Amutant, Mirage originally possessed the psionic/psychic ability to telepathically createillusions of her opponents' fears or wishes. She later developed a wide range ofpsionic andenergy manipulation powers, and gained magical abilities after a series of adventures in Asgard. She was a member of the New Mutants and, after a long absence, its reincarnation asX-Force. She was also a member of theFearless Defenders and theX-Men. She was depowered after the "Decimation" storyline, but later regained her mutant powers after being infected with and then cured ofWarlock'stransmode virus.
Created by writerChris Claremont and artistBob McLeod, Mirage first appeared inThe New Mutants (November 1982),[1] part of thelineMarvel Graphic Novel, and appeared as a feature character inThe New Mutants (1983),New Mutants (vol. 2) (2003),New X-Men (vol. 2) (2004),Young X-Men (2008), andNew Mutants (vol. 3) (2009). She also appeared for a portion of the initial run ofX-Force (1991), first as an infiltrator to theMutant Liberation Front and later as a regularX-Force team member. She was briefly a supporting character inAvengers: The Initiative (2007) and can be seen sporadically as a background character inUncanny X-Men and otherX-Men titles throughout the late 2000s and early 2010s. She appeared as a regular team member in the 2013 seriesThe Fearless Defenders.[2] After several years as an infrequent supporting character, Mirage was again featured prominently inUncanny X-Men (vol. 5) (2019) andNew Mutants (vol. 4) (2020–2023).
Danielle "Dani" Moonstar is aNative American (specifically,Cheyenne[3]), and was born inBoulder, Colorado to William and Peg Lonestar. As with mostmutants, Dani's powers emerge during puberty, uncontrollably creating telepathic images of people's greatest fears. Her burgeoning powers alienate her from her community and give her a vision of her parents' deaths at the claws ofa demonic bear. Shortly afterwards, her parents disappear while on a hunting trip and Dani is taken in by her grandfather, Black Eagle. Black Eagle contactsProfessor Charles Xavier, an old friend of Dani's father who fought with him in theVietnam War, to teach her to control her powers. Dani is opposed to leaving home, though she reluctantly agrees after she inadvertently gives her grandfather a vision of his own death in her initial anger at the idea. Before Xavier arrives, however, Black Eagle is killed by agents of theHellfire Club, led byDonald Pierce. Vowing revenge, Dani joins theNew Mutants, taking the codenamePsyche. After the team defeats Pierce, Psyche enrolls atXavier's School for Gifted Youngsters and remains with the New Mutants.[4]
Psyche is featured as a member of the eponymous team throughoutThe New Mutants. She becomes the co-leader of the team alongsideCannonball afterKarma's disappearance[5] and develops a deep friendship withWolfsbane, her empathic abilities making her the only member of the team capable of communicating with Wolfsbane while in her wolf form.[6]
Psyche is plagued by nightmares of the bear she envisioned killing her parents. It soon becomes clear that this creature, known as the Demon Bear, is no mere vision, but a malevolent magical entity that is purposefully seeking her out, no longer held at bay by protective spells her grandfather had placed on her before his death. The New Mutants battle the Demon Bear and whenMagik cleaves the creature in two with her Soulsword, its corpse transforms into Dani's missing parents, who had in fact been abducted and enslaved by an evil spirit (later revealed to be theAdversary[7]). Though reunited with her family, Psyche opts to remain with the New Mutants[8] and changes her codename toMirage.[9]
When the team becomes stranded inAsgard, Mirage rescues a winged horse from hunters and bonds with him, naming him Brightwind. She inadvertently becomes a Valkyrie when Brightwind chooses her as his rider. This new role allows her to see the imminent deaths of others. When the New Mutants return to Earth, Brightwind accompanies Mirage.[10][11] The New Mutants later develop an intense rivalry with theHellions, another team of young mutants formed by theWhite Queen of the Hellfire Club. This rivalry is later somewhat cooled when Mirage bonds with the Hellions' leader,Thunderbird.[12]
During a battle to save former teammateMagma from theHigh Evolutionary, Mirage is thrown into a machine intended to strip mutants of their powers. Instead, the machine (the effects of which had been reversed by two of the Evolutionary's victims) enhances her mutation, giving her the ability to make her telepathic images real.[13]
WhenHela, the Asgardian goddess of death, enacts a plan to take over Asgard and uses her magic to seize control of the Valkyries, Mirage falls under her influence.[14] The combined forces of Asgard and the rest of the New Mutants ultimately defeat Hela[15] and Mirage chooses to stay behind in Asgard to rebuild and fully assume the responsibilities of a Valkyrie.[16] This angersHotamitanio, a Cheyenne deity, who comes to Asgard to bring her back to Earth. Mirage ultimately persuades him to allow her to remain by promising that she will one day return to her tribe.[17]
