Storm is in the middle of a resurgence in popularity, thanks to a starring role in X-Men ’97 and as the newest member of the Avengers. For the first time, the X-Man headlines a self-titled Storm ongoing series that follows her solo adventures after the Fall of Krakoa as she transitions to be the Protector of Planet Earth. Storm’s solo career almost came to an abrupt halt when she got radiation poisoning after rescuing civilians at a power plant. Doctor Voodoo was able to cure her, but anytime magic is involved, it comes with a cost. The bill has come due for Ororo Munroe, but her death marks the beginning of a new era for Earth’s Mightiest Mutant. WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Storm #4. Continue reading at your own risk!
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Storm #4 comes fromthe creative team of Murewa Ayodele, Lucas Werneck, Alex Guimaraes, Fer Sifuentes-Sujo, and VC’s Travis Lanham. Storm journeys to Latveria after being summoned by Doctor Doom, the new Sorcerer Supreme of the Marvel Universe. The two have a long history of battling wits, and Storm is one of the few figures with which Doom shows the proper respect… most of the time.
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Doctor Doom has done his research on Storm, having his chefs prepare a gumbo her father made when she was a little kid. She loves it, though the same can’t be said for the dessert. After Storm has a visceral reaction to the dessert, Doctor Doom has the pastry chef brought to the refectory table to be drawn and quartered in front of Storm for his incompetence. Storm reacts by hurling knives at the guards, revealing she is still in the timeframe where she can’t use her mutant abilities after having been saved from her radiation poisoning.
Doctor Doom wants to turn Storm into his mutant ambassador
The civilities are at an end, and now Storm and Doctor Doom get down to the good and evil of their meeting. The reason Doctor Doom requested a dinner with Storm was so he could convince her to be his mutant ambassador. Storm sees through this deception, however, and calls Doom out for wanting to brings mutants to his side at a time when governments have started stockpiling omega-level mutants like nuclear warheads.
Even though Storm is furious at Doom, he still uses his Sorcerer Supreme powers to give Storm her mutant powers back. This brings out the ancient spirit Eegun, who has come to claim Storm’s life for breaking their pact and using her powers before her seven days were up. But not only does Eegun kill Storm, but he threatens to take the planet next. Luckily, a cosmic entity takes offense to this and steps in to revive Storm, while also giving her a new title and powers.
Meet Storm, Herald of Eternity
As Storm lays dead on the floor and Eegun and Doctor Doom trade attacks, Storm reunites with her deceased father in the afterlife. After their emotional reunion, Storm’s father tells her that she can’t meet her mother just yet. She has a greater purpose. We then see the powerful cosmic entity Eternity, who transforms Storm into his herald. Since Storm previously declared herself Earth’s protector, it’s only right that she be the herald for Eternity, who watches over the Earth-616 universe.
Eternity borrows the popular X-Men catchphrase, “To me, my X-Men,” except Eternity says, “To me… my Eternal Storm.” Storm of Earth is no more, as we witness her undergo a metamorphosis that changes her out of her dinner attire into a sleek white costume. Storm hovers over the dining room as lightning crackles all around her, sending several harpooned lightning strikes through Eegun as the issue concludes.
This is something that’s been teased since the first issue of Storm. Eternity has been in the background watching events develop, waiting to intervene only when the time called for it. Being a herald of Eternity is a major status quo shakeup, and cements Storm as a major figure in the larger Marvel mythos. And all of this comes in the lead up to Storm’s 50th anniverary later this year in Storm #7.
