Polaris: Lorna Dane Appreciation 2019

[jmc247]

Hickman to release series of one shots starting in February starting with Jean Grey and Emma Frost. Also, a F4/X-Men crossover is coming. What one shot might people want to see in terms of a one shot for Lorna from Hickman?

It looks like Lorna might have been planned for a cameo in Excalibur, but the colorist made her Jean.

Talk about an accident that gets at the root of a problem. Lorna as a color swapped C list Jean was the view of her when I was getting into comics and that view still is rather common among the generation of writers who came of age in the 80s and 90s. Few writers have seen the potential in their favorite characters and Lorna interacting, because if you are looking for a straight laced hero to interact with your go to pick is going to be Jean or any number of Claremont's X-Men. If a writer is looking for a morally ambiguous hero Emma or Magneto is the place to go. Lorna doesn't have enough cred in either category at the moment to rate.

I still do think this era for Lorna is potentially highly juicy for those reading between the lines of Hickman playing up big time the second generation inheritors of Xavier and Magneto's legacy card. That hasn't been really done in the 616 since Austen. Its setting up both Lorna and Scott as having to step up in some major way, but after what kind of crisis is unclear. In order for such a storyline to work though Lorna herself needs her leadership credibility among a certain class of mutants on the island punched again.

If Xavier is still king and he seems to be... Scott is clearly the prince of the X-Men. Though it would be impossible to call Lorna the princess or the queen of the more militant mutants at this point... as I said she has rebuilding to do.

[powerpax]

For me it'd be just "House of M" with Lorna and Magneto. Perhaps in a story also featuring Pietro, Wanda and Luna. Is she no longer a mutant? They'll be undoing their non-mutant status eventually.

[Soulsword323]

Seeing as how Hickman has had Polaris and Magneto together, in both HOX and X-Men, I think its a safe bet we'll eventually see a GXM: Polaris & Magneto. A tense team up with Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver could be interesting, but I'm down for whatever he could potentially have these two up to.

The second I saw that Jean/Emma book, I was like we're definitely getting something for Lorna and her Dad.

[powerpax]

https://www.bleedingcool.com/2019/10...at-mcm-london/

Looks like she's got another appearance set.

[Soulsword323]

Cool.

I'm always down to see more of the original lineup, and the ANAD team.

[jmc247]

Next year is the 15th anniversary of House of M. On the 10th anniversary they had a mini series though that was announced before the Axis retcon. If the whole family still can't be put back together due to politics then yes a Polaris and Magneto one shot would be great, though its not an either/or situation. I really think putting the family back together really requires an maxiseries or an event.

I have more faith in Hickman when it comes to Lorna and Magneto interacting then a great many of her past runs due to his love of philosophy and generally seeing the characters through the right lens. So far I have felt he has accentuated the unique characteristics of both characters when interacting rather then Lorna getting foiled or genericized when interacting with Magneto. When lighting strikes... try to catch it in a bottle for as long as possible.

Oh, and yes Alex Ross does like drawing Lorna which was a question a week or two ago. I generally like his artistic rendering of the character. Back up retrospective stories are typically light hearted romps, though at times they can add a little depth to the past.

[salarta]

At this point I'm surprised they're even acknowledging she existed in 1975, since they've been acting like she has no history at all. My bad feelings about Marvel aside, in a very broad and general sense, it's good that Marvel is using her in "historical" stuff where she was present rather than pretending she wasn't there. It's also good that they're putting her on some covers whereas they haven't done that for anything until now, not even the X-women cover.

However, Lorna placed next to Havok on the second cover suggests to me that they'll present her as Havok's girlfriend. Which I know people will say "Well yeah, that's just showing things as they were, not changing the past means all of it." Except you don't need to change the past to not use parts of it. Just as Black Panther using M'Baku didn't mean they had to use the problematic "White Gorilla" name and association. For the current event, Lorna having launched Krakoa into space is important/relevant to broader themes. Lorna having been Havok's girlfriend isn't. And more importantly, as has been said many times, that relationship has been incredibly toxic for Lorna to a point where she needs at least a decade nowhere near him AND getting real, proper use out of Marvel before the relationship might be salvageable.

Putting her next to Havok - signaling intent to play up "she's his girlfriend" - doesn't surprise me. Marvel's been telegraphing that since 2017. First when they had her return to comics hijacked to promote Havok. Then embedding the Malice story as filler for a story arc promoting Havok. Then the Polaris and Havok figure set, at the same time Lorna was excluded from the Magnus family figure set. Then Marvel Tales putting Lorna on the cover as a bait and switch for how the story inside was actually Havok's intro issues where she was handled poorly. Then the kissing image in Prisoner X (instead of far more useful and important things like Genosha), and "what happened to Alex" line in Uncanny. Then the preview blurb about her that was all about how she can be used to promote Havok and Magneto. Now this.

In short, this is probably Marvel's latest "work-around" that screws Lorna over. Just as Brevoort tried to replace Lorna in Wanda's life first with Enchantress and then with Luminous, now we have Marvel trying to use "she was dating Havok back then so we need to show that" as a work-around for how she shouldn't be anywhere near him until they do necessary work in treating Lorna better than they've treated her for decades.

