Summary
One impressive piece ofcosplayis a perfect reminder ofStorm’sevolution over the past few years. Storm has always been one of the most endearing, beloved figures in comics culture to come out of the X-Men. As beloved as she’s been, her current growth in Marvel has painted her in a different light and elevated her in ways no one ever expected.
Redditor wifeviapancake recently re-posted a cosplay photo of digital creatorHanniyahxHanniyahrocking Storm’s classic attire, as seen below. At the time, the striking cosplay was posted in anticipation for the premiere ofX-Men ‘97,buta lot had taken place in the comics for Storm leading up to the show, and just as much has transpired in the time since.
Everything that has happened to Storm has contributed to a larger story, transforming her from a mutant hero into a true god. This article seeks to trace back exactly how she’s grown to god status.
The Origins of Storm
Ororo Munroe’s Humble Beginnings
Long before she reached god status, Storm made her debut inGiant-Size X-Men#1 by Len Wein and Dave Cockrum back in 1975. Ironically enough,before Storm officially reached god status, she was viewed as and treated as a god in Kenya due to her weather-based powers. It wasn’t until she received a visit from Charles Xavier that she started to understand that, rather than being a god, she’s a mutant. Professor X convinced her that she must tend to mutant responsibilities, and she left Africa to join the X-Men.
Storm’s first feats of power were simple, but nonetheless impressive. Manipulating the weather was never anything to scoff at, especially as, more often than not, she’d use her power to manifest actual storms and bursts of lightning directed at her opponents.As a result, even before she became recognized asan Omega-level mutant,she was always respected and feared as one of the most powerful members of the X-Men. As the years went on, Storm’s power would slowly grow as she mastered all the elements, further establishing her god status in due time.
Storm’s Growing Feats of Power
The Steps to Godhood
With Storm’s origins being rooted in her being hailed asmore of an African goddessthan a mutant, Marvel never seemed to forget this part of her debut and tried every opportunity it could to remind readers of this fact from her debut.Marvel creators would often dabble with this piece of Ororo’s history, playing with the idea of Storm in the realm of godhood. For instance, Marvel’s crossover with DC Comics and her ensuing encounter with Wonder Woman,led to Storm being granted the powers of a demigod.
Storm’s potential godhood has often been explored through her relationship with Thor. With Thor being an actual god, pairing him with someone who can match him in powerwithout being an actual godalways makes for a fascinating dynamic. The fascination continues to be explored to this day, withStorm joining Thor Corpsin the past year, but before that, she proved she was worthy of liftingMjolnir in the most epic waypossible.Such tremendous feats of strength were early indicators that, despite not being an actual god, this mutant was ready for her powers to reach god-tier potential.
Storm’s Life on Mars
Arakko Presented Her Big Break into Godhood
If there was one instance that needed to be cited as Storm’s breakout moment into officially being recognized as a god, it may have to be her run inX-Men: Red. Being viewed as a god was more than just showcasing divine power, as she did in holding Mjolnir for the first time.For readers to truly view Storm as a god and respect her as such, they needed to start seeing her as an independent hero existing outside of the X-Men. She did exactly that when shecut ties with Professor Xavier, Krakoa, and the X-Men as a whole.
Taking time away from the X-Men, the team she had been so strongly associated with for several decades, allowed Storm to be showcased as a solo hero for the first time in her career. It’s hard to be viewed as a god-tier hero when the bulk of one’s popularity is derived from the team she’s been with since she debuted. While she has had adventures away from the X-Men prior to her exit,it’s not until she broke away from the team completely that Marvel creators had the freedom to truly let Storm spread her wings without needing to worry about any ties to her X-Men obligations.
More importantly, in-universe, with no outside obligations, Storm had time to focus entirely on her life on Mars. For context,when mutants decide to terraform Mars, the planet is renamed Arakko with Storm appointed as the official Regent of Arakko. More than just being a god,Storm is positioned as the ruler of its solar system. This places her as a major centerpiece in a way that she likely wouldn’t be positioned in if she were still a member of the X-Men. With that focal point comes with its own power upgrades.
The Power Upgrades of a God
Storm Has Received Godly Boosts of Power
Without the worry of Storm overshadowing or usurping her teammates in power, writers have discovered creative ways to allow her to exceed new feats of power. Plus,every power upgrade helps to further upgrade her position on Arakko and her push to godhood. Among her more recent, impressive feats of strength, shemastered one of the MCU’s mostpowerful weapons by producing her own Bifrost bridge using her powers. Meanwhile, mastering her control over air pressure solidified thatshe’s more god than mutantin her current iteration.
If not for her new reign as a god-tier mutant and the ensuing adventures that have accompanied her new ranking, she would not be inthe position to join the Avengersas she is now. Breaking away from the X-Men and embarking on a journey to bolster her own legacy has done more than just shoot her into godhood: the new push fromMarvel has elevated Storm’s popularity in the process. Storm has always been one of the more popular X-Men, and as that popularity has grown naturally over the years, Marvel has invested heavily in elevating Storm’s status in recent years.
In other ways, though, Storm’s immense push in the comics has allowed Marvel to put her onto a bigger platform, one that puts her on the same level as Marvel’s figureheads like Spider-Man.If that’s not indicative that she’s a god now, then it’s indicative of just how well godhood has elevated Storm both in the comics and outside of them. Ororo Munroe has had a long journey dating back to her debut as a member of the X-Men. But now, just like in this cosplay from HanniyahxHanniyah,Stormstands tall and she stands alone as one of the biggest stars Marvel has.
