Storm and Monica are easily my two favorite comic book characters, but I have to say, I've never been a fan of the blue eyes. I was annoyed seeing them on Monica for the same reasons I didn't like them on Storm, it felt like another example of black women distinguished or venerated for a typically white feature. I get the context is different between the two characters and they're exhibited differently, but it still feels like an incredibly loaded color choice.
I will let YogaFlame address this one...as he's astutely done in the past.
I will say though...giving Storm white hair and blue eyes was not about venerating or distinguishing Black Women for having "white features" regardless of how such a visual might be interpreted by a reader.
Last edited by Devaishwarya; 02-26-2021 at 09:14 AM.
Lord Ewing *Praise His name! Uplift Him in song!* Your divine works will be remembered and glorified in worship for all eternity. Amen!
I accept that this wasn't necessarily the intent in giving her those features, but given how virulent colorism is even in the black community, I think it would be hard for younger fans not to internalize it that way especially given how some artists have rendered her and her appearance in previous films. I don't take issue with the platinum hair so much, she's a comicbook mutant after all, but I feel absolutely zero attachment to the blue eyes and would love to know why other fans Im mostly on the same page with feel differently. Don't get me wrong though, this relatively minor gripe.
Ta-Nehisi Coates writing everything but a Storm solo... Marvel get your ish together:
https://heroichollywood.com/superman...mpression=true
ALL HAIL THE HADARI YAO, THE OMEGA'S OMEGA, BEYOND OMEGA, THE VOICE OF SOL!!!! NOW AGAIN THE ONE TRUE AND ONLY GODDESS OF THE X-MEN AS CLAREMONT INTENDED!!!!!
ALL HAIL THE HADARI YAO, THE OMEGA'S OMEGA, BEYOND OMEGA, THE VOICE OF SOL!!!! NOW AGAIN THE ONE TRUE AND ONLY GODDESS OF THE X-MEN AS CLAREMONT INTENDED!!!!!
ALL HAIL THE HADARI YAO, THE OMEGA'S OMEGA, BEYOND OMEGA, THE VOICE OF SOL!!!! NOW AGAIN THE ONE TRUE AND ONLY GODDESS OF THE X-MEN AS CLAREMONT INTENDED!!!!!
Yes, colourism is virulent in the Black community. But as individuals we have to arm ourselves and the younger fans with the right information so as to counter our/their impulse thinking/reaction/perceptions based on ignorance, mis-information and out right lies.
If it was never the intent of Lee and Cockrum to venerate Storm to a "White" aesthetic by giving her blue eyes and white hair when they created her decades ago, and subsequent writers do not push that erroneous 'ideology" (I cannot think of any writer who has written the character as such in all my 40 -plus years of reading X-Men) then anyone looking at her now, cannot in all fairness and understanding and common sense suddenly decide that Storm was/is an example of White veneration. To do so would be disingenuous at the least and grossly stupid at the most. And such a person needs to either re-educate themselves or stfu so people won't know that they're that idiotic.
Last edited by Devaishwarya; 02-26-2021 at 12:54 PM.
Lord Ewing *Praise His name! Uplift Him in song!* Your divine works will be remembered and glorified in worship for all eternity. Amen!
Hmm.. this topic is interesting to me. Storm is the most important black female superhero, and in much of the art marvel has put out of her, she could pass for a white woman with a tan . The straight hair and blue eyes help a lot to create that perception imo . So yes, while her hair and eyes are too iconic now to change them, and I have no idea of knowing what exactly the intention was when she was created, I sometimes wish artists gave her some different hairstyles. She could absolutely rock some braids . Give her some african-inspired touches to her outfits, these sorts of things. Representation is important and I think a lot of the times Marvel could do a better job with Storm's imagery to achieve that.
Please don't be insulting, I'm not accusing the character or writers I've seen pen her of white veneration, at least not intentionally, but I also know it took years to see Storm drawn in a way that was more reflective of her heritage and black X characters are so scarce her visual presentation holds that much more weight. Moreover, black women had zero say in her initial character design so forgive me for not embracing every single detail. I would never suggest changing them in comics, but I wouldn't be mad if they didn't show up in the MCU.
I'm a black woman who respectfully asked a question so you can miss me with that entire second paragraph. rude