The Mistress of Magnetism: LORNA DANE POLARIS Appreciation

[jmc247]

I was wondering if the choker contained the Malice influence??

Well that is the show, its not the comics where in order for Lorna to do something morally ambiguous she has to be mind controlled or at least so manipulated she has no agency at all in her decisions. She wasn't here and that was the core of the finale.

IGN interview.

After being torn over whether to embrace her father's legacy for several episodes, Lorna finally decides to become a mutant terrorist just like Magneto and uses her baby-enhanced powers to pull the engines off Campbell and Senator Rodriguez's plane and send it crashing to the ground in a fiery explosion. Nix explains how Lorna came to make that jaw-dropping, game-changing decision.

Nix: The thing that I talked a lot about with Emma Dumont, who plays Polaris, is the idea that, basically, the reality is, looking at the Frosts and their way of doing things. As hardcore as they are, they haven’t really been wrong. They were the ones who stopped the Hound program. They were the ones who rescued the Strucker children from the lab. And while the mutant underground may not agree with how they did it, they were the ones that got it done. And so, I think Polaris looks at that and she’s thinking about the people that she loves, she’s thinking about Eclipse, she’s thinking about her baby that’s growing inside of her. And I think the big thing is, in her mind, this is something that has to happen.

She knows that Eclipse will never do it, because Eclipse came from this violent past which he’s spent years trying to get away from. And it’s not a line that he’d be willing to cross. Thunderbird would never do it, because he feels the weight of the X-Men on his shoulders. Blink would never do it, because she already flirted with that side of things and rejected it. And so, I think in her mind, she’s doing this because they can’t. She’s doing this to spare them the pain of having to take this step.

The other side of it is her acceptance that her father is who her father is. And having accepted that, I think there’s also a part of her that’s kind of like, well, maybe this is who I am, maybe this is who my family is, maybe I should stop fighting the tide and just accept that this is who I am, and be that person.

Nix: In the wake of killing a senator and bringing down a plane in the events at the end of the season, and the destruction of the mutant underground headquarters, the mutant underground still have the same struggle to carry on, but it’s not like they can just go find another abandoned bank in a toxic waste site and take up residence and start up again the way they were. And so one thing I think you’ll see a lot more of in Season 2, which I really like because it’s more thematically resonant and it’s fun, is just seeing mutants in the world more. Mutants interacting with humans in everyday circumstances, rather than just mutants in a mutant headquarters interacting with mutants. And the mutant underground, under the pressure of what happens in the wake of Senator Montez dying, the mutant underground being in a position where it has to become less of a place, and more of a network. It was always a network, but maybe a much more underground, spread out kind of thing. That’s one thing.

On the other side, really getting a chance to introduce the beginnings of the Hellfire Club, as they’re trying to rebuild this organization. We’ve already seen a little bit of that, with Esme infiltrating Senator Montez’s campaign. How do they infiltrate the halls of power, and how do they manipulate events to their advantage? And so that’s another piece.

And then the third piece would definitely be Jace, who feels like everything has been taken from him by the mutants finding a new way to carry on their struggle, now that he’s no longer with the Sentinel Services. And of course the Sentinel Services hasn’t gone away. That’s another angle on that, although we don’t want the show to be an endless battle between the mutants and the Sentinel Services, so I don’t think they’ll be front and center in Season 2, but they’re certainly not gone.

http://www.ign.com/articles/2018/01/...eases-season-2

Oh and thanks Juan.

[jmc247]

Juan do you have a gif of the change the world or something to that effect line?

[Heroine Addict]

Aww, don't give up hope just yet. Even if things don't work out with Bunn, I still think the right creative team is out there for Lorna. All she needs is to get people willing to take notice of the things that make Polaris interesting, and take her into new directions. I still think it can happen. ...

I'm not, really. But am admittedly discouraged, like I haven't been in a while. Nothing I've heard yet, makes me look forward to it. I've tried to imagine how I think it could turn out good for her, but am increasingly gettin' the impression Bunn's plans aren't about Lorna, and that she'll just serve whatever's needed for the story he wants to tell. Maybe you're right, and he's not the one to do right by her, and do her justice. Maybe we've been foolin' ourselves, all this time. I hope I'm wrong, but IDK... I gotta BAD feelin'.

... Its been hard for me keeping it on I will admit with the weakness around Lorna's depiction. I love how the title gets Magneto and... really look forward to the Acolytes, but it feel like the creative team has a few some old hang ups about Lorna that haven't been put to pasture.

... If Marvel Publishing demonstrates to me over coming weeks and months it can't get over bad nostalgia for the character I am done with Marvel comics and will be happy just watching The Gifted for how long it lasts.

... Lorna flying around possessed doesn't bring up such questions for the character. Malice possessed Lorna has always has been a complete waste of space in regard to Lorna.

If Bunn is going to do it for a few eps on her 50th to give Bloodstorm and Jimmy someone to fight and perhaps win over and give Magneto a reason to go into kick ass mode I accept that and I will buy it, but I hope its followed up by a real Polaris story as that isn't one.

