Danielle Moonstar

• Core Identity: Danielle “Dani” Moonstar is a formidable Cheyenne mutant and founding member of the new_mutants, whose psionic ability to manifest a person's deepest fears has evolved to encompass Asgardian Valkyrie powers, making her a fierce warrior, a natural leader, and a chooser of the slain.
• Key Takeaways:
• Role in the Universe: Originally a student under charles_xavier, Dani has grown into a cornerstone of the next generation of mutant leaders. She serves as a mentor, a warrior, and a tactical field commander for various X-teams, most notably the new_mutants and x-force. Her connection to asgard as a Valkyrie gives her a unique standing between the worlds of mutants and gods.
• Primary Impact: Moonstar's greatest impact is on her teammates and the concept of confronting inner demons. Her signature conflict with the psychic entity known as the demon_bear is one of Marvel's most iconic allegories for overcoming personal trauma. She has consistently demonstrated that true strength lies in mastering one's fears, a lesson she has taught to countless young mutants.
• Key Incarnations: In the Earth-616 comics, Dani is a highly trained and controlled psionic with a vast, evolving powerset including Valkyrie abilities. In the MCU-adjacent film The New Mutants, she is portrayed as a teenager whose terrifying powers are dangerously uncontrolled, inadvertently making her the primary antagonist for much of the story before she gains mastery.

Danielle Moonstar first appeared in Marvel Graphic Novel #4: The New Mutants in 1982. She was co-created by the legendary writer Chris Claremont and artist Bob McLeod. Her creation was part of a broader initiative at Marvel to introduce a new, younger team of mutants that could carry the torch from the now-adult All-New, All-Different X-Men. Claremont and McLeod intentionally designed the New Mutants to be a more diverse and international team, reflecting the real world in a way comics of the era often did not. Dani, as a member of the Cheyenne Nation, was a significant step forward in the representation of Native American characters in mainstream comics. She was conceived not as a sidekick or a token character, but as a co-leader and the emotional core of the new team. Her initial codename was Psyche, reflecting her mind-based powers. This was quickly changed to Mirage to avoid confusion with another character. Her story, particularly the acclaimed “Demon Bear Saga,” is celebrated for its psychological depth and mature themes, cementing her place as a fan-favorite and one of the most developed characters of her generation.

Danielle Moonstar was born in Boulder, Colorado, to Walter and Peg Moonstar, both proud members of the Cheyenne Nation. Her mutant powers began to manifest during puberty in a terrifying and uncontrolled manner. She would see vivid, horrifying visions of people's greatest fears, including her own nightmare: a massive, demonic bear. She believed this Demon Bear was the entity that had killed her parents, leaving her in the care of her wise and loving grandfather, William Lonestar, a respected Cheyenne shaman. William recognized that Dani's “visions” were not mere dreams but the emergence of a powerful mutant gift. He reached out to his old friend, Professor Charles Xavier, for help in training Dani to control her abilities. However, before Xavier could arrive, their home was attacked by agents of the hellfire_club, led by a cybernetically enhanced donald_pierce. Pierce sought to capture Dani for his own nefarious purposes. In the ensuing battle, William Lonestar sacrificed his life to protect his granddaughter, a traumatic event that fueled Dani's deep-seated hatred for Pierce and his anti-mutant agenda. Following her grandfather's death, Dani was taken in by Professor Xavier. She was initially hostile, rebellious, and terrified of her own powers, lashing out at her new peers. At Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, she met other young mutants: the Kentucky-born, nigh-invulnerable Sam Guthrie (Cannonball), the shy Scottish lycanthrope Rahne Sinclair (Wolfsbane), the fiery Brazilian solar-powered Roberto da Costa (Sunspot), and the Vietnamese psionic Xi'an Coy Manh (Karma). Together, they formed the original lineup of the New Mutants. Dani quickly developed a deep, almost telepathic bond with Rahne, and her natural leadership qualities saw her become the team's co-leader alongside Cannonball. Her journey from a frightened, grieving teenager to a confident leader is the central pillar of the early New Mutants saga.

