Dani Moonstar: Cheyenne Valkyrie Appreciation 2022

[MythicalChicken]

I would change Dani becoming a teacher, or at least modify the way it was portrayed. This job has pretty much trapped her in Young Adult story hell for so long. I firmly believe that she should either be (A) A mainstay A list X-men or (B) The leader of her own mutant school of thought. SO if she's going to continue to be a teacher, I think she should at least develop her own mutant teaching philosophy separate from Xavier's dream

The other change I would make...all of her romantic interests.

I’m with you. I’ve always viewed Dani as the closest anyone come to Storm in terms of presence and command and power (as in personal power). I loved Wells runs because he let that out to shine.

Others mentioned the Asgard angle but i still think it was one of claremonts coolest moves and a great example of multi-culutralism working: having other cultures influence you without detracting from your core identity.

[Will Evans]

I would change Dani becoming a teacher, or at least modify the way it was portrayed. This job has pretty much trapped her in Young Adult story hell for so long. I firmly believe that she should either be (A) A mainstay A list X-men or (B) The leader of her own mutant school of thought. SO if she's going to continue to be a teacher, I think she should at least develop her own mutant teaching philosophy separate from Xavier's dream

The other change I would make...all of her romantic interests.

What romantic interests would you give her then?

[norj]

What romantic interests would you give her then?

Rhane, Xian, Mist, Hela, Jennifer Kale, Pele and Mistress Death.

[rf2044]

Rhane, Xian, Mist, Hela, Jennifer Kale, Pele and Mistress Death.

Movie depiction notwithstanding, I just don't see it given how she's been portrayed in the comics. Didn't she definitively state that she was straight?

[rf2044]

I would change Dani becoming a teacher, or at least modify the way it was portrayed. This job has pretty much trapped her in Young Adult story hell for so long. I firmly believe that she should either be (A) A mainstay A list X-men or (B) The leader of her own mutant school of thought. SO if she's going to continue to be a teacher, I think she should at least develop her own mutant teaching philosophy separate from Xavier's dream

The other change I would make...all of her romantic interests.

I think it's strange that a character who's been around for four decades has had the majority of her relationships occur off-panel. Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't it basically:

• Flirting with James Proudstar in New Mutants, but it never going anywhere from there

• The FBI agent who was related to Donald Pierce, in New Mutants volume 2 / New X-Men?

• Making out a few times with Sam Guthrie, but it never progressing beyond that

• Nate Grey, with them finally kissing at the end of New Mutants volume 3, but most of the rest of their relationship being left to the imagination?

I know that there was a limited series where Dani / Nate indicated how close they were at one point, so a deeper romantic relationship was implied, but...

[rf2044]

*** Inadvertent duplicate message. My bad.

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[rf2044]

I’m with you. I’ve always viewed Dani as the closest anyone come to Storm in terms of presence and command and power (as in personal power). I loved Wells runs because he let that out to shine.

Others mentioned the Asgard angle but i still think it was one of claremonts coolest moves and a great example of multi-culutralism working: having other cultures influence you without detracting from your core identity.

Love your first sentence -- and agree 100%. I've always viewed Dani as the driving force and dominant personality on the team. Throughout all three volumes, she was almost always the focal point, the leader, the rock / foundation upon which the team was built. The biggest problem was that outside of Claremont, no writers seemed to be able to figure out what to do with her abstract powers -- which I think limited her being featured.

She was great in NM Volume 3, despite being depowered for the majority of it.

[Will Evans]

Rhane, Xian, Mist, Hela, Jennifer Kale, Pele and Mistress Death.

You would think we would see Dani go for females during the Krakoa era. But so far….nada. I thought that’s what writer Vita would be going for, but they didn’t.
I’m surprised they haven’t showed her go for females but not surprised that writers consider poor Dani such a c-list character that no one wants to write about her romantic life.

[norj]

You would think we would see Dani go for females during the Krakoa era. But so far….nada. I thought that’s what writer Vita would be going for, but they didn’t.
I’m surprised they haven’t showed her go for females but not surprised that writers consider poor Dani such a c-list character that no one wants to write about her romantic life.

Right now her focus is on ensuring the students make through the Krakoa era with a solid education and as little trauma as possible.

[Will Evans]

Right now her focus is on ensuring the students make through the Krakoa era with a solid education and as little trauma as possible.

So is Karma, but she still makes time to date.

[rcaguy]

So is Karma, but she still makes time to date.

Odds are Dani's not particularly interested in a relatiionship.

[marhawkman]

I thought Dani liked Thunderbird?

[Krakoa]

Things have been a little slow around here, so here's a question / conversation starter for the group: Dani has been a staple in Marvel comics for four decades. She disappeared for a bit in the 90s, but otherwise has been a mainstay in various X-books, so she's got a long, illustrious history.

My question is -- if you could change anything from her backstory, what would it be?

There are two options that pop for me. The first is her path as a Valkyrie. It's made for some cool plot elements over the years, but it also led to her departure from the New Mutants [back in volume 1], and it has been used so sporadically that at times it's felt more like a gimmick than a core element for her. Plus her Valkyrie abilities seem to come and go, depending on who's writing -- so it's been used haphazardly. There's also a strange aspect of it when seen through the lens of her indigenous background -- is her core identity as an X-bad ass or as a Valkyrie? Now, don't get me wrong -- there have been some cool plots, and it gave her character a multi-layered dimension / some of her best costumes, but I wonder what Claremont was thinking when he originally set her down this path.

The second is having her depowered in the M-Day event. She was just getting her second wind as a featured character during her time as a teacher at the Xavier School in NM volume 2 and New X-Men, but when she lost her powers she was kicked out by Emma Frost and basically kicked to the curb, which sent her into a second exodus of not being prominently featured. It did give her a cool arc in NM volume 3, where she had to prove that she still belonged on the team despite not having powers.

But if I had to vote, I think I'd pick #2.

Basically anything to do with her departure from the original New Mutants until John Francis Moore's X-Force run, her whole reason for leaving was dumb and her whole X-Force plot line was badly done until JFM fixed it. Lots of powers confusion in there too.

[rcaguy]

I thought Dani liked Thunderbird?

Liking someone is not the same thing as burdening yourself in a relationship with someone.

[rf2044]

Okay, so in terms of suggestions for things we wish we could change from her backstory, we have some posters who would like to see her relationship situation change, and maybe changing the Valkyrie thing to prevent her from disappearing, and possibly her not being depowered?

Any other ideas different than those three summarized above?