Polaris Appreciation III

[jmc247]

Minor update: Polaris DOES NOT show up in Marvel: Avengers Alliance as of right now. The little known character turned out to be Dragoness. That is all. Also this spec ops mission is very expensive so goodluck getting Havok.

Also, PSINGRAPHD I was just going to let you know that many of us have sent e-mails to Traveller's Tales (the creators of the LEGO games) in request for Polaris' inclusion in the LEGO Marvel game they're developing, even as DLC. If you'd like to send a request here's the contact.

Well, its good to know now, but this whole thing just does prove that we need to work to raise Lorna's profile and convince game makers like for the LEGO game at your link and others that Lorna matters and why otherwise Lorna will be a D list character for good.

I actually think right now Lorna is suffering in no small part because of the big push for Wanda. She got screwed over in X-Men Legends 2 because Wanda was there. Until they actually get some decient interaction and relationship building on pannel in the comics I think alot of people making games or writing/editing comics will see one of them taking away from the other. This wouldn't be an issue if WATXM survived two more seasons and we had the full season of HoM, but it didn't and lets face until they interact on pannel in a major comic in a real way there will be this mindset that only one daughter of Magneto can be promoted at any given time.

[salarta]

The whole being jilted at the altar was all Austen forcing his personal life onto the comics, making Alex to be his avatar and Annie the avatar for his wife and Carter his stepkid...Lorna basically got thrown to the wolves so that he could put his two avatars together, a perfect example of Alex being treated very poorly and then people blaming him in turn for how he treated Lorna...and you could also say taht Carter was messing with his head to make him love his mom and perhaps even pushing Lorna to go extra crazy to make his mom look better.

From what I've heard, Austen was originally going to have Lorna and Alex go through with the wedding in very traditional fashion, but the way she was left with the Genoshan massacre changed his plans. I'm personally happy with Lorna's use as her own character, but I can definitely understand complaints about how Alex, Annie and Carter were written. There were probably better ways to write the whole thing out in terms of making the characters that aren't Lorna look better than they did.

That's right, the Genoshan massacre, how could I forget THAT - such a truly poignant & pivotal moment in Lorna's life. But it reminded me of an idea I had the other day, a "pitch" for taking Polaris from (not a) zero to (BIGtime) hero in just one, double-sized issue. It was mostly/partly based on & around that horrific event, acting as a major motivator for Lorna's newfound... well, I don't got time to get into it all tonight, like I want to. I'll post it tomorrow tho, and trust me when I say - it would totally upend Polaris' status quo, turning it on its head, changing not only her life forever, but many others as well... in fact, it would be fair to say it would change the entire MU world, all thanX to our lil Lorna. Also, friggin' awesome, amazin' posts everybody. See, look how much better it is in here already - and we're just gettin' started!

It's been suggested that giving ideas for possible storylines on the board might result in Marvel refusing to ever do them under some legal issue about "stealing ideas" or something. It seems really silly to me, I think that tossing an idea out in a public space so openly and those ideas being explicitly based on a character they own would mean they could use any ideas for the character that fans suggest if they want to use them. But, it's what has been suggested.

I likewise have an idea for a big event centering on Lorna that could easily end up on par with the Phoenix saga and House of M/M-Day in terms of drama, but I'm refraining from saying it at the moment because of those claims of Marvel refusing to use anything fans mention or suggest. The idea makes a perfect play with how she's been used in storylines in the past though, while replacing the typical chest-pounding shows of "This character's power level is OVER 9000!!!!" with something technically weaker but far more dramatic and intelligent.

I actually think right now Lorna is suffering in no small part because of the big push for Wanda. She got screwed over in X-Men Legends 2 because Wanda was there. Until they actually get some decient interaction and relationship building on pannel in the comics I think alot of people making games or writing/editing comics will see one of them taking away from the other. This wouldn't be an issue if WATXM survived two more seasons and we had the full season of HoM, but it didn't and lets face until they interact on pannel in a major comic in a real way there will be this mindset that only one daughter of Magneto can be promoted at any given time.

And it's disappointing because that's a stupid way to think about characters. Marvel's done it before with passing by a golden opportunity with Storm and Polaris having more interaction when Storm was being built up by Claremont, and it's a shame that attitude continues to fester to the present day. As far as I see it, this is like a parent refusing to let their child play with someone else's child, despite the two children seeming to have lots of fun playing together, because the parent is obsessed with the idea that the other child is a "rival" of their child in some type of competition. So consumed with hatred that they have decided their child being "better" than the other child is more important than both children being the best they can be by helping each other to greater levels of potential reached than they could ever reach separately.

