Featuring the following heroine!
Mirage
Real name: Danielle Moonstar
AKA: Psyche. Moonstar.
First appearance: Marvel Graphic Novel 4
Favorite quote:"Sacred Ancestors, did I do that?!!?" (New Mutants 36, where Dani casts a mirage and finds herself confronted with a six-story demon)
Team Affiliation: Founding member and long time co-leader of the defunct New Mutants, once the training group for the Uncanny X-Men. For a time she was assumed to be a Stryfe convert, leading to her participation in various acts of terrorism while with the radical Mutant Liberation Front. And (this is fairly unusual for a member of the Cheyenne nation) Dani belongs to the Valkyrior, making her a Valkyrie, one of the warrior maidens capable of seeing Death approach and challenging Death for the souls of fallen warriors.
Powers: Dani can pull the deepest fears or most fevered desires out of a person and give those emotions a psychic form that appears to have physical substance, often freezing the victim in their tracks long enough to be KO'd by one of Dani's teammates. She can establish a mental rapport with most animals, including transmogrifying comrades like Rahne who can assume animal form. She also rides her winged horse Brightwind bareback, which is a pretty neat trick as well!
Favorite Storyline: New Mutants Special Edition 1/Uncanny X-Men Annual 9, where Dani gains the trust of Brightwind and thereby inadvertently becomes a Valkyrie. It was fun watching all the Asgardians cower whenever she strolled by!
Least Favorite Storyline: Her long standing undercover assignment in the Mutant Liberation Front. A story years in the set up, totally blown away by the need to clear the slate for the Age of Apocalypse, and which included the last-minute, might-as-well-get-rid-of-this-animal-while-we're-at-it death of her winged steed. Waste of time.
Wait, This Just In: Dani appeared in Excalibur 104, still with the MLF despite the fact the MLF was destroyed by Reignfire, and still calling herself Moonstar despite having her cover utterly blown right before the crystallization event that led into the Age of Apocalypse. Is there an editor in the house? Or is the MLF just one of those really forgiving terrorist organizations? (Thanks to Henry Adams for letting me know about the MLF showing up in Excalibur!)