Mirage falls from grace and is exiled from Asgard back to Earth, accompanied by Brightwind (renamed Darkwind). She joinsS.H.I.E.L.D.,[18] and infiltrates theMutant Liberation Front (M.L.F.) as a deep cover operative, using the nameMoonstar. Since her last appearance, she has refined her psychic ability so that she can create "psychic arrows" which incapacitate their targets.[19] Her assignment brings her into many conflicts with old allies, primarilyX-Force (a continuation of the New Mutants), but alsoExcalibur andMoira MacTaggert. Moonstar secretly works against the M.L.F., including working withCable to turnFeral over to law enforcement authorities for past crimes[20] and sabotaging a mission inChina.[21] Despite her opposition to the organization, Moonstar develops a genuine friendship withForearm.[22] She is discovered as a double-agent by the M.L.F.'s leader,Reignfire, and Darkwind is killed in the ensuing battle.[23]
Later, she seeks X-Force's help to stop an invasion of Asgard by the dark elfMalekith.[24] When most of the M.L.F. is apprehended during the 1997 "Operation: Zero Tolerance" event, Moonstar is able to extricate herself from the organization withX-Force's aid and joins the team.[25] After an encounter with the mysterious Arcadia DeVille,[26] she gains the ability to manipulate quantum energy for a short time, but this power disappears after Arcadia's defeat.[27] Moonstar quits X-Force when the team enlistsPete Wisdom to lead them.[28]
Dani displaying parental concern forElixir in her role as his legal guardian.
After a short time as a part-time member of theX-Men while also attending college,[29][30][31] Dani regularly appears in bothNew Mutants (vol. 2) andNew X-Men (vol. 2), in which she becomes the American history teacher at theXavier Institute and the mentor of theNew Mutants Squad, as well as the legal guardian ofElixir.[32][33] During this time, she reunites with former teammates Karma and Wolfsbane. She helps Wolfsbane deal with the traumatic return of her lycanthropic powers, but the discovery of an inappropriate romantic liaison between Wolfsbane (a staff member at the institute) and Elixir (a student) drives a wedge between them.[34]
During her appearances inNew Mutants (vol. 2) andNew X-Men (vol. 2), the bulk of Dani's powers appear to have reverted to their original depictions. She also retains some of her Valkyrie abilities, namely the ability to sense imminent death, though they are greatly diminished. In the wake of the 2005 "House of M" event, however, Dani is one of the many mutants who lose their powers. She is fired from her position at the institute byEmma Frost, who feels that, as a human, she is no longer safe nor has any right to remain at the school.[35] She briefly reappears inGeneration M #5 (May 2006), in which she reveals that she has not dreamt since losing her powers.
Following the "Civil War" event, Dani is recruited by the Initiative program to serve as an instructor to the next generation of superheroes, alongside her former colleagueBeast.[36] She is brought in to trainTrauma in the use of his powers, as they are similar in nature to hers.[37] However, due to her belief that Trauma could and should use his powers in a therapeutic way,Henry Peter Gyrich, who intends to use Trauma as a weapon for the Initiative, is quick to dismiss her once she provides Trauma with enough training in using his powers.[38]
Dani features prominently inYoung X-Men, in which she is targeted for capture by the eponymous team, led by Donald Pierce disguised asCyclops.[39] After Pierce is exposed and defeated, she moves to Utopia, the X-Men's island base off the coast ofSan Francisco, and works as a trainer for the Young X-Men for the remainder of the series.[40]
Dani joins the X-Men'sNew Mutants squad inNew Mutants (vol. 3), proving to be a capable team member despite not having powers.[41][42] She eventually reclaims the codename Mirage.[43] WhenNorman Osborn'sDark Avengers prepare to attack Utopia, Mirage makes a deal with Hela to restore her Valkyrie powers and revive Brightwind. She defeatsAres in a brutal battle.[44] She also serves as Hela's Valkyrie during the 2009–2010 "Siege" event.[45] After Cannonball resigns from the squad, Mirage takes his place as team leader.[46] During this time, she has a brief romantic relationship with teammateNate Grey.[47]
Mirage joins the cast ofThe Fearless Defenders to combat the machinations of Caroline Le Fay,[48] after which she makes sporadic appearances as a supporting character in various X-Men titles. In the aftermath of the 2013–2014 "Infinity" event, she uses her Valkyrie powers to locate mutants suffering from the M-Pox, notably rescuingLady Mastermind from succumbing to the disease.[49] Mirage later appears infrequently inX-Men Gold (2017–2018), in which she is a mentor at the Xavier Institute.[50] She is present at the aborted wedding ofKitty Pryde andColossus.[51]
Mirage's next major appearance is in the 2018 limited seriesThe New Mutants: Dead Souls. When Karma sends her to investigate an explosion inCanterbury, Connecticut, Mirage succumbs to atransmode virus infection after coming into contact with the remains of former New Mutants teammateWarlock. Merging with the techno-organic alien, she becomes the gestalt entityMoonlock and subsequently infects Magik, Wolfsbane,Strong Guy, and later Karma.[52] She and her infected friends are acquired by theOffice of National Emergency (O*N*E)[53] and forced into service asSentinel-like mutant hunters and killers.[54]
Mirage and the other infected New Mutants are later freed from O*N*E and cured of the virus by the X-Men.[55][56] The virus restores her mutant powers and she joins the X-Men, appearing regularly inUncanny X-Men (vol. 5) until the series' conclusion in late 2019.
