Dani Moonstar: Mirage Appreciation 2018

[Heroine Addict]

Dani was one of the few good things about the last New Mutants series and was arguably the headliner throughout the 50 issue run. Idk why she hasn’t stuck in the way that Illyana has.

THIS, this is what I'd like to see happen! And it's up to US, to make sure that it does. We the fans, her fans, need to do EVERYthing we can to bring attention to her strength & value as a character. She's INCREDIBLE, and if we keep lettin' both other fans & TPTB know that, hopefully they'll realize it too & she'll get some SERIOUS play REAL soon!!

And just somethin' real quick, from the latest issue of PhoeniX Resurrection, where Dani made a small appearance & contribution early on.

Notice how Dani gets right down into the nitty-gritty, right neXt to & just like the cantankerous OML...

... while those other 3 Miss Prisses LORD over them, apparently BARELY wantin' to get the soles of their shoes & BIG-UGLY-ass, hairy feet dirty...
... let alone their damn hands?!

CONTEMPTIBLE!... But I LOVED it, lol.


Oh, and Beastly, DON'T you EVER backtalk like that to her AGAIN, OR ELSE:


... it'll be the LAST TIME!... Just sayin'... consider this a warning... ;D

[CRaymond]

We the fans, her fans, need to do EVERYthing we can to bring attention to her strength & value as a character.

Yeah, I think she's outgrown the X-Men though.

[Heroine Addict]

Yeah, I think she's outgrown the X-Men though.

Aw, I like her with the X-Men, tho. She's a Mutant, and they're her fam. But maybe, the only problem is, outside of the comics... she's gonna be marketed as the former. But IDK, anything can happen, I guess. Whatever's best for her character, is what I'm for. If a real good opportunity comes along & looks/sounds promising, by all means GO for it, I say.

[Dementia5]

Yeah, I think she's outgrown the X-Men though.

Does anyone ever really outgrow the X-men?

Look at me - forty-something years old and I haven’t.

[Thirteen]

So I've been tryin' to find logos for Dani, and so far, this is what I've found as far as "official" ones go:
Anybody know of some other versions, maybe, even if it's from fan art?

There was the "Wolfsbane and Mirage" logo from the MCP one-off story

Spinning out of that & the logo thing tho, I'd also like to ask her fans to post what they feel are ideal images of how she should look, both in how she's portrayed physically (facial features, hair, body type) & with her (updated, modernized) costumes/outfits/uniforms, what have you... taken into consideration. You can certainly use separate pics for each, but finding just one that represents both to you if possible, would be preferable.

Ideally Danielle has that tough tomboy beanpole factor in her physical portrayal. When artists make her into the typical "bombshell" female body type, it feels wrong. Bill Sienkiewicz managed to make her have sex appeal without making her a model-type. Sienkiewicz is the gold standard.

One of the better modern takes has been David Lopez, who's un-glam style for his female characters just picks up on Danielle's non-cookie cutter looks in a way that works.

[MYCMTSC]

It's a shame Dani didn't join Cyclops' revolutionary band...she had a lot of ties to that small unit (Cyclops protegee, Emma rival, Magneto's former pupil, and Illyana's former classmate). She would've made a fantastic drill sergeant for the NXS students, too. I need Dani's relationships to continue to branch outside of her graduating class.

[Thirteen]

Discovered this DeviantArt piece while looking around for images of my "Ideal Dani" depictions. Kinda LOVE it...

[Heroine Addict]

Nice, Thirteen & Spinster Sinister, REALLY appreciate your input & will definitely be taking your seemingly somewhat similar thoughts on her physicality into consideration. I agree with much of what you say 'bout her lithe figure, and her unconventional, less voluptuous attributes. I was aware of that (recent?) Sienkiewicz design, and already had it in mind, 'cause I liked it soon as I saw it... IMMEDIATELY, at first glance. Though I feel the color/contrast should be adjusted, to make it less muted & provide more pop, on panel (or what have you). I also like the Lopez & Deviant pics, too.

