Dani Moonstar, Mirage Appreciation 2020

[Arachne]

None of us know what they're thinking, but it's fun to speculate on occasion.

I can see how making her too powerful could be a problem. When she could make solid constructs of people's fears, I always wondered what would happen if someone's fear was a nuclear bomb. However, the arrows are pretty boring on their own. The illusions were supposedly weaker, but so much more versatile and interesting. They could make it a little too easy to solve a mystery, but on the other hand, they were great for getting insight into other characters. And the idea that Dani felt what her targets felt added some drama.

She still may feel what her targets feel, but we haven't seen any sign of that, and I don't think we're going to until she gets a new writer.

[The Cool Thatguy]

I think the arrows and non solid illusions would be the best combo power for Dani. That gives her something for straight action scenes and something versatile to fall back on.

[Arachne]

Yeah, I agree. Just the arrows alone make her look too much like a weak Psylocke, IMO. Of course, Dani was using arrows before Betsy, but I doubt a lot of people would realize that, and Dani's arrows came after Betsy's psychic knives.

[Havok83]

Dani just seems to be one of those characters who some writers have a different take on, powers wise. I have a pretty hard time keeping track of them these days.

I think part of the problem is that some writers aren't sure how to use Dani's powers for fear of making Dani to powerful. They may not be sure if that is a good thing or not is a good thing or a bad thing.
That's not meant to be a criticism of the writers. I can see how her powers can give people trouble when they are writing her.

Of course, I could be wrong. Obviously I don't know what the X-writers or X-editors are thinking when they create comics, or the stories that they are trying to tell.

Fear is a very simple way to distill her powerset as that is how it was originally described 40 years ago but she has advanced far passed that. She can create illusions and they dont need to be based on a person's fears. She has the ability to psychically access a person's memories and create lifelike illusions from that. Its not that hard a power to write. Its a visual form of telepathy and would be visually more appealing for artists to portray as opposed to a glob of pink energy

[Arachne]

Agreed! I loved it when she used her illusions to make herself and Sam look like the perfect hotel guests. She be hell to face in an interrogation, she could disguised herself as the person the suspect trusted most.

[Havok83]

Agreed! I loved it when she used her illusions to make herself and Sam look like the perfect hotel guests. She be hell to face in an interrogation, she could disguised herself as the person the suspect trusted most.

That sounds familiar but I dont recall that. What issue did it appear in?

My favorite feat will always be when she allowed James to have a conversation with his brother and dead family by accessing his memories of them to give him closure. She could really screw with a person's head by making them think they are having full on conversations with people that arent there

[Arachne]

OG New Mutants #23, I think. When Rahne and 'Berto were linked to Cloak and Dagger. Rahne had run off to the hotel.

Remeber when she tortured Empath by twisting his greatest desire into his worst fear? The girl's devious when she wants to be. (When the writers let her be.)

[Thievery]

Fear is a very simple way to distill her powerset as that is how it was originally described 40 years ago but she has advanced far passed that. She can create illusions and they dont need to be based on a person's fears. She has the ability to psychically access a person's memories and create lifelike illusions from that. Its not that hard a power to write. Its a visual form of telepathy and would be visually more appealing for artists to portray as opposed to a glob of pink energy

Thanks. A very helpful and simple explanation.

Agreed! I loved it when she used her illusions to make herself and Sam look like the perfect hotel guests. She be hell to face in an interrogation, she could disguised herself as the person the suspect trusted most.

That sounds familiar but I dont recall that. What issue did it appear in?

My favorite feat will always be when she allowed James to have a conversation with his brother and dead family by accessing his memories of them to give him closure. She could really screw with a person's head by making them think they are having full on conversations with people that arent there

I dot recall the issue numbers that these happened in. Could someone help me out? It would be much appreciated. I'd really like to go back and have another look at them.

If no one remembers that is cool also. I'll just have some extra research to do for a while.

[Arachne]

First one's OG New Mutants #23, the second one is OG X-Force #75, if my memory isn't falling me tonight. Didn't the take down Selene that issue?

[Havok83]

Thanks. A very helpful and simple explanation.





I dot recall the issue numbers that these happened in. Could someone help me out? It would be much appreciated. I'd really like to go back and have another look at them.

If no one remembers that is cool also. I'll just have some extra research to do for a while.

First one's OG New Mutants #23, the second one is OG X-Force #75, if my memory isn't falling me tonight. Didn't the take down Selene that issue?

Yep and I'll post it bc its so awesome

[Thievery]

First one's OG New Mutants #23, the second one is OG X-Force #75, if my memory isn't falling me tonight. Didn't the take down Selene that issue?

Thank you very much.

I cant be certain about the Selene issue, because I had only been collecting X-Force on and off for a small point in time around this time. I collected it up more steadily again a little afterwards. I would hate to give you a wrong answer.

EDIT: Doh, Havok83 just typed faster than I did. Thanks Havok83

[Havok83]

Speaking of which does anyone know the last time Dani and James even interacted? I would hate to think it was 90s X-Force

[Arachne]

I think it was, actually. I'm sure they haven't been on the same team since. I don't think they even had contact during Necrosha.

[Will Evans]

I think it was, actually. I'm sure they haven't been on the same team since. I don't think they even had contact during Necrosha.

Or all of Utopia actually.

[Thirteen]

Agreed! I loved it when she used her illusions to make herself and Sam look like the perfect hotel guests. She be hell to face in an interrogation, she could disguised herself as the person the suspect trusted most.

The subtlety of use of powers as seen in NM #23 was long ago sacrificed for more weaponized use...