Having already seen her challenge Cyclops for leadership of the X-Men, and at the time without the use of her powers, we know the capabilities and resourcefulness of Storm when a decision is called for and/or decisive action needs to be taken. But some months before that time, when she still commanded the elements of the weather, she fought another duel for leadership--only this time, the contest was to the death!
Storm's foe was Callisto, leader of the outcasts known as the Morlocks (with apologies to H.G. Wells)--mutants who sequestered themselves one-thousand feet beneath the streets of New York, in a bomb shelter built secretly during the Cold War but then abandoned. It was there the X-Men came in search of the missing Angel, whom Callisto captured with the intent of forcing him into matrimony. The team was taken prisoner during their attempt to rescue him; and when they gained the upper hand in a second skirmish, the mutant known as Plague forced a standoff by infecting Storm and threatening to kill her.
With Kitty Pryde discovered in the same condition, Nightcrawler makes a bold decision to win their freedom--but he's countermanded by an unexpected source, considering her condition.
And so the die is cast (with apologies to Suetonius). Thanks to the weakness inflicted on her by Plague, Storm is considerably handicapped in this contest; in addition, she agrees to abide by Callisto's terms and battle only with the weapons at hand, forbidden to use any of her powers at the cost of Kitty's life.
Still, Callisto may want to keep that one eye of hers sharp--because Storm doesn't exactly look worried, does she?
As for Nightcrawler, he'll need to update whatever mental profile he's been keeping on Storm--because as this duel swiftly reaches its climax, it's a good bet he's standing wide-eyed and staring in disbelief while she draws in Callisto for the kill.
Thanks to the Morlocks' mutant healer, Callisto barely survives Storm's fatal strike. In the meantime, Storm has obviously read up on the concept of taking a victory lap; but in the process, she ensures that the danger that the Morlocks pose to the humans above is ended.
And as for Callisto, Storm also makes certain that the Morlocks' former leader understands that her threat is ended, as well.
Frankly, the Morlocks don't seem like the type of people to tolerate a leader who assumes command of them and then bolts to live elsewhere--but it worked for the Black Panther, so what do I know.
I'm sure it wasn't intentional, but... in that last panel, Callisto looks like she's sucking her thumb, which I found to be hilarious.
ReplyDeleteI remember this being one of my favorite X-Men issues. When I went back a couple of years ago and reread the entire Claremont run, I did not find this story to have aged as well as some of the others. It is certainly a good issue, just a bit dated. The Morlocks kind of come across as a stereotypical Mad Max inspired 80s archetype. Maybe I was just jaded knowing that they would pretty much be wiped out two separate times over the next 15 years.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I still think of this as the defining turning point for Storm. This is the moment that Claremont finally had succeeded in making Storm an A List Marvel character.
I think Claremont's greater focus on Storm was likely only a matter of time, Jared, considering that her character had to evolve from simply the exotic and alluring creature that Xavier found in the African veldt and become a more assertive part of the team if she was going to lead the life of an X-Man. There's also Claremont's predilection toward strong roles for female characters that would inevitably lead to her growth, since, at the time, Storm was the only adult female on the team. Frankly, having her meet Callisto in single combat on her terms seemed rather abrupt to me in terms of character adjustment--and of course her experiences upon her return to Japan would be an eye-opener in that regard.
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