Ororo Munroe / Storm Appreciation VI

['Flo]

You know I love you flo.

Love ya too boo.

I don't think coping is the right word. I think dealing and hurting are the right words. Her haircut is an expression of a deeper wound inside her soul. Ellis portrayal of the mohawk represent what you said. But I don't find the mohawk any less of a statement for her fierceness. If anything it's even more so but we will get to that at the end of this post.

For once we get to see Storm in the middle of a release of some sort of emotion where she is doing something old and new at the same time. Her cathartic release is an ongoing expression. Sometimes it takes more than one or two or ten. Sometimes folks need a physical reminder of the journey they are on to do that. Her changing her hair doesn't have to be sexist or disempowering for women. It can be a journey or indicator of transition where it is just that. I don't think it's sexist to depict a woman that is hurting and cuts her hair to express that. If anything it represents vulnerability, honesty and truth. It's not sugarcoating anything, it's out there and folks can't assume that she's ok. If anything I would love to see a response to her risking her soul to save T'challa. I will explain how this change can be empowering for women in a second.

I’m not saying it’s disempowering by any means… it’s just the motive that I found conflicting. It is certainly two-fold.

That reminds me of when I was in grade school and one of my friends was going through chemotherapy for leukemia… she always used to wear wigs when she was going through a particularly rough patch, and you could certainly tell when it was a rough patch. But one day she shocked us all and came to school with her head completely shaved. I told her she looked beautiful (fierce actually…which she really did… she had a perfect shaped-head, lol). I knew she wasn’t okay, but she wasn’t afraid to show it, and outwardly embrace her struggle. Loved her for that.

But I want to end this section by saying that we men or women need to lay down the cultural rules we live in to express who we really are, because sometimes I think they get in the way.

Absolutely.

and an expression of a more emotional state. It's just as cliche for a woman to have a cathartic release and then cut their hair. That expression could be a watering down of a process that is painful and still ongoing. Moving on abruptly from a painful experience isn't always easy and sometimes just wearing a new do will help to spur a character forward to work through it faster, which is what I think Humphries is going for.

Very true. He seems like the sensitive type of guy too... I'm sure he'll get into this in UXF.

Storm has been all over the place in the last six years, becoming a murderer with no regret (which was never Storm,) being ditzy, silly and unaware of who she is masking herself as queen and wife. She's lost some of her core and now she's looking for it again in a new way with old packaging. I can see how you are holding fast and firm to the old way of how Storm was portrayed but this is not her current reality. It's just not. Her current reality is that she's trying to figure what happened and how she can grow from it. For the first time in her life she allowed herself to be married and have a life outside of the X-men, that backfired in her face. Now that that's over she is facing wounds that she's never ever dealt with. The core of herself on the spiritual tip might be the same but everything else is different. How does she relate with a man or woman now that she's single? Where does her joy come from when she is no longer queen and wife of T'challa? What is she now that her reason for being away from the X-men is gone? I think Humphries is on the right track in exploring this and her cutting her hair is the start of her doing the work to assert who she is now, wounds and all. I think that takes tremendous courage and that's empowering. That's why I don't think that's sexist. I think it's humanizing. She's no longer the goddess or the queen, she's herself and who is that now that she no longer has the Panther to act as a blinder to examine how she really feels?

Agreed. I can see your point, I just don't agree with it but I love this discussion. This is how we love our goddess. Great job folks.

o

That's a great assessment, O. Now I'm going to takethe bolded and run with it... because this has been on my mind as well lately.

This bothers me, because it makes me think about what Forge said before they split. Was he right? Can Storm even have a life outside of the X-Men? We always talk about how amazing she is as a woman, a leader, a goddess, but what does it amount to if it’s simply contained within a single corner of the MU? I look at her (PIS) stint with the Avengers, and she didn’t fit. I look at her time spent on the Wakandan throne, and she didn’t fit. I want to know where she thrives outside of the X-verse that gives her any semblance of universality or duality. Where does she belong? If the answer resides solely with the X-Men, then I can’t help but be saddened by the abysmal waste of character potential. I made a remark earlier this week about finally acquiescing to being glad that she is back where she belongs (with the X-Men). But somewhere, in the nagging recesses of my mind, I view that as character regression. I want more for her.

