Polaris has always been one of my favorite X-Men. I remember being in my hometown comic shop as a kid and seeing a new Jim Lee X-Men poster the creepy owner had just hung up. The characters were all the typical mutants you would expect to see, but then off to the side was this green-haired beauty looking stern with crossed arms. I was in awe and immediately asked who she was (I was a single-minded 11 year old). In all my reading of Classic X-Men and the current X-titles, I had somehow completely missed the monochromatic estranged daughter of Magneto. She had the look, the abilities, and lineage to become an easy obsession for me. Which she did in spades. Unfortunately the Marvel writers seem to treat her like a punching bag. Between being perpetually depowered, brainwashed, and having mental breakdowns, her character never really gets a chance to shine. But I still see amazing potential in her. Let's check out this long-overdue Marvel Legends figure below!
I'm really glad they chose the monochromatic green Polaris. It's by far my favorite look for her. But there are few things about this specific figure I am not in love with. First, her hairstyle is weird. I wish it was flowing in a classic look rather than pulled back in a weird top-knot. Second, I wish the overall colors were brighter. In real life, her cape looks almost black. (My camera automatically saturates muted colors sometimes). And lastly, I wish she were a little taller. This would balance out the heaviness of the cape and hair and let her fit in better with previously released characters (like her half-sister Wanda, whose figure towers over Lorna).
She comes with two energy pieces which ironically are recolored accessories from Havok (Her longtime off again/on again lover).
She also comes with the Right Leg of Warlock.
Time for Some Group and Comparison Pics!
Here she is with her wave-mate, Dazzler and the Build-a-Figure Warlock.
This Warlock really makes me want a classic New Mutants team.
And here she is with her half-sister Scarlet Witch. I realize Wanda is wearing heels, but I wish they looked more the same height.
From Left to Right: Eaglemoss Lead Figurine, Marvel Legends, Marvel Superhero Squad, Bowen Mini-Bust, and DST Mini-Mates.
Cheers!
100% agree with your comments. I hate how they always treat Lorna like crap, when she's a very exotic character with a long history in comics. This figure has been over 20 years in the making, considering Lorna is one of the first 20 or so heroines of the silver age. I would have prefer her original outfit, but this is as close as we will get. And I don't mind her hair, as it was from a good arc for her with the Shiar.
ReplyDeleteI haven't got the new wave yet, I'm waiting for Angela next, but Polaris, Dazzler, Sunfire and Warlock are all must haves.
I too wish they made all the New Mutants. Specially Karma and Magma, which they almost never get any love nowadays.
Your comment made me do a bunch of research and I learned that Polaris is the 3rd female mutant (after Jean Grey and Scarlet Witch). I kind of like that she is not super-popular though. Firestar, Hellcat, Tigra, and Namora are some of my other favorites and they are all kind of secondary characters that no-one outside of the comic-reading world has ever heard of. I have a gut feeling that someday she will get a solo series and will really shine. It could explore her relationships with Wanda, Magneto, Havok, and Zaladane without making her be insane. I actually enjoyed her in the recent X-Factor series, but the costumes were not very exciting.
DeleteWhen the New Mutants comes out I'll bet we see all kinds of interesting classic roster figures. Look at the figures we've seen because of GOTG.. classic Nebula, Vance Astro, etc. I imagine a Classic New Mutants box set as an SDCC exclusive in 2019... mark my words!
Hear, hear. And just like that you make me want a comic 6" Nebula. The latest X-Factor was terrific, but yeah the pajamas they wore were boring. New Mutants box set could happen, but I bet Karma and Magma fall by the wayside. Here's hoping one day we get all 9 original members.
Deletelove love love Polaris. Glad she's getting some ML love but wish this was in her classic purple and black Shi'ar outfit!
ReplyDeleteThe Shi'ar outfit is cool, but I would be so afraid of how the collar would turn out. That thin spider-web design is so important to the look, but I always fear the limitations of plastic to achieve that level of detail. It's my second favorite look though, so hopefully we see some variation of it someday.
DeleteI've been a Polaris fan since the summer of '79 when I read Marvel Team-Up No 69 for the first time. She only appeared in the first few pages, and she wasn't even in costume, but this was Claremont/Byrne/Austin at the top of their game, and they didn't need more than a few panels to make an impression. I was 12 going on 13, and Lorna became my comic book crush overnight. Unfortunately, she's had a lot more bad years than good ones since then, but I'm still a believer.
ReplyDeleteNeedless to say, Polaris has been at the top of my Marvel Legends want list since the inception of the line back in 2001. I never would have imagined at the time that it would take 16 years to finally get her. I'm very happy with the way she turned out. The hair actually makes the figure for me. The sculpt and paint apps are excellent, and with that unique hairstyle, I see Polaris when I look at the figure as opposed to a generic Marvel Legends female that resembles Polaris. This is the costume choice I would have gone with as well, so Hasbro really came through for me. I actually bought two ... one for home and one for my desk at work. I can only hope that Songbird, my second most wanted ML for 16 years, turns out this good!
Ohyeah! I completely forgot we're supposed to get Songbird this year. Hopefully they don't try to salvage pieces from that ratchet Songbird figure that got scrapped a few years ago, I was surprised when they did that with the Phoenix figure.
DeleteMy first exposure to Polaris wasn't in any of her classic costumes either. The Jim Lee poster had her in a generic yellow and blue X-Men suit, and in the current comics she was Malice. I finally saw the original green one in Classic X-Men, and eventually the purple Shi'ar costume in the Arthur Adams card set. I'm actually not sure I've ever read a good story with her, but for some reason I love the character.
Polaris's 6" figure is a good looking. I have no complain whatsoever. She looks amazing and Scarlet Witch is not a mutant so that does not make Polaris the third mutant ever created. Polaris is (and always was) the second mutant female of the X-men, because Scarlet Witch was not an X-men and never was. I'm happy to get this and many people too.
ReplyDeletePolaris didn't have bad treatments. She was in many amazing stories and is the leader of the X-factor. I know people here are pretending not to know this but she's been in many comics and in many interesting stories with many good writers (aside from Claremont who can't write a good story). She was not ALWAYS treated like crap compared to Storm. And don't give me that crap that Claremont made her whatever, he made her claustrophobic, period.
Polaris has many action figures, "someone" didn't include her statue and few others toys. I feel this is a scam created by....should I say it when this is obvious? No one here are real. Ya just one person commenting here with a buch of different accounts. Nice try troll. Why so much jealousy?
Are you even serious right now? I highly doubt She's Fantastic even has time to make a bunch of fake accounts. And what does he have to be jealous of?
DeleteDon't feed it... Tempting I know...hahah
DeleteUpdate: The Hasbro team always seems to have some unique insight about classic characters having modern media tie-ins. The example at the top of my head is the Hellcat figure. I was ecstatic, but she was extremely unexpected. Then news came out that Patsy Walker would be a character in Jessica Jones. Likewise, I thought someone was teasing me when I first heard Polaris would be in the line-up. But it was JUST announced that Emma Dumont has been cast as Lorna Dane in the upcoming unnamed X-Men-centric show on Fox.
ReplyDeleteNice review. I just opened mine and pretty happy with it. Although since I haven't read War of Kings yet, I don't really know where I'll put her in my X-Men display.
ReplyDeleteI didn't realize this, but her cape isn't new, its from the Valkyrie 2pack and her wristbands are from Jim Lee Jean Grey.
ReplyDelete