Is Storm inadvertently responsible for the creation of the X-men?

[Ororo101]

While doing my usual browse of back issue X-men comics to preserve my mental health due to this Coronavirus induced content drought we have all been suffering through, I came across Uncanny X-men #117 where Xavier and the Shadow King meet for the first time. After being broken up with by Moira, Xavier desires to embark on a world traveling trek that takes him from the Greek island of Kirinos and onto Cairo, Egypt. There while in the marketplace, he is successfully pick-pocketed by a then toddler-aged Ororo Munroe after she gets away with his wallet with her “feather light fingers”. After giving chase throughout the market place and almost losing her in the narrow, bustling alleyways of Cairo’s market he finally resorts to stunning the child Storm with a “gentle” force bolt. This exposes him to his psychic nemesis and dark yet equal counterpart, Amahl Farouk - The Shadow King.

We all know well the psychic battle of legend that follows this meeting and how Xavier manages to subdue Farouk by the skin of his teeth, narrowly escaping with his life. He claims this to be “the first evil mutant he’d ever met, the first who made him realize how truly deadly mutant powers could be in the wrong hands.” Xavier subsequently states “Then and there I found my life’s work - to bring mankind and its mutant children together in peace and harmony, and protect humanity from creatures like Farouk”. Following this he travailed to India, then Tibet, and finally back home to Westchester to form the X-men and begin the journey on his newfound life mission.

In reading this it dawned on me that not only was Ororo the first “X-men” that Xavier ever came into contact with(unless I’m mistaken and there are other, previous instances of which I am unaware), but that if she never attempted to pick his pocket in the marketplace that day, he would not have encountered The Shadow King and therefore his route to being the Founding Father Figure of the X-men and his dream for mutantkind might have unfolded in a much different way, if at all in any way that we would recognize.

Now I know what you’re thinking. Here’s a “crazy Storm fan” trying to give one of the most loved and lauded X-men characters even more clout and credit for her unknowingly crucial role in X-mythology. And to be frank my dears, you would be mostly right. However I truly never thought of this perspective until re-reading that comic today and it just made me smile to realize how destiny had literally intertwined Ororo and the X-men from the very beginning of its inception as an idea. I wish this facet of her and Xavier’s shared past experience was touched on more between the characters in canon and I hope the MCU desides to include this full story of the Xavier’s creation of the X-men mythos on the big screen.

P.S- Happy early Free Comic Book Day tomorrow everyone! Don’t forget to go and pick up your free X-men issue written by Hickman and illustrated by Pepe Larraz the GOD. Here’s to getting back to our normal weekly X-business as usual soon!

[Phoenixx9]

Ororo was not a toddler when she stole from Xavier. She was somewhere between 5 and 8 years old.

[Ororo101]

Ororo was not a toddler when she stole from Xavier. She was somewhere between 5 and 8 years old.

Apologies, in my mind a toddler is any child 6 years old and below. I understand that’s subjective though so take her age as you will.

[Micabe]

Post deleted.

[Will Evans]

Thanks to the recent retcon of Moira I think we say that Moira heedfully creates the X-men with Charles

Moira came in to contact with Xavier, before he did with Storm and Shadow King.

[LordAllMIghty]

Some of ya'll get stuck on the oddest sh1t....

Yes, if Xavier wouldn't have tried to read her mind he would have never encounter the Shadow King and come to the realization that some mutants could be evil.

[jwatson]

Thanks to the recent retcon of Moira I think we say that Moira heedfully creates the X-men with Charles

Moira came in to contact with Xavier, before he did with Storm and Shadow King.

Though if one is to go that route since Moira was inspired by the X-men to continue the x-men and remembers everything even with the retcon if this didn't happen in the original life moira would have had nothing to be inspired to continue in the next life.

[yogaflame]

Hickman's Moira X aside, absolutely yes, little Ororo picking Charles's pocket led to him fighting Shadow King and realizing some mutants out there are super evil and powerful, and someone is going to have to stop them from taking over the world.

It is interesting, even with Hickman's ideas; Xavier went on this trip around the world precisely because Moira broke up with him(to marry Joe and create Proteus). So, in that regard Moira wanted him to go on that trip(during which he'd have his pocket picked by Ororo, fight Shadow King, meet young Magneto, create Legion with Gabrielle Haller, and get paralized by Lucifer, saved by Tessa, and then meet Vought in India during his recovery(directly after which they come back to the states and he begins his preparations for actually creating Cerebro and the Danger Room and actively recruiting)). All after loosing Cain in Cyttorak's temple, and barely surviving the war. If Moira hadn't broken up with him, he wouldn't have had all those formative experiences. She was molding him...

[Stormrocks]

I would say no, even before Hickman's time at the helm.

X-Men Unlimited #1.jpg

This clearly says even before the Shadow King, Charles knew he would need a team.

[BishopsJuice91]

No she’s not, Charles is you can replace her with any mutant and get the same result. That’s like someone taking credit for an entrepreneur striking rich because they gave an idea or or had a conversation it just doesn’t work that way. He did it...

[BroHomo]

What was so damn important that he'd resort to telepathically "stunning a lil kid???

[Omega_DCD]

I would say no, even before Hickman's time at the helm.

X-Men Unlimited #1.jpg

This clearly says even before the Shadow King, Charles knew he would need a team.

What is this from? (Can't see the pic clearly)

[Stormrocks]

What is this from? (Can't see the pic clearly)

X-Men Unlimited # 1

[LordAllMIghty]

Read Uncanny X-Men 117...
RCO009_1469325703.jpg

After his fight with the Shadow King
RCO016_1469325703.jpg
RCO017_1469325703.jpg

[Ororo101]

No she’s not, Charles is you can replace her with any mutant and get the same result. That’s like someone taking credit for an entrepreneur striking rich because they gave an idea or or had a conversation it just doesn’t work that way. He did it...

Here love, idk if this helps. 29CE8748-E335-4DB7-AF57-34E79539AFC6.jpg

Of course, Xavier founded the X-men. I said just as much quite clearly in my OP. The question at hand was would the series of events that are directly correlated to what Xavier himself said was responsible for finding his “life mission” and the cause that sparked the dream that birthed the X-men have happened the same way without Ororo fatefully picking his pocket that day in Cairo. This, to be honest, was also supposed to be a very light-hearted fun post that brought us back to reading this great back issue in these dark, comic sparse times and was just to have some fun discussing the origin of Xavier’s idea for the X-men. You can rest assured that no one is trying to take away his credit for that but yes, it seems Storm was also indirectly involved in the crux of their origin as well, which as a fan, is pretty neat.

What was so damn important that he'd resort to telepathically "stunning a lil kid???

Lmao I know right! I almost mentioned that in my OP but upon reading the panel it says specifically that it was a “gentle force bolt” (lol) and Ororo doesn’t display any signs of pain and utters a singular “oh!” which was cute, so I decided to not make a Cain Marko out of a Doop and let it go. Still like, couldn’t let ol’ girl get away with some coins at least X? Girl was barefoot in the street and he was in a full colonizer on holiday get up lmao like damn, throw Ororo a few shekels mate.