Storm (Marvel Comics)
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Storm is a
superhero A superhero or superheroine is a stock character that typically possesses ''superpowers'', abilities beyond those of ordinary people, and fits the role of the hero, typically using his or her powers to help the world become a better place, ...
appearing in
American comic books An American comic book is a thin periodical originating in the United States, on average 32 pages, containing comics. While the form originated in 1933, American comic books first gained popularity after the 1938 publication of ''Action Comics'', ...
published by
Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...
. The character was created by writer
Len Wein Leonard Norman Wein (; June 12, 1948 – September 10, 2017) was an American comic book writer and editor best known for co-creating DC Comics' Swamp Thing and Marvel Comics' Wolverine, and for helping revive the Marvel superhero team the X-Men ( ...
and artist
Dave Cockrum David Emmett Cockrum (; November 11, 1943 – November 26, 2006) was an American comics artist known for his co-creation of the new X-Men characters Nightcrawler, Storm, Colossus, and Mystique, as well as the antiheroine Black Cat. Cockrum was ...
, first appearing in ''
Giant-Size X-Men ''Giant-Size X-Men'' #1 was a special issue of the ''X-Men'' comic book series, published by Marvel Comics in 1975. It was written by Len Wein and illustrated by Dave Cockrum. Though not a regular issue, it contained the first new X-Men story i ...
'' #1 (May 1975). Descended from a long line of African witch-priestesses, Storm is a member of a fictional subspecies of humans born with
superhuman abilities A superpower is a currently fictional superhuman ability. Superpowers are typically displayed in science fiction comic books, television programs, video games, and films as the key attribute of a superhero. The concept originated in American com ...
known as
mutants In biology, and especially in genetics, a mutant is an organism or a new genetic character arising or resulting from an instance of mutation, which is generally an alteration of the DNA sequence of the genome or chromosome of an organism. It ...
. She is able to control the weather and atmosphere and is considered to be one of the most powerful mutants on the planet, and one of the most powerful beings in the
Marvel Universe The Marvel Universe is a fictional shared universe where the stories in most American comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Comics take place. Super-teams such as the Avengers, the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, the Guardians of ...
. Born Ororo Munroe to a tribal princess of
Kenya ) , national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...
and an African-American photojournalist father, Storm is raised in
Harlem Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street (Manhattan), 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and 110th Street (Manhattan), ...
, New York City, United States and
Cairo Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world and the Middle East: The Greater Cairo metro ...
, Egypt. She was made an orphan after her parents were killed in the midst of an
Arab–Israeli conflict The Arab–Israeli conflict is an ongoing intercommunal phenomenon involving political tension, military conflicts, and other disputes between Arab countries and Israel, which escalated during the 20th century, but had mostly faded out by the ...
. An incident at this time also traumatized Munroe, leaving her with
claustrophobia Claustrophobia is the fear of confined spaces. It can be triggered by many situations or stimuli, including elevators, especially when crowded to capacity, windowless rooms, and hotel rooms with closed doors and sealed windows. Even bedrooms with ...
that she would struggle with for life. Storm is a member of the
X-Men The X-Men are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, first appearing in Uncanny X-Men, ''The X-Men'' #1 by artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby and writer/editor Stan Lee in 1963. Although initially cancelled in ...
, a group of mutant heroes fighting for peace and equal rights between mutants and humans. Under the tutelage of a master thief an adolescent Munroe became a skilled
pickpocket Pickpocketing is a form of larceny that involves the stealing of money or other valuables from the person or a victim's pocket without them noticing the theft at the time. It may involve considerable dexterity and a knack for misdirection. A th ...
, the means of which she meets through coincidence the powerful mutant
Professor X Professor X (Charles Francis Xavier) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is depicted as the founder and sometimes leader of the X-Men. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-writ ...
. Professor X later convinces Munroe to join the X-Men and use her abilities for a greater cause and purpose. Possessing natural leadership skills and formidable powers of her own, Storm has led the X-Men at times and has been a member of teams such as the
Avengers Avenger, Avengers, The Avenger, or The Avengers may refer to: Arts and entertainment In the Marvel Comics universe * Avengers (comics), a team of superheroes **Avengers (Marvel Cinematic Universe), a central team of protagonist superheroes of ...
and the
Fantastic Four The Fantastic Four is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team debuted in ''The Fantastic Four'' #1 ( cover dated Nov. 1961), helping usher in a new level of realism in the medium. It was the first ...
as well. Storm is also part of one of the higher-profile romantic relationships in all of comics. Having married childhood sweetheart and fellow superhero
Black Panther A black panther is the melanistic colour variant of the leopard (''Panthera pardus'') and the jaguar (''Panthera onca''). Black panthers of both species have excess black pigments, but their typical rosettes are also present. They have been d ...
, the ruler of the fictional African nation of
Wakanda Wakanda () is a fictional country appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Wakanda has been depicted as being in East Africa. It is located in sub-Saharan Africa, and is home to the superhero Black Panther. Wakanda first app ...
, Munroe was made queen consort through marriage. The title was lost however when the two later divorced. Created during the
Bronze Age of Comic Books The Bronze Age of Comic Books is an informal name for a period in the history of American superhero American comic book, comic books usually said to run from 1970 to 1985. It follows the Silver Age of Comic Books and is followed by the Modern Ag ...
, Storm is the first major female character of African descent in comics. She is regarded by some as being Marvel Comics' most important female superhero, having drawn favorable comparison to
DC Comics DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...
' most famous female lead
Wonder Woman Wonder Woman is a superhero created by the American psychologist and writer William Moulton Marston (pen name: Charles Moulton), and artist Harry G. Peter. Marston's wife, Elizabeth Holloway Marston, Elizabeth, and their life partner, Olive Byr ...
. When Marvel and DC Comics published a ''
DC vs. Marvel ''DC vs. Marvel'' (issues #2–3 titled ''Marvel vs. DC'') was a comic book miniseries intercompany crossover published by DC Comics and Marvel Comics from April to May 1996. Each company would publish two issues of the series, thus the title di ...
'' miniseries in 1996, Storm was pitted against Wonder Woman in a one-on-one battle and emerged victorious due to winning a popular vote amongst readers. Storm has been described as one of Marvel's most notable and powerful female heroes. One of the most prominent characters in the X-Men series, Storm has appeared in various forms of media relating to the franchise, including animation, television, video games, and a series of films. The character was first portrayed in live-action by
Halle Berry Halle Maria Berry (; born Maria Halle Berry; August 14, 1966) is an American actress. She began her career as a model and entered several beauty contests, finishing as the first runner-up in the Miss USA pageant and coming in sixth in the Mis ...
in 2000 film ''
X-Men The X-Men are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, first appearing in Uncanny X-Men, ''The X-Men'' #1 by artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby and writer/editor Stan Lee in 1963. Although initially cancelled in ...
''. Berry returned to portray the role in the films '' X2,'' '' X-Men: The Last Stand,'' and '' X-Men: Days of Future Past.'' The younger version of Storm was portrayed by
Alexandra Shipp Alexandra Ruth Shipp is an American actress and singer who rose to prominence for portraying singer Aaliyah in the Lifetime television film '' Aaliyah: The Princess of R&B'' (2014) and Kimberly Woodruff in the Oscar-nominated film '' Straight ...
in the 2016 film '' X-Men: Apocalypse''. Shipp had a cameo in ''
Deadpool 2 ''Deadpool 2'' is a 2018 American superhero comedy film based on the Marvel Comics character Deadpool. Distributed by 20th Century Fox, it is the sequel to ''Deadpool'' (2016) and the eleventh installment overall in the ''X-Men'' film series. T ...
'' and reprised her role in the 2019 film '' X-Men: Dark Phoenix''.


Publication history


1975–1979: Origin and early stories

Storm first appeared in 1975 in the comic book ''
Giant-Size X-Men ''Giant-Size X-Men'' #1 was a special issue of the ''X-Men'' comic book series, published by Marvel Comics in 1975. It was written by Len Wein and illustrated by Dave Cockrum. Though not a regular issue, it contained the first new X-Men story i ...
'' #1, written by Len Wein and pencilled by Dave Cockrum. In this comic, Wein uses a battle against the living island
Krakoa Krakoa is a fictional living island appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. It first appeared in ''Giant-Size X-Men'' #1 and was created by Len Wein and Dave Cockrum. Initially depicted as an antagonist, Krakoa has since gro ...
to replace the first-generation X-Men of the 1960s with new X-Men.''Giant Size X-Men'' #1 (1975). Marvel Comics. Storm was an amalgam of two characters Cockrum created: The Black Cat and Typhoon. The Black Cat had Storm's costume, minus the cape, and was submitted for the new X-Men's original lineup. However, during a hiatus in the new X-Men project, other female cat characters like
Tigra Tigra (Greer Grant Nelson) is a fictional superheroine appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Introduced as the superpowered and gadget-wielding crime fighter the Cat in ''The Claws of the Cat'' #1 (November 1972). The ...
were introduced, making the Black Cat redundant. Since the creative team did not want the X-Men to have an all-male lineup, editor
Roy Thomas Roy William Thomas Jr."Roy Thomas Checklist" ''Alter Ego'' vol. 3, #50 (July 2005) p. 16 (born November 22, 1940) is an American comic book writer and editor, who was Stan Lee's first successor as editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics. He is possibl ...
suggested that Cockrum make his character Typhoon, originally designed as a male, into the woman of the group. Cockrum liked the idea and outfitted Typhoon with The Black Cat's costume, a cape, and a new haircut with white hair. His collaborators feared that Storm's white hair would make her look like a grandmother, but Cockrum, confident that he could consistently draw the character so that she would appear young, insisted on this aspect of her appearance.
Chris Claremont Christopher S. Claremont (; born November 25, 1950) is a British-born American comic book writer and novelist, known for his 17-year stint on ''Uncanny X-Men'' from 1975 to 1991, far longer than that of any other writer,Claremont, Chris. ''Marvel ...
followed up Wein as the writer of the flagship title ''The Uncanny X-Men'' in 1975, writing many notable X-Men stories, among them '' God Loves, Man Kills'' and "
Dark Phoenix Saga "The Dark Phoenix Saga" is an extended X-Men comic-book storyline published by Marvel Comics, focusing on Jean Grey and the Phoenix Force. It was written by Chris Claremont with art by John Byrne. The Dark Phoenix Saga commonly refers to the s ...
", which served as the basis for the films '' X2: X-Men United'' and '' X-Men: The Last Stand'', respectively. In both arcs, Storm is written as a major supporting character. Claremont stayed the main writer of ''X-Men'' for the next 16 years and consequently wrote most of the publications containing Storm.


