If you were to name Jeanne Marie’s other alters what would you name them? (and if there’s a reason why would you name them that?)
This is a bit of a complicated question to answer. Before I begin I want to preferace that I do not have Dissociative Identity Disorder and my response is purely based on research. I am in no means an expert on the subject and that anything I say should be taken with a grain of salt.
For starters, on the occasions when it has come up, Jeanne-Marie has been shown to have different sets of alters. For example in Alpha Flight #104, we're given a look inside her head where we see five different alters:
In this scene there is Aurora (dressed in her traditional Alpha Flight costume), an alter in a nun habit which some have suggested is Jeanne-Marie, a child alter, another alter in what was Aurora current costume, and the one in the yellow suit is stated to be a merged version of Aurora and Jeanne-Marie.
In this panel Aurora is show clearly to have *five* different alters.
In Dark X-Men: Beginnings #2, we're reintroduce to Jeanne-Marie's alters. These are the ones listed on her Marvel wiki page, and are completely different from the ones scene in Alpha Flight.
Obviously there are Jeanne-Marie and Aurora, then there is a series of six other personalities all with different interests and hobbies, who are listed by number. They all take turns beating up Norman Osborne.
I have my issues with how this scene is written. For starters it treats DID like a superpower, similar to Aurora's mutation. Not like a serious disorder. Also that one Alter (#3) is directly associated with violence, the association of alters being violent or dangerous is something that has been perpetuated by many forms of media, furthering the stigmatization of DID and those living with it.
However as for the change in the amount and personalities of the alters. My understanding is that it's not uncommon for new personalities to form. One example I researched was someone describing going from three to nine alters over the course of seven years.
The most recent depiction of Jeanne-Marie's alters comes from Mauraders (2019), in which we once again get a literal look into her head.
Gerry Dugan, the series writer seems to be pulling from Dark X-Men, however instead of there being eight alters there are nine, the one in the bunny costume seems to be the newest addition.
Since this out most recent look at Jeanne-Marie's system. It's the one I'm going to be referring to as we name them.
Now the naming process of DID alters is a subject onto itself. Many alters tend to choose their own names. Sometimes these names follow "traditional" naming conventions. Other times DID systems can refer to themselves by numbers or the function an alter plays. Other cases alters simply don't have names.
The alters going by numbers or simply not having names could be what's going on with Jeanne-Marie. However, for the sake of the question I will be giving the alters names. Because Jeanne-Marie's alters are fictional I'll be employing their personalities to figure out what names best describe them. I also want to give them names with French origin and have them start with different letters, or at least to sound different enough so potential readers don't confuse one for the other.
Jeanne-Marie and Aurora already have their names, so we'll start personality #3.
Personality #3, is stated to like horseback racing and fine wines. In Mauraders, she's likely the one holding the riding crop. These hobbies are often associated with the ultra rich so I'll be looking for a name that reflects that. In fiction, we often associate rich people with older names, so I want to go for something traditional. For this alter I think the name Isabelle, the French variant of Elizabeth could work. It's an older name, but still sounds modern.
Personality #4: A weekend goth, who occasionally self-harms, and has inexplicably aversion to shellfish. She's probably the pink haired one. For this character I still want to stick with Jeanne-Marie's cultural background, but I also want to pick something that invokes the goth subculture. Gothic names are often associated with the night, gemstones, and the Victorian era. Céline, is the French variant of Seline, meaning moon. I think it's fitting.
Personality #5: Likes sports, photography, and is an amature paleontologist, who speaks only in French. Mostly likely the alter in blue athlesiure wear. I like the name Jessica for this character (however her name would be pronounced zhe-see-kah in French). This name isn't based off of meaning, simply vibes.
Personality #6: Likes opera, gardening, and creationist literature. Possibly the alter in red carrying shears. I think a flower name suits her, and based on her choice of dress, I'm going with Rosalie.
Personality #7: Likes graffiti, mild S&M, and gambling, assumably the alter in the red corset. I think something artsy and modern sounding , would suit her. I'm going with Valentine, in the vein of French poet and artist, Valentine Penrose.
Personality #8: Committed masochist, likely the alter covered in band aids. There's not much to go off here personality wise, so I'm going to name her based of vibes. I feel partial to Béatrice.
Personality #9: Alter in the bunny costume. Once again going to go off of vibes. I don't know what it is but she gives off Zoé vibes to me.
Thanks for the ask, this was a very interesting thought exercise. I'd also like to thank ErinPtah on AO3, who's Aurora & Jeanne-Marie Beaubier Primer, was instrumental in helping me figure out which Alter was which.
i love this convo and I think every aurora fan should chip in on their alter name hcs
