When fans were given the chance to vote for the newest member of the X-Men in early 2021, many were skeptical of how seriously the result would be taken. Marvel, however, has rewarded fans for their participation by making the winner, Polaris, a key member of the X-Men in her time on the team, already getting more depth and big moments in her short tenure.
To build hype for the debut of X-Men vol 6, by Gerry Duggan and Pepe Larraz, Marvel put together a list of 10 C-List mutants and gave fans the chance to vote on which one would become the newest member of the newly reforming team. With mini-issues following the poll, revealing who hadn't made the cut became an event within itself, before only two were left: Banshee and Polaris. In New X-Man, by Zeb Wells, David Messina, and Rachelle Rosenberg, it was revealed that Polaris was the winner. While fans were enthusiastic about having their voices heard by Marvel, it was very much up in the air whether it would have a significant impact on the X-Men going forward.
As it turns out, fans were rewarded, with Polaris being a key member of the X-Men throughout 2021 and early 2022. Fans thought Marvel may have set themselves up for failure by choosing such a diverse set of options for readers to vote on. With comic storylines often being planned out months in advance, incorporating one of 10 potential heroes sounded like an impossible task for Marvel to execute well. Instead, Marvel has incorporated Polaris seamlessly into the X-Men, making good on their promise to fans, even giving her a big save for the team in her re-debut as a member.
With the success of The Treehouse, the X-Men's New York headquarters, she asks Cyclops if they have any sidekicks around to do the grunt work. "Maybe next year," replied Scott. Naturally, a year later, a new member is set to be announced in the coming months.
Fans of X-Men and Marvel writers alike should be excited about Polaris' success as a member of the team. From jump, many fans seemed to expect the vote was mostly theatrics, and whoever was chosen would stay in the background. Instead, Marvel's team has jumped on the opportunity and given an older character a refreshing chance to shine. With the next member expected to be chosen soon, fans of X-Men have a lot to look forward to in the next year.