Backstory

In ''The Uncanny X-Men'' #102 (December 1976), Claremont established Storm's backstory. Storm's mother, N'Dare, was the princess of a tribe in
Kenya ) , national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...
and descended from a long line of African witch-priestesses with white hair, blue eyes, and a natural gift for
sorcery Sorcery may refer to: * Magic (supernatural), the application of beliefs, rituals or actions employed to subdue or manipulate natural or supernatural beings and forces ** Witchcraft, the practice of magical skills and abilities * Magic in fiction, ...
. N'Dare falls in love with and marries American photojournalist, David Munroe. They move to
Harlem Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street (Manhattan), 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and 110th Street (Manhattan), ...
in uptown New York City, where Ororo is born. They later moved to
Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...
and lived there until they die during the
Suez Crisis The Suez Crisis, or the Second Arab–Israeli war, also called the Tripartite Aggression ( ar, العدوان الثلاثي, Al-ʿUdwān aṯ-Ṯulāṯiyy) in the Arab world and the Sinai War in Israel,Also known as the Suez War or 1956 Wa ...
in a botched aircraft attack, leaving six-year-old Ororo as an orphan. Her violent
claustrophobia Claustrophobia is the fear of confined spaces. It can be triggered by many situations or stimuli, including elevators, especially when crowded to capacity, windowless rooms, and hotel rooms with closed doors and sealed windows. Even bedrooms with ...
is established as a result of being buried under tons of rubble after that attack. She becomes a skilled thief in
Cairo Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world and the Middle East: The Greater Cairo metro ...
under the benign Achmed el-Gibar and wanders into the
Serengeti The Serengeti ( ) ecosystem is a geographical region in Africa, spanning northern Tanzania. The protected area within the region includes approximately of land, including the Serengeti National Park and several game reserves. The Serengeti ...
as a young woman. She is worshipped as a goddess when her powers appear before being recruited by
Professor X Professor X (Charles Francis Xavier) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is depicted as the founder and sometimes leader of the X-Men. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-writ ...
for the X-Men.''The Uncanny X-Men'' #102 (December 1976) Marvel Comics Claremont further fleshed out Storm's backstory in ''The Uncanny X-Men'' #117 (January 1979). He retroactively added that Professor X, who recruits her in ''Giant Size X-Men'' #1 of 1975, had already met her as a child in Cairo. As Ororo grows up on the streets and becomes a proficient thief under the tutelage of master thief Achmed el-Gibar, one of her most notable victims was Charles Francis Xavier, later Professor X. He is able to use his mental powers to temporarily prevent her escape and recognizes the potential in her. However, when Xavier is attacked mentally by Amahl Farouk, the
Shadow King The Shadow King (Amahl Farouk) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is particularly associated with the X-Men family of comics. His nemesis is the X-Men's leader, Professor X, while he also ...
, the two men are preoccupied enough with their battle to allow the girl to escape. Both Xavier and the Shadow King recognize Storm as the young girl later.''The Uncanny X-Men'' #117 January 1979. Marvel Comics.


1980s: Punk look and loss of powers

In the following issues, Claremont portrayed Storm as a serene, independent character. Although Storm was initially written having trouble adjusting to
Western culture Leonardo da Vinci's ''Vitruvian Man''. Based on the correlations of ideal Body proportions">human proportions with geometry described by the ancient Roman architect Vitruvius in Book III of his treatise ''De architectura''. image:Plato Pio-Cle ...
, e.g. calling the obligation to wear clothing in public "absurd",''The Uncanny X-Men'' #109 (February 1978). Marvel Comics in ''The Uncanny X-Men'' #139 (November 1980), Claremont established her as the leader of the X-Men after Cyclops takes a leave of absence,''The Uncanny X-Men'' #139 (November 1980). Marvel Comics a position she holds in various incarnations. Claremont also established a maternal relationship between Storm and the 13-year-old X-Man
Kitty Pryde Katherine Anne "Kitty" Pryde is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, commonly in association with the X-Men. The character First appearance, first appeared in ''The Uncanny X-Men'' #129 (January 1980) and was ...
. A short story by Claremont set during Storm's childhood in Kenya that ran in ''
Marvel Team-Up ''Marvel Team-Up'' is an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics. The series featured two or more Marvel characters in one story. The series was originally published from March 1972 through February 1985, and featured Spider-Man as ...
'' #100 (December 1980), establishes that when she was 12 years old, Storm saved a young
Black Panther A black panther is the melanistic colour variant of the leopard (''Panthera pardus'') and the jaguar (''Panthera onca''). Black panthers of both species have excess black pigments, but their typical rosettes are also present. They have been d ...
from racist thugs."Cry--Vengeance!," ''
Marvel Team-Up ''Marvel Team-Up'' is an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics. The series featured two or more Marvel characters in one story. The series was originally published from March 1972 through February 1985, and featured Spider-Man as ...
'' #100 (December 1980). Marvel Comics.
This story would later become the basis for later writers to establish a deeper relationship between both characters. In the early 1980s, adventures of Storm written by Claremont included a
space opera Space opera is a subgenre of science fiction that emphasizes space warfare, with use of melodramatic, risk-taking space adventures, relationships, and chivalric romance. Set mainly or entirely in outer space, it features technological and soci ...
arc, in which the X-Men fight parasitic beings called the
Brood Brood may refer to: Nature * Brood, a collective term for offspring * Brooding, the incubation of bird eggs by their parents * Bee brood, the young of a beehive * Individual broods of North American Periodical Cicadas: ** Brood X, the largest bro ...
. Storm is infected with a Brood egg and contemplates suicide, but then experiences a last-minute save by the benign whale-like
Acanti The Acanti are a race of fictional whale-like, extraterrestrial beings appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. They have appeared in ''Uncanny X-Men'' within the Marvel Comics universe. They were created by writer Chris Cl ...
aliens. Storm's fellow X-Man
Angel In various theistic religious traditions an angel is a supernatural spiritual being who serves God. Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity. Other roles include ...
is abducted by a rogue
mutant In biology, and especially in genetics, a mutant is an organism or a new genetic character arising or resulting from an instance of mutation, which is generally an alteration of the DNA sequence of the genome or chromosome of an organism. It ...
group called the
Morlocks Morlocks are a fictional species created by H. G. Wells for his 1895 novel,''The Time Machine'', and are the main antagonists. Since their creation by H. G. Wells, the Morlocks have appeared in many other works such as sequels, films, televisio ...
. The X-Men are outnumbered, and Storm is rendered sick by the Morlock called Plague. To save Kitty's life, Storm challenges the Morlocks' leader
Callisto Callisto most commonly refers to: *Callisto (mythology), a nymph *Callisto (moon), a moon of Jupiter Callisto may also refer to: Art and entertainment *''Callisto series'', a sequence of novels by Lin Carter *''Callisto'', a novel by Torsten Kro ...
, in a duel to the death for the leadership of the Morlocks. Despite being violently sick, she defeats Callisto by stabbing her with a knife. Callisto is saved through the efforts of a Morlock healer, and Storm offers the Morlocks refuge at the Xavier Mansion, though they decline. In ''The Uncanny X-Men'' #173 (October 1983), Claremont and artist Paul Smith created a new look for Storm, abandoning her old costume for black leather top and pants, and changing her former veil of white hair into a punk
mohawk Mohawk may refer to: Related to Native Americans *Mohawk people, an indigenous people of North America (Canada and New York) *Mohawk language, the language spoken by the Mohawk people *Mohawk hairstyle, from a hairstyle once thought to have been t ...
. The change in appearance was inspired by the decision of colleague
Walt Simonson Walter Simonson (born September 2, 1946) is an American comic book writer and artist, best known for a run on Marvel Comics' ''Thor'' from 1983 to 1987, during which he created the character Beta Ray Bill. He is also known for the creator-owned w ...
to shave off his beard and mustache while on vacation with his wife, ''X-Men'' editor
Louise Simonson Louise Simonson (née Mary Louise Alexander; born September 26, 1946) is an American comic book writer and editor. She is best known for her work on comic book titles such as ''Conan the Barbarian'', ''Power Pack'', ''X-Factor'', ''New Mutants'', ...
. Upon their return, Simonson's daughter, Julie, upset at her father's new appearance, ran from the room. When the editors decided to change Storm's appearance, Smith submitted a number of designs to them, explaining in a 2008 interview:
I did a number of portraits, all quite lovely and feminine. As a joke, I included a shot of her as Mr. T. You know, the kind of shot where they HAVE to go the other way. Weezie [''X-Men'' editor
Louise Simonson Louise Simonson (née Mary Louise Alexander; born September 26, 1946) is an American comic book writer and editor. She is best known for her work on comic book titles such as ''Conan the Barbarian'', ''Power Pack'', ''X-Factor'', ''New Mutants'', ...
]'s response? 'They're going to hang us whichever way we go. Let's commit the murder.' I argued it was a joke and a monstrously bad idea but, given my departure following 175 was set prior to beginning my run, my vote didn't count. So I did what I could with what I had left... So we went with the Mohawk ...But once you get into the whole leather and stud thing it was a bad joke that got way out of hand.''Marvel Spotlight: Uncanny X-Men 500 Issues Celebration'' (2008), Marvel Comics. p. 20
Julie Simonson's reaction to her father's new appearance would be mirrored in X-Man
Kitty Pryde Katherine Anne "Kitty" Pryde is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, commonly in association with the X-Men. The character First appearance, first appeared in ''The Uncanny X-Men'' #129 (January 1980) and was ...
's heartbroken rejection of Storm's new look. In the story, Storm's outlook on life darkens after her struggles with the Brood. These changes alienate her from Kitty for a time. Storm is influenced in this by
Yukio Yukio is a masculine Japanese given name. Possible writings Yukio can be written using different combinations of kanji characters. Here are some examples: *幸夫, "happiness, man" *幸生, "happiness, live" *幸男, "happiness, man" *幸雄, ...
, a friend of Wolverine, and the two become fast friends; while the characters' relationship was originally conceived of as romantic, it was relegated to
subtext Subtext is any content of a creative work, which is not announced explicitly (by characters or author), but is implicit, or becomes something understood by the audience. Subtext has been used historically to imply controversial subjects without ...
after
Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...
' editor-in-chief
Jim Shooter James Shooter (born September 27, 1951) is an American writer, editor and publisher for various comic books. He started professionally in the medium at the age of 14, and he is most notable for his successful and controversial run as Marvel Comic ...
mandated that no same-gender couples could be depicted in comic books during his tenure at the company due to controversy in response to "A Very Personal Hell", a story Shooter had previously written in an issue of '' The Rampaging Hulk''. Claremont wrote an arc in which fellow mutant
Forge A forge is a type of hearth used for heating metals, or the workplace (smithy) where such a hearth is located. The forge is used by the smith to heat a piece of metal to a temperature at which it becomes easier to shape by forging, or to th ...
develops a mutant power neutralizing gun. The intended target is another X-Man, Rogue, but Storm is hit instead, taking away her powers. Forge takes her back to his home in
Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...
, Texas to recover. They fall in love, but when she learns that Forge built the weapon that took her powers, she is heartbroken and leaves him.Claremont, Chris (w), ''The Uncanny X-Men'' #185–186 (1984) Marvel Comics By 1986, the question arose of whether the X-Men would be led by Storm or by
Cyclops In Greek mythology and later Roman mythology, the Cyclopes ( ; el, Κύκλωπες, ''Kýklōpes'', "Circle-eyes" or "Round-eyes"; singular Cyclops ; , ''Kýklōps'') are giant one-eyed creatures. Three groups of Cyclopes can be distinguish ...
, who was now married to
Madelyne Pryor Madelyne Jennifer Pryor is a Character (arts), fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Paul Smith (comics), Paul Smith, the character first appeared in ''Uncann ...
and an expectant husband. The two settled the matter in a duel in the
Danger Room The Danger Room is a fictional training facility appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. It first appeared in ''The X-Men'' #1 (September 1963) and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. The facility is depicted as built for ...
that saw Storm victorious.''The Uncanny X-Men'' #201 (1986) Marvel Comics It was later revealed during the "
Inferno Inferno may refer to: * Hell, an afterlife place of suffering * Conflagration, a large uncontrolled fire Film * ''L'Inferno'', a 1911 Italian film * Inferno (1953 film), ''Inferno'' (1953 film), a film noir by Roy Ward Baker * Inferno (1973 fi ...
" storyline that Madelyne's nascent psychic abilities had emerged during that duel, unbeknownst to her or anyone, and that she had subconsciously used those abilities to influence the duel. During the 1988 "
Fall of the Mutants "The Fall of the Mutants" was a comic book crossover event by Marvel Comics spanning January to March 1988. It spanned three issues each of ''Uncanny X-Men'' #225-227, ''X-Factor'' #24-26, and ''New Mutants'' #59-61; unlike most crossovers howev ...
" storyline, Storm is trapped in another dimension with Forge, who restores her elemental powers. Following her rejoining the X-Men, they defeat a demonic enemy called the Adversary, in a battle in which the public believes the X-Men have died. They survive, with the help of the celestial being known as
Roma Roma or ROMA may refer to: Places Australia * Roma, Queensland, a town ** Roma Airport ** Roma Courthouse ** Electoral district of Roma, defunct ** Town of Roma, defunct town, now part of the Maranoa Regional Council *Roma Street, Brisbane, a ...
. Using a spell Roma has cast upon them to be invisible to electronic equipment,''The Uncanny X-Men'' #225–227 (January – March 1988) Marvel Comics the X-Men set up new headquarters in a small frontier village in the
Australian Outback The Outback is a remote, vast, sparsely populated area of Australia. The Outback is more remote than the bush. While often envisaged as being arid, the Outback regions extend from the northern to southern Australian coastlines and encompass a n ...
, after expelling a group of mutant-hunting cyborgs called Reavers who had been living there. Storm is captured by the cyborg Nanny.''The Uncanny X-Men'' #248 (September 1989). Marvel Comics. Although believed slain in that encounter, she resurfaced, having become amnesiac as a result of being physically regressed to childhood by Nanny. She is hunted by the evil telepath
Shadow King The Shadow King (Amahl Farouk) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is particularly associated with the X-Men family of comics. His nemesis is the X-Men's leader, Professor X, while he also ...
and framed for murder,''The Uncanny X-Men'' #253–257 (November 1989 – January 1990) Marvel Comics and finally returns to thieving. While she slowly starts to regain her memories, she meets with
Gambit A gambit (from Italian , the act of tripping someone with the leg to make them fall) is a chess opening in which a player sacrifices with the aim of achieving a subsequent advantage. The word ''gambit'' is also sometimes used to describe simi ...
and they return to the X-Men together.''The Uncanny X-Men'' #265–267 (August – September 1990) Marvel Comics In the following arc, " The X-Tinction Agenda", she is kidnapped by the mutant-exploiting nation of
Genosha Genosha ( or ) is a fictional country appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. It is an island nation that exists in Marvel's main shared universe, known as "Earth 616" in the Marvel Universe and a prominent place in the X-Me ...
and is temporarily transformed into a brainwashed slave, but in the end, is restored physically and mentally to her adult prime.''The Uncanny X-Men'' #270–271 (1991) Marvel Comics


