Lorna Dane: Polaris Appreciation 2020

[salarta]

A fellow Polaris fan on Twitter raised the question of if Lorna is omega, and again I should remark.

According to the biased fanboys working for Marvel, the hierarchy they established (which, again, hierarchy shouldn't exist in the first place) claims Lorna is alpha level. But, somehow, Magneto is omega instead of alpha.

Why am I saying "somehow?" Because by Marvel's own past printed material, if Magneto is omega, then Lorna is too.




In comics, Lorna has been repeatedly referred to as either having the potential to reach Magneto's levels, as being equal to Magneto, or as actually having surpassed him (albeit in a weakened state). In The Twelve, she was used as an opposite pole to Magneto - implying the whole "equal yet opposite force" concept. Cause you don't typically say "opposite" over something that isn't a direct comparison.

In other words. If Marvel wasn't full of people biased against the character (regardless of whether it's deliberate or subconscious bias), Lorna would be on their omega list. Her exclusion from said list, just like her exclusion from so many other things (e.g. anything to do with Genosha), makes the list invalid from any real standpoint.

[jmc247]

Lorna and Magneto’s abilities at times are treated as something internal to them (60s and 70s) and at times something they use external power sources for. Really for most of the 80s up to the 2000s they used the Earth’s EM field as their sponge. I never believed personally there was a power channeling difference. I always believed it to be a skill difference.

On the other matter nailing the dismount for Genosha and what it means for her going forward will be no small thing. 20 years ago this year her story in a lot of ways got its second birth on the island. Genosha altered her vision on the world and made it much more unique and fascinating.

[AbnormallyNormal]

Hickman's Omega list is far from "definitive" and really it's outright silly in some ways.

Can't tell from the few panels of XFactor so far what Lorna's overall personality or stance re: Genosha is (or if that will indeed even play any role)

[LordAllMIghty]

A fellow Polaris fan on Twitter raised the question of if Lorna is omega, and again I should remark.

According to the biased fanboys working for Marvel, the hierarchy they established (which, again, hierarchy shouldn't exist in the first place) claims Lorna is alpha level. But, somehow, Magneto is omega instead of alpha.

Why am I saying "somehow?" Because by Marvel's own past printed material, if Magneto is omega, then Lorna is too.




In comics, Lorna has been repeatedly referred to as either having the potential to reach Magneto's levels, as being equal to Magneto, or as actually having surpassed him (albeit in a weakened state). In The Twelve, she was used as an opposite pole to Magneto - implying the whole "equal yet opposite force" concept. Cause you don't typically say "opposite" over something that isn't a direct comparison.

In other words. If Marvel wasn't full of people biased against the character (regardless of whether it's deliberate or subconscious bias), Lorna would be on their omega list. Her exclusion from said list, just like her exclusion from so many other things (e.g. anything to do with Genosha), makes the list invalid from any real standpoint.

It all comes down to feats. Lona has never shown the power level of Magneto, so she is considered an Alpha level mutant. There nothing wrong with being an Alpha level mutant.

[jmc247]

It looks like we have the full update from Future Fight. No Lorna and more of the same names.

https://mobile.twitter.com/marvel_ff...06684683956225

As for the Omega issue. Don’t care and felt the list system since the 90s should go away as it often turned into nothing more then a way to say my favorites (Storm, Jean, Iceman, etc.) are a class above your favorites for power potential which is what it’s supposed to be based on.

[davetvs]

It all comes down to feats. Lona has never shown the power level of Magneto, so she is considered an Alpha level mutant. There nothing wrong with being an Alpha level mutant.

There really isn't. Sometimes I wish fans would stop getting caught up in the classifications. It seems Hickman's new list is definitive, and generally makes sense. Leave it at that. Lorna is obviously still an incredibly powerful character.

[Havok83]

It all comes down to feats. Lona has never shown the power level of Magneto, so she is considered an Alpha level mutant. There nothing wrong with being an Alpha level mutant.

Quentin has never shown to do anything on the level of Xavier, yet he is considered an omega for telepathy, so that doesnt really hold up.

[jmc247]

There really isn't. Sometimes I wish fans would stop getting caught up in the classifications. It seems Hickman's new list is definitive, and generally makes sense. Leave it at that. Lorna is obviously still an incredibly powerful character.

