As if having a near-death experience and becoming the newfound embodiment of Eternity wasn’t enough, Ororo Munroe finds herself with a major decision to make in Storm #6. That decision? Giving shelter to the X-Men’s former leader, Charles Xavier. Xavier recently escaped prison to save his daughter Xandra, but he’s dealing with a tumor that’s affecting his telepathic abilities, not to mention Cyclops’ team of X-Men hunting him down. Will Storm be forced to face off against her fellow mutants?
Unlike last week’s issue, which was billed as a “One World Under Doom” tie-in but technically took place before the events of One World Under Doom #1, Storm #6 is part of the “X-Manhunt” crossover that’s taking place across the current line of X-Men books. Yet it manages to stand on its own: while I do suggest picking up Uncanny X-Men #11 and NYX #9 to see how the story begins, folks who have only been reading Storm won’t miss a beat.
Murewa Ayodele deserves praise for the way he handles all of these plot threads. Ororo’s ascension to godhood, Xavier’s plight, and the conflict with Cyclops’ team all flow into each other, leading to a big battle and another massive showcase of Ororo’s new powers that is equal parts awe-inspiring and frightening. I also give Ayodele some credit for bringing back Maggott, who’s one of the lesser-known X-Men. It hearkens back to how the Krakoa Era would make use of every mutant, and I hope that’s a trend that continues in the From the Ashes era.
Marvel
Storm #6 also features a new artist: Luciano Vecchio. From the very first page, which has Ororo summoning a massive thunderbolt, to a battle where she pits her elemental powers against Cyclops’ optic blasts, Vecchio packs each panel full of some truly awe-inspiring images. A major reason why Vecchio’s artwork pops so much is due to Alex Guimares and Rachelle Rosenberg’s color work. Whole panels are awash in bluish-white lightning, or the blazing red of an optic blast. The artist may have changed, but the scope of this title remains the same.
Vecchio even puts Ororo in a new suit: a jet black suit of armor, complete with a spear. She even gets a new mode of transportation, as her Storm Sanctuary can transform into a “Thundercloud” mode. Both of these moments are given the appropriate gravity by Vecchio, and Ayodele makes these additions feel less like gimmicks and more like an extension of Storm’s place in the world. If you’re going to call yourself “Earth’s Mightiest Mutant” you need to back it up, and Ororo definitely has those tools to back herself up now.
Storm #6 pulls off its balancing act pretty well: not only does it push its main story forward, but it closes out the first act of “X-Manhunt” on an intriguing note. Not only am I interested to see where the rest of “X-Manhunt” goes, but I want to see Storm’s new armor in action – especially since Ayodele has teased Ororo will be fighting other Thunder Gods next issue.
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