She’s keeping the hair. She’s keeping an artist who knows how to draw her. She has a Black writer. She’s not returning to any sort of 1990s-era status quo involving the mansion or Blue and Gold teams or a costume you can’t tell is black or white.
You guys … I think Storm might be OK?
Marvel on Wednesday announced the creative team and details of Storm’s new ongoing solo series by writer Murewa Ayodele (Akogun: Brutalizer of Gods) and artist Lucas Werneck (Immortal X-Men). The series appears to focus on how Storm, one of Earth’s mightiest mutants, will use her omega-level powers to attempt to effect positive change, having proven herself many times over as the Regent of Sol during the Krakoan era, and how her powers will draw new challenges and threats. She also will have a new base in Atlanta.
“As a fan of Storm, her duties to the X-Men, and what she stands for in various real-world communities, I would like to assure the audience that Storm is in danger. Extremely so,” Ayodele said in comments supplied by Marvel. “For our STORM series, one thing we would like fans to remember is that there are threats that are beyond Omega.”
A design sheet released by Marvel shows Ororo getting a modified version of her Arakko costume but keeping the textured, cloudlike hair she’s had since the first Hellfire Gala.
For those keeping score, Storm is the 10th series announced as part of the new “From the Ashes” era of X-Men. That includes Uncanny X-Men by Gail Simone and Dave Marquez, X-Men by Jed MacKay and Ryan Stegman, Exceptional X-Men by Eve Ewing and Carmen Carnero, X-Force by Geoffrey Thorne and Marcus To, Phoenix by Stephanie Phillips and Alessandro Miracolo, NYX by Jackson Lanzing, Collin Kelly and Francesco Mortarino, X-Factor by Mark Russell and Bob Quinn, Wolverine by Saladin Ahmed and Martin Coccolo, and a four-issue Dazzler miniseries by Jason Loo and Rafael Loureiro. It also was announced Tuesday that Storm will be joining the Avengers under MacKay and artist Valerio Schiti.
Check out the cover to Storm #1 by Mateus Manhanini, out Oct. 2, the design sheet, and keep scrolling for Marvel’s press release.
Earlier this week, Marvel proudly announced that Storm, one of comic books’ most iconic super heroes, will be joining the Avengers this August! It’s the first step in what promises to be a renaissance for the beloved character as Marvel will also be launching an all-new STORM solo ongoing series in October!
Set in the X-Men’s highly anticipated From the Ashes era, STORM will be brought to life by Murewa Ayodele, the acclaimed writer behind Akogun: Brutalizer of Gods who made his Marvel debut last year with Moon Knight: Black, White & Blood and I Am Iron Man, and Lucas Werneck, the superstar artist known for his work on recent X-Men epics like Immortal X-Men and Sins of Sinister. Werneck also designed a stunning new costume for Storm’s exciting new venture into solo storytelling!
Storm has always been a prime protector of the planet. With the loss of Krakoa, that position becomes more important to her than ever. From her new super hero headquarters, Storm begins making decisions that will forecast the future of the Marvel Universe. Her bold actions will stir forces around and even beyond Earth, calling forth enemies that match her strength and determination. Storm has never needed a throne to rule the skies. Now, watch in awe as this new series elevates her to the heights that only she can reach!
Ororo Munroe has lived many lives. She’s been a thief, a goddess, an X-Man, a queen, and now…an Avenger! She is the most prominent, most respected and most powerful mutant on the world stage—and in that role, she intends to be a force for positive change. First up: a major meltdown at a nuclear facility in Oklahoma City draws Storm from her Sanctuary in Atlanta—and into a moral conflict that will test her iron resolve! As one of the year’s biggest launches, it’ll be packed with guest stars including Storm’s fellow Avengers, X-Factor’s Frenzy, and more!
On the challenges Storm will face, Ayodele said, “As a fan of Storm, her duties to the X-Men, and what she stands for in various real-world communities, I would like to assure the audience that Storm is in danger. Extremely so. We love Ororo Munroe, and that is why we have crafted a thrilling story that will put the strength of her character on wide-open display. But when you’re an Omega-level mutant, few things can test your limits, and even fewer things can shatter those limits. For our STORM series, one thing we would like fans to remember is that there are threats that are beyond Omega. Prepare yourselves for an extraordinary display of superheroism that leaves knuckles bloody, knees bashed in, and mountains cratered.
“We are building towards gargantuan conflicts that will shake the universe from Planet Earth to the Dimension of Manifestations,” Ayodele continued. “We are crafting stories filled to the brim with humanity, love, mystery, adventure, heartbreak, and ALL-OUT ACTION. Tom Brevoort, the editor behind Marvel’s most universe-shattering events, Lucas Werneck, the incredible artist known for his genius-level attention to design and character work, and I are cooking with supernovas on this series. So join us on this journey that promises to be exciting till the bitter-sweet end. Get ready for an ETERNAL STORM.”
“I still can’t believe that Marvel gave me this gift,” Werneck added. “Storm is a character that I love, and I have so much respect for what this character represents to people. We’re working with so much love and devotion on this project, and I hope that fans enjoy it as much as we’re enjoying making it.”
Drawn by acclaimed artist Mateus Manhanini, the series’ covers will be just as breathtaking as Storm’s feats! Check out his debut issue cover now along with Werneck’s original design sheet for Storm’s new costume, and be there when the clouds part on STORM’s new era this October. For more information, visit Marvel.com.
Dan Grote is the editor-in-chief of ComicsXF, having won the site by ritual combat. By day, he’s a newspaper editor, and by night, he’s … also an editor. He co-hosts WMQ&A: The ComicsXF Interview Podcast with Matt Lazorwitz. He lives in New Jersey with his wife, two kids and two miniature dachshunds, and his third, fictional son, Peter Winston Wisdom.