There was a point at which these antics ran the risk of me holding it against Scarlet Witch that Marvel's editors and writers seem to think this way, but I eventually decided that I wasn't going to let people that are too short-sighted to see the potential in Lorna's relationship with Wanda ruin Wanda for me. There are no bad characters, only people that don't know how to make the most of what they can be.

[PSINGRAPHD]

... Also, PSINGRAPHD I was just going to let you know that many of us have sent e-mails to Traveller's Tales (the creators of the LEGO games) in request for Polaris' inclusion in the LEGO Marvel game they're developing, even as DLC. If you'd like to send a request here's the contact.

Oh, you can count on it, I most definitely will!

I myself have been trying for over a year now to push Polaris as a playable character in the Super Hero Squad Online game. In fact, she's been the star request hero of a thread I created devoted to the game's "most wanted" characters. Seems like it might be working too (or helping, anyway), as the "CBR Codebreakers" apparently discovered a reference to her in recently released Havok's ingame dialogue. Supposedly, that's a positive indicator supporting her possible future inclusion - maybe. 2013 could likely be the year we get to play Lorna in a video game - FINALLY! You can check it out here, Hero Up! Super Hero Squad Online's "Most Wanted" Characters!. So we can target that game as well, along with the same company's other game, the upcoming https://marvelheroes.com/. It also has threads dedicated to it, Marvel Heroes & Marvel Heroes: Top Ten Characters You Want Playable.

And with all of the love being eXpressed for...

... I thought it'd be a good thing for all of you to check this thread out, Wolverine and the X-Men cartoon discussion. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised, 'cause our girl's the frequent topic of conversation there too! Obviously, the response & result to her in that show has been overwhelmingly positive. And look, as you can see above... our Lorna, demure as ever, is blushing from all this attention she's receiving.

But she better get used to it - 'cause it's long overdue! I strongly encourage all to descend upond these thread links I provided and flood them with a deluge of pro Po'-Po' propaganda! Remember tho, be polite & respectful when stating your case, and most importantly - be POSITIVE! We'll get a lot more with honey than we ever will with vinegar. Consider this the neXt step in our master plan for...

Polaris
Mistress of Magnetism



... to...



... take over the world!!!!
MUHAHAHA!!!

I'll be back later today, maybe with some potential breaking news concerning Lorna's comics future. I can't promise anything, so we'll see what happens. And WHEN I DO... I'll be armed with LOTS of (what I believe to be) irrefutable evidence, in an attempt to prove in BIG way, once & for all - that Polaris is NOT...

... a D list character ...

... never has been, not NOW, not then. And hopefully, with us advocating for her with renewed enthusiasm, becoming more mobilized & focused in the process... she never will be!!!

[The_Greatest_Username]

Well, its good to know now, but this whole thing just does prove that we need to work to raise Lorna's profile and convince game makers like for the LEGO game at your link and others that Lorna matters and why otherwise Lorna will be a D list character for good.

I actually think right now Lorna is suffering in no small part because of the big push for Wanda. She got screwed over in X-Men Legends 2 because Wanda was there. Until they actually get some decient interaction and relationship building on pannel in the comics I think alot of people making games or writing/editing comics will see one of them taking away from the other. This wouldn't be an issue if WATXM survived two more seasons and we had the full season of HoM, but it didn't and lets face until they interact on pannel in a major comic in a real way there will be this mindset that only one daughter of Magneto can be promoted at any given time.

I do like Wanda (not as much as I used to prior to her return), but I really think that we would've seen Lorna rise to prominance with Alex (for once) had Wanda not been receiving a push. We all know Alex is going be playing second fiddle to Cap, but it doesn't seem that bad when considering everyone in an Avengers book does that anyway.
I also think it hurts Lorna in various media that Wanda still gets treated like an X-Character despite being an Avenger while Lorna gets the short end of the stick EVERY TIME. I'm sure we wouldn't be having this conversation had Polaris been playable in XML2. Not to mention I found it quite strange that Wanda didn't even show up in the Avengers-centric MUA game even though she was in XML2.

Oh, you can count on it, I most definitely will!

I myself have been trying for over a year now to push Polaris as a playable character in the Super Hero Squad Online game. In fact, she's been the star request hero of a thread I created devoted to the game's "most wanted" characters. Seems like it might be working too (or helping, anyway), as the "CBR Codebreakers" apparently discovered a reference to her in recently released Havok's ingame dialogue. Supposedly, that's a positive indicator supporting her possible future inclusion - maybe. 2013 could likely be the year we get to play Lorna in a video game - FINALLY! You can check it out here, Hero Up! Super Hero Squad Online's "Most Wanted" Characters!. So we can target that game as well, along with the same company's other game, the upcoming https://marvelheroes.com/. It also has threads dedicated to it, Marvel Heroes & Marvel Heroes: Top Ten Characters You Want Playable.

