Dani Moonstar by Jim Cheung

New Mutants #19 cover re-creation by David Wachter

Dani Moonstar by Mike Choi

1983: New Mutants Year One Part VI: On An Evening In Nova Roma*

By Jef Willemsen (clarmindcontrol.blogspot.com)

In the sixth part of our lookback at the New Mutants' early days, the Roman numerals finally make sense as the teens find themselves imprisoned in Nova Roma, an offshoot of the Roman empire that didn't make it any history books. To no one's surprise, it's a pretty forgettable affair.

I'm no expert, but the most important part of launching a new comic series is quickly establishing the format of the book. Set up basics like the cast, their personalities, their reason for being together and the general premise. This gives readers some sense of what to look forward to or even tell their friends about. Usually, it takes about a year before a book really starts to click, unfortunately that's also why nowadays most titles get cancelled before they can start cooking.

At any rate, what's the New Mutants premise? Well, they're new mutants, in need of training to master their powers, not necessarily interested in superheroics or joining the X-Men. They live and study at the Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters and are mentored by Charles Xavier and his staff. Now, if only Claremont would stick with that a tad more. Apart from a few Danger Room sequences, he very rarely showed team training or studying in the first five issues. What they did do was fight villains: the Sentinels, Viper, the Silver Samurai, all well before Cannonball had even learned to turn right during flight.

Of course, the book had to have some villains to fight. Nobody would be interested in reading a comic that was all about teens in plainclothes, attending classes, doing homework and worrying about zits or a surprise pop quiz. But if you launch a title that emphasizes the fact they're in school... at least try and have your cast on the same continent as that school every once in a while.

Claremont quite clearly disagreed with that sentiment and sent the New Mutants on an extended field trip to South America that lasted over six issues. Sure, they got in a little training along the way but Xavier barely appeared anymore. The kids were on their own and acted like generic adventurers who were pretty much in control of their powers.

And as if having them stuck in Rio de Janeiro and the Amazon for three months wasn't bad enough, #8 ended with the teens getting captured by Roman soldiers. They were brought to the hidden city of Nova Roma filled with all the extras from I Claudius. The New Mutants and Amara, their mysterious blonde friend, were thrown in a jail cell for the night. The next day, the girls would be sold into slavery and the men would be made to fight in the arena... As one does.

First, we're properly introduced to Amara...

                                            "My name is Amara Juliana Olivia Aquilla.
                            My father is Lucius Antonius Aquilla... first senator of Nova Roma."

So, the daughter of one the most well known political figures in a small community isn't immediately recognized by the guards, the soldiers or even a random bystander? And why is everyone speaking perfect English when they're in the middle of the friggin' South American rainforest?

Claremont clearly had a ball writing the Nova Roma arc but you know what... No. Just no. The Nova Roma arc is poorly thought out, full of nonsensical sequences, boring political intrigue, way too many robes and loaded with all the Comics Code approved creepiness Claremont would be mocked for in his later years. Rather than bore you (and myself) with a full synopsis, let's touch on the "highlights" of New Mutants I#9, 10 and 11. 

First things first, Amara's father had a political enemy, senator Marcus Gallio, who desperately wanted to take his place. Gallio was married to a powerful sorceress called Selene. Yes, that Selene. And she had a plan to make her husband's ambitions come true.

                               "Where are we going? The catacombs beneath our villa".

Well, geez... you'd think a man would know where he was going if he's walking into the cellar of his own house. At any rate, they meet with Castro, who was hired by Sebastian Shaw and Sunspot's father Emmanuel DaCosta to mess up Nina DaCosta's expedition into the uncharted Maderia region of the Amazon because they wanted to claim the mineral rich land for stripmining. Castro sweet talked himself into Gallio's graces, suggesting an alliance between him and the Hellfire Club that would most certainly make him the most influential political leader of all Nova Roma.

Now, let's get to the uncomfortable parts... The female New Mutants and Amara were about to be auctioned off, but before that they needed to look presentable. And willing.

                                          "Would you care for more wine? Ooooh... Yum!"