1990s

In October 1991, the ''X-Men'' franchise was re-launched, centering on the new eponymous ''
X-Men The X-Men are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, first appearing in Uncanny X-Men, ''The X-Men'' #1 by artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby and writer/editor Stan Lee in 1963. Although initially cancelled in ...
'' comic. Claremont wrote Storm as the leader of the X-Men's Gold Team. The other team, Blue, was led by her colleague
Cyclops In Greek mythology and later Roman mythology, the Cyclopes ( ; el, Κύκλωπες, ''Kýklōpes'', "Circle-eyes" or "Round-eyes"; singular Cyclops ; , ''Kýklōps'') are giant one-eyed creatures. Three groups of Cyclopes can be distinguish ...
, the X-Man she once succeeded as the leader. In the sister title ''Uncanny X-Men'', now under
Scott Lobdell Scott Lobdell (; born 1960) is an American comic book writer and screenwriter known for his work on numerous ''X-Men'' series for Marvel Comics in the 1990s, various work for DC Comics in the 2010s, namely ''Red Hood and the Outlaws, Teen Titans ...
, Lobdell continued on the romance between Storm and Forge, which culminated in Forge's proposal to wed in 1992. Storm's slight hesitation, however, is misinterpreted by Forge, who then rescinds his offer before it can be accepted.''The Uncanny X-Men'' #289–290 (June 1992) Marvel Comics Lobdell waited until November 1993 before he wrote a reconciliation between the deeply pained Storm and Forge.''The Uncanny X-Men'' #306 (November 1993) Marvel Comics In 1995, Lobdell continued an arc again pitting the X-Men against the Morlocks. As Claremont did with Callisto in 1983, Lobdell has Storm ending the battle by wounding her opponent in the heart. Here, Storm rips out one heart of the two-hearted Morlock girl Marrow, which has a bomb affixed to it.''The Uncanny X-Men'' #325 (October 1995) Marvel Comics In February 1996, Storm got her first miniseries, the eponymous ''Storm.'' In the first arc of the series,
Warren Ellis Warren Girard Ellis (born 16 February 1968) is a British comic book writer, novelist, and screenwriter. He is best known as the co-creator of several original comics series, including ''Transmetropolitan'' (1997–2002), ''Global Frequency'' ( ...
writes a story in which Storm is sucked into an alternate dimension and pitted against villain
Mikhail Rasputin Mikhail Nikolaievitch Rasputin is a fictional supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is the older brother of Colossus of the X-Men and Magik of the New Mutants. He first appeared in ''The Uncanny ...
.''Storm'' #1–4 (February – May 1996) Marvel Comics


2000s

In ''
X-Treme X-Men ''X-Treme X-Men'' is the name of two comic book series published by Marvel Comics, the first from 2001 through 2004, and the second from 2012 through 2013. All 46 issues of the first series were written by Chris Claremont, and featured a glo ...
,'' conceived by a newly reinstated Chris Claremont in July 2001, Storm was written as the leader of this team, and the central character of the book, until its end in issue #46 (June 2004). During this time, Storm enjoys a brief flirtation with younger fellow X-Man
Slipstream A slipstream is a region behind a moving object in which a wake of fluid (typically air or mustard) is moving at velocities comparable to that of the moving fluid, relative to the ambient fluid through which the object is churning. The term slip ...
and is kidnapped by the intergalactic warlord
Khan Khan may refer to: *Khan (inn), from Persian, a caravanserai or resting-place for a travelling caravan *Khan (surname), including a list of people with the name *Khan (title), a royal title for a ruler in Mongol and Turkic languages and used by ...
. In the series, Storm also becomes the leader of the
X-Treme Sanctions Executive The X-Treme Sanctions Executive is a fictional paramilitary police force appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, in particular those featuring the X-Men, and related spinoffs. The organization is charged with keeping the p ...
, a special police task force of mutants policing mutants given worldwide authority.''X-Treme X-Men'' #1–46 (July 2001 – June 2004) Marvel Comics During the 2005 "
Decimation Decimation, Decimate, or variants may refer to: * Decimation (punishment), punitive discipline * Decimation (signal processing), reduction of digital signal's sampling rate * Decimation (comics), 2006 Marvel crossover spinoff ''House of M'' * ''D ...
" storyline, in which 90% of the mutants lose their powers, Storm is among the
198 __NOTOC__ Year 198 (CXCVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Sergius and Gallus (or, less frequently, year 951 ''Ab u ...
mutants who retain their powers."
House of M "House of M" is a 2005 comic book storyline published by Marvel Comics, consisting of a core eight-issue comic book limited series written by Brian Michael Bendis and illustrated by Olivier Coipel and a number of crossover tie-in books. Its fir ...
" (2005) Marvel Comics
Also that year, the miniseries ''Ororo: Before the Storm'' by writer Mark Sumerak retold her backstory in greater detail, concentrating on her relationship with surrogate father figure Achmed el-Gibar during her childhood.Sumerak, Mark (w). ''Ororo: Before the Storm'' #1–4 (August – November 2005). Marvel Comics. The following year, Marvel Comics announced that Storm would marry fellow African super hero
Black Panther A black panther is the melanistic colour variant of the leopard (''Panthera pardus'') and the jaguar (''Panthera onca''). Black panthers of both species have excess black pigments, but their typical rosettes are also present. They have been d ...
. Collaborating writer
Eric Jerome Dickey Eric Jerome Dickey (July 7, 1961January 3, 2021) was an American author. He wrote several crime novels involving grifters, ex cons, and assassins, the latter novels having more diverse settings, moving from Los Angeles to the United Kingdom to ...
explained that it was a move to explicitly target the female and African American audience. Storm's history with Black Panther, including the initial meeting of the characters, was
retcon Retroactive continuity, or retcon for short, is a literary device in which established diegetic facts in the plot of a fictional work (those established through the narrative itself) are adjusted, ignored, supplemented, or contradicted by a subse ...
ned by Marvel during the lead up to their marriage. Initially, in ''Marvel Team-Up'' #100 (1980), Storm is seen at age twelve rescuing Black Panther from a white racist called Andreas de Ruyter, but in Dickey's miniseries, T'Challa saves Ororo (who is still twelve) from de Ruyter and his brother. A ''Black Panther'' #24 (2006) flashback is ambiguous when it comes to the physical aspect of their first meeting, while the miniseries depicts Ororo giving her
virginity Virginity is the state of a person who has never engaged in sexual intercourse. The term ''virgin'' originally only referred to sexually inexperienced women, but has evolved to encompass a range of definitions, as found in traditional, modern ...
to T'Challa a few days after they meet.''Black Panther'' #24 (December 2006) Marvel Comics Collaborating writer
Axel Alonso Axel Alonso () is an American comic book creator and former journalist, best known as the former editor in chief at Marvel Comics, a role which he held from January 2011 until November 2017.Marston, George (November 17, 2017)"AXEL ALONSO Out, CB C ...
, editor of ''Black Panther'', has stated: "Eric's story, for all intents and purposes (...) is Ororo's origin story." The relationship led to the marriage of the two most prominent black African Marvel Comics heroes in ''Black Panther'' #18 by writer
Reginald Hudlin Reginald Alan Hudlin (born December 15, 1961) is an American film screenwriter, director, producer, and comic-book writer. Along with his older brother Warrington Hudlin, he is known as one of the Hudlin Brothers. From 2005 to 2008, Hudlin was P ...
, July 2006, as a tie-in to the "
Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
" storyline. Marvel Comics editor-in-chief
Joe Quesada Joseph Quesada (; born January 12, 1962'' Comics Buyer's Guide'' #1650; February 2009; page 107) is an American comic book artist, writer, editor, and television producer. He became known in the 1990s for his work on various Valiant Comics books ...
was highly supportive of this marriage, stating it was the Marvel Comics equivalent of the marriage of "
Lady Diana Diana, Princess of Wales (born Diana Frances Spencer; 1 July 1961 – 31 August 1997) was a member of the British royal family. She was the first wife of King Charles III (then Prince of Wales) and mother of Princes William and Harry. Her ac ...
and
Prince Charles Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. He was the longest-serving heir apparent and Prince of Wales and, at age 73, became the oldest person to ...
", and he expected both characters to emerge strengthened. Shawn Dudley, the
Emmy The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...
-Award Winning Costume Designer for TV's ''
Guiding Light ''Guiding Light'' (known as ''The Guiding Light'' before 1975) is an American radio and television soap opera. It is listed in ''Guinness World Records'' as the third longest-running drama in television in American history. ''Guiding Light'' a ...
'' designed Storm's wedding dress, which was revealed in the April 17 issue of ''
TV Guide TV Guide is an American digital media company that provides television program Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or t ...
'', though the design was greatly altered for the comic event. In 2007, when
Mister Fantastic Mister Fantastic (Reed Richards) is a superhero character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is a founding member, and the leader, of the Fantastic Four. Richards has a mastery of mechanical, aerospace a ...
and the
Invisible Woman The Invisible Woman (Susan "Sue" Storm-Richards) is a superheroine appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is a founding member of the Fantastic Four and was the first female superhero created by Marvel during ...
take time off from the Fantastic Four to work on their marriage in the aftermath of the "Civil War" storyline, Storm and Black Panther become temporary members of the
Fantastic Four The Fantastic Four is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team debuted in ''The Fantastic Four'' #1 ( cover dated Nov. 1961), helping usher in a new level of realism in the medium. It was the first ...
. Storm later returned to the ''
Uncanny X-Men ''Uncanny X-Men'', originally published as ''The X-Men'', is an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics since 1963, and is the longest-running series in the X-Men comics franchise. It features a team of superheroes called the X ...
''. Storm joins the reformed ''
Astonishing X-Men ''Astonishing X-Men'' is the name of four X-Men comic book series from Marvel Comics, the first two of which were limited series. The third volume, an ongoing series, began in 2004, with its first run written by Joss Whedon and art by John Cassada ...
'' #25 because she explains, Wakanda is a supporter of Mutantes Sans Frontieres and she believes she should be on the front line, however, she is also somewhat bored of her life as queen. The reemergence of the Shadow King later forces Storm to choose between her role as queen and her role as an X-Man. Confronting the Panther God Bast, Storm asserts that she is not limited to being one or the other or anything else and that she is unafraid to do whatever is necessary to fulfill those responsibilities. Regaining Bast's favor, the two defeat the Shadow King and Storm decides that she will remain Queen of Wakanda and remain with the X-Men, refusing to choose between them. Seeking to re-learn his limitations, T'Challa later leaves Africa and takes a new role as the guardian of Hell's Kitchen following the events of '' Shadowland''; Though the two remain a couple, Storm sadly but respectfully accepts T'Challa's request for temporary isolation so that he can find himself.


