MOONSTAR

Publication Date: 30th Nov 2017
Written By: Peter Luzifer, Dani and Daytripper.
Image Work: Douglas Mangum and Dean Clayton.
Alternate Versions

ALTERNATE VERSIONS

In an apocalyptic future reality from New Mutants (1st series) #48, Dani, one of the few survivors of the New Mutants, had grown cold and harsh, a result of all her friends, especially her soulmate, Rahne, having been killed.
Dressed like a Valkyrie and still possessing Brightwind, she and Cannonball tried to evacuate the last few surviving mutants to Lila Cheney’s Dyson Sphere in outer space to save them from the Sentinels.
Meeting a group of younger, time-traveling New Mutants, Wolfsbane among them, didn’t do much good, for it painfully reminded Moonstar of the friend she had lost.


In the timeline depicted in What If (2nd series) #12, several members of the X-Men and New Mutants chose to accept Loki’s offer and stay in Asgard. Due to her newfound powers, Dani joined the Valkyrior. Eventually, the death goddess, Hela, declared war on the rest of Asgard. During the seemingly endless battles, many Asgardians, friends and foes alike, were killed and, to save her friends, Dani inspired Thor and the other Valkyrie to perform a ritual that disposed of Hela, well aware that this meant that she’d have to take Hela’s place as goddess of the dead. Still, as in the meantime some of the other mutants had become rulers of the different factions in Asgard, for the first time in centuries all Nine Worlds of Asgard were at a lasting peace - with Dani’s former teammate, Magik, the new Enchantress, acting as an emissary between her realm and the plane of the living.


In the timeline known as the Age of Apocalypse, Moonstar was an agent of Apocalypse. As a member of Damask’s Pale Riders, she was sent to find the secret entry to Destiny’s paradise, Avalon. Dani had sadistic proclivities and, despite Damask’s direct orders, she kept on torturing her colleague, “Dead Man Wade,” whose injuries would heal over each time, though not without a certain amount of pain. Eventually, Damask had enough of Moonstar’s disobedience and killed her. Somehow, Moonstar survived, and sought sanctuary with the Morlocks, where she took part in the fight against Magneto and the X-Men when Magneto wanted the Morlocks to start living on the surface world. Moonstar fought Magneto, bringing to light some of the secrets he was hiding. When Magneto was taken out, the Morlocks fled the battle, presumably to continue their underground existence. 

 


Ten to fifteen years in the future, the X-Men met their End when several of their deadliest foes banded together and attacked them simultaneously on various fronts. Dani couldn’t help her former teammates, as she had been captured and locked away at Neverland, a concentration camp for mutants secretly run by Mr. Sinister. Even though she was permanently sedated, Moonstar sensed the death of her soulmate, Wolfsbane. In a trance-like state, Dani began to chant in Norse language and her illusion power called up runes appearing in front of her. Taking no chances, the camp staff decided to terminate her before she would become a threat. However, in death, Dani was reborn as an Asgardian Valkyrie and she used her newfound powers to destroy Neverland before departing to Asgard once and for all.


In the altered reality of the House of M, Moonstar was not only an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D, but in charge of the agency’s junior training squad program. Together with her fellow teachers, Danielle tutored and supervised the likes of Synch, Anole, Scion, Wind Dancer, Surge and Magik. With S.H.I.E.L.D. supporting Magneto’s rule of mutant supremacy, Moonstar found herself at odds with Xi’an Coy Manh, headmistress of the new Mutant Leadership Institute, who proposed a peaceful co-existence of humans and mutants as equals.


When Legion warped Utopia into the reality known as Age of X, Dani was among their number. In this altered reality, the diminished mutantkind lived at Fortress X, a sanctuary constantly under attack by outside forces, and lived under the rule of Magneto. Dani was the leader of a squad called Moonstar's Cadre, consisting of Eclipse (Sunspot), Magma, Karma, Warlock and Dust. When Legacy (Rogue) went renegade, Magneto ordered Moonstar to take her Cadre and bring Legacy in – no matter what the cost. Moonstar led her Cadre on an extensive search for Legacy but, before she could be apprehended, Legacy was rescued by Gambit – only for Magneto to bury them both in a mountain of scrap metal. Moonstar was soon given information which led her to believe that a conspiracy was going on within Fortress X and she led her Cadre to confront Magneto, who told them that Legacy and Gambit were still alive. Before Moonstar could get further answers, the elite Force Warriors took command of Fortress X. The Force Warriors planned to kill Charles Xavier, who was being held prisoner, but Moonstar and her Cadre stood against them. When reality was restored, Moonstar was not overly affected by the other reality. 


In the Ultimate Universe​, Dani was a member of Alpha Flight, codenamed Snowbird, with the power to create blizzards. Alpha Flight attacked the X-Men in an attempt to retrieve Northstar. During the battle, Dani fought and easily defeated Storm, thanks to her powers being strengthend by the power-enhancing drug called Banshee. When Colossus gathered a group of X-Men to rescue Northstar (his boyfriend), Alpha Flight were taken by surprise, and Dani was defeated by Angel. It's possible that Dani was involved with her teammate James Proudstar, codenamed Shaman. Dani's fate following the devestating Ultimatum and Secret Wars​ events has not been revealed.