Lorna Dane: Polaris Appreciation 2020

[Captain Buttocks]

I couldn't read the third issue of X-Factor

How was Lorna? And Rachel?

Here be spoilers.

Always wary of getting involved in here, but I thought Lorna had a quietly good issue (although I feel this was the weakest issue of the series thus far, by quite a distance, with some fundamental story and pacing problems). She showed her power (she's clearly the "heavy-hitter" of the team) and also more of her nudging Northstar in the right direction, but YMMV on how useful a plot that is (I like it, personally). I was pleased her back-story with spoilers:

Shatterstar was referenced and that she "caught on" to what he was hinting, and also the goodbye hug and promise was good Lorna stuff (she can relate to what he's going through) and actually resonated on an emotional level for me, which *just about* kept the book above water in my eyes. It also reminded me of her asking Longshot to stay in X-Men Blue or Gold or whatever it was, so nice symnetry in story beats there.

end of spoilers

Rachel had very little to do, which is often the case for any telepath (not called Betsy) these days because stories focused around solving mysteries are very had to do with someone who can read minds. Panel 1 - murder. Panel 2 - Rachel solves it. Rest of book - team play baseball.

I really dug the cover, but the art is still all over the shop. Baldeon is clearly talented but needs to calm down (although many bonus points for frequently being bothered to draw backgrounds, which are disappearing from books these days). The colouring however was fantastic.

[Soulsword323]

Today's issue was fine. Nothing super groundbreaking, but fun nonetheless. Polaris' spoilers:

friendship with Shatterstar was the highlight for me, and it was nice that they had a couple of scenes together

end of spoilers. Lorna and Rachel are clearly the powerhouse, and that was also nice to see as well.

[raidensix]

Why did the artist keep putting a "halo" on Lorna's head? It's fine with Rachel as she's a psychic but was odd with Lorna.

[Will Evans]

Why did the artist keep putting a "halo" on Lorna's head? It's fine with Rachel as she's a psychic but was odd with Lorna.

Was that a Mojoverse thing?

[Soulsword323]

Artistic license?

I think its supposed to replace the tiara/headpiece Lorna typically wears.

[salarta]

I had a random thought a little earlier.

What if there were originally plans for Lorna to be in X-Men: Empyre, but they would’ve been horribly insulting, and Marvel decided it was better to cut her there than to do something that really hurts perception of the company?

[rhaenylis]

I just remembered that on September 30th we will have Lorna in the issue with this famous variant cover and that we will logically see her throw Krakoa into space with the Giant-Size X-Men Tribute

Hoping Marvel didn't mess it up

[salarta]

At this point I'm surprised Marvel hasn't taken their remake of Giant-Size X-Men as a chance to remove Lorna, considering both how little regard they've had for her in the comics and how Deadly Genesis back in 2005-2006 claimed it was Jean that threw Krakoa into space instead of Lorna. Which follows the same lines of Lorna's origin story getting used for Jean in the Dark Phoenix movie (replacing plane with a car) and Jean getting to use Genosha for a story in X-Men Red while Marvel can't be assed for 15 years to acknowledge Lorna even knows what Genosha is.

Yes, my opinion of Marvel really is low enough that I think they would do such things.

I'm not sure what famous variant cover is being referred to here though. There's one I THINK it probably is based on comments and covers I know of, but that's an assumption.

[UncannyLZ]

Anyone else read X-Factor issue 3? I think I have to accept this book just isn’t what I expected and isn’t for me...

Here’s hoping Lorna lands in a new book after x of swords and new books get announced!

[Havok83]

Anyone else read X-Factor issue 3? I think I have to accept this book just isn’t what I expected and isn’t for me...

Here’s hoping Lorna lands in a new book after x of swords and new books get announced!

X-Factor JUST launched; she's not leaving the book and going elsewhere any time soon. Its unfortunate for me as well bc they keep sticking her in X-Factor books I dont care for either.

[salarta]

On the one hand, yeah. I do expect she's stuck on X-Factor despite how she shouldn't be there unless she's doing more important things elsewhere. She can be used to promote the book without Marvel giving it any actual promotion (or rather, so Marvel can give the ILLUSION of promotion without any real support), and at the same time it doesn't meaningfully raise her own profile or acknowledge her worth within the overall franchise in any way. Win-win for people at Marvel who don't really have any respect for her.