2010s

After the 2011 revamp of the X-Men related comic books Storm appears as the leader of a defensive, reconnaissance-based team of X-Men in the ongoing ''
X-Men The X-Men are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, first appearing in Uncanny X-Men, ''The X-Men'' #1 by artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby and writer/editor Stan Lee in 1963. Although initially cancelled in ...
'' title. In November that year, Storm joined the Avengers in ''The Avengers'' vol. 4 #19. She leaves the team to fight alongside the X-Men during the "
Avengers vs. X-Men ''Avengers vs. X-Men'' (''AvX'' or ''AvsX'') is a 2012 crossover event that was featured in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The event, consisting of an eponymous limited series and numerous tie-in books, involves the return of the Phoen ...
" storyline, which has her facing off against T'Challa when he sides with the Avengers. When a Phoenix-empowered Namor destroys Wakanda, Storm realizes the Phoenix Five are out of control and returns to help the Avengers. However, she is stunned when T'Challa tells her he has annulled their marriage. In April 2013, Marvel debuted a new all-female series simply named ''X-Men''. Written by Brian Wood with art by Olivier Coipel, ''X-Men'' features a roster of Storm, Jubilee, Rogue, Kitty Pryde, Rachel Grey and Psylocke. In late 2013, Marvel debuted ''
Amazing X-Men ''Amazing X-Men'' is the name of two X-Men comic book series from Marvel Comics. The first was a limited series published during the ''Age of Apocalypse'' storyline. The subsequent ongoing series began in November 2013 in the aftermath of Battl ...
'' by writer Jason Aaron, which featured Storm as a member of the team. July 2014 saw the debut of a ''Storm'' solo series written by Greg Pak with art by Victor Inanez. In the aftermath of "Secret Wars" storyline, Storm became the leader of the ''
Extraordinary X-Men ''Extraordinary X-Men'' was a comic series from Marvel Comics and the flagship X-Men title under the All-New, All-Different Marvel re-branding. The story takes place following the conclusion of the Secret Wars crossover event. In this comic seri ...
''. The aim of the team was to provide a safe haven for mutants following the release of the
Terrigen Mist The Inhumans are a fictional superhuman race of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The comic book series has usually focused more specifically on the adventures of the Inhuman Royal Family, and many peopl ...
, which is toxic to mutants. To protects the mutants, Storm relocated the team to
Limbo In Catholic theology, Limbo (Latin '' limbus'', edge or boundary, referring to the edge of Hell) is the afterlife condition of those who die in original sin without being assigned to the Hell of the Damned. Medieval theologians of Western Euro ...
. During
Civil War II "Civil War II" is a 2016 comic book crossover storyline published by Marvel Comics. Debuting in June of that year, it is the sequel to 2006's "Civil War" and consists of a nine-issue eponymous core limited series, by writer Brian Michael Bendis ...
, Storm sided with Captain Marvel and was pitted against
Magneto A magneto is an electrical generator that uses permanent magnets to produce periodic pulses of alternating current. Unlike a dynamo, a magneto does not contain a commutator to produce direct current. It is categorized as a form of alternator, ...
. Despite the tension between mutants and the
Inhumans The Inhumans are a fictional superhuman race of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The comic book series has usually focused more specifically on the adventures of the Inhuman Royal Family, and many peop ...
, Storm attempted to build an alliance with
Medusa In Greek mythology, Medusa (; Ancient Greek: Μέδουσα "guardian, protectress"), also called Gorgo, was one of the three monstrous Gorgons, generally described as winged human females with living venomous snakes in place of hair. Those ...
. When Magneto's X-Men attacked New Attilan, Storm's team clashed with the former villain. Storm reluctantly led the X-Men into a war with the Inhumans. Following the war with the
Inhumans The Inhumans are a fictional superhuman race of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The comic book series has usually focused more specifically on the adventures of the Inhuman Royal Family, and many peop ...
, Storm steps down as leader of the X-Men and is replaced by
Kitty Pryde Katherine Anne "Kitty" Pryde is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, commonly in association with the X-Men. The character First appearance, first appeared in ''The Uncanny X-Men'' #129 (January 1980) and was ...
. However, she continues to be a team member in X-Men: Gold. Additionally, Storm appears as a cast member of ''Black Panther and The Crew'', before its cancellation. Storm's magical hammer, known as Stormcaster, briefly returned to her. Later, Munroe joins the '' X-Men: Red'' roster, led by the newly resurrected
Jean Grey Jean Elaine Grey is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character has been known under the aliases Marvel Girl, Phoenix and Dark Phoenix. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack K ...
. During the
Hunt for Wolverine "Hunt for Wolverine" is a 2018 comic book storyline published by Marvel Comics, starring the character Wolverine. The storyline is the follow-up to the ''Death of Wolverine'', and is continued with ''Return of Wolverine.'' Premise The plot will d ...
, Storm helps the X-Men search for Logan in
Madripoor The Principality of Madripoor or Madripoor is a fictional island located in maritime Southeast Asia appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, mostly associated with stories from the ''X-Men'' series. Based on illustrations, it ...
. The mission results in a confrontation between the X-Men and the Femme Fatales, led by
Viper The Viperidae (vipers) are a family of snakes found in most parts of the world, except for Antarctica, Australia, Hawaii, Madagascar, and various other isolated islands. They are venomous and have long (relative to non-vipers), hinged fangs tha ...
.


Historical significance

Storm was one of the first black comic book characters, and the first black female, except for
Misty Knight Mercedes "Misty" Knight is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Tony Isabella and Arvell Jones, Knight was first mentioned (by name) in ''Marvel Premiere'' #20 (Jan. 1975) and appeared in ...
, who debuted in a comic dated March 1975, to play either a major or supporting role in the big two comic book houses,
Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...
and
DC Comics DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...
. Within these two companies, her 1975 debut was only preceded by a few male black characters and
Misty Knight Mercedes "Misty" Knight is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Tony Isabella and Arvell Jones, Knight was first mentioned (by name) in ''Marvel Premiere'' #20 (Jan. 1975) and appeared in ...
. In Marvel Comics, preceding characters were
Gabe Jones Gabriel "Gabe" Jones is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist and co-plotter Jack Kirby, he made his first appearance in World War II war comics series ' ...
(debuted in 1963),
Black Panther A black panther is the melanistic colour variant of the leopard (''Panthera pardus'') and the jaguar (''Panthera onca''). Black panthers of both species have excess black pigments, but their typical rosettes are also present. They have been d ...
(1966), Bill Foster (1966), ''
Spider-Man Spider-Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appeared in the anthology comic book '' Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in the ...
'' supporting characters Joe Robertson (1967), his son
Randy Randy is a given name, popular in the United States and Canada. It is primarily a masculine name. It was originally derived from the names Randall, Randolf, Randolph, as well as Bertrand and Andrew, and may be a short form (hypocorism) of the ...
(1968), Hobie Brown (the Prowler) & The Falcon (1969),
Luke Cage Lucas "Luke" Cage, born Carl Lucas and also known as Power Man, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared in ''Luke Cage, Hero for Hire'' #1 (June 1972) and was created by Archie Go ...
(1972),
Blade A blade is the portion of a tool, weapon, or machine with an edge that is designed to puncture, chop, slice or scrape surfaces or materials. Blades are typically made from materials that are harder than those they are to be used on. Historic ...
(1973), Abe Brown (1974), and
Misty Knight Mercedes "Misty" Knight is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Tony Isabella and Arvell Jones, Knight was first mentioned (by name) in ''Marvel Premiere'' #20 (Jan. 1975) and appeared in ...
(March 1975). In DC Comics, she was preceded by ''
Teen Titans The Teen Titans are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, frequently in eponymous monthly series. As the group's name indicates, the members are teenage superheroes, many of whom have acted as sidekicks to DC ...
'' member
Mal Duncan Malcolm Arnold "Mal" Duncan, currently known as Vox (also known as the Guardian, Hornblower, and the Herald), is a fictional character, existing in the DC Universe. Introduced in April 1970, he is DC's first African-American superhero. Publication ...
who debuted in 1970, ''
Green Lantern Green Lantern is the name of several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. They fight evil with the aid of rings that grant them a variety of extraordinary powers, all of which come from imagination, fearlessness, ...
'' wielder
John Stewart John Stewart may refer to: Business * John Aikman Stewart (1822–1926), American banker * John Killough Stewart (1867–1938), businessman and philanthropist in Queensland, Australia * John K. Stewart (1870–1916), American entrepreneur and inve ...
(1971), and
Mister Miracle Mister Miracle (Scott Free) is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He first appeared in ''Mister Miracle'' #1 (April 1971) and was created by Jack Kirby. Publication history Mister Miracle debuted in ...
protégé
Shilo Norman Shilo Norman is a fictional character, a superhero in the DC Comics universe. He is the third person to use the name Mister Miracle. Created by Jack Kirby, he first appeared in ''Mister Miracle'' #15 (August 1973). Fictional character biography ...
(1973); she preceded DC's other black heroes, ''
Legion of Super-Heroes The Legion of Super-Heroes is a fictional superhero team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Otto Binder and artist Al Plastino, the Legion is a group of superpowered beings living in the 30th and 31st c ...
'' member
Tyroc Tyroc is a fictional character in the DC Universe, a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes in the 30th and 31st centuries. Created by writer Cary Bates and artist Mike Grell, he first appeared in ''Superboy'' #216 (April 1976), a year before Blac ...
(who debuted in 1976),
Black Lightning Black Lightning (Jefferson Pierce) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character, created by writer Tony Isabella and artist Trevor Von Eeden, first appeared in ''Black Lightning'' #1 (April 1977), during ...
(1977),
Bumblebee A bumblebee (or bumble bee, bumble-bee, or humble-bee) is any of over 250 species in the genus ''Bombus'', part of Apidae, one of the bee families. This genus is the only extant group in the tribe Bombini, though a few extinct related gener ...
(1977),
Cyborg A cyborg ()—a portmanteau of ''cybernetic'' and ''organism''—is a being with both organic and biomechatronic body parts. The term was coined in 1960 by Manfred Clynes and Nathan S. Kline.
(1980),
Vixen Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelve sp ...
(1981) and Amazing-Man (1983). While not the first black character to be introduced, since her creation Storm has remained the most successful and recognizable black superhero. Gladys L. Knight, author of ''Female Action Heroes: A Guide to Women in Comics, Video games, Film, and Television'' (2010) wrote that "two defining aspects of her persona are her racial identity and her social status as a mutant." The X-Men have symbolically represented marginalized minorities and the debut of the ''X-Men'' series coincided with the
Civil Rights Movement The civil rights movement was a nonviolent social and political movement and campaign from 1954 to 1968 in the United States to abolish legalized institutional Racial segregation in the United States, racial segregation, Racial discrimination ...
, in which their plight as mutants mirrored that of African Americans. Storm's creation in particular "was during the heyday of
blaxploitation Blaxploitation is an ethnic subgenre of the exploitation film that emerged in the United States during the early 1970s. The term, a portmanteau of the words "black" and "exploitation", was coined in August 1972 by Junius Griffin, the president o ...
films."


