Warning: Contains spoilers for X-Factor #2! The X-Men And all the mutants are at an age of extreme change in the current state of the Marvel Universe, so extreme, in fact, Polaris has just replaced her father, Magnetoin X-Men Study. This means that Lorna draws a line in the sand between humans and mutants, justifying her position by saying “Mutants need heroesBut, despite her justifications, Polaris just sounds like her father during his Brotherhood of Mutants days — especially when considering a recent rising conflict that’s close to home.
In a preview for X-Factor #2 by Mark Russell and Bob Quinn, Polaris and Havoc roll out of bed, as Alex Summers has an early meeting with an U.S. it. General to discuss an upcoming X-Factor mission. The X-Factor is a team of mutants who work directly for the US. In other words, X-Factor works for humans as a superhero team for humanity, not mutantkind.
Conversely, Polaris becomes increasingly active in mutant-only support groups, ones where mutants gather together to mourn the loss of Krakoa and share their horror stories of rejoining human society. Lorna invites Alex to a meeting she’s going to the night he walks out the door, and while he accepts, she knows there will come a time when he’ll have to choose between her and his X-Factor. Which, to Polaris, translates to mutants or humans – ally or enemy.
Polaris is slowly becoming a mutant revolutionary disguised as a ‘hero’
Magneto famously fought for mutant supremacy in his early days as an X-Men villain
At the moment, Polaris is simply trying to be there for her fellow mutants during this extraordinarily difficult time. The mutants have just lost their island paradise/safe haven, after all, and have been thrust back into a world that now hates them more than ever before. Polaris wants to be a hero to the mutants by listening to their stories and helping them as she can. However, as it is already clear in just this preview, Polaris will not be so pacifistic forever.
Polaris recognizes that humans will never accept mutants into their society, especially after mutants tried and failed to separate themselves completely. She is preparing for the inevitable rift between humans and mutants, and she will fight to save her people, becoming the “Hero“Mutants need. Although it may only be the early stages of her journey, Polaris is starting to sound a lot like her father, Magneto – and she’s already found her ‘X-Men.’
X-Factor is to Polaris what the X-Men were to Magneto (when he was a villain)
Polaris is already becoming disgusted with Havok’s decision to join a government-backed mutant team, especially since the human leaders of X-Factor are using them to fight other mutants. Havok wants to bridge the gap between humans and mutants now that they are forced to live together again, and he goes about this by proving that mutants can be useful to humans. In essence, Havok is doing what Charles Xavier used to do with his X-Men. And now, it seems that Polaris is following in her father’s villainous footsteps by clearly seeing humans and any mutant who stands with them as the enemy.
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Of course, the reason Magneto was a villain in the early days of X-Men Canon Turns out he was fighting for mutant supremacy, not equality. If Polaris can walk the line between advocate and extremist, she can still fight for the safety of her people without crossing into villain territory. However, when atrocities are committed against mutants, it’s hard to stay safe, especially when other mutants (like Havoc and the X-Factor) serve their human oppressors. In other words, it seems like Magnetos daughter PolarisJust replaced him in X-Men Study.
X-Factor #2 by Marvel Comics is available September 18, 2024.