Lorna Dane: Polaris Appreciation 2020

[jmc247]

loll Claremont said I guess the hets deserve representation too
It's funny how I see her so differently from how she was initially established, and it seems like most other fans do too
I wonder what it is about her that appeals to LGBTQ+ sensibilities...the warrior sorceress aesthetic? The hyper-hereosexuality that developed into intense co-dependence? The fraught family history? The flip-flopping between Damaged Swan and Maniacal Oddball tropes? Do we just looove an underdog? Probably all of the above and then some

Lorna wasn't established under Claremont though as I am sure you know. She first was introduced as a dark mutant princess with a potentially lethal temperament. Closer to Wolverine and the X-Men (the animated series) Lorna just a bit less naïve.



Then she joined the X-Men and became the second x-woman and best friend to Jean. She was fine with sort of dating two guys at the same time in very late 60s fashion. Her role on the team was pretty similar at this point to what you saw in the 70s and 80s from Storm. Claremont didn't restore her original role and he didn't give her a new role and she became Alex's unmarried wife or possessed neither of which did her one bit of good.

Frankly since her return from Genosha writers other then Austen have been uncomfortable playing on her more militant persona around other X-Men and that has prevented Lorna from building anything between herself and the core X-Men because frankly Lorna without those aspects just doesn't have enough history or build in drama to make it interesting for writers. Playing up her mental health issues alone isn't a good substitute as seen in the Milligan era.

[coveredinbees]

She was in X-men Blue, where she was repowered via Mothervine and later rejoined the Acolytes

Lol I'm embarrassed. Thank you! That's the one I meant! She looked great. We almost a team with Exodus, Unuscione,and Magneto! D :
Those are the only issues I read of that run.

[houndsofluv]

Lorna wasn't established under Claremont though as I am sure you know. She first was introduced as a dark mutant princess with a potentially lethal temperament. Closer to Wolverine and the X-Men (the animated series) Lorna just a bit less naïve.

oh yeah, I meant "established" more as in how she was portrayed in the seminal X-Men run . A lot of pre-Claremont stories are more "obscure curiosity" territory and more casual fans aren't as familiar with this era of Lorna . Claremont is the "bible" , if that isn't too tasteless a comparison lol, and for a lot of readers his straight-laced, doting and explicitly heterosexual girlfriend Lorna is the Lorna fans know - I know you've talked about this a lot too lol. Thats why its so interesting to me that she's taken on an almost opposite persona in the eyes of fans - I guess because fans are hungry for content beyond the Claremont years

[salarta]

Lorna needs more friends who are just that - I want to see her developing friendships, partnerships, working relationships. Its so sad to see her refer to Jean as a best friend, or even really as a friend at all, when in-canon Jean doesn't feel the same way and on a meta level they haven't been given a conversation in .. years? Decades?

This is primarily a function of Marvel disregarding Lorna's worth and treating her like she doesn't have any, rather than anything to be said about Jean. Same as how Marvel constantly acts like Havok is so important for Lorna that he has to be forced into everything she does, while he can go off and be a co-leader on Uncanny Avengers, have a kid with Wasp, etc.

For this reason, I wouldn't say Jean doesn't consider Lorna to be a friend. I'd say Marvel doesn't think Lorna is "good enough" to be friends with Jean, and they force that onto the story rather than following what would make sense for the characters given their history. Same base problem as why a certain editor kept insisting Lorna couldn't be Magneto's daughter while giving flimsy excuses for it, and completely excluding her as part of the family in multiple events.

Here is where I say why I think Lorna x Jean as a pairing would be good if handled well. It would maintain Storm being Jean's friend while restoring a relationship between the two. It would allow their history to get more use and have more weight. They're also the nearest female-female peers short of Jean dating Wanda (which, in a way, Lorna could also be the woman in the middle sister-in-law at that point... if Avengers books were willing to give up their stranglehold on Wanda).

[Will Evans]

This is primarily a function of Marvel disregarding Lorna's worth and treating her like she doesn't have any, rather than anything to be said about Jean. Same as how Marvel constantly acts like Havok is so important for Lorna that he has to be forced into everything she does, while he can go off and be a co-leader on Uncanny Avengers, have a kid with Wasp, etc.