Having Dani Moonstar (barely 15) and Rahne Sinclair (about 13) drink drugged wine that made them drunk, woozy and essentially up for anything is just wrong in so many ways. The kids get hammered and roofied all at the same time, before some sheet wearing slimeball buys them. Amara knew better than to drink the wine and tried to sneak away. But she ran into Selene who apparently had her eye n the young girl for quite a while now...

                                  "You are a gift from the gods I shall make very good use of"

So, how are the boys doing? Well, while the girls were getting dolled up, Sam and Roberto got sent to gladiator training school to prepare for their debut in the arena. All those men trying to stab one another with their big, pointy spears... The sweat, the grunts as they manhandle each other. Two wrestlers, muscles bulging, sweat glistening, hairy chests rubbing against one another... 

                                                          "Plucky little lad, aren't you?" 

It's hard (*tee-hee*) not to notice the homo-erotic subtext of this particular scene. Two teenage boys dressed in loincloths, chained to the wall and drugged to the gills get playfully teased by a burly bear of man holding a big ol' poker. I've heard of adult films with less backstory.

Still, Sam and Roberto survived the night and were forced to fightone another in the arena the following afternoon. The fight was witnessed by Rahne and Dani who were senator Gallio's special, still dazed, guests of honor.

"Wanna make somethin' of it, shrimp?!"

Seeing Sam and Roberto almost fight to the death woke Dani and Rahne up. They rushed to help their teammates, with Rahne jumping into the arena as Wolfsbane and Moonstar calling up an image of Professor Xavier to shock Sunspot and Cannonball out of their drugged stupor. The Nova Romans considered the mutants demons and wanted to kill them. Gallio saved them by declaring young Rahne Sinclair a sign of the gods: her red hair linked her to Gaius Julius Caesar and the fact she could turn into a wolf made her of the same blood as the she-wolf who suckled Rome's founders Romulus and Remus. And as the crowd went wild, issue 9 came to a close.

Issue 10 opened with the New Mutants enjoying a victory parade through Nova Roma thrown in their honor. They were even given a palace to use during their stay, complete with a staff of servants and slaves ready to cater to their every whim...

                                                     "I could ease your sadness, master."

Contrary to popular belief, not every 14.5 year old boy would jump at the chance of sleeping with a gorgeous blonde who basically offers herself up for his pleasure. Bobby's got a lot on his mind, though... For instance, his mother went missing shortly after their boat was destroyed. The thought of losing a parent so shortly after the death of his girlfriend Julia Sandoval kept him pretty occupied. But, as he wistfully stared out the window he noticed a group of newly arrived slaves being dragged along... among them, his red headed mother. Unfortunately, he couldn't reach her because Gallio had ordered his troops to surround the New Mutants' palace, not allowing them to leave "for their own safety".

Roberto complied and went back in, but Dani Moonstar would escape later that night only to be immediately captured by Selene's forces and brought to her secret underground temple. That's where we find out what the heck happened to Amara.

"I am Selene...
Daughter of the Moon... mistress of the fire.
Come children, give yourselves to me."

While Dani was trying to wrap her head around this latest development, back in Nova Roma the remaining New Mutants were attacked by Castro. They easily overcame their treacherous former shipmate who lied to the authorities, claiming he was working for senator Aquilla. This fake confession was all the evidence Gallio needed to have his political opponent arrested.

Meanwhile, Gallio's wife got on with her ritual and forced Amara and all the other scanthily clad gals to sacrifice their lives by dropping them into the fire pit.

                             "I knew you would someday be mine to take, as I did your mother." 

Claremont has Selene explain just why Amara was in blackface, living among the Amazons. Twas all part of her father's attempts to keep the girl out of the sorceress' hands. Selene regularly sacrifices young 'uns to rejuvenate her lifeforce. Unfortunately for her, Amara wasn't exactly your average Nova Roman as she found out as soon as the lady Aquilla was seemingly consumed by the flames.

    "The child you thought slain has been reborn... Made one with the molten heart of the Earth itself.                          And in the name of your countless victims... She will have vengeance!" 