I've been pushing for her inclusion in video games for a while now too. I'm sure you remember the overwhelming support we got for Lorna on the MUA2 forums, yet she didn't even manage to show up in an NPC slot. I'll be sure to check those links out.

But she better get used to it - 'cause it's long overdue! I strongly encourage all to descend upond these thread links I provided and flood them with a deluge of pro Po'-Po' propaganda! Remember tho, be polite & respectful when stating your case, and most importantly - be POSITIVE! We'll get a lot more with honey than we ever will with vinegar. Consider this the neXt step in our master plan for...

This is one sentiment I'd like to emphasize. Be polite and positive anytime we lobby for Polaris. We don't want to have the crazy reputation some fanbases have.

[kcekada]

That is an awesome update on Lorna's classic outfit -- whereas here space outfit, sadly, was definitely not. I think she could even lose her signature cape -- and still look awesome with that.

Oh, you can count on it, I most definitely will!

[jmc247]

I do like Wanda (not as much as I used to prior to her return), but I really think that we would've seen Lorna rise to prominance with Alex (for once) had Wanda not been receiving a push. We all know Alex is going be playing second fiddle to Cap, but it doesn't seem that bad when considering everyone in an Avengers book does that anyway.
I also think it hurts Lorna in various media that Wanda still gets treated like an X-Character despite being an Avenger while Lorna gets the short end of the stick EVERY TIME. I'm sure we wouldn't be having this conversation had Polaris been playable in XML2. Not to mention I found it quite strange that Wanda didn't even show up in the Avengers-centric MUA game even though she was in XML2.

I agree with that, I think she would have rose with Havok for once had Wanda not been getting a bit push. The mindset that Wanda is more a part of the X-Men then Lorna also annoys me. I am not annoyed at the character I am annoyed at the mindset that leads to as you said Lorna getting the short end of the stick.

I've been pushing for her inclusion in video games for a while now too. I'm sure you remember the overwhelming support we got for Lorna on the MUA2 forums, yet she didn't even manage to show up in an NPC slot. I'll be sure to check those links out.

I pushed for her to be in X-Men Legends 2, but Wanda got her role on Genosha and that was a time Lorna was a solid B+ list character. I pushed even harder for her to be in MUA 1 and a lesser push for MUA 2 we got Havok as a boss villain, but no Lorna. Those three video games demoralized my hopes of Lorna getting even a decient NPC role in a major game.

This is one sentiment I'd like to emphasize. Be polite and positive anytime we lobby for Polaris. We don't want to have the crazy reputation some fanbases have.

Yes, even if we never end up winning, we at least have some hope doing so presenting a positive message.

I'll be back later today, maybe with some potential breaking news concerning Lorna's comics future. I can't promise anything, so we'll see what happens. And WHEN I DO... I'll be armed with LOTS of (what I believe to be) irrefutable evidence, in an attempt to prove in BIG way, once & for all - that Polaris is not...

... a D list character ...

... never has been, not NOW, not then. And hopefully, with us advocating for her with renewed enthusiasm, becoming more mobilized & focused in the process... she never will be!!!

That is a very postive can do spirit. It's far more helpful then negativity. I did have it for a long time, but lost it some time ago. Right now I do think she is a D lister, but as I made clear many times that can change overnight and her 'list' has changed many times in the past very quickly.

[LoganAlpha30x33]

We should face it that as long as Lorna is on the current X-Factor team she won't move up at all, she'll either stay where she is or fall back, while Alex will rise even though he's being written as little more than Captain America's stooge, personally I'd like for Alex to be an independent contractor to solve people's and government's problems, then Lorna would join him and a few others and go from there...certainly more entertaining than Humphries or Woods book, and they'd be free of government meddling. But yeah imho Remender and PAD missed a HUGE opportunity to have Wanda and Lorna grow cloer by splitting Alex and Lorna up, it's just possible that both Remender and PAD are like Claremont, they only seem to like pairings that they themselves have put together for the most part...

[The_Greatest_Username]

I agree with that, I think she would have rose with Havok for once had Wanda not been getting a bit push. The mindset that Wanda is more a part of the X-Men then Lorna also annoys me. I am not annoyed at the character I am annoyed at the mindset that leads to as you said Lorna getting the short end of the stick.

I think Remender probably could've taken a unique approach with Lorna for a while as well. In his Uncanny X-Force run he dealt with past canon regarding Psylocke and Angel; I think that if he had used Polaris we would've seen Genosha readdressed.