For this reason, I wouldn't say Jean doesn't consider Lorna to be a friend. I'd say Marvel doesn't think Lorna is "good enough" to be friends with Jean, and they force that onto the story rather than following what would make sense for the characters given their history. Same base problem as why a certain editor kept insisting Lorna couldn't be Magneto's daughter while giving flimsy excuses for it, and completely excluding her as part of the family in multiple events.

Here is where I say why I think Lorna x Jean as a pairing would be good if handled well. It would maintain Storm being Jean's friend while restoring a relationship between the two. It would allow their history to get more use and have more weight. They're also the nearest female-female peers short of Jean dating Wanda (which, in a way, Lorna could also be the woman in the middle sister-in-law at that point... if Avengers books were willing to give up their stranglehold on Wanda).

At this point, not counting longevity, I believe Jean’s female peers (as far as influence) are Storm, Emma, Kitty and arguably Mystique. All of which also serve on the Quiet Council.

[jmc247]

this is interesting to me because I feel like Lorna often gets paired up with the "good girls" (used loosely) - The Rachels and Jeans, even Rogues, not without their tragedies and angsts but overcoming them (usually, on a good day) thru the Divine Purity of Heroism...

how would she play off of someone truly unhinged, like a Deathstrike or a Lady Mastermind? Would she sink into the patterns of Austen Lorna, the impulsive oddball who makes everyone uncomfortable (much to the reader's delight) ? Or would she feel obligated to a certain moral highground, the Ice Princess, daughter of a Mutant King- she's friends with Jean, you know....purveyors of terror are so not her scene . Would she take another route entirely?

If anything, her uneven characterization makes this even more fun to ponder lol

This is something that I have been highly interested in too. How does Lorna interact with the more militant side of the x-line? We have seen some interaction between her and some female Acolytes, but not enough to develop a clear picture and most of the ones she interacted with were honorable if aggressive mutant rights activists and the same can be said of herself.



As for Claremont's run being the Bible for characters. Perhaps, but most fans can see that what was done in the comics in the early '00s that Claremont had a bit of hand in, The Gifted season one or WATXM Lorna is much more interesting take on a character then the one note hyper devoted generic girlfriend character who gets possessed a lot.

Though as a consequence of the Claremont years I do think writers have trouble thinking outside the box you discuss in terms of Lorna interactions. Emma and Lorna for instance should be able to play a mean game of chess and talk about mutant issues. Lorna and Jean should be able to have a conflict about mutant issues.

There is an underlying desire not to break Lorna from the side of things you discuss and while I understand why it doesn't help her relationships with the straight laced side or the militant side. Lorna's interactions with Mystique in 1998 when they were on the same team were something new, though Lorna was still written too white bread for them to be memorable.

[AZPolaris]

They aren't that close in age. Rachel also spent the majority of her time knowing Lorna as the girlfriend of her uncle. Ergo aunt. I am not aging anyone, just stating fact. Age doesn't even have to be a factor in being an aunt. I don't ship Lorna and Rachel or Jean. Too convoluted. Now being a friend or confidante I am definitely behind. I don't see Lorna, romantically, with any of the women on her team (no pun intended). Certainly not against it, just don't see it. Also, I always felt Lorna was the tomboy type with more male friends than female.

[Will Evans]

What if we actually see Aurora/Polaris as a couple?

Or Daken/Polaris?

[Soulsword323]

I need to see Lorna, Amelia, and Carmella on a team please. The power they would have.

[houndsofluv]

What if we actually see Aurora/Polaris as a couple?

Or Daken/Polaris?

I'm really excited to see how Williams writes the Aurora/Polaris dynamic .. I feel like they could really relate to each other , whether written as friends, lovers, even rivals...I'm not sure if they're both in the right place necessarily for relationships , they're both carrying a lot of baggage, but it would be interesting to explore. Count me as down

Daken/Polaris sounds like a hot mess express .. so I'd be down to read it as long as it doesn't consume their respective character arcs. Thats something I can see as a friends w/ benefits scenario.

I wish the book was gonna be out sooner I feel like I've speculated every possible avenue at this point...

[coveredinbees]

I need to see Lorna, Amelia, and Carmella on a team please. The power they would have.