I see Steve Darnell is doing a "framing story" for this. To keep in mind.

Overall, I'm reasonably sure this will end up proving I'm right that Lorna is better off getting little use until post-Hickman.

[powerpax]

However, Lorna placed next to Havok on the second cover suggests to me that they'll present her as Havok's girlfriend. Which I know people will say "Well yeah, that's just showing things as they were, not changing the past means all of it." Except you don't need to change the past to not use parts of it.

They were in love at the time. Of course they're going to be shown together in a period story in which they were very closely associated.

In short, this is probably Marvel's latest "work-around" that screws Lorna over.

Based on what?

Overall, I'm reasonably sure this will end up proving I'm right that Lorna is better off getting little use until post-Hickman.

Which will be years. Again: Please tell us what specifically about Hickman or DOX means Polaris should not be featured? We're all discussing it here. What makes your opinion so forbidden to discuss? How can anyone engage with your feelings if you don't openly express them?

[salarta]

They were in love at the time. Of course they're going to be shown together in a period story in which they were very closely associated.

Marvel can go 10-15 whole years doing nothing with the fact she survived Genosha even when it's hugely relevant, but they can't go five seconds without tripping over themselves to remind everyone and their dog that she's been Havok's girlfriend.

Marvel could very easily have the two doing things in different spots without mentioning/showing they were a couple during that time. Why is it that Marvel "must" explicitly show or mention that they dated with things like this cover, but for the most devastating thing she's ever been through, very vague hints that you have to know her history to pick up on are sufficient?

[juan678]

Maybe X-men GIANT Size is team up serie; other n with Polaris (maybe)

https://www.cbr.com/giant-size-x-men...ell-dauterman/

[Soulsword323]

The Alex Ross stuff isn't even connected to Hickman's work. I'm not sure how there's a correlation there.

Anyway, here's to hoping that Pepe gets the one to draw Lorna if she gets a Giant-Sized X-Men issue. Need to see more of his Polaris.

[juan678]

[powerpax]

Marvel can go 10-15 whole years doing nothing with the fact she survived Genosha even when it's hugely relevant, but they can't go five seconds without tripping over themselves to remind everyone and their dog that she's been Havok's girlfriend.

Because Genosha was not relevant during this period story Ross chose to write.

I've addressed your points even when we don't agree. I'd ask you to do the same for me and finally answer the six million dollar question. Let me reiterate:

Again: Please tell us what specifically about Hickman or DOX means Polaris should not be featured?

[powerpax]

The Alex Ross stuff isn't even connected to Hickman's work. I'm not sure how there's a correlation there.

There isn't.

[Punch Dimension.]

At this point I'm surprised they're even acknowledging she existed in 1975, since they've been acting like she has no history at all. My bad feelings about Marvel aside, in a very broad and general sense, it's good that Marvel is using her in "historical" stuff where she was present rather than pretending she wasn't there. It's also good that they're putting her on some covers whereas they haven't done that for anything until now, not even the X-women cover.

However, Lorna placed next to Havok on the second cover suggests to me that they'll present her as Havok's girlfriend. Which I know people will say "Well yeah, that's just showing things as they were, not changing the past means all of it." Except you don't need to change the past to not use parts of it. Just as Black Panther using M'Baku didn't mean they had to use the problematic "White Gorilla" name and association. For the current event, Lorna having launched Krakoa into space is important/relevant to broader themes. Lorna having been Havok's girlfriend isn't. And more importantly, as has been said many times, that relationship has been incredibly toxic for Lorna to a point where she needs at least a decade nowhere near him AND getting real, proper use out of Marvel before the relationship might be salvageable.

Putting her next to Havok - signaling intent to play up "she's his girlfriend" - doesn't surprise me. Marvel's been telegraphing that since 2017. First when they had her return to comics hijacked to promote Havok. Then embedding the Malice story as filler for a story arc promoting Havok. Then the Polaris and Havok figure set, at the same time Lorna was excluded from the Magnus family figure set. Then Marvel Tales putting Lorna on the cover as a bait and switch for how the story inside was actually Havok's intro issues where she was handled poorly. Then the kissing image in Prisoner X (instead of far more useful and important things like Genosha), and "what happened to Alex" line in Uncanny. Then the preview blurb about her that was all about how she can be used to promote Havok and Magneto. Now this.

In short, this is probably Marvel's latest "work-around" that screws Lorna over. Just as Brevoort tried to replace Lorna in Wanda's life first with Enchantress and then with Luminous, now we have Marvel trying to use "she was dating Havok back then so we need to show that" as a work-around for how she shouldn't be anywhere near him until they do necessary work in treating Lorna better than they've treated her for decades.

I see Steve Darnell is doing a "framing story" for this. To keep in mind.

Overall, I'm reasonably sure this will end up proving I'm right that Lorna is better off getting little use until post-Hickman.

You really hit all your key points here.