Men: Supernovas where a mentally-scrambled Northstar manages to restrain himself enough that he just KO's Anole instead of murdering him.

And when I speak of Northstar's mentor role being taken over by a straight character, I'm talking about Nightcrawler in Amazing X-Men #13.

[kevlon]

How fast can he fly? He's not as fast as flash, and quicksilver has now surpassed him in the speed stakes it seems.

[Dark-Jacket]

How fast can he fly? He's not as fast as flash, and quicksilver has now surpassed him in the speed stakes it seems.

I think he could go close to light but would destroy the earth doing so, so he's getting slower than he could. He limits himself to Mach10 I think.