Amara turned out to be a mutant too? What *are* the odds... New Mutants I#11 opened with a fight between her and Selene, who also turned out to be a mutant capable of manipulating inanimate material. She turned the rockface into two stone warriors who overwhelmed Amara, causing her to fall back into the fires that spawned her.

                                                   "Selene... by my ancestors... your face?!"

And here's the big Selene related reveal: much like the Claremont/Byrne creation Proteus, her powers quickly burn up her lifeforce. That's why she needs to consume the life energy of others to retain her own youth and beauty. What's worse, Selene felt Dani might have what it takes to become a psychic vampire like herself. But first, she needed to eat... that's why she used her powers to shove all the remaining sacrificial "lambs" into the fire at once, to restore her appearance.

                      "We are bound... by name and blood... such a link can never be broken!"

Sigh... And here we have Claremont being Claremont again. Maybe I'm a tad biased after over 7 years of writing a blog about the man's fondess for mind control... But Selene trying to dominate Danielle, seducing her to the dark side with waves of almost orgasmic ecsacy has really been done to death. Not to mention that it's in incredibly poor taste to have a minor in a skimpy metal bra on the floor writhing in pain and pleasure. To her credit, Dani was able to hold out long enough for Amara to return and continue her attack on Selene, even burying the devil priestess under molten rock.

That allowed for the girls to have a brief conversation...

                                                      "Maybe Amara's a mutant too?!!"

No kidding, Dani. What was your first clue... the fact she survived getting tossed into a fire pit or that she turned up looking like a volcano on legs? Still, Amara had considerable difficulties coping with this new side of herself. Luckily, she didn't have to live with herself for too long, because Selene was back and boy, was she hungry!

                                              "You killed her... drained her life essence!"

Selene promised Dani she would soon be able to do the same and that she'd even come to love it. Do note that the colorists tried to cheat a little, giving Amara's bikini bottoms a distinctly pinkish fleshtone. Way to be suggestive, Marvel. Still, with Amara presumed drained, the girl was left alone by Selene who focussed her attentions on her new apprentice Moonstar.

Meanwhile in Nova Roma, Selene's husband had senator Aquilla arrested while Sunspot decided he really needed to find out if the red headed slave he spotted earlier was his mother. Dressing up as a centurion, he snuck out of the palace to look for her. And wouldn't ya know it...

                             "With my help, Gallio will become Nova Roma's first emperor."
            He will then grant your husband the mining concession. A pity you won't be there to see it."

Sunspot easily freed his mother and after a brief reunion, she led a revolt against Gallio along with troops loyal to Aquilla. The senator had been taken to his rival's villa for a very private and oh so illegitimate execution. However, before Nina DaCosta and the gang arrived, the faint but still burning Amara popped out of the ground near her father, begging for his help. And then the cavalry arrived.

                    "All along, we've been helping the wrong side. Now it's time to make amends."

The New Mutants joined the centurions and made short work of Gallio's troops. Before they could take the senator down, the newly freed senator Aquilla insisted he faced his opponent in a duel. Though a portly, lumbering swordfighter, the senator was able to kill his rival in the end. Amara then told the team where Selene was holding Dani. The team went down to the temple and faced Selene who attempted to hold the young mutants at bay with both her mutant and magical powers. Sunspot decided to use extreme force in dealing with Gallio's wife...

"Farewell, demoness!"

And that, as they say, was that... Selene was gone for the moment (but not forgotten) and Amara Aquilla was lined up to become the newest of Xavier's mutants as we'll see in the final chapter of New Mutants Year One. 

*With sincerest apologies to Dean "straight from the bar" Martin....

1982: New Mutants Year One part II: I Came In Like A Cannonball!

By Jef Willemsen (clarmindcontrol.blogspot.com)

In the second part of our lookback at the New Mutants' early days, professor Xavier has just overcome his hesitation at training mutant teens again. In the opening pages of Marvel Graphic Novel I#4, he'd already gathered Wolfsbane and Karma. Now we'll see how Xavier adds three more to the roster and forges them together... courtesy of a little hellfire.