I pushed for her to be in X-Men Legends 2, but Wanda got her role on Genosha and that was a time Lorna was a solid B+ list character. I pushed even harder for her to be in MUA 1 and a lesser push for MUA 2 we got Havok as a boss villain, but no Lorna. Those three video games demoralized my hopes of Lorna getting even a decient NPC role in a major game.

The saddest part is that despite little-to-no push for her to show up in X-Men Destiny and MvC3 got her character to at least be seen.

EDIT: Here's a pretty nice sketch of Polaris that I don't think has been posted here yet.



http://browse.deviantart.com/?order=...laris#/d5qz2ra

[jmc247]

I think Remender probably could've taken a unique approach with Lorna for a while as well. In his Uncanny X-Force run he dealt with past canon regarding Psylocke and Angel; I think that if he had used Polaris we would've seen Genosha readdressed.

There was a fight between the x-books and the cosmic titles to tell the final part of the Vulcan saga. While WoK was a good story that got Lorna some badly needed family interaction and a decient characterization in the scenes she was in with Crystal it hurt her vastly more then it helped her by putting off her return home by more then two years and it kept her out of Uncanny X-Factor which I think she would have been best off in and you are right things from the Morrison/Austen/Milligan era would have been brought up much more and her characterization from that era would have continued even more I suspect.

The saddest part is that despite little-to-no push for her to show up in X-Men Destiny and MvC3 got her character to at least be seen.

Its almost like the less Lorna fans do to promote her being in the game at all the better a chance she has of showing up as if game makers feel like fans promoting her being in the game are trying to push them around so they don't have her there even in eras where she was much more popular and higher profile then she is now.

[The_Greatest_Username]

There was a fight between the x-books and the cosmic titles to tell the final part of the Vulcan saga. While WoK was a good story that got Lorna some badly needed family interaction and a decient characterization in the scenes she was in with Crystal it hurt her vastly more then it helped her by putting off her return home by more then two years and it kept her out of Uncanny X-Factor which I think she would have been best off in and you are right things from the Morrison/Austen/Milligan era would have been brought up much more and her characterization from that era would have continued even more I suspect.

Actually I was refering to if he had used Polaris on Uncanny Avengers. Granted, it seems that the mutants won't be the focus of Marvel's new flagship I think he would've addressed her character in a later arc if he had been given the chance.

Its almost like the less Lorna fans do to promote her being in the game at all the better a chance she has of showing up as if game makers feel like fans promoting her being in the game are trying to push them around so they don't have her there even in eras where she was much more popular and higher profile then she is now.

I think the vocalization of online fans in general does not have a large effect on existing projects, but I do think that it influences the direction of later projects. For example Jean Grey was one of the heaviest requests for MUA1 and had a good NPC role, but once MUA2 rolled around the developers said she was one of the first characters that was set from the beginning.

[jmc247]

Actually I was refering to if he had used Polaris on Uncanny Avengers. Granted, it seems that the mutants won't be the focus of Marvel's new flagship I think he would've addressed her character in a later arc if he had been given the chance.



I think the vocalization of online fans in general does not have a large effect on existing projects, but I do think that it influences the direction of later projects. For example Jean Grey was one of the heaviest requests for MUA1 and had a good NPC role, but once MUA2 rolled around the developers said she was one of the first characters that was set from the beginning.

That is good to know, though my and others push for Lorna in X-Men Legends II and MUA I didn't exactly pay dividens for the character for MUA II. It might have just been the developers behind the three games that really didn't like her.

[The_Greatest_Username]

That is good to know, though my and others push for Lorna in X-Men Legends II and MUA I didn't exactly pay dividens for the character for MUA II. It might have just been the developers behind the three games that really didn't like her.

I think that might have to do with the change in developers early on in the games production. It's quite possible that we would've seen Lorna in an NPC role in MUA2 had they kept the same developers throughout the development.

[jmc247]

I think that might have to do with the change in developers early on in the games production. It's quite possible that we would've seen Lorna in an NPC role in MUA2 had they kept the same developers throughout the development.

I didn't know that, but that is good to know that's its possible the campaign for her to be in MUA I had some effect.

[PSINGRAPHD]

... I'll be back later today, maybe with some potential breaking news concerning Lorna's comics future. I can't promise anything, so we'll see what happens. ...

Today the creators of the forthcoming female-centric Fearless Defenders, Cullen Bunn & Will Sliney, were kind enough (and very generous with their time) to begin a Q&A over in the Marvel Comics Forum. Here's the only thing I got out of Cullen so far, regarding Lorna:

... Last, but certainly not least, I'm gonna throw 2 names out at ya. I know you probably can't tell me whether they'll be included or not, but could you please give me your thoughts on them at least? Hopefully, they're positive, lol. They are Lorna Dane & Alison Blaire, AKA... Polaris & Dazzler ...

