Is Storm able to carry her own solo ongoing for multiple years? Why not before?

[Krakoa]

Solo books for characters that originated on teams are a chicken & egg issue. If you don't invest long-term in building out villains and a supporting cast for the character in a solo, their solos will run into issues. This is compounded with today's quick-to-cancel comics. Wolverine as a solo character works not just because of qualities intrinsic to the character, but because he had a solo book that ran for 317 issues straight over the course of 25 years that invested heavily in giving him a world separate from the X-Men with separate missions, separate villains, and separate supporting characters. Obviously you don't need 300+ issues to make a solo character work but you do need to give a writer real leeway to build a world around them for a long stretch of issues, bc if it's just a mini you're not going to do that, you're going to use existing team characters to support.

[Krakoa]

What would the core theme of a potential Storm solo be? Like the main idea that the character and the book is based on, the idea that defines it. For Spider-man it's responsibility, for the F4 it's family so what about Storm?

When you are so powerful, how do you tackle problems that require a defter touch? When what you can do has huge consequences for the world and the climate, can really hurt people and cause destruction, how do you use that power well? And how do you handle issues you can't throw a hurricane that (like actually helping the Morlocks on a deep level)?

Also liked Pak's exploration of how it impacts Storm when something like Logan dying happens and how she, without control, could cause cataclysmic weather in those kinds of situations.

[DragonsChi]

The writers can give her the kind of villains that are worth her time, but like I said earlier there is no justification for her to solo them unless she isn't on the team anymore. She's part of the X-Men, not the Avengers.

I don't think this should be off the table.

Everyone loves X-Characters interacting with each other but it is past time some of the branch out for a few years. Storm is one of those characters.

[Zoks]

I don't think this should be off the table.

Everyone loves X-Characters interacting with each other but it is past time some of the branch out for a few years. Storm is one of those characters.

Yes I think Storm is the most obvious member of the team that should leave and start her own line, but the biggest push back against such an idea would be other X-Fans. One of the things people love the most about the X-Men is their strong relationship with each other, and breaking that would upset a lot of fans. So if she is to have a realistic shot at a solo, Marvel will have to cut the cord. Throw her off the planet for some reason with no means back. By the time she does get back, she'll need new responsibilities beyond that of the X-Men and maybe show up occasionally to remind us she used to be on the team, but she'll be need to be done with them as a whole.

[Hakka84]

I'm surprised to see so many folks wrapped up in the "Storm is too powerful" camp. Deadpool and Wolverine can literally heal being decapitated yet have long-running solos.

Well. The issue is that Logan can get his ass kicked. He can be killed because he doesn't have powers that would prevent any non-Omega or cosmic-powered villain from even getting to touch him. Logan he's a hand-to-hand fighter because his powers are literally built for that: close combat. And yes, he can even be killed, or what amounts to be killed to any other person: he just has the nasty habit of returning, and more angry than before. Same for Deadpool (minus the anger).

That's the difference. And why Logan, Wade and even Gambit work. They can be put into situations when they have to fight with normal people with standard soldier training. People who wield a firearm.
Laura worked for the same reason - the power set was literally Logan's.

To get Storm's ass kicked, either you pitch her against only cosmic powerhouses (which is probably what you all want).... or you have to seriously nerf her.
Look at Cable. For as much as he's a powerhouse and one of the most powerful mutants on Earth, he has been "nerfed" (the virus) to force him to use more his fists and weaponry. I know little about Nate Grey (another successful solo runner) but he too was given the "I'm literally burning out because I'm too powerful". And when authors started to write him that much powerful... he was given a God-complex and akin to a villain.

And yes, Superman yadda yadda. There's a reason why Cryptonite exists I think.


Said this, X-Men Red was a Storm solo and was good material. If they made Arrakko her field, they could build a solid solo with cameos. From Mars she could get much of her person explored, the ruler but also the Omega mutant, as she could easily get battles and threats from space.

[The Lame Ugly Looking Joke]

For motivation for his solos, Wolverine has a checkered past, a history of not being 100% team friendly, and a belief that he should be doing the "dirty" jobs the rest of the team should not be involved in. He also has a limited power set so he can have a much larger rogues gallery that is justifiable for him to solo while remain entertaining for a reading audience. So for Storm to go "solo" like Wolverine she would need adversaries where she doesn't want the rest of the X-men involved and firmly believes she is enough to solo despite being actual threats to her life. Both of these are stretches on their own.

Hasn't Wolverine healed at various points from a skeleton or even a drop of blood?

[JB]

Yes I think Storm is the most obvious member of the team that should leave and start her own line, but the biggest push back against such an idea would be other X-Fans. One of the things people love the most about the X-Men is their strong relationship with each other, and breaking that would upset a lot of fans. So if she is to have a realistic shot at a solo, Marvel will have to cut the cord. Throw her off the planet for some reason with no means back. By the time she does get back, she'll need new responsibilities beyond that of the X-Men and maybe show up occasionally to remind us she used to be on the team, but she'll be need to be done with them as a whole.

I think they can take advantage of there being so many mutant characters. So many don't get utilized that they could theoretically build part of her supporting cast with X-characters. Hell, just throw in Sunspot and Nova and I'm already so hooked.

[Zoks]

Hasn't Wolverine healed at various points from a skeleton or even a drop of blood?

