Polaris: The Mistress of Magnetism Appreciation 2022

[salarta]

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."

Thanks for sharing.

I never really had a problem with how Lorna getting on the team in-universe played out. I disagree with his assertion about that being a "very Polaris move," but I think it works in a purely practical writing sense. It gives an in-universe explanation for Marvel's out-of-universe past refusal to use and respect Lorna, without making other characters look bad in the process. Lorna wanting to join, talking herself out of it but Jean going with her first impulse reopened more of a friendship bridge for them, and it's better than an alternative scenario where Lorna doesn't want to join but feels obligated. Still would've preferred Lorna simply wanting to be on it with no doubts, but how it turned out was okay and provided some future opportunities.

Assuming the talk of revelation is true, I have something to say on that. He was talking about the election there and Lorna winning it. We don't know by how many votes or what margin. But if the outcome genuinely was a revelation - if the prospect of Lorna winning seemed that unlikely to them - then it shows a massive gap between what they see and think when they look at her, and what everyone else sees. There were a lot of complaints even as the vote happened that having Lorna on the poll meant none of the other characters stood a chance. Many of those complaints referred to her as a B-lister or even an A-lister. Being surprised about her win means they underestimated her worth, her potential, and reader interest in her.

The big question is if they still underestimate her. If you asked me last summer when the new run launched, I'd have said that I thought maybe they weren't underestimating her anymore. But today, with most of Lorna's time on the run behind us (they haven't announced her off the team after the Gala but it's obvious she will be), nothing tangibly impactful to show for it and what appears to be a slow-moving push by Marvel to "replace" her with Brand, I have to say they still underestimate her. There's been good moments, no bad ones in his run that I can recall, and Duggan's done better than any 616 writer in the past decade. But it doesn't look to me like Marvel's attitude toward Lorna has really changed following the revelation. It looks to me more like they're just trying to run out the clock and give just enough to satisfy people while figuring another green-haired woman with a close working relationship with Magneto will siphon interest from Lorna in a way where they can discard and ignore her.

Lastly, Duggan said something else in the podcast: focus when working on the comics. He said his primary audience is Pepe, followed by the editors, then essentially "if they're happy with it then the readers have a good shot at enjoying it too." I don't fault him for this perspective. He's a working writer. He needs to satisfy his coworkers and employers first and foremost. If you don't do that, then at best you'll have strained working relationships, at worst you might never get work with them again. It's the life of making that your career and not having enough money and prestige (at least yet) to do otherwise. But it means exactly what it says on the tin. A writer might absolutely adore a character, know exactly what that character needs and deserves and want to do it. The writer could have a gold mine of a plan that would give the comics obscene amounts of money and clout. None of it matters, though, if people they work for are against the character or have a certain vision of the character that overrides the character's true worth and potential.

The comics aren't really doing things based on maximizing the X-books' potential. They're doing things based on what most satisfies the people working there. People working there may claim they're the same thing, they may even sincerely believe it, but they're really not. A goal of maximizing potential means regularly questioning assumptions, deconstructing tropes, acknowledging crucial history and using even obscure characters where it should happen, etc. Not necessarily explicitly, but at least in the background to inform plans. A goal of self-satisfaction means just using whichever characters you like the most and finding ways to put them all over the place even if it doesn't make sense and ignores other important things that need to be done.

[kcekada]

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.

I agree that the Brubaker era design was too similar to Wanda's. But if you go back to the Neal Adams era -- Lorna's and Wanda's costume had little in common -- aside from the fact they both had capes and a headdress/tiara.

[Phoenixx9]

I agree that the Brubaker era design was too similar to Wanda's. But if you go back to the Neal Adams era -- Lorna's and Wanda's costume had little in common -- aside from the fact they both had capes and a headdress/tiara.

Quite true. If/when drawn correctly, they do not have to appear as different colored duplicates of each other.

[jmc247]

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.

Yes, the helmet comes with four of the last custom Polaris statues, because it’s highly popular.

In terms of the helmet I will just say it has legacy value with Lorna as part of stories when she is written/depicted properly.

They have done the same thing with Jean putting on Xavier’s CEREBRO helmet. I will also just say I read X-Men Red and didn’t see complaints for Jean wearing Magneto’s helmet and then using it in a strange legacy of the last leader of Genosha sort of way.

Thanks for sharing.

I never really had a problem with how Lorna getting on the team in-universe played out. I disagree with his assertion about that being a "very Polaris move," but I think it works in a purely practical writing sense. It gives an in-universe explanation for Marvel's out-of-universe past refusal to use and respect Lorna, without making other characters look bad in the process. Lorna wanting to join, talking herself out of it but Jean going with her first impulse reopened more of a friendship bridge for them, and it's better than an alternative scenario where Lorna doesn't want to join but feels obligated. Still would've preferred Lorna simply wanting to be on it with no doubts, but how it turned out was okay and provided some future opportunities.

Well if you went back to the old days the 1960s to 2000 she only joined two teams for reasons what amount to what she wanted to do not what Havok wanted her to do and those were the X-Men in 1969 and the Acolytes in 2000. All the rest of what she did including leaving the X-Men in the Claremont years was depicted as her bending to the will of her boyfriend.

I have seen some fans say she left for Genosha and joined the Acolytes because of her father. Which is false. Sure he asked her to come, but it wasn't out of loyalty to a blood connection that didn't exist at the time as far as she knew that she came and stayed.

In terms of Duggan if his run with her ends with Judgement Day and that seems likely though not a given (depending on what issue 11 brings), I would say he went for a proverbial double with the character and managed a double. He put in place a much more workable persona then she has had in a decade, restored some of her connection to Jean, and gave her back a little of her edge that has been removed for many years. But, he didn’t go beyond that so far.