                                                                           "It is time."

As we covered in our initial entry, the notion of a second team of X-Men originated with John Byrne in late 1978... Though, as he explained in 2006's Comics Creators on the X-Men, it was influenced by then newly minted editor in chief Jim Shooter who decided what Uncanny X-Men should be about. Shooter felt the true core of the book wasn't mutants protecting a world that feared and hated them, it should rather be about Xavier training mutants in a school setting... According to Byrne, Shooter wanted Xavier to become the stern and strict taskmaster of old, handing out demerits, complete with putting all the members back in a variation of the classic X-Men school uniforms.

Byrne tried to prevent this by pointing out that Stan Lee and Jack Kirby themselves had abandoned the school approach by issue # 9 in which Xavier had all the X-Men "graduate", which marked the appearance of their individual costumes. But Shooter wouldn't budge and the Claremont & Byrne team tried to accommodate their boss with scenes like this, from January 1979's Uncanny X-Men I#129.

                          "Notify Wolverine that his childish outburst will cost him ten demerits"

In a fairly obvious tongue-in-cheek approach to Shooter's edict, Byrne & Claremont proved why the classic school approach wouldn't work with this new team of X-Men. They weren't impressionable teenagers desperate for training and guidance, heck... In retrospect Wolverine was older than the entire team and Xavier put together. That's why Byrne presented Jim Shooter with the idea of introducing a secondary team of "X-Men-in-training" for Xavier to guide and mentor.

Working from this notion, John dreamed up characters like Kitty Pryde and Caliban, as well as some other characters who according to Byrne ended up as members of the Beta and Gamma training squads during his Alpha Flight run. Shooter turned down the idea of this "Legion of Substitute X-Men" in the late 70s, only to warm up to it by 1982 when Spider-Man proved able to sustain more than two monthly titles.

In other words, the almighty dollar greenlighted the New Mutants. And because John Byrne had long since left the X-verse by then, Chris Claremont was left to his own devices when it came to dreaming up this new team. Along with artist Bob McLeod he determined the initial membership. Back in 2000, a few pages of McLeod's New Mutants character designs were published and they make for fascinating reading.

Karma didn't take too much creativity: she'd already appeared back in Marvel Team-Up I#100 even though she'd lose the yin/yang jacket before too long. It might have been a bit on the nose. But this new Sam Guthrie character was still up for grabs. Claremont and McLeod toyed around with codenames like "Inferno" and "Holocaust" before settling on the far less ominious sounding Cannonball. Watching Sam's facial features evolve in these sketches is also intriguing to behold. Before they settled on his sorta goofy, scrawny and big-eared look, Sam was a dead ringer for Douglas Ramsey, a mutant they'd introduce early in the regular New Mutants title.

Speaking of new mutants, it also took some doing to settle on Sunspot and Wolfsbane's looks and names. Sunspot's final appearance was a matter of some debat among the two creatives and as for Rahne Sinclair... At one point, the 13 year old ginger lass was scheduled to be named Mirazhi Shabandar.

So, by the time Marvel Graphic Novel I#4 came out, the look of all the dramatis personae had been agreed on. Time to tell the story... While Xavier and Moira MacTaggert had gathered Rahne Sinclair and Xi'an Coy Manh, there were others hunting for young mutants... Like disgraced, former Hellfire Club member Donald Pierce who had kidnapped the Inner Circle's mentat Tessa and was actively trying to hunt down and kill mutant teens, wherever they might appear.

                                               "Father... Juliana... Someone... HELP ME!!" 

Meet Roberto Da Costa, the fourteen year old son of wealthy Brazilian business tycoon Emmanuel DaCosta. During a soccer match, his powers suddenly flared up and caused an understandable commotion. Pierce monitored the incident via remote control and vowed to slaughter the abberation. Little did Donald know though that Roberto was the offspring of the man who who would eventually succeed him among the Hellfire Club's Lords Cardinal.

