Written by Dr. Mike Robinson ~ Guest Writer
Photo of “Storm” comic cover retrieved from Marvel.com.
The best thief in Cario. A goddess in Kenya. A leader of the Uncanny X-Men. A teacher and mentor. A champion of Asgard. One time Queen of Wakanda. Regent of Mars and the ambassador of our solar system.
Ororo Munroe is all of those things and more.
You know her best as Storm.
Storm is not the first Black female superhero. That honor goes to a little-known character, Butterfly. A crime-fighter who briefly busted up thugs and criminal types in Hell-Rider #1 (1971), Butterfly passed into obscurity and the public domain. This may be the only time Storm has ever come in second place.
Storm debuted in Giant-Sized X-Men #1 (1975). While the international cast of mutants featured in the story never did spur the gigantic overseas sales that Marvel had hoped for, it was this new team of X-Men that propelled the series into the popularity it has today.
Storm’s vast power was one thing that immediately set her apart from other superheroes. Living as a goddess in Kenya, Storm is first seen summoning a powerful downpour to end a drought. When a desperate Charles Xavier recruits her to be part of a team that will rescue the original X-Men, she agrees to take up new responsibilities. Her incredible abilities to control all weather prove crucial to the defeat of Krakoa, a living island that seeks to devour all mutants.
Storm remains with the X-Men, setting up the element that will always define her character. Storm must carefully monitor how her own thoughts and feelings impact the weather around her. This does not neutralize the character. Rather, it just means that Storm knows the risks of truly cutting loose.
This dynamic also impacts her own leadership style when she becomes the first person to lead the team after the departure of its long-time leader Cyclops. Storm’s expectations of control and her care for others affected by superpowers sets up an amazing exchange between the hot-tempered Wolverine during a Battle with the Brotherhood of Mutants in Uncanny X-Men #142 (1981). When Storm orders Wolverine to sheath his claws, he turns on her. She cooly responds—
Storm: “I am leader of the X-Men. While that is so, you will use your claws when I command. No other time.”
Wolverine: “I wouldn’t take that from Cyclops!”
Storm: “You will take it from me.”
While not happy about it, Wolverine does as he is told. Fans still talk about this over forty years later.
In fact, leadership becomes Storm’s defining trait after her powers are accidentally removed. In the years that followed, she commanded the X-Men (and sometimes The New Mutants) without those abilities.
Thankfully, Storms powers eventually returned, bringing her back to the prominence she has today in the mutant community. Make no mistake, she does not always need them. This is a woman whose diplomatic skills can outmaneuver Doctor Doom in a deceptively polite dinner conversation and can unite warring factions on distant worlds.
But when Storm throws down, it is a wonder to behold. Remember, the fantastic is common in comics. When Storm wields her power, it is truly awesome.
