Early on in my X-Men reading journey I decided Storm was my favorite comic book character. A statement I will continue to live by until the end of time. Her determination, confidence, and over-sized power set made her an easy choice. Ororo is the only one who can give Cyclops a run for his money and put Wolverine in his place, whilst simultaneously being a role model for everyone on the team. Plus, the lightning thing.
I love her hard.
Among Storm's many attributes, one of her most distinguishing features, is her knack for style. So join me on this stroll through my Top 5 Storm Costumes through the ages.
5. Debut Costume
What better way to start this list than where it all began. Storm's first appearance in 1975's Giant Sized X-Men #1... a book I will someday own. Dave Cockrum was behind this design, combining several characters he was working on at the time. Outfitted in a black bikini held together with a golden ring paired with thigh high boots and an incredible head piece. Ororo automatically stood out among the team. Risque for the time, but effective, as her X-Men status was practically cemented after this.
4. Asgardian Storm, Goddess of Thunder
Hello leg warmers! Uncanny X-Men Annual #9, Stormcaster was presented to her by Loki and she transformed into this visual masterpiece. Two words, Arthur-Freaking-Adams. That was 3 words. A costume that includes a fantastic cloak, striking jewelry, and her iconic mohawk (more on that later.) This debuted in 1985 and still remains one of my favorite Storm moments. Buying this key (to me) issue was a collecting highlight.
3. X-Men Red
Ororo's newest redesign was introduced in X-Men Red created by Mahmud Asrar. I recall this news dropping and writing an Instagram post consisting of me hyperventilating for an embarrassingly long time. This costume has a high spot on my list for its functionality. Consisting of long pants, gloves covering her entire arms, and a sleek cape. As a human with long hair, I wonder frequently how hero hair doesn't get caught in their mouths while flying. So yeah, PONYTAIL.
2. 90's Classic Costume
I mean... you really can't get more iconic than this. A Jim Lee redesign of a Marc Silvestri costume, he nixed a large lighting bolt on her chest and wound up creating the quintessential Storm costume. She wore this for a cool five years (an eternity in comic years) but it was brought to mainstream popularity due to the X-Men Animated Series. People love their 90's nostalgia (it's me, I'm people) and this white and yellow costume remains the most beloved Storm costume to this day. However, it is not my #1.
1. Mohawk Storm
A million times YES. Uncanny X-Men #173, Paul Smith and Chris Claremont came together to create the Punk Storm we never knew we needed. She was temporarily depowered by Forge, hanging out with Yukio, and generally being sassier than ever. So she ditched the bikini and opted for leather pants, neck choker, and shaved the sides of her head... making Kitty Pryde cry. But making me jump for joy. Seeing a literal Goddess like herself make a 180 to this, is one of my favorite comic moments because it is so incredibly human. Who hasn't gone through a life crisis and chopped off their hair and bought a leather vest...no? Just me? Mohawk Storm remains my favorite iteration of this character and easily my #1 pick.
Honorable Mentions:
Savage Land, Wedding Dress, and X-Team costumes.
I just wanted to see more pictures of Storm. That's all!
Thanks for reading! If you like this, let me know over on Instagram. I recently uploaded my audition for the role of Batman and would really like some feedback. I think I'm a shoe-in.
Anna Reads Comics
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Anna is an avid comic reader from Texas. She began her comic journey one bored summer off from college 5 years ago. A hobbyist, with a knack for picking things up and letting them go, comic books have withstood the test of time. She collects her weekly pull consisting of Marvel, DC, and a selection of Indie titles. She works for her local comic shop's various stores, conventions, and social media. Along with comic reading she enjoys playing Pokemon Go, listening to crime podcasts, and eating lots of Hot Cheetos... at the same time.