Scans_Daily

Northstar redeemed himself at least twice to me during his stint with the X-Men. In the first, he didn't take any guff from a boneheaded Paulie Provenzano when both were on Jean Grey's team (Uncanny X-Men, the "Eve of Destruction" 2-parter). Granted, Paulie was written as an almost one-dimensional oaf, but still.

In the second, when Northstar is asked to join the school's faculty, he initially declines, but reconsiders after sent on a mission by Xavier to collect a young mutant whose uncontrollable explosive powers threaten to kill him and everyone he comes in contact with. Despite the risk to himself, and even while tersely bonding with the boy (who is mildly homophobic), Northstar does his level best to complete the mission, which fails when the boy's mutant abilities overwhelm him and he dies, injuring Northstar in the process. Despite this, he agrees to join the Xavier Institute anyway. Even if seen as simply an attempt at redemption, I thought the story provided enough of a heroic characterization to keep Jean-Paul well above the level of a one-dimensional stereotype.