New Mutants #35 makes Doug's position pretty clear. Magneto doesn't want him in combat because he doesn't have an offensive power. Doug ends up working the Danger Room controls…

New Mutants #35 makes Doug's position pretty clear. Magneto doesn't want him in combat because he doesn't have an offensive power. Doug ends up working the Danger Room controls instead. And sure, there's an obvious reason an adult would be worried. But imagine being told you're a member of the team while also being told to stay behind whenever things get dangerous. He's still a kid who wants to be useful to his friends. Then #50 puts him up against the Magus with Warlock. Nobody is going to solve that problem by having Doug throw a better punch. They rewrite the Magus' genetic code and reduce him to an infant. That's a huge win for a character who keeps getting measured against what everybody else can do in a fight. His ability is useful because the problem can be understood as information. He and Warlock work it out together while the rest of the team helps keep them alive long enough to do it.