Pierce was too busy checking in on another possible mutant, teenage coal miner Samuel Guthrie who had manifested his powers to free himself and a co-worker following a cave in.

    "A power such as his could be useful to me and then, when he has served his purpose...
He can follow young daCosta into the grave."

Figuring the young, poorly educated Guthrie was easily recruitable, Pierce approached the teen mutant who accepted the job, eager to make a living and support his widowed mother and his many, many siblings. With a young mutant in his employ, Pierce continued scanning for possible targets. That's when he encountered the young Cheyenne girl Danielle Moonstar, living with her grandfather Black Eagle and barely in control of her mutant power. This caused her to manifest a person's deepest fears or desires in giant, lifelike 3d images for all the world to see. 

Black Eagle happened to be an old friend of Xavier's, who he felt was the only one capable of helping his granddaughter cope with these strange and frightening abilities. When he told her, Moonstar she didn't react well and even accidentally manifested Black Eagle's greatest fear, which turned out to be getting clobbered to death by Hellfire Club operatives. 

                                         "A white?! You would send me to an ANGLO ?!?"

It's interesting to note that apparently Black Eagle was already aware of the Hellfire Club and the threat they posed. After all, Dani couldn't project the future, only a person's most intensly felt emotions. It would also be a few years before she could see when and how a mortal would perish as a member of Hela's Death Maidens. 

Yet, before Moonstar or Black Eagle could take comfort in the notion it was only a dream, Pierce made his move. And, faster than you can cite Puck's monologue from Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream... "If we shadows have offended/think but this and all is mended/You have but slumbered here/While these visions did appear"... They came true.

                                                              "I will have vengeance!"

A laudible and understandable sentiment, Danielle Moonstar... Unfortunately, that happens to be exactly what Donald Pierce is counting on. Y'see, killing your grandfather was all part of his big ol' master plan and you're playing right into it. Black Eagle had already invited Charles to visit with him so he'll come either way, especially now that there's been death in the family.

"When Xavier reaches the Rockies... Alone, without his precious X-Men to protect him... I'll strike!"

So far so devious, Pierce... Only problem is, gee whiz, Charles won't be coming by himself. He was accompanied by Wolfsbane and Karma on his trip and the two girls proved exceptionally useful during Black Eagle's funeral ceremonies which were interrupted by Pierce's forces chasing down Dani Moonstar in the nearby jungle.

And even though the young Cheyenne had matters well in hand, Karma and Xavier decided to involve themselves just to make sure she'd be alright.

                          "I am Charles Xavier. Like you, I am a mutant. I have come to help you."

Even though she was slightly stunned and impressed by Xavier's power, Dani decided she wanted no part of Charles' promises and demanded he left "her hills" even as Black Eagle's funeral pyre burned in the distance. Xavier tried to reason with Moonstar and finally calmed her down long enough too probe the minds of her would-be assassins, only to discover some disturbing facts... And not just about the pink armored troops...

                                           "If you've no more need of this butcher...
                                Let Black Eagle's war-knife be buried in his craven heart!"

Yeah, headstrong Dani "Murder On Mah Mind" Moonstar will be quite the handful. But for now, let's focus on what Xavier learned from the Pierce's flunkies: they're about to move on two mutants, one in Brazil and one in Kentucky. Xavier decides to split up the team, taking Wolfsbane with him to Kentucky while Moira MacTaggert was tasked to accompany Xi'an and Dani to Rio de Janeiro where they had quite the adventure trying to get to Roberto DaCosta.

Moira allowed herself to be captured by the local, corrupt, police, which gave Karma and Moonstar the opportunity to locate Roberto. When they ran into him, he and his girlfriend Juliana were already under attack from Pierce's forces.

                  "I have possessed a body, Dani. But I do not know how to use it properly."

And, to add insult to injury, Dani ended up kicking the crud out of Karma's host. Their lack teamwork inevitably led to Juliana getting shot, dying in the inconsolable Roberto's arms. Watching the love of his young life die was enough for him to join with Shan and Dani to have his revenge on Pierce.

"Whatever the cost, however long it takes... I will find him... And make him pay!"

