The X-men Supreme fanfiction series has been unfolding since January 1, 2010, and in that time it has had its share of tragedies. Throughout the X-men mythos, there are many characters who are defined by the tragedies that have shaped their lives and their character. Some of the most famous stories in the history of X-men, such as the Phoenix Saga, are built on tragedies. Some of the most famous characters in all of comics, from Batman to Spider-Man, are shaped by tragedy. There are times I feel that too much weight is given to tragedy when developing a character, but the very nature of tragedy makes it difficult to get around. It will always have a profound influence of sorts. And few characters in X-men Supreme have been more defined by tragedy than Lorna Dane.
When I first introduced her, she was merely Iceman's love interest, a cute teenage girl with green hair who just happened to have mutant powers similar to Magneto's. Naturally, I didn't beat around the bush with her origins. I made revealed early on that Polaris is Magneto's daughter and the half-sister to Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch. But I didn't want that to be the most defining aspect of her character. I wanted her to have a different motivation in this fanfiction series. That's what led me to develop the story around her mother's illness and her subsequent death. This tragedy, which became part of the emotional upheaval at the end of the Overlord arc, is what put Polaris on her current path. She is part of the Brotherhood of Mutants and served as an emotional anchor for Magneto up until the events of the Cambrian. This role and everything that led to it is full of so much emotion and loss, which is why I've made her the next subject of X-men Supreme Reflections.
There's a lot to explore with Polaris. In many ways, she has undergone the most emotional strain of any character since the beginning of this fanfiction series. So much of her life has been disrupted by forces beyond her control. Yet she didn't lose herself or make excuses. I think that's a big reason why she can reach someone like Magneto when nobody else can. Now in wake of the events of X-men Supreme Volume 4: Politics of Fear, she has to deal with a tragedy of another kind. As hard as she tried to save her father, she couldn't stop him. The reason she left her old life behind is now gone. So what does that mean for her in the future of the X-men Supreme fanfiction series? That's something that will factor heavily into her reflection. I've prepared a preview that should offer some insight into the world of Lorna Dane in X-men Supreme.
As I entered my teen years my mom did step back a little so I could grow. I’m not sure if this was her choice either. She had been dealing with some health issues that I thought were just minor at the time. I had no idea it was so much worse than that. How could I when my own body seemed to be turning against me?
Being in an overprotective environment, I lacked the social skills most kids my age had. By the time I was 15 and entered high school, I was so far behind that I couldn’t help but be overwhelmed. That’s not a good environment to be in when you have latent mutant powers. It was only a matter of time before they flared up. I wish I could say it happened during something traumatic or terrifying. That seems to be the case with a lot of other mutants. Not me though. My powers first showed up during an stupid Algebra exam.
It wasn’t some test that would have determined my future. It was just a test I didn’t study enough for. I came in knowing I was behind and really stressing since it was close to midterms. I tried to stay calm, but then I actually saw the test and it all went downhill from there. I was so paralyzed I began to hyperventilate. My palms got sweaty and my head started throbbing. At first it felt like a migraine. It was like there was this pressure around me pushing down on me and I didn’t know how to push back. It got worse and worse with each passing moment. I was so frustrated I didn’t notice that all the metal in the room started shaking.
Eventually, the pressure was bearing down on me so badly I had to push back. And by push, I mean I clenched my fists and outright shoved. When I did, all the metal that had been vibrating literally flung itself across the room. Since everybody’s chairs were made of metal, it caught them all by surprise. The whole room turned into a scene from a ghost movie and the only one not terrified was me. When it was all over with the metal from the chairs, pens, and paperclips had converged in the center of the room right in front of me into this twisted metal ball. It was at that point it finally dawned on me. I was the one doing this. That pressure I felt wasn’t a migraine. It was my powers.
It was probably the most confused and frightened I had ever been. It could have been a lot worse if someone knew it was me, but nobody managed to connect the dots. As far as they were concerned, this was just one of those bizarre events that couldn’t be explained. The only positive that came out of it was that the exam was canceled and I would get to retake it. But grades were the last thing on my mind. I had a much bigger problem to stress over.
When I got home that day, I locked myself in my room and curled up on my bed. My mom was still at work and I had no one else to turn to. I must have laid still in a fetal position for a full hour. The whole time I kept feeling that same pressure. I didn’t know what to make of it and I kept praying that it would go away. When I finally accepted that this thing wasn’t going anywhere, I stood up and confronted it. I tried to be brave for once. That same adventurous spirit I had back in Paris that day hadn’t completely left me. I’m glad because I needed it to get a grip on myself.
For the next few hours I experimented. I figured out that by pushing and pulling on this pressure I could make metal move. It wasn’t all that coordinated at first, but it was a start. When it erased my ipod I figured out that this was some kind of magnetism. A few internet searches later and I was convinced. I was a mutant. I didn’t know how to take that. All about mutants at the time was that they were a hot button issue. People were really afraid of them and after what happened at school, I couldn’t blame them.
When my mom got home that day, I told her everything. I figured this wasn’t something I could keep from her and that she would be loving and understanding like she always was. That was another bad assumption on my part. When she saw what I could do, I could literally see all the color in her face disappeared. It was like she saw Jesus himself. I don’t think she said a word for a full ten minutes. She just stood there, her hand over her mouth gasping.
At first I was really worried. Was she really that disgusted with me? Was me being a mutant going to destroy our family? All sorts of dire outcomes went through my mind. My fears were somewhat laid to rest when my mom finally threw her arms around me and hugged me like she always did. That made everything a bit better. She also started sobbing uncontrollably.
“My little miracle…my special little girl.”
Again, I didn’t understand and I didn’t care to. I know now that my mom figured out the truth long before I did. I could have probed deeper. It would have been the perfect time to ask all these burning questions about who I was and where I came from. I’m pretty sure my mom would have told me the truth as well. I could have learned that Magneto was that father that day. My mother didn’t lie to me. I just never demanded the truth. I was comfortable not knowing…too comfortable.
I also have a quick update for the pics section. In the nearly five years since the X-men Supreme fanfiction series began, I've made a few friends. Some of them are generous enough to provide the feedback I ask for every week. One of them, Callum, was dedicated enough to submit some fanart that I proudly added to the pics section. Thank you, Callum! And as always, anyone out there who wishes to submit artwork and receive my undying praise, please contact me.
X-men Supreme Official Panels
Like every character in X-men Supreme, I've tried to treat Polaris with the utmost care. That has involved changing a number of things about her history and giving her roles that she has never had in the comics or cartoons. But I always strive to ensure that a character remains true to their core. Polaris might not be on the same level as Wolverine or even the Scarlet Witch, but she has a place in the X-men Supreme fanfiction series and it's important that I ensure this place works. So please, whether you’re a Polaris fan or not, take the time to provide feedback so that I know I'm doing her justice. Either post it in the comments section or contact me directly and send it. I'm always happy to chat X-men and story development. Until next time, take care and best wishes. Excelsior!Jack
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