Dani, of all the New Mutants IMO, feels the most right when hangin' with the big dogs. She seems to hold her own, like she belongs & should be there, and basically... just fits right in, naturally.

I found these images of her, I kinda like:

[Heroine Addict]

And this one:

[CRaymond]

dani_moonstar_by_tsbranch-d5q7gcj.jpg

Here's my fave. I'd lighten up on the Valk stuff though, and add a headband.

[yogaflame]

I don't like the Valkyrie stuff for Dani(it was fine for those Art Adams annuals, but that should have been the end of it). The supposition that she has to adopt a Nordic/Aryan culture to become more powerful is deeply troubling. Her natural mutant powers make her a top tier reality warper/psi anyways.

[CRaymond]

I don't like the Valkyrie stuff for Dani(it was fine for those Art Adams annuals, but that should have been the end of it). The supposition that she has to adopt a Nordic/Aryan culture to become more powerful is deeply troubling. Her natural mutant powers make her a top tier reality warper/psi anyways.

I understand the sentiment, but given the portrayals of Asgardians in Marvel Cinema, I'm less hesitant to cross-pollenate X-Men into Avengers realms. I'm not opposed to her having mutant psychic talents as well as Valkyrie powers.

It's the reality warping stuff that I can't grok. She's not Scarlet Witch or Proteus. What's Dani's warping thing?

[yogaflame]

I understand the sentiment, but given the portrayals of Asgardians in Marvel Cinema, I'm less hesitant to cross-pollenate X-Men into Avengers realms. I'm not opposed to her having mutant psychic talents as well as Valkyrie powers.

It's the reality warping stuff that I can't grok. She's not Scarlet Witch or Proteus. What's Dani's warping thing?

Marvel Comics Asgardians are not as multicultural as the MCU's version. The Art Adams comics make this very clear(Dani, Ororo, and Roberto are all commented on as strange), so my point stands.

As for Dani's power, just a few pages ago we discussed the nature of her powers as shown in New Mutants #3, where the Brood Queen(using Charles's telepathy) used Dani's powers at their full capacity to actually conjure real monsters and things(a power that Simonson later revisited much later in the NM run). She's not just an illusionist, after all, she can actually make things out of nothing, which puts her on par if not exceeding what Scarlet Witch or Proteus can do.

[Heroine Addict]

dani_moonstar_by_tsbranch-d5q7gcj.jpg

Here's my fave. I'd lighten up on the Valk stuff though, and add a headband.

Oh my, YES, I like this VERY much!

I don't like the Valkyrie stuff for Dani... Her natural mutant powers make her a top tier reality warper/psi anyways.

I'm not all that fond of it either, and from a creative standpoint, find her original, Mutant powers WAY more interesting & worthy of further eXploration.

... Dani's powers at their full capacity... actually conjure real... things... She's not just an illusionist, after all, she can actually make things out of nothing, which puts her on par if not exceeding what Scarlet Witch or Proteus can do.

Admittedly, THIS is one of the reasons I've fiXated on her, I'm sure. Guilty of bein' a power-monger of sorts, it seems, especially when it comes to my favorite females. To the point where it's practically a prerequisite now, I guess.

And tho FAR more typical, found a couple more images, that come pretty close to how I've always pictured her in my mind:

[yogaflame]

I'm not all that fond of it either, and from a creative standpoint, find her original, Mutant powers WAY more interesting & worthy of further eXploration.

Admittedly, THIS is one of the reasons I've fiXated on her, I'm sure. Guilty of bein' a power-monger of sorts, it seems, especially when it comes to my favorite females. To the point where it's practically a prerequisite now, I guess.

Until Arachne pointed it out the other day, I didn't realize the true nature of Dani's power(even though I've read the entire New Mutants and X-Force runs). It's a crime this hasn't been revisited, though at the same time, I understand from a creative point of view how such power would be too unwieldy for most writers. My favorite's powers(Storm) at their high end are too much for most writers too; Dani wouldn't have any limitations at her highest potential. It's no wonder they have both been underutilized since Claremont. Now I want to craft some stories with them together as the badass brown chicks who don't give a lick about what anyone else says!