Meanwhile, Rahne and Charles were in Kentucky where the paralyzed Xavierw was driving a jeep using hand operated steering pedals. Having a cripple driving an off road vehicle at night through unfamiliar territory. Now, what could possibly go wrong?

Ow, you hadda ask...

"I keep forgetting these are children...
As far as being X-Men as they could possibly...
WHAT!?!"

That's right, Charles... the mutant you'd come to Kentucky to find already found you... and the first thng you do is send away a 13 year old she-wolf into the woods. Another solid command decision on the part of ye ol' professor X. Rahne watches from a distance as Cannonball helps the unconscious Charles out of the burning, wrecked vehicle just as Pierce's forces arrive to take Xavier in.

                                         "Who is he, Chase? Why'd you send me to attack him?" 

Cannonball complied and went along with Pierce's men to the cyborg's base where Charles was quickly locked up along with Tessa. Wolfsbane, after gathering enough courage, decided to track their scent, breach the base's security and locate Charles. And, as soon as she did, help arrived.

                           "Oh, hurry, all of you! Professor Xavier's in terrible danger...
                                              If we dinna' act now, it'll be too late!"

Ow, calm down Rahne... this is Charles "I fought off two alien invasions with wheels on my can" Xavier we're talking about here. He can handle a two-bit cybernetic bully like Pierce, if only Donald wasn't using a mind-tap device to both inhibit Xavier's psi-abilities and drain his memories. However, the young mutants teamed up, even convincing Cannonball to help them. Pierce tried to fight them all off, but Wolfsbane disabled the mindtap and well, we all know what that means...

"One man's brain, and strength of will is pitted in mortal combat against a man-machine bionic construct. For a time, the outcome is in doubt."

After Xavier defeated Pierce, Karma stepped in and took control of him until Tessa was freed and offered to take care of the Hellfire Club's former White Bishop. Charles took his students home, except for Cannonball who was turned down by the others because of his role as Pierce's, albeit unwilling, flunky. Two weeks went by after that, a fortnight during which Charles trained his newest mutant recruits before assembling them. Turns out they weren't exactly the obedient, 

                                  "Danielle, you're out of uniform... please explain yourself."

In a sign of the changing times, Claremont has Moonstar openly rebel against Xavier's dresscode, perhaps in a way to signal to Jim Shooter and all the other traditionalists out there these wouldn't be your father's X-Men-in-training.

For one thing, they were all international students, as opposed to Xavier's initial all American recruits. And, unlike the international team of X-Men that Charles had recruited to fight Krakoa, this one included no less than three women as opposed to Storm, who was the only female "new" X-Man. Add to that the fact Rahne, Xi'an, Roberto and Dani were already strong, determined young people with their own opinions... With Danielle being the most determined to assert herself.

Still, there were some similarities to Marvel Graphic Novel I#4 ended the same way the classic X-Men I#1 began... Charles Xavier called his pupils into his study for an inspection... And, to introduce their newest member. Way back in 1963 it was Jean Grey, but in this case it's their former enemy Samuel "Cannonball" Guthrie. After some initial misgivings,

Xavier couldn't help but smile as he watched how the group accepted the lanky Kentucky coal miner.

                                                              "The dream is still good."

And with that, the New Mutants were off to the races... Not to mention their own, monthly title. More on that next time when something's stirring deep inside Charles other than pride and joy. Plus, we meet the team's dance instructor in part III of New Mutants Year One: I'm Gonna Wash That Xi'an Right Outta My Hair! 

Dani Moonstar by David Lopez

Dani Moonstar by Bob McLeod

1983 - Anatomy of a Splash Page - New Mutants #2

"Dani strolls through the park..."

Dani Moonstar and the Demon Bear by Bill Sienkiewicz

.From the collection of James Henry.

1984 - New Mutants #18 Page 25

From the collection of Ferran Delgado (http://www.comicartfans.com/GalleryPiece.asp?Piece=382163&GSub=36618)

1984 - New Mutants Original Art

From the collection of Ferran Delgado: