Lorna Dane: Polaris Appreciation 2020

[RachelGrey]

I guess it depends on how it's written. Lorna may encourage Northstar to be in charge. I don't think she is going to be a secondary character, I think this is going to be a true ensemble. Admittedly there is going to an arc about Northstar and Kyle and how living on Krakoa is impacting them, and obviously one of the first arcs of the book is to find out if Aurora is still alive or not. Leah will give Lorna her chance to have an arc too, and Rachel as well. Leah may continue using Lorna the way Hickman did as the reader's perspective character that the story is seen partly through her eyes sometimes. Hickman already laid down some threads that Lorna is unsure about Krakoa and her place in it, asking herself if she is more than just Magneto's daughter to everyone like she was on Genosha!

I just feel until we read the first couple of issues we should at least give Leah a chance to show us what she can do with our favourite characters. I was really pessimistic about Rachel in Dawn of X before the X-Factor announcement, X-Men 1 and 2 was so disappointing for me because Rachel wasn't anymore than child #1 for Scott's story and she barely had any personality beyond being a generic daughter with attitude! At least Lorna was allowed to have some voice in Dawn of X, still mostly about her relationship with Magneto, but still a voice with her own opinions and concerns. I was at the point where I just wished the would let Rachel bond with the Phoenix force and leave, just up and leave and go into space to never be seen again until some writer actually wants to write her with a real voice and mind.

I think Leah is going to do justice for Lorna and Rachel so I am going to give her a chance. Hopefully we can discuss the story going forward, because I love Lorna too and I do agree with you that she gets set aside for other characters far too much. I also agree with you that Lorna should be as far away from Alex as possible. I don't mind scenes with Erik trying to be a father to Lorna, because I love stories where families try to overcome past mistakes, and these aren't Lorna's mistakes, these are Erik's mistakes, and Erik trying to earn Lorna's forgiveness for his mistakes, and approval for his current choices. Just like I enjoy when a writer actually addresses Jean's real feelings about Rachel and struggling to be a mother to a girl who is just a few years younger than she is!

Don't be too pessimistic, I think we have some good stories for the characters we love so much coming up, and I can't wait to see Lorna and Rachel together again because I love them as teammates. I still remember that Lorna was the only one who was actually a bit concerned about that Phoenix forced Korvus thing and was trying to help Rachel figure it out because she thought that it was happening too fast for Rachel and Korvus (Lorna was right, and I hated that relationship as much as you can't stand Lorna and Alex together)!

[Soulsword323]

Leah has already said that there will be a reason as to why Polaris isn't going to lead X-Factor, and that it'll be addressed in story as to why I believe. I think Lorna defiantly deserves to be leading something entitled X-Factor, due to how many times she's been involved, but just because she isn't does mean nothing will be done with her. It all depends on how Leah balances the cast, and I can't talk about that until the issues start being released.

[RachelGrey]

Leah has already said that there will be a reason as to why Polaris isn't going to lead X-Factor, and that it'll be addressed in story as to why I believe. I think Lorna defiantly deserves to be leading something entitled X-Factor, due to how many times she's been involved, but just because she isn't does mean nothing will be done with her. It all depends on how Leah balances the cast, and I can't talk about that until the issues start being released.

Same, I am just so glad that Lorna and Rachel are being taken up by a female writer, I think Leah will do a wonderful job understanding the history and psychology of Lorna and Rachel!

[Soulsword323]

Same, I am just so glad that Lorna and Rachel are being taken up by a female writer, I think Leah will do a wonderful job understanding the history and psychology of Lorna and Rachel!

Agreed. I have faith that she'll attempt to avoid the problems that have plagued Lorna and Rachel for awhile. Hoping that we get some good scenes with Polaris and Rachel working together, and actually fleshing out their relationship.

[jmc247]

I have been trying to avoid this debate as its toxic, I am not particularly happy though don't want to prejudge a product I haven't seen based on the advertising. I will give Leah Williams her shot I am unimpressed all the promotion to date and discussion of Lorna related to the comic has been shipper oriented and nostalgia for an era in Lorna's history I read at the time and very much wasn't interested in the character and her romance issues. It goes deeper then shipper issues, I want to hear what Leah Williams thinks of Lorna. I did ask by the way about important events for the character and kept my tweet open for awhile before deleting it after no answer was had.

