Danielle Moonstar

Danielle Moonstar is a female comic superhero that features in Marvel Comics.

Biography

Origin

Danielle Moonstar was a female human Mutant born on a ranch outside Boulder, Colorado where she grew up happily with her parents until she was about 10 years old. At this time, Danielle began to have nightmares as a result of her emerging mutant powers, which she could not control. These nightmares were actually visible images of other people’s greatest fears, though this was unknown to Danielle or her family at the time. One night, she experienced another one of these nightmares, involving her parents' deaths, only to be followed shortly by her parents' disappearance in the nearby mountains. (Marvel Graphic Novel v1 #4) One night, Dani created a vision of her parent's deaths and shortly afterwards they came to disappear following a trip to the mountains. She came to believe that they had been killed and she began to experience nightmares of the Demon Bear who she believed was responsible for their deaths. In reality, her parents had been transformed into the demonic bear which intended to conduct a similar transformation on her but a spell by Black Eagle kept the Demon Bear at bay. (New Mutants v1 #20) Believing them to have been killed, her dreams were haunted thereafter by a vision of a demonic bear, which she believed to be responsible for their deaths. Fleeing her home, Danielle was raised for the next few years by her grandfather, Black Eagle - a Cheyenne chief and shaman. In the solitude of the Medicine Bow Mountains, she found a temporary peace again and enjoyed her other mutant gift, her rapport with animals. As her powers continued to manifest themselves, Black Eagle contacted his old friend, Professor Xavier, to request he take over Moonstar’s training. Angered by this, Dani lost control once more and pulled forth an image of Black Eagle’s greatest fear - his own death, which he had foreseen in his dreams. Before Professor Xavier arrived, Black Eagle indeed was killed by operatives of Donald Pierce, a mutant hater and former member of the Hellfire Club’s Inner Circle. Joining with several other young mutants gathered under Xavier’s guidance, Black Eagle’s killer was defeated and Dani reluctantly agreed to enroll in Xavier‘s school. Dani, however, demanded to be treated as an individual and, as such, refused to wear the basic X-uniform without making her own adjustments - boots and belts to remind her of her Cheyenne heritage. (Marvel Graphic Novel v1 #4)

New Mutants

Studying under Xavier’s watchful eye as a member of the New Mutants, Moonstar was given the codename Psyche. When it came to the team’s first sessions in the Danger Room, Dani panicked and ran away into the woods. She feared using her powers, as they had only caused her trouble in her young life, especially the times when she pulled forth the images of her parents and Black Eagle dying. She also could not live as a coward, however, and later secretly returned to the Danger Room and started the sequence designed for her. Despite the test involving robots, which could not be affected by her illusions, Dani succeeded, something none of her teammates had accomplished. (New Mutants v1 #1) Over the next days, Dani was again plagued by nightmares of the Demon Bear and other horrors. When she overheard Xavier talking with Moira MacTaggert about her showing signs of paranoia, schizophrenia and psychopathic behavior, Dani considered committing suicide. The next morning, she confided in her teammates, who, unlike Xavier, took her feelings of being haunted seriously. Indeed, the entire group soon found themselves under attack and parts of the school transformed into organic material right before their eyes. Their opponent was none other than Professor Xavier himself, infected with a Brood egg. The alien parasite used Xavier’s telepathy to tap into and boost Moonstar’s illusion power to create solid images. Once Dani realized that she was the key in the alien’s plan, she advised her teammates to knock her unconscious and the Brood was temporarily defeated. (New Mutants v1 #3)

House of X

After the establishment of the nation of Krakoa, she was one of many Mutants that came to reside on the living island that was the home of their people. (New Mutants v4 #1)

Overview

Personality and attributes

Originally, she went by the code name of Psyche. (New Mutants v1 #1) Though she later came to change it to Mirage. (New Mutants v1 #22)

Her grandfather was Black Eagle who served as the Cheyenne chief and shaman. (Marvel Graphic Novel v1 #4)

Powers and abilities

A Valkyrie in Fearless Defenders v1 #4.

Her most developed ability was the power to manifest the fears or desires of people as realistic illusions. (Marvel Graphic Novel v1 #4)

Notes

• Danielle Moonstar was created by Chris Claremont and Bob McLeod where she made her first appearance in Marvel Graphic Novel v1 #4 (November, 1982).

Alternate Versions

• In X-Calibre v1 #1 (1995), an alternate version of Dani Moonstar appeared in the setting of the Age of Apocalypse that was set on Earth-295 in the Multiverse. She was shown as being one of Apocalypse's followers and a member of his elite Pale Riders that were one of the Dark Lord's team of assassins.

In other media

Television

• In X-Men: Evolution, Dani Moonstar appeared in the setting of the 1990s animated television series in the episode "Ghost of a Chance" where she was voiced by actress Tabitha St. Germain.

Films

• In The New Mutants, Danielle Moonstar appeared in the setting of the 2020 live-action film where she was portrayed by actress Blu Hunt.

Video games

• In Marvel Heroes, Dani Moonstar appeared in the setting of the MMORPG video game.

Appearances

• Marvel Graphic Novel v1: (1982)
• New Mutants v1:
• New Mutants:
• Fearless Defenders v1:

External Links

• Marvel Database Entry
• Wikipedia Entry

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