If you remember when Kid Kamikaze initiated that discussion on “blackness” I appreciated how you kept underscoring that she is more than just her skin. Which I totally agree with. You gave her a ring of universality, because she transcends what people would view as a normal identifier. But I couldn’t help think about what a sedentary position she is in for such a big claim. And why you found that some of the (more rational… you know of whom I speak ) folks you were debating with didn’t sympathize much with you. For a character of that magnitude, she is less relevant and has significantly less of an influence outside the X-Men. She needs a bigger platform.

['Flo]

Minor interjection:

LMAO… I was reading through an old thread, and just had to quote Yogaflame’s beast-ass post with regards to this pic. :

Originally Posted by Jhudiel:
This has always confused me. How does lightning stop concussive force?

Originally Posted by Yogaflame:
If you spray a garden hose at a waterfall, do you think the stream from the garden hose will make it to the other side of the waterfall? Cyclops is strong. Storm is stronger.

[Yogaflame]

Yes.

I love that! Thanks for reposting!

I never ceases to amaze me how people underestimate Storm's power. It is only here in the modern industrial world that people could forget the unmatched power of nature!

This is a woman who is one with all the elements of this universe and any other! Doesn't matter what dimension, what planet, what room, Storm is connected to and in charge of all of that!

That mini series was just what the doctor ordered in the midst of Storm's marginalization in the post Claremont/Queen of Wakanda era!

[Imraith Nimphais]

Love ya too boo.



I’m not saying it’s disempowering by any means… it’s just the motive that I found conflicting. It is certainly two-fold.

That reminds me of when I was in grade school and one of my friends was going through chemotherapy for leukemia… she always used to wear wigs when she was going through a particularly rough patch, and you could certainly tell when it was a rough patch. But one day she shocked us all and came to school with her head completely shaved. I told her she looked beautiful (fierce actually…which she really did… she had a perfect shaped-head, lol). I knew she wasn’t okay, but she wasn’t afraid to show it, and outwardly embrace her struggle. Loved her for that.



Absolutely.



Very true. He seems like the sensitive type of guy too... I'm sure he'll get into this in UXF.



That's a great assessment, O. Now I'm going to takethe bolded and run with it... because this has been on my mind as well lately.

This bothers me, because it makes me think about what Forge said before they split. Was he right? Can Storm even have a life outside of the X-Men? We always talk about how amazing she is as a woman, a leader, a goddess, but what does it amount to if it’s simply contained within a single corner of the MU? I look at her (PIS) stint with the Avengers, and she didn’t fit. I look at her time spent on the Wakandan throne, and she didn’t fit. I want to know where she thrives outside of the X-verse that gives her any semblance of universality or duality. Where does she belong? If the answer resides solely with the X-Men, then I can’t help but be saddened by the abysmal waste of character potential. I made a remark earlier this week about finally acquiescing to being glad that she is back where she belongs (with the X-Men). But somewhere, in the nagging recesses of my mind, I view that as character regression. I want more for her.

If you remember when Kid Kamikaze initiated that discussion on “blackness” I appreciated how you kept underscoring that she is more than just her skin. Which I totally agree with. You gave her a ring of universality, because she transcends what people would view as a normal identifier. But I couldn’t help think about what a sedentary position she is in for such a big claim. And why you found that some of the (more rational… you know of whom I speak ) folks you were debating with didn’t sympathize much with you. For a character of that magnitude, she is less relevant and has significantly less of an influence outside the X-Men. She needs a bigger platform.

I completely agree with the bolded.
It is how I've felt about Storm for a very long time. It's wot I've wanted for her character since...since...she formed the X-SE in Extreme XM where she showed the potential to be a female character in the ranks of Captain America in terms of influence, respectability, notoriety and brass...to lead and get the job done on a much larger scale in addition to and apart from the X-Men.
I, too am glad she is back with the X-family...only because no one, absolutely no one...1: Knew wot to do with her outside of the x-men. (As evidenced by her rubbish "guest appearance" in the Avengers). 2: Wanted to or were allowed to do anything meaningful with her outside of the X-men. (As evidenced by her marriage and the resulting dissolution).