I agree with all of this, but this is what I feel strongest about. And if this effin' horror story comes to pass, I could very well be done, and THIS... will be my future, too. 'Cause I wouldn't read that crap for free. In fact, it wouldn't be fit to wipe someone's ass with, IMO. I would be pissed the hell off, to no end, let me tell you. If he uses her to make everybody else look better, even Mags, then I'll be WRITIN' him off & firmly anti-Bunn for life. This ain't the time to be dickin' around, ya gotta strike while the (Gifted's) iron is hot.

She MUST defeat Malice HERSELF! Otherwise, it's a lazy-ass rehash, done in REAL poor taste.

[jmc247]

I agree with all of this, but this is what I feel strongest about. And if this effin' horror story comes to pass, I could very well be done, and THIS... will be my future, too. 'Cause I wouldn't read that crap for free. In fact, it wouldn't be fit to wipe someone's ass with, IMO. I would be pissed the hell off, to no end, let me tell you. If he uses her to make everybody else look better, even Mags, then I'll be WRITIN' him off & firmly anti-Bunn for life. This ain't the time to be dickin' around, ya gotta strike while the (Gifted's) iron is hot.

She MUST defeat Malice HERSELF! Otherwise, it's a lazy-ass rehash, done in REAL poor taste.

I don't care if she overcomes Malice herself or is saved from the possession because its a possession. I am not one to believe in the whole force of will BS which ironically if it just came down to will power then Havok was right to give up on Lorna in the 80s and sleep with Maddie because Lorna just didn't want it bad enough then.

I accept that perhaps Lorna will be possessed for a couple issues and will have no agency and hope it will be over after that. If she 'willpowers over it' I really won't care. Now if there is a bigger twist then another possession that is over come now that will get my attention. But, really I am more interested in the depiction of Lorna after she is no longer possessed assuming that is what happens again then during it.

My view on Malice possessed Lorna has long been screw the concept as that was exactly what the possession was used to do to Lorna as a character for two years in the 80s and that view hasn't changed and I doubt will ever change.

My interest is not how the possession goes and if Havok, Magneto, or Bloodstorm are made to look kick ass or not using it or vice versa. My interest is in how the character comes out after.

I also don't want to talk anymore about this coming arc until we know more solidly. Lets focus on the good right now not the bad.

[Soulsword323]

I was wondering if the choker contained the Malice influence??

I don't think so. I thought maybe they would have tried something like that when I saw this look in a BTS shoot, but the episode put those fears to rest. I think it was just a wardrobe choice, and that Lorna was being super extra.

Its hard for me to keep hope with the comics as well Soulsword323, but I am trying.

You are right lets focus on the positive there is Queen Polaris and in the long run the kind of moral choices she had to make here I long argued is something that should be part of the character and in the long run that view will win out because just look at the reviews on it, look at the ratings, and look at twitter going crazy two days later with people watching and rewatching the way I haven't seen even with the first episode.

The live numbers were up massively and I expect the DVR and streaming numbers to be up massively as well.

Still so happy about the live numbers. Seeing them hold those numbers when the final Monday ratings came out was great, and I'm hoping for some great results with the DVR numbers as well.

[salarta]

She MUST defeat Malice HERSELF! Otherwise, it's a lazy-ass rehash, done in REAL poor taste.

Yeah, I've been in favor of seeing Lorna's history with Malice (and other things) used and explored, but the exact idea of her being possessed again is one I didn't really have in mind each time. The few times I did, my emphasis was on a) explicitly seeing Lorna fight it and her thoughts in the process, and b) Lorna beating Malice herself. The bulk of problems with Lorna's past treatment involving Malice came from letting Malice dictate the entire story of her visuals while Lorna was made to look weak and cowardly in the few moments she got to show.

In an ideal situation for possession, Malice would nearly kill her "enemies" with Lorna's body/powers and only Lorna's strength of will to overcome Malice from within would save Malice's targets from death. It would have the dual benefit of giving a small glimpse of how deadly Lorna can be if she wants to be and showing her inner strength especially as developed since decades ago.

[jmc247]

I don't think so. I thought maybe they would have tried something like that when I saw this look in a BTS shoot, but the episode put those fears to rest. I think it was just a wardrobe choice, and that Lorna was being super extra.

Yes, they aren't going down that route very thankfully.

That route severely damaged the character over the years in the comics, the showrunners are smart enough to give Lorna actual agency when she does things for better or worse The Gifted Lorna makes decisions and owns her decisions.

Still so happy about the live numbers. Seeing them hold those numbers when the final Monday ratings came out was great, and I'm hoping for some great results with the DVR numbers as well.

I saw the final numbers tonight and yes they held as in the highest audience numbers and demo numbers for the show since October. It looks really good on the ratings chart because two hours back to back and it kept the final demo live rating average for the season above a 1.0.