On the other hand, it's still worthwhile to voice that desire to see her doing more/other things. Even if Marvel completely ignores it, it's still at least on record that the desire existed. Just as it's been on record that Magnus family fans want the family back together and Marvel's ignoring that interest as well.

To repeat my views, again, if Lorna were doing bigger and more important things elsewhere then I wouldn't mind her on X-Factor as a team member (assuming she's treated well). But if this is all she gets, she's better off not on the book at all, or making only occasional appearances. Let's have Shatterstar or Wind Dancer join the team in her place.

[rhaenylis]

On the other hand, I want to point out that surprisingly as it sounds, Lorna is treated better than some others. In Excalibur, Tini Howard is crushing Gambit with a steamroller. Bobby, Pyro, and Storm do absolutely nothing in Marauders. Jean left X-Force so knowing in which issue she will appear is a matter of chance. Warren and Monet were able to shine in just one issue of all of Dawn of X. To be honest, I think Lorna is a lucky character for once

[Havok83]

On the other hand, I want to point out that surprisingly as it sounds, Lorna is treated better than some others. In Excalibur, Tini Howard is crushing Gambit with a steamroller. Bobby, Pyro, and Storm do absolutely nothing in Marauders. Jean left X-Force so knowing in which issue she will appear is a matter of chance. Warren and Monet were able to shine in just one issue of all of Dawn of X. To be honest, I think Lorna is a lucky character for once

LOL...Jean was in this week's issue of X-Force. She never left the book

[rhaenylis]

LOL...Jean was in this week's issue of X-Force. She never left the book

I misspoke. She left the team and appeared at the very end of the twelfth issue but it is not confirmed that she will have an interesting role after the thirteenth issue

[salarta]

On the other hand, I want to point out that surprisingly as it sounds, Lorna is treated better than some others. In Excalibur, Tini Howard is crushing Gambit with a steamroller. Bobby, Pyro, and Storm do absolutely nothing in Marauders. Jean left X-Force so knowing in which issue she will appear is a matter of chance. Warren and Monet were able to shine in just one issue of all of Dawn of X. To be honest, I think Lorna is a lucky character for once

I can't speak to how those other characters are being treated story-wise since I'm not reading those books (and never will unless Lorna's involved, she's treated well, and Havok isn't involved somehow), but presence-wise, all of them are treated much, much better than Lorna. For those characters, at least their greater presence with those books garners some semblance of respect for their value to the franchise. Lorna isn't getting even that much on X-Factor. She's just taking part in a fringe team she should be leading (since she's doing literally nothing else) as a team member. Rare moments like the whole Krakoa thing don't offset the negatives of not being leader, not doing other/bigger things, and being locked in the fringes of the franchise.

I think Lorna's appearance in Deadpool #6 alone was better for her than her entire involvement in this X-Factor. Not just up til now but everything that's coming or could possibly come out of X-Factor. She was among her peers (Wolverine, Storm, etc) in the Deadpool issue, alongside other good details.

It's not a "How is Leah treating her" problem. None of this is a judgment of her writing. If she was writing the main X-Men book and had Lorna on it, I would have none of the complaints I am leveling here.

It's a disrespect from Marvel problem. It's a problem that goes beyond anything Leah could do in her position at Marvel unless she's able to push for the company to treat Lorna with the status and respect she deserves, and getting her all the things she should be getting out of Marvel and hasn't been. There's nothing Leah could do within the confines of X-Factor to resolve this in my eyes except make Lorna into the team leader, which to be clear I don't think should happen given both Leah clearly wants to write Northstar as team leader and it wouldn't be fair to fans of Northstar (it would be akin to if All-New X-Factor suddenly had Gambit taking over).

Marvel seems dead set on acting like she's a character who was created in the 90s and is a washed up relic without Havok. Which is far from the reality of who she is and what she offers in the hands of a company that actually cares. If this is supposed to be a "new era" for the X-Men franchise, Marvel should be acting like it and doing better by her than past generations did. Not simply saying they are while keeping her buried where none of it matters and none of her truly important development and elements like Genosha ever come up for her.