Fictional character biography

Ever since her inception in 1975, Storm's biography has largely stayed the same. The framework was laid first by Chris Claremont, who fleshed out her backstory in ''The Uncanny X-Men'' #102 (1976), #113 (1978)''The Uncanny X-Men'' #113. Marvel Comics. and #117 (1979). Some reinterpretations were made in 2005 and 2006, where writers Mark Sumerak and Eric Jerome Dickey, respectively, rewrote part of her early history in the miniseries ''Ororo: Before the Storm'' and ''Storm'' vol. 2.''Storm'' vol. 2 #1–6 miniseries (April – November 2006). Marvel Comics. According to established Marvel canon, Ororo Munroe is born in New York City as the child of Kenyan tribal princess N'Dare and American photographer David Munroe. When Ororo is six months old, she and her parents move to the Egyptian capital of
Cairo Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world and the Middle East: The Greater Cairo metro ...
. Five years later, during the
Suez Crisis The Suez Crisis, or the Second Arab–Israeli war, also called the Tripartite Aggression ( ar, العدوان الثلاثي, Al-ʿUdwān aṯ-Ṯulāṯiyy) in the Arab world and the Sinai War in Israel,Also known as the Suez War or 1956 Wa ...
, a fighter jet crashes into her parents' house, killing them. Buried under tons of rubble, Ororo survives but is
orphan An orphan (from the el, ορφανός, orphanós) is a child whose parents have died. In common usage, only a child who has lost both parents due to death is called an orphan. When referring to animals, only the mother's condition is usuall ...
ed and left with intense
claustrophobia Claustrophobia is the fear of confined spaces. It can be triggered by many situations or stimuli, including elevators, especially when crowded to capacity, windowless rooms, and hotel rooms with closed doors and sealed windows. Even bedrooms with ...
. Her fear was once so intense that she was known to curl into a fetal position and approach a
catatonic state Catatonia is a complex neuropsychiatric behavioral syndrome that is characterized by abnormal movements, immobility, abnormal behaviors, and withdrawal. The onset of catatonia can be acute or subtle and symptoms can wax, wane, or change during ...
. In late 2000s storylines, however, writers like
Ed Brubaker Ed Brubaker (; born November 17, 1966) is an American comic book writer, cartoonist and screenwriter who works primarily in the crime fiction genre. He began his career with the semi-autobiographical series '' Lowlife'' and a number of serials i ...
and
Christopher Yost Christopher Lee Yost (born February 21, 1973) is an American film, television, animation, and comic book writer best known for his work for Marvel Studios' Marvel Cinematic Universe with '' Thor: The Dark World'' (2013) and '' Thor: Ragnarok'' ( ...
have indicated that Storm had largely conquered her claustrophobia, and can freely move in tight spaces, even over long periods of time. After the death of her parents, Ororo wanders Cairo's back-alleys for a few weeks, until she is picked up by the benign street lord Achmed el-Gibar and becomes a prolific thief; among her victims is her future mentor
Professor X Professor X (Charles Francis Xavier) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is depicted as the founder and sometimes leader of the X-Men. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-writ ...
who is there to meet the
Shadow King The Shadow King (Amahl Farouk) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is particularly associated with the X-Men family of comics. His nemesis is the X-Men's leader, Professor X, while he also ...
. Following an inner urge, she wanders into the
Serengeti The Serengeti ( ) ecosystem is a geographical region in Africa, spanning northern Tanzania. The protected area within the region includes approximately of land, including the Serengeti National Park and several game reserves. The Serengeti ...
as a teenager and meets
T'Challa Black Panther is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist-coplotter Jack Kirby. The character first appeared in '' Fantastic Four'' #52 ...
, who would become her future husband. Despite strong mutual feelings, the two part ways. In the Serengeti, Ororo first displays her mutant ability to control the weather. Sometime after this, she met the witch-priestess, Ainet, who took her in and became her surrogate mother. Once, when their village was going through a terrible drought, Storm commanded rain for days just to help them. By doing this, she threw off the natural order of nature, and droughts were formed over numerous villages, and hundreds of animals were killed. Sensing the damage, she had done, Ainet told Storm of her kind but poorly considered gesture, and of the damage she caused. Ainet took this opportunity to explain to Ororo how her powers worked with nature, and how she could fix the problem by properly distributing rain. For a time, she is worshiped as a rain goddess to an African tribe, practicing
nudism Naturism is a lifestyle of practising non-sexual social nudity in private and in public; the word also refers to the cultural movement which advocates and defends that lifestyle. Both may alternatively be called nudism. Though the two terms a ...
and tribal spirituality, before being recruited by Professor X into the X-Men. Ororo receives the code name "Storm" and is established as a strong, serene character. In her early career with the X-Men, she suffers a major claustrophobic attack, which prompts a revelation of her origin to her teammates.
Jean Grey Jean Elaine Grey is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character has been known under the aliases Marvel Girl, Phoenix and Dark Phoenix. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack K ...
becomes a close friend as Ororo acclimatizes to the team and the United States, the two supporting each other as the only female X-Men.''Classic X-Men'' #2''The Uncanny X-Men'' #100 When
Magneto A magneto is an electrical generator that uses permanent magnets to produce periodic pulses of alternating current. Unlike a dynamo, a magneto does not contain a commutator to produce direct current. It is categorized as a form of alternator, ...
captures the team, Storm frees the X-Men from captivity. Storm is later captured by the Emma Frost, White Queen, leading up to the X-Men's clash with Phoenix (comics), Dark Phoenix. She becomes deputy leader of the X-Men, and supplants her colleague
Cyclops In Greek mythology and later Roman mythology, the Cyclopes ( ; el, Κύκλωπες, ''Kýklōpes'', "Circle-eyes" or "Round-eyes"; singular Cyclops ; , ''Kýklōps'') are giant one-eyed creatures. Three groups of Cyclopes can be distinguish ...
as leader of the X-Men, a role she fills out during most of her time as a superhero. She briefly became "Rogue Storm", and even switched bodies with the White Queen. She is attacked by Dracula (Marvel Comics), Dracula,''The Uncanny X-Men'' #159. Marvel Comics. and defeats
Callisto Callisto most commonly refers to: *Callisto (mythology), a nymph *Callisto (moon), a moon of Jupiter Callisto may also refer to: Art and entertainment *''Callisto series'', a sequence of novels by Lin Carter *''Callisto'', a novel by Torsten Kro ...
, becoming the new leader of the
Morlocks Morlocks are a fictional species created by H. G. Wells for his 1895 novel,''The Time Machine'', and are the main antagonists. Since their creation by H. G. Wells, the Morlocks have appeared in many other works such as sequels, films, televisio ...
. Following her leadership of the Morlocks through combat with Callisto, Storm begins to develop a darker side. Eventually, the X-Men are invited to Japan for Wolverine's wedding to Mariko Yashida. It is here that she meets Wolverine's old friend
Yukio Yukio is a masculine Japanese given name. Possible writings Yukio can be written using different combinations of kanji characters. Here are some examples: *幸夫, "happiness, man" *幸生, "happiness, live" *幸男, "happiness, man" *幸雄, ...
, and the two become fast friends. Storm is inspired by Yukio, who encourages Storm to embrace her emerging darker side. This leads Storm to drastically change her outward appearance to match her inner self and thus don her iconic punk drab. In a storyline that began in 1984, Storm is deprived of her superhuman powers by an energy weapon fired by Henry Peter Gyrich; unknown to her, this device was designed by the mutant inventor
Forge A forge is a type of hearth used for heating metals, or the workplace (smithy) where such a hearth is located. The forge is used by the smith to heat a piece of metal to a temperature at which it becomes easier to shape by forging, or to th ...
. The depowered Ororo subsequently meets and falls in love with Forge, but leaves him when she discovers that he is the inventor of the weapon behind her power loss. She helps Forge battle Dire Wraiths, before leaving him to rejoin the X-Men. She aids the New Mutants against the
Shadow King The Shadow King (Amahl Farouk) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is particularly associated with the X-Men family of comics. His nemesis is the X-Men's leader, Professor X, while he also ...
Amahl Farouk. She next journeys to Asgard (comics), Asgard with the X-Men, where she is briefly enslaved by Loki (Marvel Comics), Loki. She is nearly killed in a confrontation with Andreas von Strucker. She defeats Cyclops in a competition to become the X-Men's leader. During the "Fall of the Mutants" storyline, she is reunited with Forge, regains her superhuman powers, and dies with the X-Men in giving her life force to defeat the Adversary (comics), Adversary; she is resurrected by
Roma Roma or ROMA may refer to: Places Australia * Roma, Queensland, a town ** Roma Airport ** Roma Courthouse ** Electoral district of Roma, defunct ** Town of Roma, defunct town, now part of the Maranoa Regional Council *Roma Street, Brisbane, a ...
. She is reverted to childhood by the mutant Nanny, meets
Gambit A gambit (from Italian , the act of tripping someone with the leg to make them fall) is a chess opening in which a player sacrifices with the aim of achieving a subsequent advantage. The word ''gambit'' is also sometimes used to describe simi ...
, and is finally returned to adulthood – however, she is enslaved by the
Genosha Genosha ( or ) is a fictional country appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. It is an island nation that exists in Marvel's main shared universe, known as "Earth 616" in the Marvel Universe and a prominent place in the X-Me ...
ns, but regains her free will and escapes captivity. Concerning her personal life, she is for a long time romantically involved with fellow X-Man Forge, and even considers marrying him before their relationship dissolves. After Decimation (comics), 90% of the mutants of the world lose their powers, Storm leaves the X-Men to go to Africa. She rekindles her relationship with T'Challa, now a superhero known as Black Panther, marries him, and becomes the queen of the kingdom of Wakanda (Marvel), Wakanda.''Black Panther'' vol. 5 #18 (July 2006). Marvel Comics. She joins the new Fantastic Four alongside her husband when Reed and Sue take a vacation. On a mission in space, the Watcher (comics), Watcher tells Black Panther and Storm that their children will have a special destiny. Upon Reed's and Sue's return to the Fantastic Four, Storm and the Black Panther leave, with Storm returning to the X-Men, Uncanny X-Men to help out with events in ''X-Men: Messiah Complex, Messiah Complex''. After joining with the X-Men again, Storm is confronted by Cyclops over her position as an X-Man and a Queen. Cyclops reminds her that she made him choose between family and duty before, and she needs to make the same decision. Storm reacts by returning to Wakanda to face a despondent Black Panther, with the two seemingly falling out with each other, although it is later revealed that the Black Panther had been possessed by the Shadow King. After incapacitating the possessed T'Challa, Storm battles Cyclops, who had been mentally enthralled by the Shadow King to kill the other X-Men. After being forced to drive him out by striking Cyclops through the chest with a massive lightning bolt, the Shadow King then takes control of Storm, only to be devoured in vengeance by Bast, the Panther God, who had agreed to hide inside of Storm's mind to take revenge on the Shadow King for possessing T'Challa.''X-Men: Worlds Apart'' #1–4 (October 2008 – January 2009). Marvel Comics. Around the early 2010, Storm assumes a leadership position in a team operating from the island of Utopia, near San Francisco, after the X-Men: Schism. She took Cyclops's side in the Schism and thus becomes member of his new X-Tinction Team. After
Avengers vs. X-Men ''Avengers vs. X-Men'' (''AvX'' or ''AvsX'') is a 2012 crossover event that was featured in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The event, consisting of an eponymous limited series and numerous tie-in books, involves the return of the Phoen ...
, when T'Challa officially annuls their marriage, Storm returns to Wolverine's side and they both begin a relationship. During ''Marvel NOW!'' (early- to mid-2010s), she also goes back to a punk mohawk look with a new costume, and becomes a member of the Uncanny X-Force#Volume 2, Uncanny X-Force (with Psylocke, Spiral, Puck and a female Fantomex) and of an all-female incarnation of X-Men (with Jubilee, Rachel Grey, Rogue, Psylocke, Omega Sentinel and Monet/M). She also stars in her own short-lived solo title. After the Marvel Universe reboot in the ''Secret Wars (2015 comic book), Secret Wars'' crossover (2015), Storm returns to the fold in ''Extraordinay X-Men'', trying to deal with a new plague called M-Pox. The M-Pox is based on the dispersal on the atmosphere of the Terrigen Mists, and this situation rises the tensions between mutants and Inhumans, culminating in the crossover ''Inhumans vs. X-Men''.


