“Her Story Isn’t Over”: Marvel's Voices Author Teases Storm’s Big Future

Marvel's Voices writer Angélique Roché recently reflected on X-Men's Storm and her legacy for the character's 50th anniversary. A special one-shot was released on Jan. 29 to celebrate the occasion.

Marvel's Voices - Storm: Lifedream is available now and features stories by Roché, Curtis Baxter, John Jennings and Brittney Morris. Featuring art by Edwin Galmon, Alitha E. Martinez, Charles Stewart III and Karen S. Darboe, the special one-shot was made to celebrate both Black History Month and fifty years of Earth's Mightiest Mutant. Speaking with Marvel about the comic's release, Roché spoke about Storm's legacy in comics and where the character's future is headed.

"Storm is nothing less than a pop culture icon," Roché said. "While her origins begin in the comics, her story, imagery, and cultural impact extend to nearly every storytelling medium. Now, I don’t want to disregard how her incredible design (and dozens of re-designs), fantastic costumes, epic hairstyles, and her power set amplify the visual medium of comics. Still, it would not be a stretch to say that Storm's impact has surpassed the panels that created her."

Roché went on to talk about how the character's background added important diversity to the X-Men comics and Marvel Universe at the time. "When she was first introduced, Storm's unique combination of African (Kenyan) and African American roots allowed for an amalgamation that bridged cultures, bringing a new element of inclusion to the X-Men and the Marvel Universe."

When asked what she hoped readers would learn about Storm in the issue, Roché's response was simple. "That her story isn't over."

Storm Faces an Unexpected Villain in Lifedream One-Shot

The creation of Storm: Lifedream saw Roché and the rest of the comic's creative team working hard to pay homage to the iconic X-Men character, with Roché finding it important to pay homage to the mutant's legendary visuals over the years. "From the very beginning editor Sarah Brunstad and I wanted to include as many references to Storm's visual and narrative history as possible," Roché said. "The book's incredible artists integrated many looks and versions of Storm into their art. What we ended up with is a beautiful mixture of favorite moments, and iconic and timeless looks that have defined Storm over the decades."

Lifedream sees Ororo facing a larger-than-life entity comprised of nearly infinite versions of herself. In addition to allowing the artists to explore Storm's character design in the one-shot, Roché spoke about how the villain embodied Storm's sense of self-doubt. "Have you ever heard a nagging voice, second-guessing every decision? [...] What if that voice was suddenly real, staring you in the face with full knowledge of your strengths and weakness, predicting your every move like it was their own, because it is? That’s how I would describe it."

Storm: Lifedream #1 is available now from Marvel Comics.

Source: Marvel