The X-Men are set to appear in the MCU in the near future, and one of their most powerful and iconic characters, Storm, is certain to be there at the start. There are many ways for the MCU to approach introducing Storm, and some of her greatest Marvel Comics stories could hold the keys to the approach the franchise will use.
Storm, aka Ororo Monroe, has been part of some of the biggest events in Marvel Comics history, including some that bound to be adapted by Marvel Studios in the near future. With her strong connections to both the X-Men and Black Panther, there are a variety of stories the MCU could build off of when it brings Storm to the screen.
Giant-Size X-Men
Giant-Size X-Men #1 is essential in Marvel Comics history for revitalizing what had been a moribund franchise in 1975. It's also key for introducing a host of critical characters, including Storm. Her first appearance establishes her as one of the most powerful mutants in Marvel Comics as she joins the new X-Men on a mission to save the original squad from the living island of Krakoa. Co-created by writer Len Wein and artist Dave Cockrum, Storm was also one of the first major superheroines of African descent in comic books.
Storm's Origin Story
X-Men #102 is an important story for Storm as it details for the first time her origin. This 1976 issue, written by legendary X-Men writer Chris Claremont, flashes back to her youth as a pickpocket on the streets of Cairo. Storm's memories are triggered by a fear of being buried alive. Her claustrophobia would become a major part of her character, giving her a very human fear that often undercut her tremendous power. It also established the tragic backstory of her parents, who would die in the accident that left a young Ororo trapped under rubble.
Romanced By Doctor Doom
Comic book fans know Doctor Doom is one of the most powerful and evil Marvel Comics supervillains. But Storm nevertheless found him somewhat intriguing, even if the circumstances weren't exactly ideal. The two share an unlikely dinner over the course of Uncanny X-Men #143 through #145 in which Storm tries to free the X-Men from a lackey of Arcade by trying to free Arcade from Doctor Doom. It's all very complex, and Doom's brutality is exposed in the end, but it revealed Storm's attraction to powerful people, a theme that would recur in the comics.
Taking The Reins
A major storyline in X-Men history occurs in Uncanny X-Men #201, in which Storm battles Cyclops for leadership of the X-Men. The battle is made even more fraught by the fact that, at the time, Storm has been stripped of her powers and relies only on her non-mutant skills and intellect to win.
This issue establishes Storm's role as the leader, or co-leader in some cases, of the X-Men for decades to come. Her confidence in herself and her love of her teammates carried her to victory against Cyclops in a great battle in the Danger Room.
Lifedeath
One of the best Storm stories of the '80s is "Lifedeath," written by Claremont and drawn by Barry Windsor-Smith. Uncanny X-Men #186 was unusual for the time for focusing almost entirely on character as Storm explores her life after the loss of her powers and a budding romance with Forge. Without her powers, Storm has lost the will to carry on. Forge fights to keep her going and find a way to restore her powers, but their affair is undercut by the revelation it was one of his inventions that took her powers in the first place.
Goddess Of Thunder
One Storm storyline the MCU could pursue someday focuses on one of the most powerful variants of Thor in Marvel Comics: Storm herself. Storm has been worthy of Mjolnir on a few occasions. She first proved her worth in X-Men Annual #9 in 1985, when she used Stormcaster, a version of Mjolnir created by Loki when the X-Men visited Asgard.
She also fought a version of Throg for the hammer in What If..? #12 a few years later, in a storyline that explored an alternate outcome to the annual. In both instances, Storm became the Goddess of Thunder and it was no surprise.
Marriage To Black Panther
One of the biggest events in Marvel Comics history occurs in Black Panther #18 when Storm marries Black Panther. It's also a great story by writer Reginald Hudlin that pays off threads going all the way back to Marvel Team-Up #100, which first established that Ororo and T'Challa knew each other in their youth. The storyline had enormous importance for the Marvel Universe, uniting the Avengers and X-Men right as the teams were headed for a major collision born out of the fallout of the House Of M saga in which the Scarlet Witch virtually wiped out mutants.
Before The Storm
Storm's origin had been related and embellished a few times over the years, and the 2005 mini-series Ororo: Before The Storm is one of the best versions. The comic dives deep into Ororo's tragic childhood, including the deaths of her photojournalist father, and her mother, a Kenyan princess.
The comic also adds the detail of Achmed el-Gibar, a father figure with who she becomes acquainted while living on the streets of Cairo. The story also touches on a previously unknown connection between her and the X-Men villain Apocalypse.
Worlds Apart
The Worlds Apart comic book storyline is fantastic for exploiting the conflict between Storm's ties to the X-Men and Wakanda. With her loyalties and affections divided, things reach a crisis point when she discovers that T'Challa has been possessed by the Shadow King. The series is a great showcase for exploring how Storm is pushed and pulled between her love for T'Challa but her relative unhappiness as the queen regent of Wakanda. Her affinity for power is nonetheless an aspect of her character, which would continue to develop in intriguing ways.
Regent Of Mars
Planet-Size X-Men #1 and the most recent comic books from 2021 have made Storm more powerful than she's ever been. Once dissatisfied with being the queen regent of Wakanda, she's now the Regent of Mars. After taking part in helping terraform the planet into a living world, she presides over it and the millions of Arakki mutants who have settled there. Though the storyline is still playing out, it's one of the most inventive and compelling story arcs the character has had, with lots of potential to mine for the MCU in the future.