Could Ororo Munroe anchor her own franchise?

[Devaishwarya]

Yes.
With the right (top-tier) creative team behind her, the right (original/engaging) premise to her story, the right (industry interest) push and promotion...she could.
(But the same can be said for any character with those backing interests actively propelling them forward).

[Crimz]

You need a creator with a passion for the character or has the right idea on how to push her, and a great artist. You would also need Marvel themselves being willing to push the character and actually promote her. We know what happens with books they don't promote them. Just look at Storm's last book and the current Invisible Woman mini. It's bad when a common phrase is "I didn't know this existed!".

Even then it may not be successful. But if Marvel really wants her to be a solo character and continues to push her then it may work.

Truth be told, no one knows a concrete way to make a character work on their own. If they did then it would happen consistently with many characters.

[Killerbee911]

I couldn't find 1996 mini

2005
Ororo Before The Storm 1 $2.99 Marvel 26,368
Ororo Before The Storm 2 $2.99 Marvel 18,900
Ororo Before The Storm 3 $2.99 Marvel 15,994
Ororo Before The Storm 4 $2.99 Marvel 14,317

2006
Storm 1 $2.99 Marvel 32,819
Storm 5 $2.99 Marvel 21,841
Storm 6 $2.99 Marvel 21,507

2014
Storm 1 $3.99 Marvel 47,566
Storm 2 $3.99 Marvel 25,268
Storm 3 $3.99 Marvel 22,078
Storm 4 $3.99 Marvel 19,862
Storm 5 $3.99 Marvel 17,999
Storm 5 $3.99 Marvel 17,999
Storm 6 $3.99 Marvel 17,028
Storm 7 $3.99 Marvel 15,784
Storm 8 $3.99 Marvel 14,155
Storm 9 $3.99 Marvel 13,712
Storm 11 $3.99 Marvel 12,674

And just for example of solid book
2018
X-23 1 $4.99 07/11/18 Marvel 93,880
X-23 2 $3.99 07/25/18 Marvel 36,340
X-23 3 $3.99 08/29/18 Marvel 33,490
X-23 4 $3.99 09/12/18 Marvel 33,575
X-23 6 $3.99 11/07/18 Marvel 29,682
X-23 7 $3.99 12/12/18 Marvel 26,934
X-23 8 $3.99 01/09/19 Marvel 25,980
X-23 9 $3.99 02/06/19 Marvel 25,845
X-23 10 $3.99 03/13/19 Marvel 26,638
X-23 11 $3.99 04/10/19 Marvel 24,281
X-23 12 $3.99 05/29/19 Marvel 21,622

Note I am not attacking X-23 but based on the pattern you see in front of you what where will X-23 numbers been in 5 months. It is not just X-23 you can pick out stuff like Black Panther, Iron Man, Aquaman, Green Arrow. Topics like these make me look up numbers and from what I have seen only Batman, Spiderman, Deadpool, Venom, Harley Quinn, Walking Dead, Superman, Justice League, X-men, Star Wars , Wonder Woman and Wolverine ( probably forgot a couple) would last without some sort of special help. I would not put my neck on other books to survive. Most comics in this era slow descend into cancelation numbers. I will say it again Hulk pre immortal was in the 23,000 range,The switch up to immortal Hulk made him a Top 20 book. X-23 sold better as Wolverine and would have benefited from keeping the name like Miles and Peter have. Storm first real solo didn't do good, But one of Captian Marvel series drop to 17,000 as well. A book being canceled is not necessary indicator of if the character can sell. Solo characters need two things

1. They have to find their book style. Batman has a general style that works, Wolverine has a general style that works. You trying selling wolverine as love story his sales would drop. Is Storm a superhero straight-up superhero book, Is it a hybrid superhero and some other genre like crime, supernatural, sci-fi? Hulk was doing superhero-ish type stuff then it turns into superhero/hybrid horror and clicks with fans.

2. You need the right creative team. Bad writing and art can kill books.

Storm solo series failed because it was trying to be a pseudo-social commentary/ best of storm greatest hits/and also it was a weak action comic.IMO For a Storm comic to work writers have to realize she is a power fantasy in the same vein and Superman and Thor. If they get her style and creative team right Storm has large enough fanbase to sustain a solo. Punisher can sustain a solo but punisher can't always sustain a solo, Captian Marvel can sustain a solo but she can't always sustain a solo. I think that is true for Storm you put right format and creative team she will have a book for years but you can put a bad team or storyline and she will bomb off of the planet.