Yes! I would take anything with more Voght, but I think they would be a fun team up. They're both in between Xavier and Magneto with Voght occasionally questioning both Cortez' and Exodus' authority and Polaris not always thrilled to be an X-Man.

Those crazy Acolytes should be major players! They have a seat on the Council. I'm not saying they would be useful, mind you.

[coveredinbees]

I was rereading 145 and 146. CC gave Polaris a lot of power and a few good moments. It's too bad he didn't use her as herself more. She's so much more comfortable being a mutant than Havok and she's clearly stronger than most of the X-Men. Malice was the only one still standing after Sinister bombed the mansion and IIRC Polaris did better against the Marauders alone than the X-Men in the tunnels.

Her line about breaking Havok of his bad habit stands out to me considering their current relationship.


Haha Robot Illyana

[jmc247]

The New Mutants averted X-Men West

"Since the spring of '81 Weezie (X-Men Editor Louise Jones) and I have on various occasions kicked around the idea of doing a second (X-Men) book," writer Chris Claremont revealed in The X-Men Companion. "We decided to wait until we found someone (to draw the book) and then think seriously about putting it together."

"We were afraid that we would go to (Marvel) and say, "Hey, let's do an X-Men book," and they would say, "Yes, but the only person available is" somebody that we wouldn't be interested in using," Louise Jones added. "So we were going to keep our mouths shut until the spring. We were going to pick our people and then we were going to say, "Hey, we've got a book for you.""

"Right. With three issues in the drawer," Claremont continued. "And what happened was that while we were pretty much solidifying the concept or at least getting it as much into focus as we felt we needed, Mark Gruenwald went into (Editor-In-Chief) Jim (Shooter)'s office with a proposal for an alternative X-Men book involving the "loose" members of the original team Angel, Iceman, Beast, Havok, Polaris and I suppose any other extraneous mutants that happened to be around, and setting them up on the West Coast as a kind of a" "X-Men West," Louise Jones cut in.

"And regardless of the individual merits of the concept, it was way different from what we had in mind," Claremont continued. "Jim quite properly went to Weezie and said that this proposal had been made to him, and asked if we had any problems with it or suggestions, or comments. Weezie pointed out, well, we had our own concept in the works, and we'd had it for quite some time. And Jim said, "Oh, okay, well, let's hear it." So then we had to put up or shut up."

"And luckily at about the same time (artist) Bob McLeod had just surfaced (...) and the pieces all meshed together."

https://uncannyxmen.net/secrets-behi...ted-x-men-west

Mark Gruenwald was pushing for an X-Men West Coast to encompass the mutants that had been left behind by the All New X-Men team. X-Men 145-146 was supposed to be the build up to the X-Men West Coast team. If it happened Lorna would have kept her B list X-Men status she had in the 70s and early 80s.

But, Claremont himself didn't want any of this to happen and he talks about how he maneuvered the New Mutants as a replacement idea at just the right time to keep it from happening.



It doesn't do much good looking back, but this was the new team being planned that Claremont himself was dead set against and he got his way. Claremont wrote Lorna well when editorial told him to write her well as was the case with the built up to X-Men West as in those issues. I will be honest Lorna's chance to rise in typical fashion as a generic heroine B lister of the x-line was finished with the death of that series.

But, Lorna the sultrily philosophically complex queen of mutants can still make it there, but she really needs a break out story arc as in something iconic as Jean had with the DPS that pits her against her contemporizes and leaves her with a decade or two worth of stories writers are salving over. Over the past ten years writers tried to make Lorna work with generic super hero antics and love interest focus.... same old same old. She didn't catch fire and the positions Lorna could 'grow' into as a generic hero remain filled.

[Will Evans]

When I was a kid and Angel, Beast, Iceman and Candy Southern were all on the New Defenders in Angel’s New Mexico mansion, I considered them “ the West Coast X-men” anyway.

Alex and Lorna practically lived close by, so I’m shocked they didn’t join the team.

[jmc247]

When I was a kid and Angel, Beast, Iceman and Candy Southern were all on the New Defenders in Angel’s New Mexico mansion, I considered them “ the West Coast X-men” anyway.

Alex and Lorna practically lived close by, so I’m shocked they didn’t join the team.

Lorna was a Defender for a Day.