Posted in: Comics, Marvel Comics | Tagged: leah williams, polaris, x-factor, x-men

Polaris Takes The Lead In X-Men Vote – And Leah Williams Reacts

Published Fri, 29 Jan 2021 06:00:58 -0600

Last updated Fri, 29 Jan 2021 22:15:06 -0600

The first votes are in and according to Marvel, Polaris is way ahead as favourite for the final member of the new X-Men team, as voted on by Marvel fans (and first revealed on Bleeding Cool). Although I understand that an Irish comic shop has been doing a fine job of getting the vote out for Banshee.

POLARIS – 22.2%
BANSHEE – 14.6%
SUNSPOT – 12.58%
FORGE – 8.78%
ARMOR – 8.64%
BOOM-BOOM – 7.87%
TEMPO – 7.57%
MARROW – 6.98%
CANNONBALL – 5.68%
STRONG GUY – 5.10%

Looks like being a mutant kid killer isn't a popular look these days. And with Polaris in the lead – hey, isn't she in the X-Factor comic book right now? I wonder what the writer of that comic book thinks about Polaris being voted onto the X-Men book instead? Well, Leah Williams was hilarious on Twitter and revealed more of what was going on behind the scenes. She wrote;

if you didn't know that Polaris is *already* on an x-team……..now ya do, #XMenVote! X-Factor #7 goes on sale Feb 7! Marvel's #XFAQtor: written by me, art by @david_baldeon , colors by @IsraelSilvaArt, letters by @JoeCaramagna and gorgeous covers by @ShavrinIvan1

EXCUSE ME. SORRY. X-FACTOR #7 GOES ON SALE FEB 3rd, not 7th (listen!! it's late.

As well as talking to the fans in general.

normies voting for Polaris in this owe me money. yall are gonna have to sue me to give up custody. xmen fans / comics readers….proceed sweetie, ur doin great 8

As for why Polaris was even on the ballot to join the X-Men,

I offered her up because I could see how it would be a good opportunity for her to shine. She would have to leave my team, yes, which is not my first choice at all, but fair's fair! This is about what x-readers want. And she can still cameo in my book.

As for her characterisation in the series so far, as part of the X-Factor team looking into confirmed mutant deaths so that they can be safely revived on Krakoa (it's a thing now)

Her field-work investigation plans as an X-Factor member would be on hold, but not her self-actualization or character work. I can continue and collaborate w/ X-Men on that front, and I'd be happy to. I just love her and I'm selfish.

She'd kick ass on an X-Men title right now.

As for how genuine this vote was in its terms of how it will affect the X-Men comic books going forward,

100% real–every option on the #XMenVote came as an x-writer group decision/discussion, and each candidate means a writer is gonna have to switch up some plans no matter what. It's all genuinely going to be tailored to whoever wins, which is a creative choice the x-writers made.

flatscans who don't read comics ruining the vote is a bad thing because the race WAS actually going to be close and each candidate had a real shot to win, but there's no bad outcome for whoever wins the vote. it's a great, completely tailored spotlight for them no matter what.

As well as teasing those "flatscan" movie/TV fans who were also casting votes,

gifted stans got brain worms, man. using their one swiss cheese remaining brain cell just to roll into my mentions and taunt me or gloat about Lorna being taken out of X-Factor. do they ever know anything that is happening at any given time? or is it always stan disorder hours

#XMenVote I, the current writer of Polaris, am going to ….. KILL HER IN AN UPCOMING ISSUE OF X-FACTOR!!! (no one tell mcu twitter about Krakoa, this'll make a bigger impact)

"recast Emma Dumont as Polaris and bring back the Gifted or we RIOT

#XMenVote " hi, i'm Lorna's current writer and i'm going to throw her in the hole just to spite yall (you don't know what "the hole" is bc you aren't reading x-comics, but hopefully the vibe is ominous)

perched like a goblin in front of the xslack, waiting for hickman to wake up so i can tell him my new plan. (that i am throwing Lorna in the hole to spite gifted fans bc they cannot behave)

i will make a mommie dearest pivot to COMPLETE malevolence i see another rudeass stan like that. i put her ON this vote list bc i thought she was a good candidate but so heLP me, i will snatch her off it just as quickly

Because, indeed, the appeal of the X-Men vote was going far and wide beyond the comics.

i can't stop dumpster-diving in #XMenVote. i love that ppl mostly don't seem to know this is NOT for the movies and is just about the current comics line, but *hands-down* my favorite tweets are the ones like "this is just a marketing gimmick!!! just let the writers decide!!

buddy,,the writers decided on a marketing gimmick

As for who she was voting for,

the big split is marrow/tempo for me, armor and sunspot close behind that. then strong guy/tabby. i think the 1st four folks esp represent a huge amount of story latitude & fresh ground in ways banshee, cannonball, forge, and tbqh even polaris do not quite fulfill in the same way

As for the characters that lose?

we don't know yet. we've just started talking about that for the first time now as we look at the reactions so far. Polaris, Armor, & Forge would just stick with the current books they're in.

As well as then adding;

anyways while you're here vote for Tempo.

What would Moira Mactaggert say about putting a time traveller – which is a kind of precog – on the team? The vote continues here – and who knows how many dumps will arrive in that time.

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