Danielle Moonstar's origin is depicted in the 2020 film The New Mutants. While not directly part of the mainline MCU, the film exists within the broader 20th Century Studios X-Men continuity. This version of her origin is significantly altered for a horror-thriller narrative. In this continuity, Dani is the sole survivor of a mysterious and catastrophic event that destroyed her Cheyenne reservation. She awakens handcuffed to a bed in the Milbury Hospital, a seemingly benevolent institution for young mutants run by Dr. Cecilia Reyes. She is told that she is a danger to herself and others until she can learn to control her powers, which she doesn't even fully understand. Her fellow patients are Rahne Sinclair, Illyana Rasputin, Sam Guthrie, and Roberto da Costa. Unlike the comics, where Dani is aware of her abilities, the film presents her as initially oblivious. Strange, terrifying events begin to plague the institution, with each mutant being confronted by a physical manifestation of their greatest fear or trauma: Rahne is haunted by the abusive Reverend Craig who branded her; Illyana is tormented by the demonic “Smiling Men” from her childhood in Limbo; Sam is forced to relive the mine collapse that killed his father and coworkers; and Roberto sees the ghost of his girlfriend, whom he accidentally burned to death. The film's central mystery revolves around the source of these manifestations. It is eventually revealed that Dani's mutant power is the cause. Her ability is to psionically draw out a person's deepest fear and manifest it as a hyper-realistic, often physical, illusion. Her own greatest fear is the Demon Bear from the stories her father told her—a creature that she subconsciously unleashed, destroying her reservation and killing her father. Dr. Reyes is not a benevolent doctor but an agent of the Essex Corporation, intending to weaponize Dani. The film's climax sees Dani fully manifesting the Demon Bear, a colossal and monstrous beast that threatens to destroy the hospital. To defeat it, Dani must finally face her fear, accept her power, and take control, establishing herself as a powerful mutant and the leader of the newly-formed team.

Danielle Moonstar's powers have evolved significantly over her decades-long history, making her one of the most versatile and experienced members of the X-Men's extended family.

• Primary Mutant Power: Psionic Fear/Desire Manifestation:
• Illusion Casting: Dani's original and core ability is a form of telepathy that allows her to create highly realistic three-dimensional illusions by pulling images from the minds of others. Initially, this was limited to a person's greatest fear, earning her the codename Mirage. She can also project a person's greatest desire.
• Psionic Energy Arrows: Over time, she learned to focus her psionic energy into tangible constructs. Her most common manifestation is a “neuro-psychic” arrow. The effect of these arrows varies based on her intent:
  • A “fear” arrow can cause a target to experience a paralyzing vision of their worst nightmare.
  • A “desire” arrow can have a calming or distracting effect.
  • A standard psionic arrow can deliver a powerful mental jolt, rendering a target unconscious. The impact feels physically real to the victim's mind, but leaves no physical mark.
• Death-Glow Perception: For a period, Dani developed the ability to see a “death-glow” around individuals who were near death or in mortal danger. This was a precursor to her Valkyrie abilities.
• Asgardian Valkyrie Powers:
• During an adventure in asgard, Dani saved a winged horse named Brightwind. This act bonded her to the steed and brought her to the attention of hela, the Asgardian Goddess of Death. Hela made Dani one of her Valkyrior, choosers of the slain. This role grants her a separate, mystical powerset that has waxed and waned over the years depending on the state of Asgard.
• Superhuman Physicality: As a Valkyrie, her strength, speed, stamina, and durability are increased to superhuman Asgardian levels.
• Death Sense: She possesses a mystical ability to perceive the coming of death. She can see a “death-glow” or psychopomp hovering over a person about to die.
• Chooser of the Slain: Her primary duty as a Valkyrie is to shepherd the souls of the worthy dead (both Asgardian and mortal) to the afterlife, Valhalla. She can create a spectral gateway for this purpose.
• Mystical Weaponry: As a Valkyrie, she often wields an enchanted Uru sword, sometimes specified as the legendary blade Dragonfang, previously owned by the original Valkyrie and Lady Sif. She is an expert swordswoman.
• Quantum Energy Manipulation (Former):
• After being depowered on M-Day, Dani was later exposed to a device that granted her the ability to perceive and manipulate quantum energy. She could sense quantum fluctuations and generate powerful energy blasts. These powers were lost when she was resurrected on Krakoa with her original mutant abilities restored.
• Skills and Attributes:
• Expert Markswoman: Even without powers, Dani is a world-class archer.
• Expert Combatant: She has been trained in unarmed combat by cable and has extensive field experience from her time with the New Mutants, X-Force, and the X-Men.
• Natural Leader: Dani is a born leader. She is tactically brilliant, decisive, and possesses the innate ability to inspire loyalty and courage in her teammates. She has co-led the New Mutants for most of its existence and was appointed as one of the Great Captains of Krakoa.
• Animal Empathy: She has a strong psychic rapport with animals, particularly avian and equine species. Her bond with her winged steed Brightwind is so strong they are essentially one.
• Personality:
• Dani is fiercely loyal, protective, and compassionate, but also headstrong and occasionally confrontational. She is defined by a deep well of inner strength forged through immense personal tragedy. While she has mastered her fear, she is not fearless; rather, she understands its power and uses that understanding to empathize with and lead others.