During her tenure with the X-Men, Mirage appears in the 2019 "The War of the Realms" storyline as the last living Valkyrie, fighting against the invading forces of Malekith alongside her teammates.[57] After Wolfsbane is beaten to death, Mirage's psionic rapport with her notifies her and the other X-Men of their former teammate's passing and she attends Wolfsbane's funeral.[58][59]
Following the establishment ofKrakoa as a mutant nation, Mirage moves there and joins the New Mutants once more, appearing regularly throughoutNew Mutants (vol. 4) andNew Mutants Lethal Legion (2023), as well as other X-Men titles published during theKrakoan Age.[60] She uses her powers to help other mutants with their various traumas, including Karma and the resurrected Wolfsbane,[61] and serves as Karma's partner in the Crucible, a combat ritual allowing latter to be reborn and thus free her brother's spirit.[62] Mirage later helps free Amahl Farouk from the lingering influence of theShadow King[63] and aids Magik in transferring the throne ofLimbo toMadelyne Pryor.[64] Mirage also appears during the 2020–2021 "King in Black" event as a supporting character in theReturn of the Valkyries tie-in series.[65]
During the 2023 "Fall of X" event, Mirage is among the mutants mind-controlled by Professor X into evacuating Krakoa through a teleportation gate to escape the anti-mutant terrorist organizationOrchis.[66] However, inRealm of X (2023–2024), rather than joining the majority of the Krakoans in theWhite Hot Room, the young mutant Curse's reality-warping powers cause herself, Mirage, Magik,Dust, andTyphoid Mary to instead emerge in the Asgardian realm ofVanaheim, where they battle the sorceressSaturnyne alongsideThor before returning to Earth.[67] After returning from Vanaheim, Mirage joinsX-Corps as co-leader withSunspot in the 2024 "External Threat" storyline ofX-Men Unlimited Infinity Comic and fights theExternals to rescue kidnapped mutant children and stopSelene's attempt to ascend to higher power.[68]
Mirage is selected byApocalypse to participate in the tournament that will decide his successor in the 2024 limited seriesX-Men: Heir of Apocalypse. Though she is one of the last four contestants, she is ultimately not chosen as Apocalypse's heir.[69]
Mirage is amutant withempathicpsi abilities to communicate with animals and people, as well as create three-dimensional images of visual concepts from within the minds of herself and others. Her most developed ability allowed her to manifest people's fears or desires as realistic illusions.[4] In the 2005 "Decimation" storyline, Mirage loses her mutant abilities,[70] but regains them inUncanny X-Men (vol. 5) (2019) after being infected with and cured ofWarlock'stransmode virus.[56][71]
Her ability began as manifesting people's worst nightmares, many times in an uncontrollable fashion, against the wills of both involved.[5] Soon she gained the ability to control this and to alternatively manifest a person's "deepest desire", mainly as something or someone the affected person respects.[72] She can also project images of objects of fear or desire from the minds of vertebrate animals and certain insects, but only the animal from which she derives the image will be able to see it.[73]
She can even create illusions by channeling residual thought and emotional impressions in an area (such as showingWolverine a battle scene betweenMister Sinister and unknown assailants simply by entering the area where the battle had recently taken place).[29] At first, Mirage could not control her image projecting powers and would draw and project images without consciously willing to do so. She has since gained control through training and maturity.