ResurrXion

When Kitty Pryde returns from space to lead the X-Men, Storm joins the her and a few familiar faces in the new ''X-Men Gold'' title. During the same period, she also rekindles her friendship with a resurrected Jean Grey and joins her X-Men Red, Red team.


Dawn of X

In the new status quo for mutants post ''House of X and Powers of X'', Professor X and Magneto invite all mutants to live on Krakoa and welcome even former enemies into their fold.''House of X'' #5. Marvel Comics. Storm takes part in a quasi-religious ceremony to welcome their newly resurrected comrades, after an attack on an Orchis/Master Mold base in space. Storm is seen attacking the last compound of Orchis on Earth with Magneto, Polaris and Cyclops. She also is part of the Marauders (comic book), Marauders crew with White Queen, Captain Kitty Pryde, Iceman, Pyro and Bishop. Another parallel storyline involves her attempts to find a cure for a technorganic infection. Later, after the Hellfire Gala and the terraforming of planet Mars, Storm leaves the Marauders and becomes the regent of Arakko and Voice of the Sol System.


Powers and abilities


Weather control

Storm is one of the most powerful Mutants (Marvel Comics), mutants on Earth and has demonstrated a plethora of abilities, most of which are facets of her power to Weather manipulation, manipulate the weather. Storm possesses the Psionics, psionic ability to control all forms of weather over vast areas. She has been able to control both Earthly and extraterrestrial ecosystems. She can modify the temperature of the environment, control all forms of precipitation, humidity, and moisture (at a molecular level), generate lightning and other electromagnetic atmospheric phenomena, and has demonstrated excellent control over atmospheric pressure. She can incite all forms of meteorological tempests, such as tornadoes, thunderstorms, blizzards, and Tropical cyclone, hurricanes, as well as mist. She can dissipate such weather to form clear skies as well. Her precise control over the atmosphere allows her to create special weather effects. She can create precipitation at higher or lower altitudes than normal, make whirlwinds travel pointing lengthwise in any direction, channel ambient electromagnetism through her body to generate electric blasts, Flash freezing, flash freeze objects and people, coalesce atmospheric pollutants into acid rain or toxic fog, and, along with her natural ability of flight, summon wind currents strong enough to support her weight to elevate herself (or others) to fly at high altitudes and speeds. Her control is so great that she can even manipulate the air in a person's lungs. She can also control the pressure inside the human inner ear, an ability she uses to cause intense pain. She can also bend light using moisture in the air and her manipulation of mist and fog to appear partially transparent, and in later comics, nearly invisible. Storm has also demonstrated the ability to control natural forces that include Space weather, cosmic storms, solar wind, ocean currents, and the electromagnetic field. She has demonstrated the ability to separate water molecules into oxygen and hydrogen via electrolysis, allowing her to breathe underwater. While in outer space, she is able to affect and manipulate the interstellar and intergalactic media. Storm can alter her visual perceptions so as to see the universe in terms of energy patterns, detecting the flow of kinetic, thermal and electromagnetic energy behind weather phenomena and can bend this energy to her will. Storm has been shown to be sensitive to the dynamics of the natural world, and her psionic powers over the weather are affected by her emotions. One consequence of this connection to nature is that she often suppresses extreme feelings to prevent her emotional state from resulting in violent weather. She has once sensed a diseased and dying tree on the X-Mansion grounds, detected objects within various atmospheric mediums—including water, and sensed the incorrect motion of a hurricane in the Northern Hemisphere and the gravitational stress on the tides by the Moon and Sun as well as the distortion of a planet's magnetosphere. Storm can view the Earth as weather patterns, and is able to precisely recognize her geographic position through interpretations of these patterns. Storm's mutant abilities are limited by her willpower and the strength of her body. Sentinel (comics), Sentinels have considered Storm an Omega-level mutant on one occasion.


Magical potential

Storm's ancestry supports the use of magic and witchcraft.''The Marvel Tarot'' Direct Edition One Shot, June 2007. Marvel Comics. Many of her ancestors were sorceresses and priestesses. Storm's matrilineal powers have even been linked to the ''real-world'' Rain Queens of Balobedu, the region from which her Sorceress Supreme ancestor from the Hyborian Age, Ayesha, hails. The Mystic Arcana series deals with Storm's ancestor Ashake, who worships the Egyptian goddess Ma'at, also known as Oshtur – the mother of Agamotto. Oshtur appears to have strong favor for the bloodline of Ororo. For some unknown reason, since the dawn of Atlantis, this line of African women has been given distinguishing features of white hair, blue eyes, and powerful magic potential. Although Storm has not developed her magical potential, it has been hinted at. The Mystic Arcana series lists the characters with magic potential according to the Marvel Tarot deck. The Tarot asserts Storm as being "High Priestess", the First Tarot's choice one-third of the time. The other draws were the Scarlet Witch and Agatha Harkness. These three characters split the High Priestess card equally. A timeline-divergent Storm became the sorceress who taught sorcery to Magik (comics), Magik and some of Storm's alternate universe selves possess considerable magical talent. On a separate note, it has been stated that Storm's spirit is so strong that she was able to host the consciousness of an Incarnation, avatar (or "manifestation body"Gruenwald, Mark (w). ''Quasar'' #38. Marvel Comics.) of Eternity (comics), Eternity; in a gathering consisting of herself, Doctor Strange, Black Panther, Silver Surfer and the
Fantastic Four The Fantastic Four is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team debuted in ''The Fantastic Four'' #1 ( cover dated Nov. 1961), helping usher in a new level of realism in the medium. It was the first ...
, she and Doctor Strange were the only viable candidates. In Wakanda, Storm is called Hadari-Yao ("Walker of Clouds" in ancient Alkamite), a goddess who preserves the balance of natural things.


Combat and thievery

Storm's willpower is strong enough to defy Dracula's commands after he bites her. She is an expert thief, and a skilled, cunning and gifted hand-to-hand fighter, trained by Achmed el-Gibar, Professor X, Wolverine (character), Wolverine and T'Challa, the Black Panther. By using superior strategy, Storm has overcome physically stronger foes like
Callisto Callisto most commonly refers to: *Callisto (mythology), a nymph *Callisto (moon), a moon of Jupiter Callisto may also refer to: Art and entertainment *''Callisto series'', a sequence of novels by Lin Carter *''Callisto'', a novel by Torsten Kro ...
and the Crimson Commando in hand-to-hand combat. Storm is an excellent marksman with handguns, and is proficient in the use of knives. Storm is also fluent in Russian, Arabic, and Swahili. As part of her paraphernalia, Storm carries a set of lock-picks (with which she has an extraordinary ability at picking locks, including her teeth while her physical coordination was reduced to the level of an infant) and her ancestral ruby, which allows inter-dimensional transportation with the help of her lightning.