... Dazzler is a favorite character of mine, but she's off running around in other universes. Polaris was a character I liked a lot back in the Australian Outback days of X-Men, but I kind of lost track of her over the years. I do love that green hair!

I followed up with this, quickly trying to plead her case:

... Polaris is MORE than ready for further development too, Mr. Bunn. She's now been pretty much confirmed as Magneto's illegitimate daughter, with all that entails & brings with it. Lorna & Alex have separated as well, when he joined Uncanny Avengers, amicably as far as I know. She's ripe for exploration & just full of potential, more than ever before, in my honest opinion. Dazzler also, same thing for her, and she's coming back to the 616 very soon (unfortunately, the title she appears in is being cancelled). Ali will be good to go, if you're so inclined. ...

It's not much, but at least it's somethin', and somewhat encouraging. I'm still tryin', but approaching it playfully, I don't want to go overboard. We don't want Polaris fans getting the rep of being obnoxious opportunists. Besides, truth be told, I'm genuinely through the roof with eXcitement for their Fearless Defenders - more than any other Marvel NOW book, honestly. I had intentions of being more prepared, but soon's I left here, to my surprise the Q&A had already begun. In fact, it had been goin' on for a while, so I got nervous & began scrambling. I didn't know at the time they'd be keeping it open beyond a few hours, let alone more than 1 day, as it seems now. If any of you would like to view the thread itself, here's the link, Fearless Defenders: Cullen Bunn & Will Sliney Q&A. If you decide to post anything, especially concerning Polaris, please remember our guidelines - polite, respectful, & positive... and SHORT, keep it short & to the point. Have fun & hope you enjoy!

[salarta]

We should face it that as long as Lorna is on the current X-Factor team she won't move up at all, she'll either stay where she is or fall back, while Alex will rise even though he's being written as little more than Captain America's stooge, personally I'd like for Alex to be an independent contractor to solve people's and government's problems, then Lorna would join him and a few others and go from there...certainly more entertaining than Humphries or Woods book, and they'd be free of government meddling. But yeah imho Remender and PAD missed a HUGE opportunity to have Wanda and Lorna grow cloer by splitting Alex and Lorna up, it's just possible that both Remender and PAD are like Claremont, they only seem to like pairings that they themselves have put together for the most part...

While I no longer think that Lorna being on X-Factor is inherently a bad thing like I thought when it was announced, I do think that if things continue in the vein that got me to stop reading X-Factor altogether, then it is in fact bad for her to be on the book at all and I'd rather see her off the roster even if it means limbo for a few years to half a decade. I want to read Lorna's identity, character development and character connections acknowledged, celebrated and used, not see them ignored or undone to make her merely background support for the rest of the cast. In many ways, right now I think she was better off when she was still in space. She's just as disconnected from what happens anywhere else on Earth and with other characters she has ties with as when she was in space, and at least when she was in space, she was allowed to interact with Crystal and Luna.

Today the creators of the forthcoming female-centric Fearless Defenders, Cullen Bunn & Will Sliney, were kind enough (and very generous with their time) to begin a Q&A over in the Marvel Comics Forum. Here's the only thing I got out of Cullen so far, regarding Lorna:


I followed up with this, quickly trying to plead her case:


It's not much, but at least it's somethin', and somewhat encouraging. I'm still tryin', but approaching it playfully, I don't want to go overboard. We don't want Polaris fans getting the rep of being obnoxious opportunists. Besides, truth be told, I'm genuinely through the roof with eXcitement for their Fearless Defenders - more than any other Marvel NOW book, honestly. I had intentions of being more prepared, but soon's I left here, to my surprise the Q&A had already begun. In fact, it had been goin' on for a while, so I got nervous & began scrambling. I didn't know at the time they'd be keeping it open beyond a few hours, let alone more than 1 day, as it seems now. If any of you would like to view the thread itself, here's the link, Fearless Defenders: Cullen Bunn & Will Sliney Q&A. If you decide to post anything, especially concerning Polaris, please remember our guidelines - polite, respectful, & positive... and SHORT, keep it short & to the point. Have fun & hope you enjoy!

I'm going to refrain from posting there at least for the moment as I think my posting there is liable to do more harm than good at the moment, particularly since there are some people on this board that try to twist everything I say into its worst possible interpretation even when they know better, and other people let them carry on saying such things rather than correcting them. But, hopefully something good happens for Lorna.