Mirage has a quasi-telepathic talent that allows her to form a rapport with various fauna, including her winged horse Brightwind, primates, canines, lupines, felines, and avians. She can sense their feelings, consciously perceive images in their minds, and even see through their eyes. This enables her to communicate withWolfsbane in her transitional half-lupine form or transformed into her full wolf form.[71] She has also been able to exist peacefully with wild animals.[4]
She had, for a time, the ability to make the telepathic images manifest as psionic energy, becoming tangible entities of solid psionic force.[74] This ability was limited in that Mirage could only sustain one illusion at a time. To dispel previous manifestations, she summons a "Spirit Lance".[13] Many times, her powers caused her to experience sharp, blinding headaches.[volume & issue needed] She can temporarily regain the ability to create tangible mirages in strengthened capacity while inOtherworld.[75]
Mirage has displayed the ability to focus her psionic powers into energy arrows which could stun an opponent by disrupting theircentral nervous system, or force them to relive a traumatic memory.[19] In later publishing, Moonstar's psi arrows have a more physical aspect to them,[76] able to draw blood from those struck by them. It is currently unknown if this is an effect of her latent materialization abilities or not.[77]
Although not a traditional telepath, her mental abilities give her sufficient control to have usedCerebro at a time when it was only usable by telepaths.[78] She has also exhibited a danger sense.[79]
When Mirage rescued Brightwind, she became aValkyrie and was granted the power to perceive the coming of death.[10] As such, Mirage could perceive a "deathglow" surrounding a person in serious danger of dying, a dark cloud or graphic visual image over people who were in mortal peril. She could also perceiveDeath incarnate and even do physical battle with Death itself to stave off mortality for a short time. She has created an illusory "Cheyenne ghost-staff", drawing upon an image in her own mind, and has successfully wielded it as a weapon against Death and Hela.[10]
She lost these powers when Asgard fell[80] but has since regained them after making a deal with Hela.[44][81]
Mirage gained a substantial degree of superhuman strength from Hela as she was able to knock Ares off his feet. Additionally, she wielded a powerful supernatural sword capable of discharging energy, slaying spiritual entities, and cutting through curses/enchantments.Dark Avengers writerMatt Fraction confirmed that since her restored Valkyrie powers came directly from Hela herself, they are much more powerful than they were previously, referring to her as a "Valkyrie Plus".New Mutants (vol. 3) writerZeb Wells confirmed that she lost access to these powers after the Dark Avengers were defeated.[44][82][83] Mirage still possesses her Valkyrie powers, but they initially were only activated when Hela herself willed it. Her abilities also seemed to activate in the presence of the dead.[45] Over time, she learned to call on them at will without Hela's involvement.[84]
Due to her training at Xavier's, her time as a Valkyrie in Asgard, and her natural athleticism growing up in theRocky Mountains, Mirage is physically fit and an excellent hand-to-hand combatant. In addition, she is experienced in the use of several weapons, especially the bow, spear, knife, and sword, which she carried as a Valkyrie. She is a skilled equestrian and swimmer, a good marksman with a rifle, and an excellent archer.
