ARIEL

ARIEL Ariel makes doors lead somewhere unexpected. That ability gives the Angels access to places their street-level lives could never otherwise reach. It also makes the person choosing the destination unusually powerful within the group. In #7, the apparent welcome on her homeworld, the Coconut Grove, turns into captivity. Her involvement in bringing mutants there becomes clear, but the people directing the operation ultimately classify Ariel herself as another subject they can use. The change puts her inside the danger she helped create for others. She cannot rely on being useful to the people in authority to keep herself beyond their reach. Her relationship with Chance becomes particularly important as the cost of their arrangement becomes unavoidable. Ariel's part in the miniseries makes hospitality something the reader has to examine. A beautiful destination and a persuasive invitation can conceal terms that the visitors never agreed to. Her companions have to decide what friendship means after learning those terms. Issue anchors: #3, #7.