Now lets see if DVR watchers can double that number or more. I think they can and if they do the finale will do two things I didn't think the show would be able to do in December get back to a 1.0 this season live and a 2.0 or more L + 7.

The finale rating of course is boosting the argument that with the right changes to fix some issues the show deserves some additional funding for season 2.

[Heroine Addict]

I don't care if she overcomes Malice herself...

I do, and I'll leave it at that. I'd also to like think that Lorna is MUCH stronger now, than she was back during the original story, considerin' everything she's been through since. She's not that young woman anymore, she's basically a hardened, traumatized war vet now. I also hope it would be about more than some cheap, silly 'battle of wills', 'cause that'd be pointless & lame, too. It'd just be another emotional response, and I'm hopin' she's smarter than that, this time around. Said my piece, so...

[jmc247]

I do, and I'll leave it at that. I'd also to like think that Lorna is MUCH stronger now, than she was back during the original story, considerin' everything she's been through since. She's not that young woman anymore, she's basically a hardened, traumatized war vet now.

You misunderstand me rather completely. Its not that I don't want her to be able to 'overcome Malice'. Its I don't care about Malice period. You seem to be surprised I am not looking to make lemonade out of the situation, its simply I don't care about the plot device.

Peace out indeed.

[LoganAlpha30X33]

I don't care if she overcomes Malice herself or is saved from the possession because its a possession. I am not one to believe in the whole force of will BS which ironically if it just came down to will power then Havok was right to give up on Lorna in the 80s and sleep with Maddie because Lorna just didn't want it bad enough then.

I accept that perhaps Lorna will be possessed for a couple issues and will have no agency and hope it will be over after that. If she 'willpowers over it' I really won't care. Now if there is a bigger twist then another possession that is over come now that will get my attention. But, really I am more interested in the depiction of Lorna after she is no longer possessed assuming that is what happens again then during it.

My view on Malice possessed Lorna has long been screw the concept as that was exactly what the possession was used to do to Lorna as a character for two years in the 80s and that view hasn't changed and I doubt will ever change.

My interest is not how the possession goes and if Havok, Magneto, or Bloodstorm are made to look kick ass or not using it or vice versa. My interest is in how the character comes out after.

I also don't want to talk anymore about this coming arc until we know more solidly. Lets focus on the good right now not the bad.

I think that it was less about Alex giving up on anybody and more about Marvel wanting to get split Scott and Maddy up further and try to make Scott look better in the end...then again I haven't seen Alex's being in Blue up to now as being anything focusing on him or making him look good, as for Lorna I can understand what happened on the tv show but still feel that it's almost like they couldn't have Magneto so they're making Lorna as close to him as they can and always saw Lorna as having a line that she wouldn't cross but Magneto would...yeah it's a separate universe and all but I'd rather comic Lorna not copy that storyline, as a character can't go back after doing something like that without a possession reasoning or something like that...

[jmc247]

And, now its back for me to things to be thankful for.

[salarta]

I also hope it would be about more than some cheap, silly 'battle of wills', 'cause that'd be pointless & lame, too.

Well yeah, if that's all it is then I could see it being pretty bland and unfulfilling. To me, that would just be the base ingredient and you'd need to get a very deep look into who Lorna is and what she's about in the process. This is why I think the only few times I've considered the possession idea, it was in context of things like a single issue of a Polaris solo book so that all the focus is squarely set on her and what can come out about Lorna in the situation. The way I envision it is something that takes a certain amount of finesse to do well. It's not something for a writer to just throw together without a thought, it takes concentration. Having other things in the mix or taking priority makes that harder, but for the moment I'm going to wait and see. The key thing I'm keeping in mind is that this is something not worked with since the early 90s, so there isn't something recent to subconsciously suck a writer into poor writing like other things that have been touched on in recent years.

Just to make clear for the record, I'm still of the approach where I wait to see pictures and what others say before buying and reading issues. None of the above is "I'm reading it anyway because x, y, z." It's purely an explanation of why I'm not judging the issue on the Malice portion before we've seen anything of it. It doesn't mean I don't have worries, nor am I saying anyone is "wrong" in any way to worry if that's how they feel. I feel it's worth stressing given how other people treated me when I did the same during past issues of Blue.

[Heroine Addict]

Look, I'm now goin' into it eXpectin' the absolute worst. So hopefully, at the very least, it won't be as bad as I'm thinkin' it will. And who knows, doubt it, but I could even be pleasantly surprised.

[jmc247]

Look, I'm now goin' into it eXpectin' the absolute worst. So hopefully, at the very least, it won't be as bad as I'm thinkin' it will. And who knows, doubt it, but I could even be pleasantly surprised.

There is no need to go into it expecting the worst. I have faith in Bunn that it won't be anything like 'the worst' which would be a copy of her 80s Malice possession. I just see any extended possession as a wasted opportunity with the character and I only hope its not Malice in the drivers seat more then a few issues.

[jmc247]

Oh and the solicits for Blue 25 and 26 are out next Tuesday. I withhold further comment on the arc and Malice until seeing them.