Storm has been declared "Earth's Mightiest Mutant," and to prove it, she's now struck out on her own as a solo hero in October 2's Storm #1, which puts Ororo Munroe in the spotlight with a new mission, a new team in the Avengers, and a new headquarters as part of Marvel's ongoing relaunch of the X-Men line.
While she's now in position to be one of the world's most visible mutant role models, there's a tragic twist to Storm's new status as a hero. But the dire circumstances she's facing may in fact be the key to reaching a new level of influence on a cosmic level.
Spoilers ahead for Storm #1
Storm #1 by writer Murewa Ayodele, artist Lucas Werneck, color artists Alex Guimarães and Fer Sifuentes-Sujo, and letterer Travis Lanham kicks off with a whirlwind tour of Storm's new headquarters, the Storm Sanctuary, which floats high above Atlanta, Georgia. Along with Storm's own quarters, the sanctuary houses an artificial habitat for animals including hippos and giraffes, as well as room for anyone who may need to take refuge there.
This is accompanied by a brief rundown of her history as a former member of the X-Men and a current member of the Avengers as members of the press await an address from Storm herself. The assembled press expect Storm to announce she's running for congress thanks to the surge in popularity she experiences after an undefined incident in Oklahoma City, which also raises acceptance levels for mutants, who are once again mistrusted and despised by many baseline humans after the fall of Krakoa.
But the truth behind the incident in Oklahoma, and Storm's real reason for calling the press conference put all that in jeopardy, as she plans to reveal what really happened in the incident.
We then flashback to Oklahoma City, seven days prior, where Storm and super-strong mutant Frenzy are responding to an apparent disaster at an experimental power plant. As Storm and Frenzy work to rescue civilians as shockwaves rock the city around them, Storm realizes she must make her way to the power plant itself.
There, she's met with high intensity radiation which has killed numerous scientists at the plant, which uses recovered alien technology to generate supposedly clean energy. But what's causing the shockwaves is actually a young mutant who is radiating destructive energy in the middle of the plant (it's unclear why the kid is in the plant to begin with). Storm rescues the young mutant, helping him deactivate his powers. Nonetheless, Storm is exposed to a high level of radiation that will apparently have big consequences for her as the series continues.
At first, Storm hides the mutant's existence from the media, letting people believe the experimental technology of the plant caused the disaster. This leads people to condemn the scientists who worked on the plant while praising mutants thanks to Storm and Frenzy's intervention.
But after consulting with Iron Man, Storm realizes there's no way the plant's technology had anything to do with the disaster or the young mutant's powers happening to manifest in the plant. This leads her to the crushing decision to reveal the truth - that the disaster was caused entirely by the manifestation of the young mutant's powers.
This catches us up to the press conference, where Storm explains everything, leading to an immediate backlash against not just Storm herself, but mutants in general. However, there is one being in the Marvel Universe who is watching and judging, who finds Storm "worthy" - the cosmic being known as Eternity, who summons Storm to its side, declaring her the "eternal Storm" and apparently imbuing her with new levels of cosmic power.
That's where Storm #1 leaves off, with the cliffhanger of Storm's summoning by Eternity. Storm is an Omega level mutant, and she's often been called a storm goddess, even by actual thunder god Thor. But getting a full-on cosmic power boost would definitely put her even more solidly in the category of a godlike being, and seal the deal for her as a member of the Avengers and a solo hero.
Storm #2 goes on sale November 20.
Storm is one of the best X-Men members of all time.