The classification system is designed to get fans caught up in it and fighting over whose character is above others. It’s not a mistake in the system it’s a part of the system and as far as Marvel is concerned a winner if Storm fans and Lorna fans fight over who is more powerful. Or Quentin fans be able to say my character is above your character as he is Omega.

That said I won’t be getting into such fights. I will only say Hickman did Lorna much more justice right off the bat then the vast majority of her writers including Bunn by bringing up her feelings of fear and distrust about humanity. Which was a call back without saying it to the most disastrous event in her life that other writers for a long time ignored.

Hickman didn’t do wrong by Lorna yet in any area I care about.

[davetvs]

The classification system is designed to get fans caught up in it and fighting over whose character is above others. It’s not a mistake in the system it’s a part of the system and as far as Marvel is concerned a winner if Storm fans and Lorna fans fight over who is more powerful. Or Quentin fans be able to say my character is above your character as he is Omega.

That said I won’t be getting into such fights. I will only say Hickman did Lorna much more justice right off the bat then the vast majority of her writers including Bunn by bringing up her feelings of fear and distrust about humanity. Which was a call back without saying it to the most disastrous event in her life that other writers for a long time ignored.

Hickman didn’t do wrong by Lorna yet in any area I care about.

I guess we can agree to disagree, I don't really see how it benefits Marvel other than chatter about the franchise being good in general. Cyclops and Wolverine are two of the most popular mutants around and nobody cares about whether or not they're omega. X-23, Magik, the list goes on. You don't need to be an Omega-level to be in-universe important, or IRL popular. Storm has always been one of my favorites for example but I can't enjoy her thread because everyone is constantly so caught up in feats, classifications, godhood, etc. Franklin Richards is an Omega but generally irrelevant to the X-Men's stories, definitely much less relevant than Polaris.

[jmc247]

Like I said I don’t care if Lorna is Omega or not. I am simply not a fan of the classification system period.

I hate debating it because there is no winning other to say I have never liked it and again I will repeat because some think I am attacking Hickman... I don’t care what Lorna is classified as and think he did a good job with Lorna so far. My view that the list system panders to those who love feats and fighting over how great their character is. That is my only point.

[LordAllMIghty]

Quentin has never shown to do anything on the level of Xavier, yet he is considered an omega for telepathy, so that doesnt really hold up.

I assume its connected to his million brilliant ideas thing.

[Havok83]

He was a Phoenix host.

So was Xavier and many others who arent on that list

[LordAllMIghty]

So was Xavier and many others who arent on that list

Lol...that was meant for something else.

[jwatson]

Was reading my hox hardcover and got lorna and genosha on the brain.

Black and white lornabw.jpg

colorlornacolor.jpg

[salarta]

There really isn't. Sometimes I wish fans would stop getting caught up in the classifications. It seems Hickman's new list is definitive, and generally makes sense. Leave it at that. Lorna is obviously still an incredibly powerful character.

If they're going to make these "classifications" (which again, they shouldn't), then they need to adhere to their own rules. Their own rules do not say "must do amazing things." They say "a mutant whose dominant power is deemed to register -- or reach -- an undefinable upper limit of that power's specific classification." Marvel's own comics have repeatedly and explicitly said her powers are to such a level that by default, if Magneto's omega, then Lorna has to be too. No assessment of "feats" needed.

The list also does not limit to only one person per category. Both Jean Grey and Quentin Quire are listed for Telepathy, so Lorna getting listed would not prevent Magneto from being listed. Objectively, Marvel's own rules say Lorna would have to be on the list even if they hate her. The only way the existing list could still work without Lorna on it is if it's a reflection of who Xavier thinks should count, not who actually does count.

An ideal situation would be that Lorna's exclusion acted as an early hint that the whole concept of omega classification is bull and it'll be torn down later, but I don't see Marvel thinking that way. Marvel has a tendency to go full nostalgia and let all else suffer for it.

A read-between-the-lines addendum: this isn't really about "is she omega." Every character can be interesting if written right, regardless of "power level." It's about a clear and obvious discrepancy. Marvel's past comics explicitly say that wherever Magneto lands, Lorna also lands. If Magneto's alpha, then Lorna's alpha. If he's omega, then Lorna should be omega. Saying Magneto is omega while Lorna isn't exposes bias, adding to the pile of evidence that's been growing for decades. It's also a clear sign that such lists aren't to be trusted or respected, since they're just nostalgic fanboy inventions of whoever's running things at the company that day.