Magneto Magnetism Control
Control magnetism, command the field, and let your power serve your will.
Polaris (Dr. Lorna Sally Dane) is a mutant who can control magnetism in a manner similar to her father, Magneto. Created by writer Arnold Drake and artist Jim Steranko, she first appeared in The X-Men #49 (October 1968), though she is not called Polaris until The X-Men #97 (February 1976). Like the other X-Men, Lorna Dane belongs to the subspecies of humans called mutants, who are born with superhuman abilities. She has been a member of the X-Men and X-Factor, frequently paired with her on-again off-again romantic interest Havok (Alex Summers). Many of Lorna's stories involve her mental instability and mental health issues, particularly her bipolar disorder, which is exacerbated by repeated brainwashing episodes and other traumatic events.
- Character Role
- Defender
- Affiliation
- Brotherhood of Mutants / X-Men (varies)
- Power Source
- Mutant Genetic Potential
- Signature Element
- Magnetic Fields and Ferrous Metals
Verified Timeline
Lore & Background
Lorna Dane's powers first manifest in The X-Men #50, when the villain Mesmero uses his 'psyche-generator' to summon mutants with latent powers. She is captured by Mesmero and his android Demi-Men, and the psyche-generator awakens her mutant powers. Mesmero names her 'Queen of the Mutants.' Magneto then reveals himself as the leader behind her abduction and claims to be Lorna's father. Although it was speculated for decades, the fact that Magneto was her father was not confirmed until a 2003 storyline, some 35 years after her debut. Lorna's first code name was Magnetrix, but she quickly decided she did not like it. She later displays the full potential of her powers by disrupting Earth's magnetic field to send the mutant island Krakoa into deep space.
In Their Own Story
When the old and new X-Men fought the mutant island Krakoa, Lorna displayed the full potential of her powers for the first time by disrupting the Earth's magnetic field, which sent Krakoa into deep space. Later, in the Savage Land, her alleged half-sister Zaladane uses the High Evolutionary's machinery to strip Lorna of her magnetic powers, taking them as her own. The process also finally separates Lorna from the psionic being Malice, who had overtaken her mind. After this, Lorna's secondary mutation activates: she grows in height, becomes invulnerable, and gains superhuman strength. Upon examination, Dr. Moira MacTaggert confirms that the only way Zaladane could have taken her powers away was if she had been a biological sibling.
Reader's Guide
Polaris's magnetism control allows her to manipulate magnetic fields and ferrous metals. Her powers first manifest in The X-Men #50, when Mesmero's psyche-generator awakens her latent mutant abilities. She can disrupt Earth's magnetic field, as shown when she sends the mutant island Krakoa into deep space. Her powers can be stripped by biological siblings using specialized machinery, as Zaladane does in the Savage Land. Lorna's secondary mutation grants her invulnerability and superhuman strength, but also amplifies negative emotions in those around her. Her mental health issues, particularly bipolar disorder, are exacerbated by repeated brainwashing episodes and traumatic events, sometimes causing her to lose control of her abilities.
Did You Know?
- Lorna Dane first appeared in The X-Men #49 (October 1968) but was not called Polaris until The X-Men #97 (February 1976).
- Although Magneto claimed to be her father in The X-Men #50, that Magneto was later revealed to be an android in The X-Men #58 (July 1979).
- A DNA test in The Uncanny X-Men #431 (November 2003) finally proved that Magneto is her father, 35 years after her debut.
- Lorna's first code name was Magnetrix, but she quickly decided she did not like it.
- She has been known as Polaris, Malice, and Pestilence at various points in her history.