[butterflykyss]

I would say yes. I see her being Marvels version of WW where she has her own pantheon of gods and goddesses. These stories can then revolve around her interactions with these African gods, which at this point really doesnt exist. It would just take a good creative team including a great artist to bring it to life.

To her solo, it didnt do well because they came across as storms greatest hits instead of forging a new mandate for her within the mu.

[phoenixzero23]

I would like if that was possible, but the X-men have always been team players.
though being an integral part of one of the biggest franchices is cool too, it is a great achievement

[butterflykyss]

I couldn't find 1996 mini

2005
Ororo Before The Storm 1 $2.99 Marvel 26,368
Ororo Before The Storm 2 $2.99 Marvel 18,900
Ororo Before The Storm 3 $2.99 Marvel 15,994
Ororo Before The Storm 4 $2.99 Marvel 14,317

2006
Storm 1 $2.99 Marvel 32,819
Storm 5 $2.99 Marvel 21,841
Storm 6 $2.99 Marvel 21,507

2014
Storm 1 $3.99 Marvel 47,566
Storm 2 $3.99 Marvel 25,268
Storm 3 $3.99 Marvel 22,078
Storm 4 $3.99 Marvel 19,862
Storm 5 $3.99 Marvel 17,999
Storm 5 $3.99 Marvel 17,999
Storm 6 $3.99 Marvel 17,028
Storm 7 $3.99 Marvel 15,784
Storm 8 $3.99 Marvel 14,155
Storm 9 $3.99 Marvel 13,712
Storm 11 $3.99 Marvel 12,674

And just for example of solid book
2018
X-23 1 $4.99 07/11/18 Marvel 93,880
X-23 2 $3.99 07/25/18 Marvel 36,340
X-23 3 $3.99 08/29/18 Marvel 33,490
X-23 4 $3.99 09/12/18 Marvel 33,575
X-23 6 $3.99 11/07/18 Marvel 29,682
X-23 7 $3.99 12/12/18 Marvel 26,934
X-23 8 $3.99 01/09/19 Marvel 25,980
X-23 9 $3.99 02/06/19 Marvel 25,845
X-23 10 $3.99 03/13/19 Marvel 26,638
X-23 11 $3.99 04/10/19 Marvel 24,281
X-23 12 $3.99 05/29/19 Marvel 21,622

Note I am not attacking X-23 but based on the pattern you see in front of you what where will X-23 numbers been in 5 months. It is not just X-23 you can pick out stuff like Black Panther, Iron Man, Aquaman, Green Arrow. Topics like these make me look up numbers and from what I have seen only Batman, Spiderman, Deadpool, Venom, Harley Quinn, Walking Dead, Superman, Justice League, X-men, Star Wars , Wonder Woman and Wolverine ( probably forgot a couple) would last without some sort of special help. I would not put my neck on other books to survive. Most comics in this era slow descend into cancelation numbers. I will say it again Hulk pre immortal was in the 23,000 range,The switch up to immortal Hulk made him a Top 20 book. X-23 sold better as Wolverine and would have benefited from keeping the name like Miles and Peter have. Storm first real solo didn't do good, But one of Captian Marvel series drop to 17,000 as well. A book being canceled is not necessary indicator of if the character can sell. Solo characters need two things

1. They have to find their book style. Batman has a general style that works, Wolverine has a general style that works. You trying selling wolverine as love story his sales would drop. Is Storm a superhero straight-up superhero book, Is it a hybrid superhero and some other genre like crime, supernatural, sci-fi? Hulk was doing superhero-ish type stuff then it turns into superhero/hybrid horror and clicks with fans.

2. You need the right creative team. Bad writing and art can kill books.

Storm solo series failed because it was trying to be a pseudo-social commentary/ best of storm greatest hits/and also it was a weak action comic.IMO For a Storm comic to work writers have to realize she is a power fantasy in the same vein and Superman and Thor. If they get her style and creative team right Storm has large enough fanbase to sustain a solo. Punisher can sustain a solo but punisher can't always sustain a solo, Captian Marvel can sustain a solo but she can't always sustain a solo. I think that is true for Storm you put right format and creative team she will have a book for years but you can put a bad team or storyline and she will bomb off of the planet.

yes to all of this!!!!

[jwatson]

She's been around for over 40 years and no writer has been able to do it. Even her "solo" stories within Claremont's run like Life Signs, I found to be boring. I dont care for her material when she doesnt have the X-men around to bounce off of and anytime they try to expand her by having her be lead with material in Kenya or Morlocks, Im just not interested. I love Storm but she isnt meant to be a solo hero IMO

Imo and no offense, but that shows a lack of imagination. Your unimpressed with what was and untouched by what was done but you can't see given the history and potential what there could be. Which in of itself is fine but never a reason not to do something.