She's back with the X-Men yes, but apart from UXF (thank the Goddess!)...I do not see her accomplishing anything of note or regaining the notoriety as a force to be reckoned with (as she did under Claremont's pen) in any of the other headlining titles like WatXM, ANXM. And because she has been relegated back to the X-men she is (as you rightly said) less relevant and has significantly less influence in the MU at large. As it is, Bobby and Sam being a part of Hickman's Avengers has a greater chance of attaining M. Universal relevance.

[Omegastorm]

Love ya too boo.
I’m not saying it’s disempowering by any means… it’s just the motive that I found conflicting. It is certainly two-fold.

That reminds me of when I was in grade school and one of my friends was going through chemotherapy for leukemia… she always used to wear wigs when she was going through a particularly rough patch, and you could certainly tell when it was a rough patch. But one day she shocked us all and came to school with her head completely shaved. I told her she looked beautiful (fierce actually…which she really did… she had a perfect shaped-head, lol). I knew she wasn’t okay, but she wasn’t afraid to show it, and outwardly embrace her struggle. Loved her for that.

This is a great story, thank you for posting it. I am loving this thread right now. It's very inspiring.

Very true. He seems like the sensitive type of guy too... I'm sure he'll get into this in UXF.

Anyone that thinks Scott's a dick is great by me. Not only that but he has a team of mainly women. I love it.

That's a great assessment, O. Now I'm going to takethe bolded and run with it... because this has been on my mind as well lately.

This bothers me, because it makes me think about what Forge said before they split. Was he right? Can Storm even have a life outside of the X-Men? We always talk about how amazing she is as a woman, a leader, a goddess, but what does it amount to if it’s simply contained within a single corner of the MU? I look at her (PIS) stint with the Avengers, and she didn’t fit. I look at her time spent on the Wakandan throne, and she didn’t fit. I want to know where she thrives outside of the X-verse that gives her any semblance of universality or duality. Where does she belong? If the answer resides solely with the X-Men, then I can’t help but be saddened by the abysmal waste of character potential. I made a remark earlier this week about finally acquiescing to being glad that she is back where she belongs (with the X-Men). But somewhere, in the nagging recesses of my mind, I view that as character regression. I want more for her.

I can see this point but I never thought her being queen was the something more if anything it showed her in a less favoring light, but then her role in the X-men did not help either. It did much of the same thing barring the areas of absolute brilliance with Chuck Kim, Yost and a couple of others. Hell even Hudlin had one good arc and some good moments.

I have always seen Storm as outgrowing the traditional methods of the X-men which is what made X-treme so good and even her subsequent short return to Uncanny. It showed a more global, larger Storm. Then she became queen and it just seemed like a joke never really living up to any potential.

If you remember when Kid Kamikaze initiated that discussion on “blackness” I appreciated how you kept underscoring that she is more than just her skin. Which I totally agree with. You gave her a ring of universality, because she transcends what people would view as a normal identifier. But I couldn’t help think about what a sedentary position she is in for such a big claim. And why you found that some of the (more rational… you know of whom I speak ) folks you were debating with didn’t sympathize much with you. For a character of that magnitude, she is less relevant and has significantly less of an influence outside the X-Men. She needs a bigger platform.

Which she has if writers chose to write her. She has the global influence to do things larger and the cosmic connections to be bigger. I don't think the X-men has to be a lessening of Storm. If writers have a concrete plan to grow her voice then it can be global in scope especially if it is recognized in other books like the Avengers. Also they wanted a black woman to identify with and be about primarily black issues. They wanted a ride or die chick and Storm was always more than that.

I completely agree with the bolded.
It is how I've felt about Storm for a very long time. It's wot I've wanted for her character since...since...she formed the X-SE in Extreme XM where she showed the potential to be a female character in the ranks of Captain America in terms of influence, respectability, notoriety and brass...to lead and get the job done on a much larger scale in addition to and apart from the X-Men.
I, too am glad she is back with the X-family...only because no one, absolutely no one...1: Knew wot to do with her outside of the x-men. (As evidenced by her rubbish "guest appearance" in the Avengers). 2: Wanted to or were allowed to do anything meaningful with her outside of the X-men. (As evidenced by her marriage and the resulting dissolution).

