Polaris: The Mistress of Magnetism Appreciation 2022

[jmc247]

Lorna's mini-skirt era has been amazing. The only thing it's missing is her headpiece/tiara, which I think would have really completed the look. It would have really worked well with Duggan's portrayal of Polaris as well.

It can always be added later in such a way to give it some kind of meaning, though I am not sure a typical headgear for her would work well with that outfit.

Hopefully we'll get someone to touch on Genosha for Lorna at some point. I understand the frustration of not seeing it explicitly said, but I do feel it factors into the way certain writers depict Lorna's personality.

It does factor in some ways into how some writers depict her including Duggan. Its why outside of wishing we got to see her nightmare in issue #4 I haven't said much about it. Marvel doesn't like fans to badger them about things which is why I try not to even though it really does matter. Fans calling for stuff is why Duggan basically admitted on Twitter they kept Jean in her 05 costume for another year.

Bunn's run with Lorna is a picture-perfect example of a run that was horribly undermined by wanting to drag Lorna back to the 90s and ignore the later stuff.

I do wish we could get a scene of Magneto and Polaris discussing their time on Genosha in more detail, particularly in this era of the X-Men with everyone united on Krakoa.

That would be quite something though I don't believe they would ever do it. Lorna and Magneto’s relationship was deconstructed over the past two years and still are going to have to be rebuilt somehow.

[UncannyLZ]

In order for us to ever see Lorna talk about Genosha in anyway, she would need to be written by a writer who cares about and knows continuity to include it. Most don’t, So they avoid it. Sunfire and Polaris were both horsemen of apocalypse together but you never know it seeing them on the current X-Men team. Meanwhile, in X-Men red, Sunspot called Magneto headmaster bringing up the time when Erik was the teacher for the new mutants. Lorna‘s continuity doesn’t have to be a big moment, but some thing as small as the Sunspot/headmaster moment would be nice. Hopefully, Lorna’s next writer will care to bring up her continuity

[salarta]

In order for us to ever see Lorna talk about Genosha in anyway, she would need to be written by a writer who cares about and knows continuity to include it. Most don’t, So they avoid it.

The thing is, writers - at least professional ones - do research to prepare for what they're going to write. They try to look at core events of the franchise and important character moments to better understand the facts and how they should be approaching the characters. Any writer who doesn't do that isn't professional, and I don't feel egotistical in saying that would make me more of a professional writer than them. I do research when I write fanfics. I read wiki pages, look up source material, pull representative scenes/pictures and inspiration together, I've even bought episodes and DVD sets for the purpose. And that's with content that has no impact on official work, where nobody would really care if I got anything wrong.

If a writer doesn't acknowledge Genosha because they don't know enough of her continuity to include it, that's a choice. They've chosen to do little to no research into Lorna before writing her, or they've done plenty of research and they've chosen to ignore one of the most important experiences of her life. Because they care more about nostalgia or whatever "genius" direction they want to force her in, instead of actually trying to understand the character and showing her basic respect.

Lorna‘s continuity doesn’t have to be a big moment, but some thing as small as the Sunspot/headmaster moment would be nice. Hopefully, Lorna’s next writer will care to bring up her continuity

What I'll agree with here is that acknowledging Lorna's continuity doesn't have to be a big moment. It doesn't need to be a huge spotlight on her. But the big moments she's had need to be acknowledged, and the acknowledgment needs to be clear and obvious. Vaguely hinting at her history in a way where you have to be a real hardcore fan to even know it's supposed to be a reference isn't sufficient. Especially when other characters have their history explicitly referenced all the time.


Also, I'm becoming more direct, vocal and demanding about Genosha with Lorna because by my observation, what's holding Marvel back isn't a reluctance to give fans what they want when they're being loud about it. It's bias against Lorna and unwillingness to do right by her.

