The return of X-Men ’97, the continuation of the iconic X-Men: The Animated Series (TSA), has many fans excited and buzzing with anticipation, as the second season is currently in production and the third season in development. It’s really not that surprising; the series brought the same dynamic storytelling and complex characters as its predecessor did. It also introduced a new generation of viewers to the world of X-Men while simultaneously reigniting the passions of long-time fans — most of whom saw the series on the Saturday-morning cartoon TV program. Let’s talk about Magento’s daughter, Polaris.
To be entirely honest, there’s plenty to be excited about. The series’ predecessor, the TSA, was known for introducing numerous Marvel characters during its run, not just mutants and X-Men villains. Fortunately, the new series continued down the same path. We were spoiled with multiple cameos, like Captain America and Thunderbolt Ross in the episode “Bright Eyes.” The subsequent three-part episode, “Tolerance Is Extinction,” has a lot more excitement-inducing cameos, including that of Lorna Dane, also known as Polaris. Spoilers ahead: you have been warned.
There are two cameo appearances of Polaris in X-Men ’97; one in “Tolerance Is Extinction: Part 1,” and the other in “Tolerance Is Extinction: Part 3.” In the former, Cable narrates the future in which Bastion — the season’s antagonist — enslaves mutants and uses their powers to create a human utopia. We see Polaris in space using her powers, but she looks frail, tired, and sad as if she’s mentally defeated. The other glimpse is but a mere greenish shadow inside Magneto’s mind, where we can see Rogue and three silhouettes on a boat that’s weathering the storm.
One of those three silhouettes is Polaris, while the other two are Magneto’s other two children, Wanda and Pietro (perhaps better known as the Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver). While that alone doesn’t amount to much, the fans of the comics and TSA have recognized the character, and Marvel later revealed that Lorna Dane is slated to become prominent in the second season of X-Men ’97. Considering the conclusion of X-Men ’97 Season 1, Polaris is said to bring with her a lot of reveals and reversals, making her a rather complex character, even by X-Men standards.
Reversals are, perhaps, the most interesting part because some of the X-Men were sent into the future while others were sent to the past. While Lorna’s powers mostly mirror those of Magneto, we’re not really sure whether or not she has anything to do with their return to the series’ original timeline, thus reversing their temporal displacement. But with the introduction of Apocalypse in the series — both in the past and in the future — Polaris is gaining significance, especially since she’s also known as Pestilence, one of the Horsemen of Apocalypse.
One of her powers is the ability to ingest virulent diseases and absorb their traits without taking any harm, which makes her suitable for spreading the meta-plague that kills anyone who hasn’t been inoculated with the virus’ vaccine, the Blood of Apocalypse. Considering Polaris’ history in the comics and her affiliation with both Apocalypse and the X-Men at different times in comic book history, we really don’t know how X-Men ’97 Season 2 is going to introduce the character as one of the key players in the series.
Lorna Dane debuted in The X-Men #49, released in October 1968, when she, through a series of events, encountered X-Man Iceman and the rest of the X-Men, after which she was abducted by Mesmero, acting on Magneto’s orders. Magneto claimed to be her father, stating that he erased her memories of the plane crash she caused, but that particular Magneto was revealed to be an android. She later joined the X-Men, began living at Xavier’s mansion, and fell in love with Havoc, Cyclops’ younger brother.
Sadly, the character has a history of being manipulated and even mind-controlled by various supervillains, including Apocalypse, who used her to create the aforementioned meta-plague. She was also under the control of Shi’ar and Malice, and some of those events even triggered her secondary mutations, including the amplification of negative emotions that affect those around her. This secondary mutation put her in the crosshairs of the Shadow King, who used her as a gateway that allowed him entry into the physical world.
It’s easy to see that Lorna Dane isn’t an ordinary mutant but a formidable mutant who recently declared herself the New Master of Magnetism and her father’s official X-Men replacement in Fall of the House of X #2. The release introduced a confident and collected Polaris who shed her instabilities caused by horrific possessions over the years, and while she might not be an Omega-level mutant, she did some amazing stuff without breaking a sweat. There’s another version of the character that we would like to see in the animated future of Marvel IP.