For a brief period of time, Mirage's powers were bolstered by Arcadia DeVille in odd yet phenomenal ways.[85] She could tap into the primal mainstream of the universe to channel quantum energy through her natural mutant power, as well as make use of them in other various ways, such as: emitting force blasts potent enough to cripple powerful demons;[86] healing and mending with a glancing touch;[85] resisting the physiological and psychological invasion by the techno-organic mutant Paradigm;[87] seeing into the broader energy spectrum beyond light and energy at a quantum level and causing a transmogrification effect on the surrounding area at a subatomic level;[88][89] sensing disturbances in energy fields from miles away as well as alternate them to cancel them out and sync with alternate energy forms such as electromagnetic waves;[90][91] and possessing an undisclosed capacity to manipulate reality on a quantum level.[92]
Bailey Jo Josie ofComic Book Resources (CBR) called Danielle Moonstar a "unique character," writing, "First known as Psyche, and then Mirage, Dani Moonstar came alive as one of the best characters ofThe New Mutants in the 1980s and a fine representation of a Native American - specifically Cheyenne Nation - superhero in Marvel comics."[93]
In 2014,Entertainment Weekly ranked Danielle Moonstar 82nd in their "Let's rank every X-Man ever" list.[94]
In 2018, CBR ranked Danielle Moonstar 14th in their "X-Men's Greatest Leaders" list,[95] 16th in their "20 Most Powerful Mutants From The '80s" list,[96] and 11th in their "X-Force: 20 Powerful Members" list.[97]
In 2018,GameSpot ranked Danielle Moonstar 44th in their "50 Most Important Superheroes" list.[98]
In 2019,ComicBook.com ranked Danielle Moonstar 49th in their "50 Most Important Superheroes Ever" list.[99]
In 2020,Scary Mommy included Danielle Moonstar in their "Looking For A Role Model? These 195+ Marvel Female Characters Are Truly Heroic" list.[100]
In 2021,Screen Rant included Danielle Moonstar in their "10 Most Powerful Members Of The New Mutants" list[101] and in their "10 Best Teen Marvel Heroes" list.[102]
In 2021, CBR ranked Danielle Moonstar 10th in their "10 X-Men Who Deserve Their Own Run" list.[103]
In 2022,Screen Rant included Danielle Moonstar in their "10 New Characters We Can Hope To See In X-Men ’97" list.[104]
An alternate universe variant of Dani Moonstar appears in "Age of Apocalypse". This version is part of the Pale Riders, a group of elite assassins loyal toApocalypse. Her primary mission was to infiltrate and gather information on the religious group known as the "Ghost Dance" which facilitated a path for refugees to reach the legendary sanctuary called Avalon. Moonstar ultimately meets her end when fellow Pale RiderDamask kills her in a fit of rage over Moonstar's constant torment of Dead Man Wade.[105][106][107]
An alternate reality version of Moonstar appears inLegion's "Age of X" pocket reality. She is a tracker and leader of the Moonstar Cadre, a team of elite hunters and enforcers.[108]
Within the "Age of X-Man" pocket dimension, Dani Moonstar is a prisoner within a correctional facility for those who broke the laws of this world populated solely by mutants.[109]
An alternate universe variant of Moonstar appears in the "House of M" storyline. This version is aS.H.I.E.L.D. instructor who previously lost her left eye to anti-mutant terrorists.[113]
An alternate universe variant of Dani Moonstar appears in theUltimate Marvel imprint. This version is her universe's incarnation ofSnowbird, possessing cryokinetic abilities derived from the Banshee drug.[115]
In the alternate future depicted inX-Men: The End, Dani was imprisoned in Neverland, aconcentration camp for mutants. Upon sensingWolfsbane's death, Dani awakens from a coma and transcends death, leaving Earth with the intention of rebuilding theBifröst.[116]
In "What If... the X-Men Had Stayed in Asgard?", Mirage decides to remain inAsgard. WhenHela dies due toLoki's machinations, Mirage is granted her powers to become the new goddess of death and the ruler ofHel, with Magik serving as her herald and liaison to Asgard.[117]
Danielle Moonstar appears in theX-Men: Evolution episode "Ghost of a Chance", voiced byTabitha St. Germain.[118] This version possesses telepathic induction-based abilities, allowing her to project dreams and nightmares into people's minds. When her abilities first manifested, she lacked control, resulting in the inhabitants of her village alienating her and eventually abandoning the village altogether. After being trapped in a cave, she entered a state of suspended animation for two years untilShadowcat passes by, causing Moonstar to unknowingly and telepathically contact her. Upon finding and rescuing her with help from the rest of the X-Men, Shadowcat and Moonstar develop a telepathic link and become close friends.[119]
^Rosenberg, Matthew (w), Gorham, Adam (a), Garland, Michael (col), Cowles, Clayton (let), Shan, Darren, Robinson, Chris, White, Jordan D. (ed). "Chapter 6: Something Must Break" The New Mutants: Dead Souls, vol. 1, no. 6 (October 2018). New York, NY: Marvel Comics.
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^Duggan, Gerry (w), Kubert, Adam, Vecchio, Luciano, Lolli, Matteo,Dauterman, Russell, Pina, Javier, Silva, R.B., Cassara, Joshua,Anka, Kris, Larraz, Pepe (a), Beredo, Rain, De La Cruz, Ceci,Wilson, Matthew, Arciniega, Erick, Gracia, Marte (col), Virtual Calligraphy (let), Amaro, Lauren, White, Jordan D. (ed). "The Hellfire Gala" X-Men: Hellfire Gala 2023, vol. 1, no. 1 (September 2023). New York, NY: Marvel Comics.
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^"Dani Moonstar Voice - X-Men Evolution (TV Show)".Behind The Voice Actors. RetrievedApril 9, 2025. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)