Physical abilities and traits

Storm's weather powers allow her body to compensate for climate extremes; on one occasion as she was trying to control an unnatural storm she becomes overwhelmed as her body temperature rises too high. In ''The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe'' – X-Men (2004), it is stated that her powers enable her to breathe while moving at any speed and protect her from air friction, while granting her protection from temperature extremes of heat and cold; the ''All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Update'' #1 (2007) states that Storm's body changes temperature in opposition to her environment so that the colder the environment the warmer her body gets, and the warmer the environment the colder her body gets. Her body compensates for rapid decreases or increases in atmospheric pressure. She can see in near-complete darkness and has superb dexterity. Storm has been described as having one of the strongest wills among the X-Men, making her highly resistant to psychic attacks especially in tandem with electrical fields she creates around herself. Telepaths have found it difficult to track her down and probe her thoughts. Several of these traits are independent of her mutant status and are a result of her ancestry. Also, when using her powers, Storm's eyes turn solid white. Storm has been stated to be an Omega-Level Mutant.''House of X'' #1 Her potential is as of yet unrealized, and on one occasion the Super Giant stated that Storm was an "Omega-Level Mutate", grouping and targeting her with Omega-Level mutants such as Iceman and Rachel Grey. Her Omega-Level status was eventually confirmed. Storm's real name "Ororo" is translated in her language as "Beauty".


Cultural impact and legacy


Critical reception

Andrew Wheeler of ''ComicsAlliance'' described Storm as "the first major black female superhero," stating, "Storm was designed to stand out from previous super-women, and not only by dint of her race. She also had long white hair and strange oval irises, and arguably the most formidable power set in the new team. From the start, her weather-control powers allowed her to summon raging winds and lightning strikes. She was a heavyweight who had been worshiped as a goddess, and there was never any question of her using her powers only to defend or evade. She wasn't introduced as a damsel, and she wasn't introduced as a love interest." Alex Abad-Santos of ''Vox Media, Vox'' called Storm "one of Marvel's most iconic characters," saying, "Marvel, for the past couple of years, has built up a notably diverse cast of heroes, and started to get serious about featuring its female leads. But arguably the most iconic non-white character the company has introduced to date is Storm, aka Ororo Munroe, who was first introduced in 1975. Clocking in at 5'11" with white hair, black skin, and the power to control the weather, Storm was startling, beautiful, and something readers had never seen before. She's a big reason writer Greg Pak picked up comic books." Ashanti El of ''Screen Rant'' referred to Storm as a "veteran X-Men hero and weather goddess," writing, "riginal X-Men and esteemed weather goddess, Storm, is the subject of brand new fan art that celebrates the mutant's legacy and importance in pop culture. Ororo Munroe, aka Storm, remains a popular figure in Marvel history. [...] Storm's fame in media stems from her unmatched representation as a black woman. In a time when the majority of superheroes were only white men in capes, Ororo broke the mold and proved that diversity in comics was possible and lucrative with the X-Men starring in several pop-culture landmarks, including the popular '90s animated series. A trailblazer among trailblazers, Storm's roles in comics helped to usher in a new wave of comic book heroes like Riri Williams, Lunella Lafayette, and Shuri. Cosplayers and fans also marvel at the mutant's stylish costumes including the iconic self-empowering '80s mohawk look." Danielle Broadway of ''The Mary Sue'' stated, "The Marvel character Storm is not only a staple of the X-Men franchise, but also a notorious fan favorite. From her epic weather control powers to her unique style, Storm has stolen the hearts of many. Created by writer Len Wein and artist Dave Cockrum, she’s one of the first and only Black woman superheroes in Marvel comics. [...] She illustrates what it means to be a Black woman as she fights to oppose stereotypes, violence, and commodification." Karen Attiah of ''The Washington Post'' asserted, "African women are having a bit of a moment in American pop culture. From Nigerian author Chimamanda Adichie to Ghanaian-Nigerian author Taiye Selasie, to Kenyan star Lupita Nyong’o, African immigrant women are finding that their stories and performances resonate with American audiences. Now, a fictional woman is joining their ranks: Ororo Munroe, known as Storm, a member of Marvel’s X-Men team. [...] Even as a supporting character or member of an ensemble, Storm’s done it all. She’s been an African queen, a street thief, an X-Men team leader and the headmistress of the Jean Grey School of Higher Learning. In the world of comic book fantasy where black characters are scarce, the fact that Storm was one of the most powerful mutants in the X-Men universe was a point of pride growing up." Sara Century of ''Syfy'' said, "It’s no secret that Ororo Munroe is a FANGRRLS favorite. This is a woman that has been around the world and even a pretty fair amount of the galaxy yet she remains perhaps the most emotionally grounded X-Man. She’s an omega level mutant and finds herself regularly seated at tables of Marvel’s most powerful players. She has done everything from pickpocket to queen. She is kind of the best." David Harth of ''CBR.com'' wrote, "Storm has been on a long strange trip throughout her life in comics, one that's always seen her on an upward trajectory. From a thief on the streets of Cairo to a goddess on the African plains to a superhero and leader of the highest caliber, Ororo Munroe has proven nothing can hold her back. Storm remained one of the most beloved X-Men and an irreplaceable part of the team's mythos. Debuting on a stacked X-Men team, she was still able to stand out. Marvel and the creators who worked on Storm did their best to make her a better character, creating a superhero unlike any other." Chris Arrant of ''Newsarama'' wrote, "While her mutant ability to control the weather is a pivotal part of her, thanks to the writers and artists that have added layers to her character, it's Storm the woman and her often dueling qualities of tenacity, anger, forgiveness, and compassion that have forged her into a titan of modern fiction and cemented her into the bedrock foundation of Marvel Comics most important characters." ''IGN'' stated, "Storm's ability to manipulate and harness the weather makes her one of the most powerful mutants on Earth. But power like that comes at a great cost. Storm lives every day in a state of carefully maintained composure. Too much stress could be deadly for everyone around her. Fans have seen Storm as a thief, an X-Man, a fighter, and even a queen. Through it all, she remains one of the most relatable mutant heroes."


Accolades

* In 2011, ''Wizard (magazine), Wizard'' ranked Storm 89th in their "Wizard's top 200 comic book characters" list. * In 2011, ''IGN'' ranked Storm 8th in their "The Top 25 X-Men" list and 42nd in their "Top 100 Comic Books Heroes" list. * In 2011, ''Comics Buyer's Guide'' ranked Storm 30th in their "100 Sexiest Women in Comics" list. * In 2012, ''IGN'' ranked Storm 37th in their "The Top 50 Avengers" list. * In 2015, ''Entertainment Weekly'' ranked Storm 3rd in their "Let's rank every X-Man ever" list. * In 2017, ''The Daily Dot'' ranked Storm 3rd in their "top 33 female superheroes of all time" list. * In 2018, ''GameSpot'' ranked Storm 6th in their "50 Most Important Superheroes" list. * In 2019, ''Comicbook.com'' ranked Storm 7th in their "50 Most Important Superheroes Ever" list. * In 2019, ''Daily Mirror'' ranked Storm 4th in their "Best female superheroes of all time" list. * In 2020, ''Scary Mommy'' ranked Storm 7th in their "Looking For A Role Model? These 195+ Marvel Female Characters Are Truly Heroic" list. * In 2021, ''CBR.com'' ranked Storm 2nd in their "10 Bravest Mutants in Marvel Comics" list. * In 2022, ''Looper (website), Looper'' include Storm in their "Most Powerful X-Men" list. * In 2022, ''Screen Rant'' included Storm in their "10 Most Powerful X-Men" list. * In 2022, ''Newsarama'' ranked Storm 2nd in their "Best X-Men members of all time" list. * In 2022, ''The Mary Sue'' ranked Storm 7th in their "10 Most Powerful X-Men of All Time" list. * In 2022, ''Newsarama'' ranked Storm 3rd in their "best Marvel characters of all time" list. * In 2022, ''Screen Rant'' ranked Storm 8th in their "10 X-Men Characters, Ranked By Likability" list and included her in their "10 Most Powerful X-Men" list, in their "10 Best Black Panther Comics Characters Not In The MCU" list, and in their "10 Marvel Comics Gods Who Should Join The MCU Next" list. * In 2022, ''CBR.com'' ranked Storm 2nd in their "X-Men's Greatest Leaders" list, 6th in their "10 Greatest X-Men list, 6th in their "10 Most Attractive Marvel Heroes" list, and 7th in their "15 Strongest Omega-Level X-Men" list.


Literary reception


Volumes


''X-Men: Curse of the Mutants - Storm & Gambit'' - 2010

According to Diamond Comic Distributors, ''X-Men: Curse of the Mutants - Storm & Gambit'' #1 was the 55th best selling comic book in August 2010. James Hunt of ''CBR.com'' called ''X-Men: Curse of the Mutants - Storm & Gambit'' #1 "remarkably good," asserting, "The issue sees Storm and Gambit -- characters with similar skill sets (if not powers) and a history of working together -- teaming up to steal Dracula's body from the heart of Vampire Island. It makes perfect sense to team this pair up, and strangely, this could have made for a reasonably satisfying issue of the main series, if only editorial were willing to break out of the fairly narrow idea of what an X-Men story has to be these days. [...] The big thing this book has going for it is that it is, far and away, the best thing to come out with the "Curse of the Mutants" name attached. In fact, it almost works well enough as a stand-alone piece to recommend buying even if you're not following the ongoing story. Give it a chance, and you might be surprised."


''Storm'' - 2014

According to Diamond Comic Distributors, ''Storm'' #1 was the 46th best selling comic book in July 2014. At the 2007 Glyph Comics Awards, the Fan Award for Best Comic was won by ''Storm'', by Eric Jerome Dickey, David Yardin & Lan Medina, and Jay Leisten & Sean Parsons. Meagan Damore of ''CBR.com'' stated, "As powerful and profound as its protagonist, Greg Pak and Victor Ibanez's "Storm" #1 explores Ororo's ties around the world with befitting subtlety and grace. [...] For a single issue, "Storm" #1 has a lot going on under the surface. Pak, Ibanez, and Redmond have done Ororo great justice in creating such an inspiring, uplifting series for her with befitting subtlety and grace." Jeff Lake of ''IGN'' gave ''Storm'' #1 a grade of 8.3 out of 10, writing, "With ''Storm'' #1 Greg Pak and Victor Ibañez are off to a great start, injecting the character with a spark both familiar and refreshing. Though there's little to go on looking forward, the book's strong character work and emotive art are more than enough to merit a return read. All in all, Storm's first issue proves a welcome return to a fan favorite. Pak and Ibañez appear to have a great handle on the character, seemingly willing to show all of her different sides. Though the book thus far appears lacking in direction, The strong character work and excellent art make it a debut worth checking out."


''Giant-Size X-Men: Storm'' - 2020

According to Diamond Comic Distributors, ''Giant-Size X-Men: Storm'' #1 was the 22nd best selling comic book in September 2020. Theo Dwyer of ''Bleeding Cool'' said, "That Johnathan Hickman can dip into that kind of existential exploration in a superhero comic like ''Giant-Size X-Men: Storm'' #1'','' which fully embraces its silliness and goes for the joke more often than for the heart in this issue, is impressive. That last bit is no points off, either. This ''Storm'' comic is funny as hell and has its own voice apart from the ''Fantomex'' story that it spins out of, and I've said it before, and I'll say it again: for an art form called "comics," there are few genuinely funny comics coming out. This is one of them." Nicole Drum of ''Comicbook.com'' gave ''Giant-Size X-Men: Storm'' #1 a grade of 5 out of 5, writing, "''Giant-Size X-Men: Storm'' #1 is exquisite. The story itself is beautifully written. Hickman has captured perfectly the regalness and nuance of Storm while also managing to somehow get the other characters making up the issue right as well. Emma Frost is in the issue only briefly, but she's absolutely spot-on. And the art? The art is absolutely beyond gorgeous. Dauterman's art marries absolutely perfectly with Wilson's color. It's just so lush and graceful and, best of all, beautiful in a way that is realistic to the characters being drawn. From cover to cover, this is a truly glorious book and while there is a little bit of cliche in some of Storm's thoughts about life and its meaning, this book is so beautiful we'll just look past it. It's wonderful."


