The Mistress of Magnetism: LORNA DANE POLARIS Appreciation

[Soulsword323]

Say WHAT?! Whatta ya mean, I don't even know what that is. I only go there these days, to buy & read digi comics.

It's an article that Marvel posts, where they act as if a character is stepping into a therapists office, and then psychoanalyze the character.

Marvel's Psyche Ward actually did two of them. One for Havolaris and one for Havok.



What sort of gets to the root of the problem.

To make a historical comparison the 80s Malice story was Havok's story and Malice existed to further that story. He begged her to fight harder against Malice, but there was no Lorna there at all so he felt betrayed and slept with Maddie.



The next Malice story in the 90s the entity was treated like an evil spirit infesting their relationship that needed expelling so 80s was a Havok story and 90s was Havolaris. Neither did I actually learn anything about Lorna. We will see how the coming one does.

Wow. Nuff said.

[salarta]

I just used the logo 'cause I like it. Of all the ready-made ones I've come across for her, I think that one's real good, and fits her character almost perfectly. The color can make for a hard match, sometimes, tho. A hand-drawn one (emblem in it's entirety) might be the way to go also, to get more of you have in mind, I think.

Even without the logo, I think the border was probably too close, to the headpiece. And I wouldn't use the 1968-2018 again, as it reminds of a tombstone in retrospect, lol.

For the more traditional head pic/corner box idea, the biggest problem with pretty much every one (including Steranko's), is her big-ass hair is always flyin' all over the place. And tryin' to square that up with the boxed-in borderline, is giving me pause. Keep the head & hair contained within it, or overlay them on top of it, with the anniversary banner below either way. I'd like to use #50 for obvious reasons, and the Adams cover too, 'cause I think it does look like Emma D. quite a bit. But it's the expression, the hair, EVERYthing 'bout this one:

... that just feels right, for who I think the character is, today.

The other 2, I think she looks a lil' too old (and mean!) in one, and a lil' too young in the other.

Lorna's hair could escape the box, but then I feel like that's the sort of thing Medusa on the Inhumans side should have instead. And I never thought about it, but I can see the "tombstone" thing now that you point it out.

I think the fact that Marvel's Psyche Ward uses both Polaris and Havok together, instead of focusing on them as individuals, speaks volumes.

Indeed it does. That tweet was before X-Factor #243 and they "broke up" (not really cause Havok keeps getting forced into stuff Lorna does) shortly thereafter, at which point Marvel stopped doing anything to promote Lorna. They stopped acknowledging her having any value as soon as she wasn't attached to Havok's hip.

But then it gets a bit more insidious than that, as jmc247 notes in his post about Havok getting his own separate Psyche Ward entry which Lorna never got. Here's the tweet Marvel provided him to go along with it.



"He was just in First Class a year before," someone might say, but Polaris is in Gifted right now and Marvel's not doing anything like this with her. They put out the tweet they were required to put out for Gifted last August, as they did for all the core Mutant Underground mutants, but then nothing after that.


EDIT: Also jmc's post has a bit about Malice, which explains why some people are very worried about Lorna being possessed by Malice again in the coming Blue arc. For my view, I think the key problem to watch out for isn't Malice, but Havok's presence. I think if the stuff with Malice turns out bad, the most likely reason is going to be Havok there benefiting from it.

[Heroine Addict]

It's an article that Marvel posts, where they act as if a character is stepping into a therapists office, and then psychoanalyze the character.

Wow. Nuff said.

Oh, ummm... OK. That's different, I guess.

And yeah, that is REALLY bad. F'n awful, actually, but... WHEW! I thought you were talkin' 'bout somethin' just recently, and that's from over 5 years ago. And the one that's just his, might've been around the time he was being promoted to UA, I think. Still, it sucks really hard, there's no gettin' 'round that. It seems like attitudes have maybe changed since then, tho, and that is what I keep tryin' to believe.

In fact, to the point where I have a feelin' this upcoming, modern revisit to a Malice-tized Polaris, could be about... Lorna getting some eXtreme & FINAL retribution, against her heinous victimizer, once & for all. Don't be surprised if we get some casualties in the process & along the way, tho, as there's some red shirts hangin' around in that title... more or less. So maybe even some amends in other ways, too.

[salarta]

Oh, ummm... OK. That's different, I guess.

