What Goes Around Comes Around: KARMA Appreciation Thread

[Ricochet Rita]

Since we are here, somebody could tell me how was Karma's outing? Pics, issue, context? I don't know a thing about it, I just suddenly found it like that in Mekanix.

[Project Initiative Cascada]

Since we are here, somebody could tell me how was Karma's outing? Pics, issue, context? I don't know a thing about it, I just suddenly found it like that in Mekanix.

Uh wasn't that panel of her at the music festival sort of considered as her coming out of the closet? Between the stereotypical short hair, her lesbian friends and her saying she is discovering herself, I think it is definite that Shan knows she is gay. I think that X-Force issue was from the 90's where diversity wasn't that embraced, so it could've just been a reading between the lines kind of thing.

[616MarvelYear is LeapYear]

Very true.

Karma has been through a lot and after leaving her fellow New Mutants it
looks like she took so time off to rediscover herself. When we next see Xi'an
it's revealed she's gay.

Did not like the pink hair and found it out of character for her, but like I said
she seemed to be rediscovering herself at the time.

So very much agree.

[Ricochet Rita]

Uh wasn't that panel of her at the music festival sort of considered as her coming out of the closet? Between the stereotypical short hair, her lesbian friends and her saying she is discovering herself, I think it is definite that Shan knows she is gay. I think that X-Force issue was from the 90's where diversity wasn't that embraced, so it could've just been a reading between the lines kind of thing.

It's OK, then, if it's as you explained --I guess naturalness in outing is better than a melodramatic forced scene, although it kinda dodges the worries that are usually associated with it.

Did not like the pink hair and found it out of character for her, but like I said
she seemed to be rediscovering herself at the time.

It seems that she was just kicking up her heels, indeed, since she promptly recovered her old look. Thank Mojo.

[Herowatcher]

How mad/stun were you when you saw this?

[ThomBoleyn]

I was SO mad about it!
I still kinda am, I think she got sidelined due to it. She was doing so well and getting some great exposure and then boom, she lost her leg. Of course she stayed in the New Mutants title until Zeb left, but after that she was sidelined until she got picked up in Astonishing. I think it did nothing for her character except add to the million ways she has been traumatized in her career.

[Herowatcher]

I was SO mad about it!
I still kinda am, I think she got sidelined due to it. She was doing so well and getting some great exposure and then boom, she lost her leg. Of course she stayed in the New Mutants title until Zeb left, but after that she was sidelined until she got picked up in Astonishing. I think it did nothing for her character except add to the million ways she has been traumatized in her career.

Yep, I was shocked and then mad.
Then after that Madison Jeffries gives her this...seriously! He could've done better.

[Herowatcher]

I would think by know Karma would have a major power boost.
After all she's been through in her life and now with the loss of her leg, Karma
needs to come back with major control of her powers. I can imagine her stopping
an entire crowd in a mall as Professor X did in the 2nd X-men movie. Controlling
multiple people should be no problem and as well communicating telepathically.

[Herowatcher]

Anyone remember what comic this is from?
Emma is being pretty nasty to Karma.
I would think Karma could prevent strong telepaths from entering her mind.

[baltiroo]

I think it's from a mini during the Utopia time period where the X-Men were in San Francisco. Emma was trying to teach Karma better control of her powers or something like that.

[Rogue91]

If I'm not mistaken, that's from X-Men Manifest Destiny #1.

[norj]

Anyone remember what comic this is from?
Emma is being pretty nasty to Karma.
I would think Karma could prevent strong telepaths from entering her mind.

She has her evil twin locked in her head, that might have stunted the development of her powers.

[justinslot]

I have two Karma questions that I have never seen a definite answer for:

1. Is "Xi'an Coy Manh" a plausible name for a Vietnamese person? Or was Claremont throwing together random syllables? If you google "coy manh" as a phrase you get...lots of hits regarding Karma and her family.

2. Even in the 70s, did anyone from Vietnam think in French the way Shan did? Claremont acted like that was the only non-English language she knew.

Some of the panels in this thread are just depressing, with the loss of her leg and that "you said it would be sexy" being the absolute nadir for this proud, tough character. And jobbing to frigging Emma...UGGGGHH. She's comics' first* and still most prominent Vietnamese hero and Marvel has no idea what to do with her.

*Is that accurate? Or was there some DC Global Guardians dude or something first?

EDIT: Mantis does precede Karma.

[Herowatcher]

Thanks for the replies I'll have to get X-Men Manifest Destiny #1.

[Herowatcher]

Justinslot...the Global Guardian guy you might be thinking of is Thunderlord (Liang Xih-K'ai) and he's from Taiwan /Republic of China.