This fall, Fox is bringing Marvel’s mutant heroes and villains to television in The Gifted, a new drama series set in the world of the X-Men. It’s not clear if the series shares any continuity with the films, but Bryan Singer did direct the pilot episode and the X-Men were mentioned by name in one of the early promos. More tellingly, The Gifted features one of the most significant X-Men yet to appear in the movies: Polaris a.k.a. Lorna Dane.
The latest teaser trailer for The Gifted offers a glimpse of Emma Dumont (Bunheads, Aquarius) as Polaris, first as a prisoner encased in plastic. She also appears later in the trailer when she unleashes her magnetic powers against a few cop cars.
In this world, everything will forever be changed. #TheGifted premieres on Monday, October 2 on FOX. pic.twitter.com/7Pen0SfGrS
— The Gifted (@TheGiftedonFOX) July 5, 2017
So: who is Polaris? And why is she important? Because Lorna Dane was one of the first mutants to join the X-Men and she also happens to be Magneto’s only surviving daughter. Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch used to be Lorna’s siblings in the Marvel Universe, but their relationship was retconned away a few years ago. Unlike her comic book counterpart, Dumont’s incarnation of the character doesn’t appear to have her signature green hair.
Polaris was created in 1968 by Arnold Drake, Don Heck, Werner Roth, and Jim Steranko and was initially introduced as Magneto’s daughter before Marvel moved away from that origin until more recently, when Polaris’ relationship with Magneto was once again reestablished as father/daughter. Regardless, Polaris has almost always had the mutant ability to control metal like her father—except for the brief period of time she gained enhanced mutant strength in the Savage Land.
Another aspect of Polaris’ character that could become important on The Gifted is her mental instability. Some of that may trace back to Magento, who hasn’t always been the picture of mental health himself. Polaris also has a bad tendency to fall under mind control, including her stint as a horseman of Apocalypse and her longtime possession by the mutant known as Malice.
As for Malice’s hairstyle? It was the ’80s.
Polaris has also had a few stints as a villain when her mental issues resurfaced. But she’s primarily been a heroine who served on both the X-Men and X-Factor. It’s unknown if The Gifted will acknowledge Lorna’s direct link to Magneto, but it seems like it would be a lost opportunity to simply ignore it.
It’s also worth noting that FX’s Legion revolves around David Heller, the son of Charles Xavier in the comic. Polaris and Legion have actually interacted with each other in the Marvel Universe, but not as the heirs to the legacies left behind by their fathers. It would be interesting to see the two shows explore that shared connection if Fox and FX ever decide to stage a crossover between The Gifted and Legion. In the meantime, we’ll have to rely on The Gifted to show us more X-Men who deserve to be explored outside of the films.
The Gifted will premiere on October 2.
Are you intrigued by The Gifted‘s use of Marvel’s mutant characters? Let us know in the comment section below!
Images: Fox/Marvel Comics