The cinematic version of Dani in The New Mutants presents a much earlier, more raw stage of her powers.

• Uncontrolled Psionic Manifestation:
• Her primary and only demonstrated power is the ability to subconsciously and uncontrollably manifest the greatest fears of those in her immediate vicinity as tangible, physical illusions.
• These manifestations are not simple projections; they are solid enough to interact with the environment and physically harm people. For example, the Smiling Men can grab and restrain Illyana, and the Demon Bear can smash through concrete walls.
• The power is directly tied to her emotional state. When she is scared, angry, or distressed, the manifestations become more powerful and aggressive.
• The Demon Bear:
• Her own fear is the most powerful. The Demon Bear is her personal nightmare, and when she unleashes it, it becomes a nearly unstoppable physical entity of pure psionic energy.
• By the film's end, she learns to face and tame the Demon Bear, suggesting she has taken the first step toward conscious control of her abilities. She calms it and causes it to dissipate by accepting it as a part of her.
• Comparative Analysis:
• The MCU version's powers are far more limited and less refined than her Earth-616 counterpart. There is no indication of energy arrows, Asgardian connections, or animal empathy. The focus is squarely on the horror aspect of a young mutant unable to control a terrifying ability. The cinematic interpretation uses her power as the central plot device and a metaphor for adolescent turmoil, whereas the comic version's power is a tool she has mastered over a long and storied career as a hero.

• Rahne Sinclair (Wolfsbane): Rahne is unquestionably Dani's closest and most important friend. From their first days at Xavier's, the two formed an instant and profound bond, becoming “psi-sisters.” They share a deep psychic and emotional connection that allows them to understand and support each other without words. Their relationship is the emotional heart of the New Mutants, and they have been through virtually every major life event together, from battles with supervillains to adventures in Asgard.
• Sam Guthrie (Cannonball): As the other founding co-leader of the New Mutants, Sam is Dani's most trusted partner in the field. Their leadership styles are complementary; Sam is the cautious, steady hand, while Dani is the passionate, decisive strategist. Their relationship is built on mutual respect and years of shared command. Though they often bicker like siblings, their trust in one another is absolute.
• Nathan Summers (Cable): When Cable took over the New Mutants and reformed them into the proactive strike team X-Force, he recognized Dani's tactical acumen and warrior spirit. He trained her intensively in combat and strategy. While she often clashed with his more militant methods and eventually left the team, she respected his drive and learned a great deal under his tutelage, skills she would use for the rest of her heroic career.
• Xi'an Coy Manh (Karma): As the original leader of the New Mutants before her temporary “death,” Shan has always been a source of stability and wisdom for Dani. Their shared experience as founding members and their struggles with psionic powers give them a unique understanding. They have often looked to each other for guidance and support throughout the team's tumultuous history.

• demon_bear: More than a villain, the Demon Bear is the ultimate personification of Dani's personal trauma, fear, and heritage. It is a psychic entity that haunted her dreams, claimed to have killed her parents, and manifested physically to attack her and her friends. Defeating it in the “Demon Bear Saga” was Dani's crucible—the moment she transitioned from a scared girl into a true warrior. It represents the internal battle she must always fight.
• donald_pierce: As the leader of the Reavers and a high-ranking member of the Hellfire Club, Donald Pierce is the man directly responsible for the murder of Dani's grandfather. This act makes their conflict intensely personal. Pierce represents the cruel, hateful anti-mutant sentiment that has caused Dani so much pain, and every confrontation with him is a fight for her family's memory and her people's future.
• Hela: The Asgardian Goddess of Death has a complex and antagonistic relationship with Dani. While she is the one who granted Dani the power of a Valkyrie, she did so for her own selfish purposes, attempting to control her. Dani has had to defy Hela on numerous occasions, fighting for her own soul and the souls of her friends, asserting her own morality against the cold calculus of the goddess of death.

• new_mutants: Dani is a founding member and the perennial co-leader of the New Mutants. This team is her family. She has been a part of nearly every incarnation of the group, from their student days to their time as teachers on Krakoa.
• x-men: While never a long-term member of the core X-Men field team, she is a respected ally and has served at the Xavier Institute in various capacities, including as an instructor and leader of a younger generation of mutants.
• x-force: She was a member of Cable's original X-Force, bringing a much-needed moral compass to the group. Her time on the team honed her combat skills but also challenged her ethical boundaries.
• valkyrior: Her induction into the Asgardian Valkyrior makes her an agent of Asgard and a bridge between Midgard (Earth) and the godly realms. This affiliation grants her immense power and responsibility.
• S.H.I.E.L.D.: During a period when she was depowered, Dani was recruited by S.H.I.E.L.D. as part of their “mutant expert” initiative, working alongside her former teammate, Cannonball.
• The Great Captains of Krakoa: In the modern Krakoan era, Dani's leadership was formally recognized when she was chosen to be one of the Great Captains, leading Krakoa's Valkyries and serving on its ruling council.

