Black History Month – Feb 1st, 2021 – Character Profile: Storm

Born Ororo Munroe to a tribal princess of Kenya and an African-American photojournalist father, Storm is raised in Harlem, New York City, United States and Cairo, Egypt. She was made an orphan after her parents were killed in the midst of an Arab–Israeli conflict. An incident at this time also traumatized Munroe, leaving her with claustrophobia that she would struggle with for life. Storm is a member of the X-Men, a group of mutant heroes fighting for peace and equal rights between mutants and humans. Under the tutelage of a master thief an adolescent Munroe became a skilled pickpocket, the means of which she meets through coincidence the powerful mutant Professor X. Professor X later convinces Munroe to join the X-Men and use her abilities for a greater cause and purpose. Possessing natural leadership skills and formidable powers of her own, Storm has led the X-Men at times and has been a member of teams such as the Avengers and the Fantastic Four as well.

Real Name: Ororo Iqadi Munroe

Aliases: Ororo Komo Wakandas, la Reine Storm, “Beauty,” Wind-Rider, “Roro,” “Ro,” “Stormy,” Mutate #20, White King, “Goddess of Thunder,” “Goddess of the Plains”

Identity: Publicly known

Occupation: Adventurer; former Queen of Wakanda, gladiator, thief, tribal patron

Citizenship: USA

Place of Birth: Harlem, New York City, New York

Known Relatives: T’Challa (Black Panther, former husband, marriage annulled), David Munroe (father, deceased), N’dare Munroe (mother, deceased), unidentified paternal aunt (deceased), Shetani (maternal uncle), David Munroe Jr. (nephew), unidentified paternal grandfather, Harriet Munroe (paternal grandmother), unidentified maternal grandmother, Ayesha of Balobedu, Ashake of Egypt, Ashake of Meore (maternal ancestors)

Group Affiliation: X-Men; formerly Avengers, Fantastic Four, “Secret Avengers,” X-Treme Sanctions Executive, X-Treme X-Men, Tokyo Arena, Twelve, Brides of Set, New York Hellfire Club (Inner Circle), Morlocks (leader)

Education: College-level courses at Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngers, Westchester, New York

Height: 5’11”

Weight: 127 lbs.

Eyes: Blue (white when using powers)

Hair: White

First Appearance: Giant-Size X-Men #1 (May 1975)
Joined Avengers: Avengers #19 (November 2011)
Powers: Can control weather and can fly.

The Incredible Hulk vs. The Human Torch, Storm and The Thing (World War Hulk)

X-Men: Apocalypse- History of Apocalypse Featurette

X-Men: Apocalypse is an upcoming 2016 American superhero film based on the X-Men characters that appear in Marvel Comics. It is intended to be the sequel to 2014’s X-Men: Days of Future Past and the ninth installment in the X-Men film series. Directed by Bryan Singer, with a screenplay by Simon Kinberg from a story conceived by Singer, Kinberg, Michael Dougherty and Dan Harris, the film features an ensemble cast starring James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Oscar Isaac, Nicholas Hoult, Rose Byrne, Tye Sheridan, Sophie Turner, Olivia Munn and Lucas Till. In X-Men: Apocalypse, ancient mutant Apocalypse awakens and plans to take over the world.

X-Men: Apocalypse Final Trailer

X-Men: Apocalypse is an upcoming 2016 American superhero film based on the X-Men characters that appear in Marvel Comics. It is intended to be the sequel to 2014’s X-Men: Days of Future Past and the ninth installment in the X-Men film series. Directed by Bryan Singer, with a screenplay by Simon Kinberg from a story conceived by Singer, Kinberg, Michael Dougherty and Dan Harris, the film features an ensemble cast starring James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Oscar Isaac, Nicholas Hoult, Rose Byrne, Tye Sheridan, Sophie Turner, Olivia Munn and Lucas Till. In X-Men: Apocalypse, ancient mutant Apocalypse awakens and plans to take over the world.
The film was announced by Singer in December 2013 with Kinberg, Dougherty, and Harris attached to develop the story. Casting began in October 2014 while principal photography commenced in April 2015 in Montreal, Canada, and ended in August of the same year. 

X-Men: Apocalypse is scheduled for release on May 27, 2016, in North America in 3D and 2D.

The Uncanny X-Men vs. Magneto

From: Uncanny X-Men V.1 #112 (1978)

X-Men Apocalypse (Official Trailer #2)

Black Panther & Wolverine vs. Sabertooth

Mister Sinister clones Cyclops

    

From: Extraordinary X-Men #4

 

DC vs. Marvel: Wonder Woman vs. Storm (Wonder Woman wields Mjolnir)

 

DC vs. Marvel Comics (issues #2–3 titled Marvel Comics vs. DC) was a comic book limited series crossover published by DC Comics (Detective Comics) and Marvel Comics from April to May 1996. The series was written by Ron Marz and Peter David, with art by Dan Jurgens and Claudio Castellini.