[UncannyLZ]

Lorna is in a great place for whatever is next for her post X-Men! She’s had her personality displayed in the flagship book that leaves enough for the next writer to pick up and continue. She’s probably done after Judgement Day. Where would you all like her to go next?

[salarta]

Lorna is in a great place for whatever is next for her post X-Men! She’s had her personality displayed in the flagship book that leaves enough for the next writer to pick up and continue. She’s probably done after Judgement Day. Where would you all like her to go next?

I can say where I don't want her to go, which is any team or book named X-Factor unless she's its leader and she's given usage and respect to match. Even then, it would still need to acknowledge her larger X-Men history. Other than that, I don't know enough about Marvel's other books or creatives to be able to say where would be best for her. I know ways they could do well with her in the current scenario, and things they should never do, but each is different from which creative and which book could do the best for her.

I agree the X-Men book gave a good starting point to build from. I would be fine with that if I was convinced Marvel's going to proceed with that building, but Marvel's past treatment of her combined with a few red flags has me more pessimistic and guarded. If Marvel wants me not to be that way, they need to start doing more tangible things with her that assure me they're going to do better by her going forward.

[rhaenylis]

Lorna won't be in Leah's next book

[jmc247]

Lorna is in a great place for whatever is next for her post X-Men! She’s had her personality displayed in the flagship book that leaves enough for the next writer to pick up and continue. She’s probably done after Judgement Day. Where would you all like her to go next?

The better question assuming she leaves the team (because we don’t know all the books that will exist in 6 months) is what kind of story does Lorna most need at this point in time.

The two areas I would say she needs development the most right now is in terms of rebuilding the mess that is her family and bigger then that rebuilding her mutant activist credibility.

Thus my vote is either for rebuilding her image as a warrior for the defense of mutants or furthering the political princess angle.

[Havok83]

I think she needs to stay in X-men. Its been great seeing her cameo across the MU and be used as one of the default X-men representatives. I think there is room to do alot more with her in the book and keeping her there ups her profile

[Soulsword323]

Lorna won't be in Leah's next book

Thank goodness! We certainly dodged a bullet there.

Hopefully we'll find out what's going to happen to Polaris soon. I'm hoping Lorna will still be a part of X-Men, but I don't want to get my hopes too high. Even if she isn't doing much, getting the chance to see more of Duggan's writing of Lorna would be a great thing imo.

[salarta]

I think she needs to stay in X-men. Its been great seeing her cameo across the MU and be used as one of the default X-men representatives. I think there is room to do alot more with her in the book and keeping her there ups her profile

I agree that she should stay on X-Men, especially since for all intents and purposes she’s only really been in half the run maximum. Marvel really didn’t do all the things that need to be done in the past year, and it would be entirely reasonable for members voted in to have two year stints. But I also think Marvel thinks she shouldn’t get to stay on the team for over a year.

Everyone knows how adamant I am about Genosha. But aside from that, I agree with jmc. I also think this book set up a good foundation for restoring Lorna and Jean’s relationship, so Lorna being on another team with Jean would be good for continuing that momentum.

P.S. - notice my chief issue with regard to Lorna and the X-Men book is that she hasn’t been on it enough. That’s a good sign. If it was bad, I’d want her off the book rather than on it longer.

[jmc247]

Lorna won't be in Leah's next book

I am happy Williams is getting another book and hope it is successful. I felt she was successful in writing Rachel because she worked within the confines of the character and her lore. Not doing that for Lorna very much undermined what I felt could have been a good run and certainly really tarnished Lorna and Mags relationship, but like I said I do want her to be successful going forward.

Thank goodness! We certainly dodged a bullet there.

Hopefully we'll find out what's going to happen to Polaris soon. I'm hoping Lorna will still be a part of X-Men, but I don't want to get my hopes too high. Even if she isn't doing much, getting the chance to see more of Duggan's writing of Lorna would be a great thing imo.

Simply with the princess persona and restoring some of her edge Duggan catapulted ahead of most depictions of Lorna in the comics the past few years like X-Men Blue's generic hero voice of the narrator depiction.

[UncannyLZ]

The better question assuming she leaves the team (because we don’t know all the books that will exist in 6 months) is what kind of story does Lorna most need at this point in time.

The two areas I would say she needs development the most right now is in terms of rebuilding the mess that is her family and bigger then that rebuilding her mutant activist credibility.

Thus my vote is either for rebuilding her image as a warrior for the defense of mutants or furthering the political princess angle.

These are exactly the 2 things I think Lauren and Neese and I’d like to see her get. Personally, I’d like to see her join X-Men Red and continue her relationship with Magneto. Ewing loves continuity so I know he do great! After that, I think Lauren should be leading the marauders. It would be a great knod to when she was leader with Sinister and she should have her own team that fits her lane when she isn’t a “X-Men”. I don’t really want her to return to X-Factor because that brand has become too synonymous with investigations and detective stories and those don’t seem to ever really fit for Lorna. She should be on the exploration/mission drive team.

[Soulsword323]

Love that Lorna won the bet today in X-Men.



Probably going to use it to buy more coffee.

[RamaBird]

I think she needs to stay in X-men. Its been great seeing her cameo across the MU and be used as one of the default X-men representatives. I think there is room to do alot more with her in the book and keeping her there ups her profile

I also want to see her stay on the team. IF she did leave, I also miss Uncanny Avengers. I think that book really allowed Rogue to shine outside the X-Men and for some reason, I think it could do the same for Lorna there as a leader.

Speaking of Rogue, I think she's the most likely to leave this team before Lorna.