It's sad and strange that it took this for all of us to see that the larger Marvel universe just isn't ready for her being amazing.

She's back with the X-Men yes, but apart from UXF (thank the Goddess!)...I do not see her accomplishing anything of note or regaining the notoriety as a force to be reckoned with (as she did under Claremont's pen) in any of the other headlining titles like WatXM, ANXM. And because she has been relegated back to the X-men she is (as you rightly said) less relevant and has significantly less influence in the MU at large. As it is, Bobby and Sam being a part of Hickman's Avengers has a greater chance of attaining M. Universal relevance.

One could make an argument that since she is in so many other books authors might have learned their lessons (looks at Aaron-I Have no hope for Bendis) and craft stories around her competence and overcoming her weaknesses.

o

[StormXPantherQueen]

Didn't want to start a thread.
But i just found out about X-Men day of Future Past movie coming out,
I'm worried Storm wont have a role in this Movie.
Who do I have to write around here to get her into a movie .
Come on Singer!

[ariwl1]

Didn't want to start a thread.
But i just found out about X-Men day of Future Past movie coming out,
I'm worried Storm wont have a role in this Movie.
Who do I have to write around here to get her into a movie .
Come on Singer!

If I'm not mixing up my interviews I think they mentioned it wasn't out of the realm of possibility that Jean Grey might make an appearance. And if she could I see no reason why Storm couldn't.

[Valeria Kementari]

Didn't want to start a thread.
But i just found out about X-Men day of Future Past movie coming out,
I'm worried Storm wont have a role in this Movie.
Who do I have to write around here to get her into a movie .
Come on Singer!

I'd rather not see her than have Berry destroy her character again.

[StormXPantherQueen]

We don't need berry have. a storm. I'm a comic book fan I want storm not hallie (no dig at her I love her . but I love storm essay more)

[Windrider]

Interesting question on Storm's inclusion in X-Men Days Future Past. I was trying to find some reliable info. on whether she will be included in the movie, and if Halle will reprise the role or if it will be recast. Probably too early to get anything definitive but the rumors of Storm and Cyclops being included are out there.Thinking of the book, especially if it is like the actual comic story (though I doubt it would follow the book 100%) Storm would either have a very good sized role (playing a past and future version of herself), or it could be a small role if it only focuses on the desolate sentinel ruled future. I am hoping that we see her on the big screen again. That typically translate to more book appearance exposure and I would love that.

[CJStriker]

Greeting all Storm Fans.=)

I like to Join you in Discussing and Celebrating the Mortal Goddess Herself:

Storm
Ororo Munroe
A-List Hero

Lady Storm
by ~solidgrafi

http://browse.deviantart.com/?q=marv...et=24#/d4xm1ix



[IMG]http://media-cache-ec2.**************/upload/10133167881071507_1jjwykIv_c.jpg[/IMG]

[ariwl1]

The hooded one is kind of cute. Where is that from?

[Psyknight]

Greeting all Storm Fans.=)

I like to Join you in Discussing and Celebrating the Mortal Goddess Herself:

Storm
Ororo Munroe
A-List Hero

Lady Storm
by ~solidgrafi

http://browse.deviantart.com/?q=marv...et=24#/d4xm1ix



[IMG]http://media-cache-ec2.**************/upload/10133167881071507_1jjwykIv_c.jpg[/IMG]

Stunning!!

[CJStriker]

The hooded one is kind of cute. Where is that from?

It was a DeviantArt Design, and Thanks I really Liked that one as Well. here is the Link:

http://browse.deviantart.com/?q=marv...et=24#/d4xm1ix

[CJStriker]

Stunning!!

Thanks Allot PsyKnight. Their is Sooo Much Storm Artwork and Comic Images out their, it is a World in of itself. It is going to be Really fun Posting Them. So Much one can do with Storm, it is indeed Stunningly Amazing!