[the illustrious mr. kenway]

She's a definite "maybe".

[Triniking1234]

Imagine making Squirrel Girl drag on for years but no one has enough brain cells to pull off a Storm one.

[butterflykyss]

Imagine making Squirrel Girl drag on for years but no one has enough brain cells to pull off a Storm one.

please say that louder so the people in the back can hear you!!

[PhoenixStudies]

I recently re-read the original Gold Team era (like 281 up until Legion's Quest), and I found Storm to be the main star. The main Gold Team/Uncanny X-Men characters were Storm, Colossus (early part until he left of course) and Bishop. Then Jean and lastly, Archangel and Iceman. Even though Storm's portrayal in that era wasn't as good as Claremont's original run (same for a ton of other characters), she still reads as the central character, imo.

Of course Storm was one of the central characters throughout Claremont's original run and perhaps the central character in the latter part of his original run. Likewise for X-Treme X-Men and Extraordinary X-Men. Maybe Amazing X-Men but I skipped most of that era. I need to go back and read it.

I think Storm definitely has the potential to be a solo brand. However, just as X-Men Red was essentially a Jean solo with supporting cast, I think Storm works very well in that type of role and this has been well demonstrated (with the aforementioned examples).

Storm was one of the main characters in X-Men the Animated Series (she was my favorite in that cartoon). She got largely shafted in the movies and didn't quite get her due in some of the other cartoons.

I think and hope that Storm will get her due when introduced into the MCU.

[Devaishwarya]

It's what Killerbee911 said...Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman; Spiderman, Thor, Black Panther...and yes, Captain Marvel, now...what they have in common is their own personal motivation, origin and mythos, rogues gallery that is intrinsic to them alone and which was developed separate from whatever group affiliation they belong(ed). They were solo heroes AND members of the JL and the Avengers.
That's not to say Storm cannot be developed and pushed along those lines/parameters but it might be more challenging as she is connected so closely to the X-Men, first and foremost.
She doesn't have to be removed from the X/Mutant-world but at the same time she has to be seen as an individual, separate and apart from that world...and that's a difficult sell.
Even for Wolverine, as popular as he is, it will be challenging to anchor a franchise on his own.

[CRaymond]

Even for Wolverine, as popular as he is, it will be challenging to anchor a franchise on his own.

The comparison to Wolverine is inevitable, but what Wolverine has that Storm doesn't is age, and heel turns. Storm is an X-Man, and little else. Until being an X-Man is less important than being Storm, she'll never belong in her own book.

[Marvell2100]

I think we've had this discussion a couple of times before. To answer the question, yes Storm could anchor a series. These are the talking points that I brought up before.

1. Expand her beyond the X-Men. She is so tied to the X-Men that it's the only thing people think of(and that's true of most X-Men). Have her appear in other books so that she gets more exposure across the MU. And not just the "girl" books. She should guest star in Iron Man, Cap, Black Widow, Captain Marvel, Spider-Man etc. This isn't about name recognition because most people already know who she is. This is about conditioning people to see Storm as a person capable of appearing in any comic at any time(Wolverine, Spider-Man).

2. She needs a supporting cast that consists of mutants and humans and stories that focus on more than just the state of mutantdom. Yes, Storm is a mutant, we know. But she's also female and Black. Don't just be about mutant issues! And don't always be about social commentary on isht either. Have her kick ass for the sake of kicking ass without some deep social meaning. Every story doesn't need to be an after school special.

3. Now, before you pitch-fork carrying mofos start attacking me, listen closely bitches! Stop talking about Storm blowing up planets and taming galaxies all the time! Yes, she farts lightning and coughs hurricanes! She's a badass among the badassess. But just hear me out, one moment a writer has Storm taking down Thanos and the next she can't even beat Paste-Pot-Pete. Writers are famous for being inconsistent, so don't be shocked when she's as strong as the Hulk one minute and then can't twist open the top on a jar of peanut butter. They are going to punk her out to someone(see Thor, Superman, Wonder Woman etc. for examples).

4. Don't let all her villains be mutants. Does not help to broaden her appeal. Gets old. Bring in villains from other franchises. Trust me, when Storm beats Lady Stilt-Man, people will be talking. And remember, she's going to have to job a few times.

Now, back to your regularly scheduled nonsensical chatter.

[Psy-lock]

No. She was created as a member of the X-Men and been that for her entire publishing history. At this point it would probably take decades of some serious pushing from Marvel for her to become a successful solo character.