Warning: spoilers ahead for S.W.O.R.D. #8!
As one of the X-Men’s most powerful members, Storm has proved herself time and again as a vital defender of Earth, but she just became something more. Now, thanks to recent events, including the terraforming of Mars, Storm has become one of the most important people in the Marvel Universe, and fans can see why in S.W.O.R.D. #8 - written by Al Ewing with art by Guiu Vilanova, colors by Fernando Sifuentes and letters by Ariana Maher - on sale now in print and digital.
Recently, the X-Men terraformed Mars, resettling the former mutant population of Arakko there, and renaming the planet accordingly. A key player in the terraforming and respected by the populace, Storm was appointed Arakko's first Regent, taking a central place on its ruling council, but crucially she was also named the Voice of Sol. Marvel's mutants are done pretending to be lesser than humans, and have officially named Arakko the capital planet of the solar system, superseding Earth in terms of galactic importance. This coincided with S.W.O.R.D.'s successful stockpiling of mysterium, a material which has been used to stabilize the galactic economy, boosting the Sol System's reputation and power. Effectively, Storm just became the most senior figure in the entire solar system at the strongest it's ever been.
Storm has presided over all of this, and has held court with, and bested, the likes of Doctor Doom. Of course, she's no tyrant, and Krakoa, Arakko, and Earth are still complex political entities, in which she's the most important but far from only player. In fact, S.W.O.R.D. #8 shows the inhabitants of Arakko are set on testing their new regent, challenging her for "the Seat of All-Around-Us" on Arakko's Great Ring. After facing down a brutish challenger, Storm calls out the Great Ring's Tarn the Uncaring, who recently attacked the mutants of Earth against her orders. They enter the Circle Perilous, where Tarn uses his powers to cancel out Storm’s mutant abilities. Undeterred, Storm brings her blade to Tarn’s heart, and threatens to kill him. Tarn does not believe her, but Storm holds her ground, and Tarn yields, cementing Storm's place on Arakko and Tarn's hard-won respect.
Tarn is not a villain to be trifled with - he can alter DNA with his mind, and even has his own version of Galactus, the Amino Fetus. Yet Storm, even powerless, was able to force him to submit to her. Over the past few months, Storm has helped launch Arakko and the Sol System onto the galactic stage. Storm is working to be a good and just ruler of an unfamiliar land, leading her to make tough decisions, and fighting Tarn is one of them. By dealing with Tarn the way she does, Storm sends a message to the rest of Arakko - a society she knows respects only strength.
Since her first appearance in 1975’s landmark Giant-Size X-Men #1, Storm has been a stalwart of the team, serving as its leader on several occasions. An Omega-level mutant with the ability to manipulate weather, Storm has served the X-Men with distinction time and again. Because of this, Storm is practically synonymous with the X-Men, but she's now charting a path as a solo hero, and she's more powerful and respected than ever. At a time when everyone from the X-Men to the Avengers has never been more powerful, Storm surpasses other heroes as the voice of the entire solar system - including both Earth and Arakko - and the role fits her like a glove.