Two godly brothers who personify the DC and Marvel Universes become aware of the other’s existence, and challenge one another to a series of duels involving each universe’s respective superheroes. The losing universe would cease to exist. The story had an “out of universe” component in that, although there were eleven primary battles, five outcomes were determined by fan vote.

The six preliminary battles were:

1. Aquaman (DC) vs. Namor (Marvel).
2. Elektra (Marvel) vs. Catwoman (DC).
3. Flash (DC) vs. Quicksilver (Marvel).
4. Robin (DC) vs. Jubilee (Marvel).
5. Silver Surfer (Marvel) vs. Green Lantern (DC).
6. Thor (Marvel) vs. Captain Marvel (DC).

There were five battles in which the outcomes were determined by the votes of fans:

1. Superman (DC) vs. Hulk (Marvel).
2. Spider-Man (Marvel) vs. Superboy (DC).
3. Batman (DC) vs. Captain America (Marvel).
4. Wolverine (Marvel) vs. Lobo (DC).
5. Wonder Woman (DC) vs. Storm (Marvel Comics) (Marvel).

Each side attained three victories in the preliminary battles and five battles were decided by fan vote, of which Marvel came out ahead with 3 wins to DC’s 2.

However, the storyline does not show one side as being victorious. As part of a last-ditch effort to save their worlds, the Spectre and the Living Tribunal were able to briefly force the “brothers” to resolve the situation by temporarily creating a new universe, called the Amalgam Universe, which is occupied by merged versions of many of the heroes (such as Dark Claw, a merging of the characters Batman and Wolverine).

An inter-dimensional character called Access eventually managed to restore the universes to their normal state with the aid of Batman and Captain America. The presence of the two heroes (essentially serving as the brothers in miniature, each being unique among their peers) forced the brothers to recognize how petty their disagreement truly was.

X-Men: APOCALYPSE |Official Trailer [HD]

 

X-Men: Apocalypse is an upcoming American superhero film based on the X-Men characters that appear in Marvel Comics. It is intended to be the sequel to 2014’s X-Men: Days of Future Past and the ninth installment in the X-Men film series. Directed by Bryan Singer, with a screenplay by Simon Kinberg from a story conceived by Singer, Kinberg, Michael Dougherty and Dan Harris, the film features an ensemble cast starring James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Oscar Isaac, Nicholas Hoult, Rose Byrne, Tye Sheridan, Sophie Turner, Olivia Munn and Lucas Till. In X-Men: Apocalypse, the first and most powerful mutant, Apocalypse, awakened after thousands of years, who is disillusioned with the world he finds, recruits a team of powerful mutants to cleanse humanity and create a new world order. Raven, along with Professor X must lead the X-Men to stop Apocalypse.

The film was announced by Singer in December 2013 with Kinberg, Dougherty, and Harris attached to develop the story. Casting began in October 2014 while principal photography commenced in April 2015 in Montreal, Canada, and ended in August of the same year. X-Men: Apocalypse is scheduled for release on May 27, 2016, in North America in 3D and 2D.

Rise of the Female Superhero

Ever since Superman first burst onto the printed page in 1938, superheroes have become a staple of American storytelling — from comic books and TV shows to blockbuster movies and video games — conquering evil and injustice throughout.

But when you hear the word “superhero,” you probably picture a strapping costumed man swooping in to save the day. However, a new generation of artists and writers are changing that image, responding to the ever-growing number of female fans who want to see their gender reflected in these heroic tales.

Read more via Rise of the female superhero.

Cloak and Dagger: Dagger is told she isn’t a mutant.

Dr. Nemesis breaks the bad news…

    

I am what was, what is, what will be — The Black Angel, Chaos-Bringer!

The Amazing X-Men vs. The Juggernaut

  

Review: Uncanny X-Men #32

Age of Apocalypse: Magneto vs. Apocalypse

“Age of Apocalypse” is a 1995–1996 comic book crossover story line published in the X-Men franchise of books by Marvel Comics. The Age of Apocalypse briefly replaced the universe of Earth-616 and had ramifications in the main Marvel Comics universe when the original timeline was restored. It was later retconned as having occurred in the alternate universe of Earth-295.

Legion (David Haller), a psionic mutant on Earth and son of Professor Charles Xavier, travels back in time with the intention of killing Magneto.

