A Strong, Powerful Storm

When Stan Lee and Jack Kirby created the X-Men, and by extension mutants, they opened the door to endless potential for unique characters and abilities. The magnitude of their power varies from mutant to mutant with some possessing quirky abilities or physical differences, while others are forces to be reckoned with. One of the heroic team’s most powerful additions was introduced in the major Bronze Age key Giant-Size X-Men #1 (May 1975).

Storm, aka Ororo Munroe, was created by Len Wein and Dave Cockrum. Orphaned during an Arab-Isaeli conflict, she became a thief to survive, then Professor X convinced her that she had a greater purpose and should join the X-Men.

She has many powers based on her ability to manipulate and control the weather, both in terrestrial and extraterrestrial ecosystems. This includes being able to change the temperature around her, control any type of precipitation, generate lightning, control wind, and manipulate atmospheric pressure. Storm can bring forth thunderstorms, hurricanes, tornadoes, and blizzards, and conversely, she can make them dissipate.

Her control over the weather gives Storm the ability to produce weather effects that aren’t normally possible. Storm can channel electromagnetism in her body to create electric blasts, flash freeze things, pull pollution in the air to make toxic fog or acid rain, and use wind currents to allow her to essentially fly. Her weather powers can also affect people internally by controlling the air in their lungs and change the air pressure in a person’s ear.