Jean fans being vocal about the dress may have delayed changing her costume, but Marvel ultimately changed it while Jean fans were still vocal, didn't they? Storm fans are and always have been very loud about all the things she deserves, and Marvel hasn't responded to it by burying her in a limbo ditch until Storm fans go quiet. Storm's become Regent of Arakko and leads X-Men Red. Kinda the opposite response to what they say they do when fans are too loud. The truth of the situation isn't Lorna fans badgering people at Marvel too much to do the right thing. It's people at Marvel not having enough respect for Lorna as a character and fans of her to do for her what they've repeatedly done for other characters.

I'm also reasonably sure at this point that it's all an excuse to get fans of a character that doesn't get what they deserve to blame each other and think they're the ones to blame. It's ultimately the same thing as how people at Marvel claimed a decade ago that they never read what anyone says on the internet. They did, they just didn't want fans to think they did.

[jmc247]

What I'll agree with here is that acknowledging Lorna's continuity doesn't have to be a big moment. It doesn't need to be a huge spotlight on her. But the big moments she's had need to be acknowledged, and the acknowledgment needs to be clear and obvious. Vaguely hinting at her history in a way where you have to be a real hardcore fan to even know it's supposed to be a reference isn't sufficient. Especially when other characters have their history explicitly referenced all the time.

Talk of Genosha being ignored gets mini Polaris all fired up.



Link

The thing is Marvel writers don't like being told what to do and frankly I very much don't like telling them what to do. But, unless they want to say Lorna was mind wiped going through a mass genocide of people she was obligated to protect is a kind of big deal and its very noticeable when everyone tangentially involved in the genocide and even Storm and Jean and Wanda who were very tangentially involved are referencing it.

I will also add stories that attempted to write over the Genoshan genocide in regards to Lorna vs write alongside it have all failed and badly.

[cam18]

Never really liked Lorna's old look it was just to much like mimi Scarlet Witch(a character im not super fond of) I just love when she shows off her big beautiful green hair....like the mini skirt to I just like her having her own look her own swag so to speak.

[Phoenixx9]

I hate when they put Magneto's costume or Helmet on Lorna!!

Lorna is her own person with her own costume and her own, superior Headdress (well, when they use it, lol)!

[salarta]

Never really liked Lorna's old look it was just to much like mimi Scarlet Witch(a character im not super fond of) I just love when she shows off her big beautiful green hair....like the mini skirt to I just like her having her own look her own swag so to speak.

The headgear may look similar to Wanda's, but it's still unique to Lorna. It has its own color and shape, and it's become good visual iconography for Lorna in the same way as Wanda's headgear has become for her, and Magneto's helmet has become for him. It also provides two valuable elements of characterization. First, it alludes to her being part of the Magnus family as a result of how it fits with Wanda and Magneto's headgear. Second, Lorna's headgear is representative of the time period she was made - the late 60s. With a company that keeps ignoring her long history, it's meaningful to at least keep that visual touch. Plus it's existed for decades now, and there's nothing out there that can come close to matching it.

I hate when they put Magneto's costume or Helmet on Lorna!!

Lorna is her own person with her own costume and her own, superior Headdress (well, when they use it, lol)!

Lorna wearing Magneto's costume or helmet can be a good thing, but only if it's used properly. It was good in the Austen wedding issues because it represented Lorna's sudden turn toward rage and violence, and she made it using her powers. It was good in the Wolverine and the X-Men cartoon because it was representative of her pain and trauma as a survivor of Genosha. Both of these cases used imagery of her father to evoke who she is and where her head's at. Whereas more recent usage, e.g. the Deadpool and the Mercs For Money issues, made the mistake of being more preoccupied with using the helmet and look purely in service to Magneto.

Relevant to mention here is also how Lorna and Pietro built the Magneto statue in the ruins of Genosha. If building the statue was taken out of its context, it would come across bad, like it's all about putting Magneto on a pedestal. But the context of New X-Men #132 makes the act of building that statue into valuable characterization for both characters, especially Lorna, in addition to emphasizing the gravity of the Genoshan genocide. Millions died there. Lorna experienced all those deaths firsthand, on repeat with her powers acting as a black box. With that context, what we see is that building the statue wasn't just an egotistical gesture for Magneto. That statue was representative of the millions who died believing in that mutant nation, and an attempt by Lorna to put all that pain and trauma she knows so well into a massive memorial bearing her presumed dead father's likeness.