Other versions

In addition to her Marvel Universe, mainstream incarnation, the Marvel Comics character Storm has been depicted in other fictional universes. These alternative representations differ considerably from the details and events of the main "Storm" story, without affecting that story's narrative continuity.


Age of Apocalypse

In the hellish reality known as the ''Age of Apocalypse'', Storm is a member of the X-Men, but more streetwise and tough, and her romantic interest is Quicksilver (comics), Quicksilver. Her appearance differs in that she has a black lightning tattoo over her left eye and a bob hair cut. Years after the fall of Apocalypse, Weapon X, the AoA version of Wolverine whose mind was twisted into making him the heir of Apocalypse, captured and renamed her as Orordius after using the Celestial technology on her to enslave and transform her into a blind seer made of living stone.


Deadpool Corps

Professor X runs an orphanage for troubled kids where Storm is the headmistress. Kid versions of
Cyclops In Greek mythology and later Roman mythology, the Cyclopes ( ; el, Κύκλωπες, ''Kýklōpes'', "Circle-eyes" or "Round-eyes"; singular Cyclops ; , ''Kýklōps'') are giant one-eyed creatures. Three groups of Cyclopes can be distinguish ...
and Deadpool are sent to her office for causing trouble.


Marvel Mangaverse

In Marvel Mangaverse, Storm is a witch who trained with Abigail Hefton. She is later seen as a mutant. It is implied she was killed by The Hand (comics), The Hand.


Marvel Zombies

The basic premise of the various Marvel Zombies stories is that almost all super-powered beings on Earth have become flesh-eating zombies after being infected by an alien virus. Alongside Thor, Doctor Strange, Dr. Strange, Colossus, and Nightcrawler (comics), Nightcrawler, Storm is one of the last super-humans on her world to become a zombie.


Marriage to Forge

The 2004 series ''New X-Men (2004 series), New X-Men'' posits an alternative future for Storm in which she, under her birth name Ororo, marries
Forge A forge is a type of hearth used for heating metals, or the workplace (smithy) where such a hearth is located. The forge is used by the smith to heat a piece of metal to a temperature at which it becomes easier to shape by forging, or to th ...
and lives a happy married life in his building, Eagle's Plaza in
Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...
, Texas.


NOW WHAT! (Marvel)

In this universe, Spider-Storm appears who is a amalgamation of Storm and Spider-Man. She is a member of the X-Vengers.


Amalgam Comics

Amalgam Comics was a brief publishing collaboration between Marvel and
DC Comics DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...
, enabling characters owned by both companies to interact, and creating characters that were composites of Marvel and DC characters. Here, Ororo is a mutant with superpowers who nearly drowns as a child, but is rescued by Hippolyta (DC Comics), Queen Hippolyta of the Amazons (DC Comics), Amazons. Hippolyta raises young Ororo as an Amazon princess beside her own daughter Diana (see
Wonder Woman Wonder Woman is a superhero created by the American psychologist and writer William Moulton Marston (pen name: Charles Moulton), and artist Harry G. Peter. Marston's wife, Elizabeth Holloway Marston, Elizabeth, and their life partner, Olive Byr ...
) on the island of Themiscyra. She eventually leaves her island home to enter "Man's World" as Amazon (Amalgam Comics), Amazon, Amalgam's fusion of Storm and Wonder Woman. She joins the JLX (comics), JLX — a cross between the Justice League of DC Comics and Marvel's X-Men, consisting of similarly merged characters — and becomes their leader.


''Days of Future Past''

In the dystopian ''Days of Future Past'' storyline of Chris Claremont (1981), Storm is one of the last fighters of the mutant resistance and is killed by a horde of robotic, mutant-hunting Sentinel (comics), Sentinels.


Earth X

In a contemporary alternative universe, the ''Earth X'' series (started 1999 by Jim Krueger), Storm is known as "Queen Storm" and is married to
Black Panther A black panther is the melanistic colour variant of the leopard (''Panthera pardus'') and the jaguar (''Panthera onca''). Black panthers of both species have excess black pigments, but their typical rosettes are also present. They have been d ...
, something that happens in the mainstream universe seven years later.


Exiles

Two versions of Storm have appeared in ''Exiles (Marvel Comics), Exiles'': * A version of Storm that was similar to her mainstream counterpart was killed by the Phoenix Force (comics), Phoenix in a world where
Jean Grey Jean Elaine Grey is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character has been known under the aliases Marvel Girl, Phoenix and Dark Phoenix. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack K ...
manifested the Phoenix force in a manner reminiscent of The Dark Phoenix Saga. * One of the more prominent versions of Storm is a sixteen-year-old version of Ororo Munroe who is a member of the ruthless reality-hopping team Exiles (Marvel Comics)#Weapon X, Weapon X.


Mutant X (Marvel Comics)

''Bloodstorm'' is a fictional
mutant In biology, and especially in genetics, a mutant is an organism or a new genetic character arising or resulting from an instance of mutation, which is generally an alteration of the DNA sequence of the genome or chromosome of an organism. It ...
Vampire (Marvel Comics), vampire from an alternative universe within the Marvel Comics Multiverse (Marvel Comics), multiverse. She is an Parallel universe (fiction), alternative reality version of the
X-Men The X-Men are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, first appearing in Uncanny X-Men, ''The X-Men'' #1 by artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby and writer/editor Stan Lee in 1963. Although initially cancelled in ...
's Storm. Though introduced as a supporting character in ''Mutant X (comics), Mutant X'', she quickly became the breakout character of the series. Editors reported that the majority of fan mail to ''Mutant X'' was focused on her. Bloodstorm's history branches from her Earth-616, mainstream counterpart during the events of ''The Uncanny X-Men'' #159, in that she was not saved from the bite of Dracula (Marvel Comics), Dracula and was transformed into a Vampire (Marvel Comics), vampire. As she still retains her oath not to kill (in mainstream continuity she did not break that oath until ''The Uncanny X-Men'' #170, after her encounter with Dracula), Bloodstorm employs
Forge A forge is a type of hearth used for heating metals, or the workplace (smithy) where such a hearth is located. The forge is used by the smith to heat a piece of metal to a temperature at which it becomes easier to shape by forging, or to th ...
and
Kitty Pryde Katherine Anne "Kitty" Pryde is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, commonly in association with the X-Men. The character First appearance, first appeared in ''The Uncanny X-Men'' #129 (January 1980) and was ...
as food sources, draining from them enough to sustain herself but not to kill them. She leaves the X-Men and joins the team Mutant X (comics), The Six.


Limbo Storm

In ''The Uncanny X-Men'' #160 and in the ''Magik (Illyana and Storm)'' limited series, an alternative Storm is introduced, who lives the remaining years of her life in the demonic realm of Otherplace, Limbo.


Old Man Logan

In the "Old Man Logan" storyline, Storm is among the X-Men who perish at the hands of Wolverine when he is tricked by Mysterio into believing his friends are super-villains attacking the mansion.


Ultimate Marvel

In the Ultimate Marvel continuity, Storm is a founding member of the "Ultimate X-Men", created by Mark Millar and
Joe Quesada Joseph Quesada (; born January 12, 1962'' Comics Buyer's Guide'' #1650; February 2009; page 107) is an American comic book artist, writer, editor, and television producer. He became known in the 1990s for his work on various Valiant Comics books ...
in February 2001. Millar, who wrote for the series until July 2003, established Storm as an illegal immigrant from Morocco who lived in Athens, Texas as a car thief prior joining the X-Men. In contrast to her mainstream counterpart, Ultimate Storm initially has trouble controlling her powers. For example, she once passes out after reluctantly summoning an electrical storm in order to destroy a fleet of Sentinel (comics), Sentinels; her reluctance stemming from a past incident where she nearly electrocuted a playground full of children.''Ultimate X-Men'' #1 (February 2001). Marvel Comics, writer Mark Millar When later writer Brian Michael Bendis seemingly killed Beast off in April 2004,''Ultimate X-Men'' #44 (April 2004). Marvel Comics, writer Brian Michael Bendis a grief-stricken Storm drastically alters her appearance. This change parallels the transformation her mainstream counterpart goes through under Claremont and Smith.''Ultimate X-Men'' #46 (June 2004). Marvel Comics, writer Brian Michael Bendis Subsequent writer Brian K. Vaughan wrote Storm to act as the team's conscience and started a relationship between her and Alternative versions of Wolverine#Ultimate Wolverine, Wolverine. In the "Ultimate X-Men: Shock and Awe" arc (2005), Vaughan inserted new elements into her back story by establishing Lady Deathstrike#Ultimate Marvel, Yuriko "Yuri" Oyama as Storm's archenemy.


X-Men: Forever

In this alternative reality (with a history identical to 616), Storm kills Wolverine for unknown reasons as an agent of the Consortium (as yet unrevealed) and betrays the X-Men. As the X-Men search for her in New York City, an adolescent Storm with short hair appears to Gambit, just as young as she had appeared to him before. When Beast checks bloodwork, both Storms are identical. At the series conclusion, with the adult Storm-clone, now calling herself 'Perfect Storm', having become Wakanda's Queen after killing the Black Panther, the other two Storms merge into another adult Storm, keeping Perfect Storm prisoner while taking her place as Wakanda's Queen to undo the harm she had caused.


''What If...?''

Marvel's ''What If (comics), What If'' comic book series, which imagines alternative realities for Marvel characters, has featured Storm several times. The depicted relationship between Wolverine and Storm was also shown in the X-Men animated series episode "X-Men: The Animated Series: 'One Man's Worth'" (1995).


In other media

Storm has made numerous appearances in other media, including the X-Men: The Animated Series, ''X-Men'' animated television series, ''X-Men: Evolution'' and ''Wolverine and the X-Men (TV series), Wolverine and the X-Men''. She has appeared in six 20th Century Fox X-Men (film series), live-action ''X-Men'' films; she is portrayed by actress
Halle Berry Halle Maria Berry (; born Maria Halle Berry; August 14, 1966) is an American actress. She began her career as a model and entered several beauty contests, finishing as the first runner-up in the Miss USA pageant and coming in sixth in the Mis ...
in four of the films and her younger self is portrayed by
Alexandra Shipp Alexandra Ruth Shipp is an American actress and singer who rose to prominence for portraying singer Aaliyah in the Lifetime television film '' Aaliyah: The Princess of R&B'' (2014) and Kimberly Woodruff in the Oscar-nominated film '' Straight ...
in '' X-Men: Apocalypse'' and '' X-Men: Dark Phoenix''. She has also been in a large number of video games: a guest appearance in ''Spider-Man: Web of Shadows'' and a playable character in every game in the ''X-Men Legends''/''Marvel: Ultimate Alliance''/''Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2'' series.


Collected editions


References


External links


World of Black Heroes: Storm Biography
* *
Storm profile at Marvel Database Project
*
UncannyXmen.net Spotlight on StormStorm profile at Comicvine
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