Warning: SPOILERS For X-Men Gold #34
The wind is changing for the X-Men's Storm, as she finds herself unable to call her Asgardian hammer, Stormcaster, to her in X-Men Gold. Although Storm is primarily known as a mutant with the ability to control the weather, long-term fans will remember that she first proved herself worthy to wield the power like Mjolnir all the way back in 1985, when she was given an Asgardian hammer as part of the 'Asgardian Wars' event.
After Storm reclaimed her own Goddess of Thunder title title in X-Men Gold #25, she called the hammer Stormcaster to her once again. But when Storm headed home to her African village in the recent issues of X-Men Gold, she learned that there was something dark afoot. Which means her Asgardian hammer has chosen the worst possible time to deem her unworthy of being its master.
Related: X-Men's Storm Is Marvel's New Thor, Goddess Of Thunder
It doesn't take long for Storm to realize that her suspicions are accurate, and the new god in town - Uovu (Swahili for "evil") - is only bringing her parents back from the dead to persuade her... to ignore the fact that he's been storing the corpses of villagers for years, instead of having them buried as tradition demands. When she confronts him, he re-animates his army of the dead as slaves to his will, ready to attack the village.
However, when Storm attempts to take him down using Stormcaster and the powers it grants, she discovers that something has gone horribly wrong: Stormcaster is refusing ther call!
Of course, Storm still has her mutant abilities (and a whole lot of experience), so there's little doubt that she'll find a way out of her battle with the zombie army and the new god that controls them. But the fact that Stormcaster is not coming to her call presents a bigger problem. What is the reason that Storm has lost the ability to use her Goddess of Thunder weapon? Has she somehow become unworthy of it by some action in the pages of this week's X-Men Gold? Given that she is still willing to battle evil, even when that evil gives her her deepest desire (the return of her parents), seems to be something that would be thoroughly worthy - suggesting that there is something else going on.
Perhaps this hammer, along with the many others now scattered about the Marvel Universe, is being called to a different task - one that will see Storm hunting it down and becoming embroiled in something even bigger. Thor himself has recently become King of Hel, and with a massive War of the Realms on the way, perhaps Storm will be called to wield her power here, instead of in Africa.
In the final panel of the comic, we see Stormcaster shooting off into space, so it's likely that after Storm fights her way out of her current predicament, she'll be going galactic next.
X-Men Gold #34 is now available from Marvel Comics.