However, Legion traveled to a time when Magneto and Xavier were still friends. As Xavier dies trying to protect Magneto, Legion vanishes, and a new timeline is created. The only person aware of how history has changed is Bishop, a time traveling mutant who followed Legion.

Because of Xavier’s sacrifice, Magneto comes to believe in his late friend’s dream of a peaceful coexistence between humans and mutants.

Apocalypse, an immortal mutant villain, was monitoring the fight. He chooses this moment as the perfect time to begin his world conquest, which did not happen in the mainstream Marvel universe for another ten years.

Magneto assembles the X-Men just as Apocalypse begins his war. Despite the X-Men’s resistance, Apocalypse conquers all of North America and eventually mutants are considered the ruling class. Apocalypse also initiated a genocidal campaign called “cullings” killing millions of humans. To further ensure that no one was left to challenge him or undo the circumstances that led to his reign, he had everyone with telepathic or chronal abilities hunted down.

Meanwhile, the changes in the timeline result in a destructive crystallization wave created by the M’Kraan Crystal.

The Amazing X-Men consist of team leader Quicksilver and Storm, Dazzler, Banshee, Iceman, and Exodus.  The team is sent to Maine by Magneto to aid in the evacuation of humanity to Europe. During this mission, the team fights Apocalypse’s Brotherhood of Chaos, as well as the Horseman Abyss, who is defeated (but not killed) by Banshee. During their absence from the Xavier Mansion, Magneto and Bishop are attacked by Apocalypse himself, who captures them both.

Fulfilling their mission, Quicksilver splits up his team to help the other X-Men: sending Iceman to rendezvous with Rogue’s team (the Astonishing X-Men) and Dazzler and Exodus to find Magneto’s son, Charles. Finally, Quicksilver, Storm, and Banshee go to rescue Bishop, who is in the hands of the Madri, Apocalypse’s priests.

                   

The Uncanny X-Men vs. Dark Phoenix

The Phoenix Force is an immortal and mutable manifestation of the prime universal force of life and passion. Born of the void between states of being, the Phoenix Force is a child of the universe. It is the nexus of all psionic energy which does, has, and ever will exist in all realities of the omniverse, the Guardian of Creation, and of the dangerously powerful M’Kraan Crystal.

The Phoenix is among the most feared beings in all of existence — having the power to cut and re-grow any part of the universe, as well as destroy it entirely, which is part of the Phoenix’ purpose: “The Judgment of the Phoenix”, to burn away the obsolete. The Phoenix Force is described as being “the embodiment of the very passion of Creation – the spark that gave life to the Universe, the flame that will ultimately consume it.”

During its time as a sentient and nameless entity, it traveled the cosmos just like other cosmic beings. At first, the Phoenix Force was a formless mass of energy, but thousands of years ago, it came to Earth, and met a magician named Feron (who worshipped the legendary Phoenix), whose daydream-like visions prompted the Phoenix to adopt the firebird form it has today. He asked the Phoenix to help him by lending its energy to project a stone pillar (which resembled a lighthouse) across the multiverse. The pillar became the lighthouse base for the British super-team Excalibur (a team its future host Rachel Summers herself would join).

Afterwards, Feron was attacked by Necrom in an attempt to steal the power of the Phoenix. Feron, strengthened by the Phoenix Force, was able to fight back but Necrom was able to steal a fraction of the Phoenix Force’s essence forcing it to flee back to space in agonized confusion. The Phoenix Force returned to Earth when it felt the mind of a human transcend the physical realm, a mind that resonated with the Phoenix Force’s energy. A young Jean Grey had telepathically linked her mind to her dying friend, Annie Richards, to keep Annie’s soul from moving to the afterlife. In doing so, Jean’s mind was being dragged along to the “other side” with Annie.

Phoenix lent its energy to break the connection, and kept close watch on young Jean, as it felt a kinship with the young mutant. Years later when Jean was dying on a space shuttle, her mind called out for help and the Phoenix Force answered and saved her, transforming Jean into the Phoenix.

The Phoenix remained with the X-Men for only a short time. She prevented the complete destruction of the universe by repairing the damaged energy matrix at the core of the M’Kraan Crystal. During a skirmish with the X-Men’s first and most deadly foe, Magneto, Phoenix and Beast were separated from the other X-Men, with each group believing the other to have perished.  Phoenix went on a European vacation to gather herself in this new, lonely world. In Greece, Phoenix met a young and handsome man named Nikos, who is later revealed to be Mastermind, a mutant with the powers of illusion. He began to plant the seeds of dissent within her fragile psyche by comparing her to a god and insisting she can do whatever she wants.