This is arguably the most important storyline in Danielle Moonstar's history. Written by Chris Claremont with groundbreaking art by Bill Sienkiewicz, the saga is a masterclass in psychological horror. Dani is relentlessly haunted by nightmares of the Demon Bear, the entity she believes killed her parents. Her fear and power cause the bear to manifest in the physical world, where it brutally mauls her, leaving her near death. The rest of the New Mutants must battle this seemingly invincible foe, which is immune to most physical attacks. The fight takes them into the Badlands, a surreal dimension created by the bear's magic. Inside, they discover the truth: the bear had not killed Dani's parents but had captured and corrupted their souls. With the help of the sorceress Illyana Rasputin, the team manages to defeat the bear, freeing Dani's parents and allowing Dani to finally conquer the fear that had defined her entire life. This arc cemented Dani's status as a complex, compelling hero.

This epic crossover event transported the New Mutants to the mythical realm of Asgard. After being scattered across the Ten Realms by Loki, Dani finds herself in a valley of winged horses. She befriends and rescues one, whom she names Brightwind, forming a deep mystical bond. This act anoints her as a Valkyrie. However, she is soon captured by Hela, who seeks to make Dani the leader of her personal Valkyrior to claim dominion over Asgard. The storyline forces Dani to contend with gods and monsters, fully embracing her new role as a warrior. It permanently altered her character by adding a rich layer of mythology and a powerful new abilities, fundamentally expanding her scope beyond just being a mutant.

In this crossover, the New Mutants and X-Men are captured and taken to the anti-mutant nation of Genosha, where mutants are stripped of their free will and turned into slaves (“mutates”). Dani, along with many of her friends, is subjected to the horrific mutate-bonding process. The event is a brutal examination of mutant persecution, and Dani's experience in the Genoshan concentration camps leaves deep psychological scars. It hardens her resolve and solidifies her commitment to fighting for mutant freedom, pushing her further down the path from student to soldier.

With the founding of the mutant nation of Krakoa, Dani Moonstar finds a renewed sense of purpose. Resurrected with her mutant powers fully restored, she rejoins the original New Mutants, taking on a mission to bring wayward young mutants to the safety of Krakoa. Her experience and wisdom make her a natural mentor for the nation's youth. More significantly, her leadership is formally recognized when she is appointed one of the Great Captains of Krakoa. In this role, she leads Krakoa's own band of Valkyries, who are tasked with confirming mutant deaths so they can be entered into the resurrection queue. This modern role perfectly synthesizes her two most important identities: a mutant leader and a chooser of the slain.

• Age of Apocalypse (Earth-295): In this dark, twisted reality ruled by Apocalypse, Danielle Moonstar is a vastly different character. She is one of Apocalypse's chief trackers and assassins, a member of his “Pale Riders.” This version of Dani is ruthless, sadistic, and completely loyal to Apocalypse's genocidal regime. She uses her psionic arrows with deadly precision to mentally torture her victims before killing them. She is a chilling reflection of what Dani could have become without the guidance of Professor Xavier and the love of her friends.
• Ultimate Universe (Earth-1610): Dani Moonstar's role in the Ultimate Universe is significantly reduced. She is a student at Emma Frost's Academy of Tomorrow, a rival school to Xavier's Institute. She is portrayed as a young, outspoken activist for mutant rights but does not have the extensive backstory or leadership role of her 616 counterpart. Tragically, she is one of the many mutants killed by the tidal wave Magneto unleashes on New York City during the “Ultimatum” event.
• X-Men: Evolution (Animated Series): In this animated series, Dani is not a main character but appears in a significant guest role. She is a young mutant whose uncontrolled powers are causing nightmares for everyone at the Xavier Institute. The X-Men must help her gain control before her dream-manifestations cause serious harm. The episode serves as a loose adaptation of her core concept—a powerful psionic struggling with frightening abilities.
• What If… the X-Men Had Stayed in Asgard?: In this alternate reality tale, the X-Men and New Mutants choose to remain in Asgard after the Asgardian Wars. Dani fully embraces her role as a Valkyrie, becoming one of Asgard's greatest champions. She eventually ascends to become the ruler of Hel, taking Hela's place and ruling the realm of the dead with a compassion its former master lacked.

• new_mutants
• x-men
• demon_bear
• rahne_sinclair
• asgard
• charles_xavier

^{1) 2) 3) 4) 5)}