Astra's yellow costume and long red fringe make her stand out in a crowded Guard lineup. The design has movement built into it, with the fur-like shapes around her arms and legs…

Astra's yellow costume and long red fringe make her stand out in a crowded Guard lineup. The design has movement built into it, with the fur-like shapes around her arms and legs breaking up the clean lines of the uniform. Her clearest moment in the later fighting puts Wolverine dangerously close. Quasar moves to protect her, promising to deal with the claws threatening her. The exchange briefly pulls another relationship out of the enormous melee: these people are watching what happens to the person beside them. There is no reason to turn that intervention into an invented romance or a shared history. It already works as battlefield concern. Astra has a teammate who sees the danger and acts on it. That small exchange also changes the view of Wolverine. From his team's side, his aggression helps keep them alive. From Astra's position, a man with metal claws is coming at her and another Guardsman needs to get between them. The same action can look very different depending on where the panel places you. The long red fringe makes Astra look fierce in the first lineup. Seeing somebody intervene when Wolverine closes on her adds vulnerability to that image. The Guard's members may look formidable together, but the individual inside the formation can still need help.