Storm of the X-Men has been through a lot in her time. She was worshipped as a goddess in Kenya. She was turned into a vampire queen by Dracula, and went through a mystical portal becoming a child again. Ororo Munroe was even an expert thief in New Orleans with Gambit for a hot minute. But none of those things compared to the extended period in which Storm lost her mutant weather-manipulating powers, a storyline that X-Men ’97 is adapting. And it wasn’t a brief period either. The powerless Storm phase lasted a solid three years. And it’s still one of the character’s most memorable storylines. Here’s how Storm lost and regained her powers in the X-Men comics.
Storm Lost Her Powers Protecting Rogue in 1984’s Uncanny X-Men #185
The beginning of this odyssey began for Storm in 1984’s Uncanny X-Men #185. In that Chris Claremont/John Romita Jr. story, Ororo loses all her weather-controlling abilities when government agent Henry Gyrich shoots her with a special weapon. One that instantly drains mutants of their powers. Gyrich meant that blast for her teammate Rogue, but Storm took the brunt of the fire. What she didn’t know at the time was that another mutant, the Native-American inventor named Forge, actually created the weapon.
“Lifedeath” Begins the Strom and Forge Love Story
Forge was determined to find a way to undo what his creation had done, and get Storm’s powers back. This occurred in Uncanny X-Men #186, in a story called “Lifedeath.” This issue was gorgeously illustrated by Barry Windsor-Smith, and is still a true X-Men classic. As the Kenyan weather goddess healed from her injuries, she also fell in love with Forge. However, their blossoming romance came to an end when she found out that Forge was the one who created the weapon that robbed her of her powers.
Storm Becomes “Goddess of Thunder,” Loses Her Powers Again, But Still Leads the X-Men
Although she spent time away from the X-Men processing her circumstances, it wouldn’t be long before she returned home to Xavier’s School. Although she didn’t have her powers, she was still an expert fighter and an asset to the team. It was during this time that Storm would get her powers back —although only briefly. During an adventure in Asgard, Loki restored her powers, making her a Goddess of Thunder. That was a calculated move, designed to enrage his brother Thor. Given that the source of this upgrade was Loki, she ultimately rejected this power. At this time, Professor X had to go to Shi’ar space to heal from a grave injury. Storm then fought Cyclops in a battle to determine who would lead the X-Men. Even without powers, she won. Cyclops left the team with his wife Madelyne, leaving Ororo in charge.
Storm finally gets her powers back in 1987’s Uncanny X-Men #225
Many events happened in the lives of the X-Men, and Storm proved a capable leader even without her powers. Eventually, Storm and Forge met again, when his mentor, possessed by the Adversary, convinced Storm that Forge had become evil. The Adversary tricked Storm into almost killing Forge, after which the entity banished them both to another dimension. There, they spent a full year together, and fell in love all over again. Only this time, Forge, whose power it is to come up with any invention, was finally able to create something to give Storm her powers back. It worked, and in 1987’s Uncanny X-Men #225, Storm became a weather-controlling mutant once more.
Sadly, Storm got her powers back after all this time only to sacrifice her life, as well as the lives of her X-Men teammates, to save the city of Dallas from the Adversary. Luckily for her, they were all resurrected by the goddess Roma. Storm chose to let the world believe the X-Men were dead; however, believing the deception gave them an advantage over their enemies. They chose not to tell their closest friends and allies they were alive, and Forge believed he’d given Storm her powers back only to see her die. When he eventually found out she was alive, he was just as hurt as she was when she discovered he was the creator of the power-draining weapon. Despite brief flirtations here and there, Storm and Forge never truly got back together again.
X-Men ‘97 Puts Its Spin on a Powerless Storm
X-Men ’97 intended the weapon for Magneto instead of Rogue. The anti-mutant crusader X-Cutioner, and not Henry Peter Gyrich, pulled the trigger. But the result was the same, and Ororo lost her powers. She leaves the X-Mansion, hoping to find a way to restore her abilities. At the end of episode two, we see she’s in Texas, wearing her full punk rock leather outfit from the mid-‘80s comics. It’s there she meets Forge. Will he help her restore her powers? Almost certainly. We’d be surprised if Storm wasn’t back at full power by season’s end. The X-Men, and the fans, need their weather goddess back.