In short, the problem isn't simply using things tied to Magneto, but how they're used. The good way is to use those things to tap into a deeper core of who Lorna is, what she's done and can do. The bad way is just to use her like property that only exists to build up Magneto with nothing to gain for herself.

[jmc247]

I hate when they put Magneto's costume or Helmet on Lorna!!

Lorna is her own person with her own costume and her own, superior Headdress (well, when they use it, lol)!

It’s been 19 years in the comics since she wore the helmet for one issue. Also one ep of WATXM 13 years ago and a good one enough so someone posted a video of it again just today.



I didn’t make the X-Men Lego custom a fan did this week. A great many fans do like a darker and more activist Lorna then Marvel has been interested in for a very long time and the only version of it that does exist outside The Gifted fans don’t mentally connect to her space green outfit or even her original.

Relevant to mention here is also how Lorna and Pietro built the Magneto statue in the ruins of Genosha. If building the statue was taken out of its context, it would come across bad, like it's all about putting Magneto on a pedestal. But the context of New X-Men #132 makes the act of building that statue into valuable characterization for both characters, especially Lorna, in addition to emphasizing the gravity of the Genoshan genocide. Millions died there. Lorna experienced all those deaths firsthand, on repeat with her powers acting as a black box. With that context, what we see is that building the statue wasn't just an egotistical gesture for Magneto. That statue was representative of the millions who died believing in that mutant nation, and an attempt by Lorna to put all that pain and trauma she knows so well into a massive memorial bearing her presumed dead father's likeness.

The statue has a lot of power and relevance yes.

[cam18]

imo I just think Lorna has evolved past the Head Piece imo she looks much better without it......

[Phoenixx9]

I didn’t make the X-Men Logo custom a fan did this week. A great many fans do like a darker and more activist Lorna then Marvel has been interested in for a very long time and the only version of it that does exist outside The Gifted fans don’t mentally connect to her space green outfit or even her original.

Oh I know---no worries--not blaming you, lol. Just making a statement. I have seen a statue of Lorna where the Mag helmet was an option too.

[AZPolaris]

FEE76A43-7A30-4DAC-9748-268BAF9B3C8E.jpg
Beautiful commission from @thebernardchang from South Carolina con this past weekend. Even more gorgeous in person and Bernard was so friendly and approachable.

[Phoenixx9]

FEE76A43-7A30-4DAC-9748-268BAF9B3C8E.jpg
Beautiful commission from @thebernardchang from South Carolina con this past weekend. Even more gorgeous in person and Bernard was so friendly and approachable.

I agree this is gorgeous!!

[UncannyLZ]

I like Lorna’s headpiece and I hope she gets it back soon. I really dislike when artist make it green version of Wanda’s instead of the more structured and metallic looking headpiece she should have. It looked the best in X-Men Blue and I prefer when artist draw it like this C6636669-0400-4201-B87E-469A541710EB.jpg

[jmc247]

Gerry Duggan on Podcast: "Polaris was a revelation for us, that was not planned." "I wasn't 100% sure what our take on her was going to be... alot of it has come from Pepe's coffee and I was like of course she is Magneto's daughter on a team, and she is very image conscious and with other interests, but very capable. I guess I made some people angry which I guess you know when your on the right path as a writer the idea that Jean had interfered with her election by giving everyone her first impulse and not the spoken impulse... I thought it was a very Polaris move and a very Jean move. These are violent soap operas."

Beautiful commission from @thebernardchang from South Carolina con this past weekend. Even more gorgeous in person and Bernard was so friendly and approachable.

He posted it on Instagram.

I like Lorna’s headpiece and I hope she gets it back soon. I really dislike when artist make it green version of Wanda’s instead of the more structured and metallic looking headpiece she should have.

When it does come back, I am hoping for a big change. I would prefer something either we haven't seen or a return to something along these lines.

[Soulsword323]

Cool to hear Duggan's thoughts on Lorna. Thanks for posting, jmc.