Last month, Storm #10 kicked off the Thunder War event, a three-issue arc in which Ororo Munroe aka Storm battles with storm gods from various pantheons. The primary antagonist of the event is Hadad, an ancient deity who threatens to devour the universe. Hadad represents the ultimate test of Storm’s abilities as she fights to save her universe and protect everyone she loves and cares for. In this series, we have seen Storm imbued with the powers of the cosmic entity Eternity, but currently Storm is no longer in possession of these awesome powers, and Storm must now face down a literal god with only her mutant abilities, which give her dominion over all weather and the elements. This arc serves as a reminder of how powerful Ororo Munroe is, as she can hold her own against a formidable and omnipotent being such as Hadad.
Storm #11 begins with an assemblage of various storm gods across all pantheons meeting to discuss a ruling of what is to be done with Storm, who has essentially declared war against Hadad, who is one of their own. Storm gods such as Susanoo, Indra, Seth, Zeus, and Beta Ray Bill, a character who frequently appears as a supporting character in Thor comics, are all in attendance. Zeus asks if the council has rendered a verdict before we cut away to an image of Storm in her Wakandan-inspired armor blasting lightning. This council of storm gods will heavily factor into the conclusion of Thunder War and perhaps also Storm’s ultimate fate at the end of the event.
At the end of the last issue, we saw the cosmic entity Infinity teleporting into the action, interrupting the arrival of Galactus and the Silver Surfer and demanding to know where Eternity is. Storm #11 picks up with Ororo prepared to unleash the full breadth of her power on Infinity. As Ororo declares in this issue, “My roots run deep – far back to Oshtur – the elder god. All elements are mine to command. I am a goddess”. This is a side of Ororo that we do not often bear witness to, in which Storm finds herself at the precipice of losing control of her powers and unleashing an onslaught of catastrophic devastation. As Storm hovers above Infinity with a lightning bolt in hand, the narration reads,” The floodgates of self-control have been demolished, and fury crashes out”. It is a moment reminiscent of Uncanny X-Men #147, in which Storm nearly loses control of her powers after being abducted and imprisoned by Dr. Doom.
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In the issue, Storm declares, “I am not a goddess because I hold great power. I am a goddess because nothing…no one controls me”. This moment is significant as it is Storm reifying her agency and her dominion, not only over the weather and the elements, but also over herself, her free will, and the forces that seek to control or influence her. Ororo Munroe believes she is always in control of her fate and her destiny, even when she appears to be on the verge of losing control of her power.
Before she can strike down Infinity, she is interrupted by Jaden, the mutant child who caused the incident in Oklahoma way back in Storm #1. Jaden’s presence helps to ground Storm and remind her of what Storm has always fought for: to protect and preserve innocent life. Jaden’s youthful innocence causes Storm to come to her senses and realize that choosing the path of revenge may not be the best path, and one that does not align with her morals and ethics. Storm also realizes, as she tells Gateway at the close of the issue, that her decisions as of late have had “irrevocable consequences” for those she loves. At the end of the issue, we see Storm standing alone, preparing to face off against Hadad alone.
The council of the storm gods stands divided on who to support in the Thunder War, with Beta Ray Bill strongly objecting to the council’s decision. This could potentially cause a rift amongst the storm gods. Meanwhile, Hadad has aligned himself with the Black Winters and now has the forces necessary to carry out his will. Galactus, Silver Surfer, Infinity, and Quasar will fight to repel the Black Winters in the hopes that they can keep Hadad’s forces at bay long enough for Storm to defeat the storm god once and for all.
The climactic conclusion to the Thunder War will take place next month in Storm #12, and after that, the book will pivot in a new direction as the upcoming “Age of Revelation” will dramatically reshape all of the X-books. Starting in October, Storm and Rogue will both star in the new series Rogue Storm, in which Rogue will lead a team consisting of Gateway, Iceman, Fantomex, Spiral, and Warpath as they try to kill Storm before she plunges the world into a new Ice Age. I’m excited to see what Storm’s fate will be at the end of the Thunder War, and how the event itself and the decisions Storm made during Thunder War might lead into Rogue Storm.
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