Hickman already laid down some threads that Lorna is unsure about Krakoa and her place in it, asking herself if she is more than just Magneto's daughter to everyone like she was on Genosha!

The thread that Hickman did lay down that could have a lot of juice has to it for X-Factor has to do with her own scars from the Genoshan genocide. The distrust of humanity, the underlying anger, the unresolved issues. Her own unwillingness to want to let the mass murders of mutants go unpunished which predated Genosha. I would have liked if Hickman did have her explicitly refer to the events as he had Magneto do, but her comments make zero sense without knowing her history. Fans and reviewers who know her history picked up on it and some who didn't did not.

As for the idea of Lorna just being Magneto's daughter on Genosha? It was a complicated and spread out story. But, to the Acolytes and the rest for most of her stay there had no clue. She didn't know for certain she actually was for most of it and they certainly didn't know. Magneto had her build her credibility with his followers from the bottom up not handing it to her from the top down. That meant the Acolytes didn't know Lorna was any different then any of them, she was just another member while Magneto was teaching her behind the scenes how to lead them. She was the power behind the throne when the throne had no power. She built up her reputation on Genosha with Magneto's help, but it wasn't handed to her by blood as occurred in some universes.

Then importantly for her point of view on House of X (and hopefully X-Factor) everything was taken away by machines made by mankind who came from the sky.

I am fine with her not leading if the writer dives deep with the character into her own issues and takes risks with it. There is an unfortunate trap writers fall into of defining her own issues as her romantic life and possessions. That happened in the early 90s and in space and many other times. You as a Rachel fan should know a lot about that. It proved toxic towards Rachel and Lorna building anything between them in the five years they were together in space.

Another issue comes down to her being the voice of reason of the group. Her being competent and wise? Great. Her being helpful? Great. Her being the voice of the narrator for human/mutant relations and how to feel about letting the murderers of mutants slide? No. This is where Hickman did a very good thing, he respected her history (implicitly) and created what can and should be built in tension if the title takes the risk.

[Factor]

Lorna and Rachel together will be awesome.
I'd add Frenzy and make it a trio.

[AZPolaris]

I want to see the variants for issue #1. Very glad Baldeon is loving her already and am really interested to see his take...SOON! Definitely a new artistic style for Lorna. Remaining optimistic and throwing out positive vibes.

[Soulsword323]

Lorna and Rachel together will be awesome.
I'd add Frenzy and make it a trio.

I'd love to see Polaris, Rachel, and Frenzy together. I've wanted Joanna on a team with Lorna for a bit now.

I want to see the variants for issue #1. Very glad Baldeon is loving her already and am really interested to see his take...SOON! Definitely a new artistic style for Lorna. Remaining optimistic and throwing out positive vibes.

When do we normally start getting variants? Are they randomly dropped?

[Anduinel]

I do wonder if Lorna not leading is simple as been there, done that, got the t-shirt. Team leadership is a headache and a half.

[houndsofluv]

April seems forever away...I wish the series could come out and put our worries to bed (or not) sooner! feels like everything leads back to having to wait for the book to find out loll

[spirit2011]

One of their tweets that has not been talked about on here.



I'm relatively sure that Leah answering this one is because it provides plausible deniability ("I was really talking about Dazzler") while stoking sentiments she knows lead to a lot of heated talk. As I've said many times before, people that work for Marvel are hired there because they fit Marvel's corporate culture. Part of that culture is the attitude previously espoused by Brevoort that "controversy" (to use a softer term for it) is somehow beneficial for sales regardless of cause.

I've also recently found information that reaffirms both my views of X-Factor/Dawn of X, and remarks I made a while back about the way all of this functions.

As for looks, we have only to wait and see what metal that's immune to magnets they use for the Havok chastity belt.



Everyone knows that independent, well-treated female characters constantly cry and sob a man's name. It's the Marvel way.