And yeah, that is REALLY bad. F'n awful, actually, but... WHEW! I thought you were talkin' 'bout somethin' just recently, and that's from over 5 years ago. And the one that's just his, might've been around the time he was being promoted to UA, I think. Still, it sucks really hard, there's no gettin' 'round that. It seems like attitudes have maybe changed since then, tho, and that is what I keep tryin' to believe.

In fact, to the point where I have a feelin' this upcoming, modern revisit to a Malice-tized Polaris, could be about... Lorna getting some eXtreme & FINAL retribution, against her heinous victimizer, once & for all. Don't be surprised if we get some casualties in the process & along the way, tho, as there's some red shirts hangin' around in that title... more or less. So maybe even some amends in other ways, too.

The Psyche Ward stuff was around the time he was being promoted to Uncanny Avengers, but half a year later was also the time Lorna was being promoted to leader of her own team on All-New X-Factor. Marvel didn't promote that.

We can't say "that was five years ago, maybe attitudes have changed" because they also aren't promoting her while there's a live action version of her as a core cast member of Gifted.

I understand wanting to be positive about Marvel and giving them a chance. But they've had 50 years to treat her with at minimum the same level of respect as they've given Havok for decades, they have this year of her anniversary to do big things for her, and they have nothing. Their lack of support for Lorna on social media is one of various things that gives away their attitude toward her.

[jmc247]

Wow. Nuff said.

In terms of Marvel.com they were only following how Lorna was treated in the comics for decades and that infested this decades thinking as well.

The 90s had the appearance of the first small hint of actual Lorna stories since the 60s. But, by in large most of the Lorna stories were relationship centered, but within those stories JM realized Lorna presenting a very different viewpoint on mutant/human issues helped some. The Random/Restaurant in Georgetown/unknowing government weapon against Magneto they were trying to capture and brainwash was probably the high point in his run with her.

[LoganAlpha30X33]

I fail to see how Marvel treats Lorna is any blame on Alex, it's not his fault that her being on the Gifted isn't getting a push from Marvel, and I don't view Marvel as treating Alex with respect for very long, just because he was included in something doesn't mean that they respect him, when two characters are in a longterm relationship it's only natural that many of their stories involve the other person...some here seem to act like Alex the character has been victimizing Lorna intentionally for decades...which is ridiculous...

[jmc247]

Love thw gifted. Cant wait for blue upcoming arc focusing on lorna. And once bills are paid i finally plan to get the new Polaris Marvel legends fig. I bought Shattersrar and Old Man Logan but stopped getting the set. I plan to get the rest of the set so i can build Warlock starting with Lorna

We will see if Lorna appears at the start of the Venom crossover at the end of January. She might get a scene or two.

The 05 will still be in space or something come March and April.

VENOMIZED #1
Written by Cullen Bunn
Art by Iban Coello
Cover by Nick Bradhaw
On Sale April 4
The story that began in VENOMVERSE reaches its epic conclusion with VENOMIZED! The POISONS, a species that hunger for super-powered symbiotes and their hosts, have picked their next target…THE MARVEL UNIVERSE ITSELF! Their first objective? Put every superhuman in a Klyntar symbiote – and CONSUME THEM! But with VENOM and the X-MEN still missing after the events of “Poison X,” the planet, and its heroes, is defenseless!

https://www.newsarama.com/38061-veno...crossover.html

Also Bunn left a message. It seems there will be at least one more Blue arc that takes us into the Summer after the Cry Havok arc.

Do your plans for X-Men Blue go up to #31 ??

Cullen Bunn: They do.

http://cullenbunn.tumblr.com/

Its a good bet if the Blue 05 return at the end of the Cry Havok arc they are going to have to deal with a Magneto who according to solicits has gone to the tried and true to resolve the crisis in their absence as for Lorna who knows.

[salarta]

Also Bunn left a message. It seems there will be at least one more Blue arc that takes us into the Summer after the Cry Havok arc.

I said this in the "Gold and Blue may be ending" thread, but I'll say it here too.

Bunn said he has plans that go up to #31, but that doesn't necessarily mean Blue will actually reach that point. The phrasing of the question means the book could just as easily be getting canceled and he already knows it is, but pre-cancellation he had mapped out stories at least that far in advance. Bunn's the type who had mapped out all 50 issues of one of his early comics while he was still writing his first few issues. There's also how even if it hasn't been canceled yet, it could get canceled before reaching #31, same as how Jeff Parker had Exiles' issue #7 partly written when it was canceled.

