Finding Karma at the center of the Gladiators changes the question the New Mutants are trying to answer. They came to free their friends. Suddenly they're looking at another fri…

Finding Karma at the center of the Gladiators changes the question the New Mutants are trying to answer. They came to free their friends. Suddenly they're looking at another friend they thought they had lost, apparently responsible for what has been happening. The reveal in New Mutants #31 is meant to be a shock, but it shouldn't become the final verdict on her. The follow-through in #34 establishes the Shadow King's possession. Karma is being used. Calling this simply the story where she turns evil would confuse the person whose body is present with the person exercising control. That distinction runs through the entire arena. A body can attack while its owner has no meaningful say in the decision. Powers that normally protect teammates become a way to hurt them. Even recognizing someone's face doesn't establish that they're able to speak or act for themselves. For Karma, whose own ability involves possessing other people, the violation is especially cruel. Her familiar power makes the deception plausible to her friends. The enemy has both her body and an explanation they might believe. The New Mutants' response leaves room for uncertainty. They know something terrible has happened, and they know they cannot abandon the problem just because the person in front of them is someone they care about. Following that uncertainty is more demanding than writing off a stranger in a villain costume. This is the control room behind the Gladiators, but Karma doesn't belong beside the paying customers as another willing participant. The Shadow King turns her into part of the prison.