Marvel culture have some flexibility, different editors have different requirements to hire.

Unfortunaly JDW loves messed up relaitonships. I really think we will see more of Alex, even if only for a closure on relationship.

And if she said that Alex is not on the book why use spoilers to not say anything? If he isn't on the book there isn't romance. She contradicted herself

[salarta]

I just feel until we read the first couple of issues we should at least give Leah a chance to show us what she can do with our favourite characters.

I would ordinarily agree, but at this point I'm so far beyond trusting Marvel that it feels like a waste of time and misplaced faith to think there's going to be some kind of positive change at Marvel right now. Especially, as said before, with the contents of the press release. If issues were isolated to just one writer, I would be able to say "This is a different writer, give them a chance." But issues run rampant across multiple writers, telling me the problem lies deeper than one or two people.


For the record, I do understand why some people are waiting to see what happens. I don't hold anything against people taking that approach. But for me it's like the Marvel version of that Hell neighborhood from Angel that Gunn ends up in. Changing the wallpaper doesn't change the routine.

Unfortunaly JDW loves messed up relaitonships. I really think we will see more of Alex, even if only for a closure on relationship.

The thing is that there's no need for "closure" here. In more than one sense. We don't need "closure" because she doesn't need Havok's "permission" for writers to explore who she is, and we don't need "closure" because the relationship doesn't have to be dead for all eternity. It just needs to be out of the way long enough for Lorna to get everything she needs that's long overdue, which would then inform a relationship between them that isn't toxic garbage.

There are other things I could say about JDW which match your comment, but they're among many things I'm keeping to myself unless it's necessary to bring them out.

And if she said that Alex is not on the book why use spoilers to not say anything? If he isn't on the book there isn't romance. She contradicted herself

You make a good point here. If there were no plans to force Havok onto Lorna, Leah could have very easily answered THAT part. Hiding behind the spoiler text says a lot.

[spirit2011]

I


The thing is that there's no need for "closure" here. In more than one sense. We don't need "closure" because she doesn't need Havok's "permission" for writers to explore who she is, and we don't need "closure" because the relationship doesn't have to be dead for all eternity. It just needs to be out of the way long enough for Lorna to get everything she needs that's long overdue, which would then inform a relationship between them that isn't toxic garbage.

There are other things I could say about JDW which match your comment, but they're among many things I'm keeping to myself unless it's necessary to bring them out.



You make a good point here. If there were no plans to force Havok onto Lorna, Leah could have very easily answered THAT part. Hiding behind the spoiler text says a lot.

That really got me thinking. maybe it is nothing, just Leah trying to create a fake mystery. But after being so adamant on Alex not being on the book I think there might be something

Yeah Alex and Lorna are really over, but I see some trend on HOXPOXDOX to retread things

[LoganAlpha30X33]

But again that's the problem in that how long is long enough as it's different for everyone, I don't see Alex and Lorna as being over for good, more over for right now it seems, that could change greatly in whatever comes after Hickman's run...

[AbnormallyNormal]

I do wonder if Lorna not leading is simple as been there, done that, got the t-shirt. Team leadership is a headache and a half.

It could be that Lorna doesn't care about leading this team. We need to find out the circumstances of its formation.

Again for me I want to believe she is a super pro Krakoan fanatic (given her traumatic background on Genosha...) and she's "on the team" basically as a proxy for the Council. Which can create tension or conflict if and when other team members begin to ask "too many questions" regarding resurrection and all that stuff (Prodigy in particular will probably begin to figure things out).

I want there to be some sorts of intrateam struggles and the contradictions involved with Krakoa to begin laid out in this title. Lorna is a great character to explore this with.

If they write her as basically completely generic and straightforward just a detective, and there is actually nothing more to this series... I'll be honest I'm gonna get bored.

"Feats" are one thing, her being confident and all that is great. I doubt Leah is going to force her with Havok in this. Not concerned about that. But if she doesn't ever find a new relationship Havok will never truly go away from her life.

But yeah she needs definition, agenda, philosophy, something to make her interesting. Not just be there to be there as glorified wallpaper.