And like I said in the Gold and Blue thread, this also doesn't mean I think the book has been canceled already, either. I'm only pointing out that the question as phrased and Bunn's answer to it aren't as definitive as it might at first seem.

[berserkerclaw]

Arc focuses on Havok, hence the arc's name and him being half of focus (alongside Magneto) for a cover. Whether Lorna will be treated well or poorly during it, we'll have to wait to see.



Actually, I made a Tumblr post about five minutes ago.

http://salarta.tumblr.com/post/16943...-for-havok-via

Breakdown of statistics from two separate searches, Marvel account with keyword Polaris, and Marvel account with keyword Havok.

• Number of tweets for Polaris: 7
• Number of tweets for Havok: 21
• Polaris tweets mentioning/showing Havok: 57%
• Havok tweets mentioning/showing Polaris: 14%

Here's a direct link to the tweets for Havok for you to see for yourself: https://twitter.com/search?f=tweets&...c=typd&lang=en .

All in all, Marvel's social media betrays Marvel's negative attitude toward Lorna. It shows they consider Havok a diverse character, they think over half of who Polaris is should be defined by her relationship to Havok, and that they think Havok is "better" and "more important" than Polaris - to a point where they're willing to give Havok 3 times more promotion and support than Polaris.

I just meant because shes in the arc. I know i said focus my bad

[jmc247]

Emma interview.

“We find out in the last three episodes the X-Men actually chose Polaris and Thunderbird to lead the mutant underground, but because of Polaris’ issues with her father, who was also a great leader of many groups, she is reluctant at first. We see this in the season finale; it’s the opening scene,” series star Emma Dumont told Player.One last month.

“She doesn’t want to lead anyone. She didn’t want to be a role model in any way. Now she’s been given this hand and now she has to accept being a leader,” Dumont said. “She finally feels comfortable in that position and she has what it takes. She’s been leading The Underground with Thunderbird for the last five years. That’s great and all, but does she have what it takes to save the world? We’ll find out Season 2.”

“Lorna is now so much more empathic and erratic and she needs things happening sooner. There is no time to waste. Her best friend was just killed,” she said. “She wasn’t even killed by Sentinel Services, who we thought was the big bad this whole time. Her friend was killed by some other mutant program, the Talon program and Dr. Campbell. Knowing there are so many other groups out there to hurt and abuse mutants, it's freaking Lorna out. It’s driving her insane. She has to do something immediately.”

The season finale will force Polaris to define her moral code. So far, she’s been able to play both sides. She even agreed to work with the Frost Sisters (members of the Hellfire Club) against the wishes of The Mutant Underground. How far will Polaris go for justice.

“How much better off would she be if she wasn’t a mutant? If she didn’t have Magneto’s mentality and thoughts? How much easier would her life be if she didn’t have any of these things? If she wasn’t pregnant, a mutant, mentally ill, have these crazy passionate feelings about political problems? Her life would be easy, but ignorance is bliss,” she said. “Who ever wanted to not change the world and not live life to its fullest? Who is content like that?”

http://www.player.one/gifted-season-...terview-122914

The seem to be setting up a very 1968 like choice for Lorna. The two hour finale playing on big network TV with its own spin on a story now a half century old this year to decide what road Lorna will take. The decision is totally hers one way or the other.

[Heroine Addict]

Zeroed in on these 2 things in particular, with interest:

... but does she have what it takes to save the world? We’ll find out (in) Season 2.”

“Lorna is now so much more empathic and erratic...

But this:

... by some other mutant program, the Talon program...

Slip of the tongue? Edit: Or pen.

[Heroine Addict]

Paniccia also said we'll hear news about one of Adult Cyclops or Madrox, and that Rogue is coming back to the X-Men. Also, Polaris is getting a new costume soon and there are still announcements to be made.

[jmc247]

As is know I had no real fondness for this version compared to Genosha or her real original, but I can't say there are parts like the head gear that haven't been well known at times.

[Heroine Addict]

... they have this year of her anniversary to do big things for her, and they have nothing. ...

Kinda jumpin' the gun, then, isn't it? I mean, we have 357 out of 365 days to go, yet.

[Soulsword323]

Bunn hinted at her getting a new costume soon, but its nice to see it outright said. Really looking forward to seeing what it is. I've quite enjoyed this costume, but its time for something new. Fingers crossed an artist we all love gets the task of creating it.