Yes, his survivability is ridiculous, but that's not a knock against him. He still has to work hard to fight someone like Sabretooth. Storm meanwhile needs villains at the level of Vulcan to be a real threat. We've seen how she handled him, and that was the correct method. Why would she deny her tactical leadership, one of her strongest traits, while fighting him?

I think they can take advantage of there being so many mutant characters. So many don't get utilized that they could theoretically build part of her supporting cast with X-characters. Hell, just throw in Sunspot and Nova and I'm already so hooked.

I made a post earlier on how she could have a solo where it's basically X-Men Red, but some people wouldn't consider that a real solo (they want her running around like Thor I guess).

[The Lame Ugly Looking Joke]

Yes, his survivability is ridiculous, but that's not a knock against him. He still has to work hard to fight someone like Sabretooth. Storm meanwhile needs villains at the level of Vulcan to be a real threat. We've seen how she handled him, and that was the correct method. Why would she deny her tactical leadership, one of her strongest traits, while fighting him?



I made a post earlier on how she could have a solo where it's basically X-Men Red, but some people wouldn't consider that a real solo (they want her running around like Thor I guess).

But then on this point, why DON'T characters like Thor, Superman, Wonder Woman, etc., run into the same problems villains-wise?

How do they manage to make it work where Storm can't?

[Zoks]

But then on this point, why DON'T characters like Thor, Superman, Wonder Woman, etc., run into the same problems villains-wise?

How do they manage to make it work where Storm can't?

The point isn't Storm cannot run into high level opponents, it's just there is no justifiable reason for her to fight them solo on a regular basis. She's a team leader and has a LOT of friends. If there are city/country/planet level threats that Storm has to deal with regularly, why would she not call her friends? Hell most of them would probably come flying over to help the moment they noticed Storm was fighting a threat like that. And let's face it, she's smart enough to use her allies' assistance to take on these threats. If you want her to do solo stuff, she has to be cut off from the team. That won't sit well with a huge portion of the fans because they like seeing her with her friends, just as much as they enjoy watching her feats (if not more). On the other hand you can just give her a small team of low draw characters, and it would functionally be a Storm solo, just not in name. Kind of how X-Men Red was for the last few issues after Magneto died.

[Username taken]

Things needed to help with an ongoing series(for however ongoings last these days) for Storm:

1. She needs more exposure outside of the X-Books. Believe it or not, not everyone is picking up an X-book. Put Storm on an Avengers team. Let her step in as a member of the FF. She should have more appearances in books like Captain Marvel, Thor, She-Hulk, Guardians of the Galaxy, Iron Man, Captain America etc. She needs to be seen as more than just the resident mutant goddess of the X-Men.

2. More and better rogues. If I see Storm fight Shadow, King, the Adversary or some other mystical opponent one more time, I'll kick their a$$es$ myself. Please expand her rogues and they all don't have to be mutants either. Genesis, Moses Magnum, The Deviants, a few cosmic villains(Terrax, Super Skrulls, Proxima Midnight, Corvus Glaive, Kree Accusers, Imperial Guard members just to name a few). It wouldn't hurt to have her do some H2H either. She's can do more than just shoot lightning, she can kick ass without powers.

3. No more stories about self-discovery. If Storm doesn't know who she is by now then she has a problem. There can be a few mysteries here and there(something about her parents, a never-before-seen relative). But please, enough of these stories where she has to look deep inside herself or go on some journey to discover something deep inside for some kind of growth. Ease up on these type stories, please.

4. Supporting cast that is a combination human, mutants, aliens. The more diverse the better. Lots of materials to work with to tell better stories.


This is where I would lay the foundation. Plant some seeds in the X-Books that would carry over into other titles. This would give her more opportunities to build up interest and get more eyes on her.

My two dollars and 2 cents.

Yea to all of this.

And a strong and consistent creative team.

[DragonsChi]

I made a post earlier on how she could have a solo where it's basically X-Men Red, but some people wouldn't consider that a real solo (they want her running around like Thor I guess).

Eh....I think that is just the fans on this board. They could bring Storm down to Iron Man or maybe Green Lantern levels and ignore the CBR boards and she would be fine.

It be easy to nerf her in some form similar to how Gambit went about dampening his powers. Or the writers can largely ignore how powerful Storm is now if the stories are consistently good.

Or like others have said they could dive fully in and make her a Cosmic hero. But if they do that there really would be no going back to X-Men, unless everyone on the team are doing the cosmic level thing.

[Sisterhood Of Mutants]

I’m torn on solos, especially when it comes to characters known best for team dynamics. But it all boils down to execution. And I don’t understand why one of the most popular Marvel characters of all time is seen as such a “risk.”

Creative teams are the difference between “cancelled at five and rebranded as a mini” and “congrats on hitting #50.” The best creative team can make something compelling out of the most unpopular or least developed character, let alone an already infamous one seen across several forms of media with a huge fanbase.

If somebody actually has proper respect and knowledge of the character, and isn’t just hastily coloring inside mandated lines handed over by editorial and/or another writer simply meeting orders from above, the story-telling possibilities are endless. So, her villains or setting wouldn’t be anything like the street level characters’? …yes. And? A good writer will adapt.

Poison Ivy is one of my favorite comic characters of all time, but I never anticipated her ongoing being as successful as it is. Writers passionate and thoughtful about their subject will take you a long way.

I like the Stephanie Williams suggestion as far as writers. Jay Jurden had a fantastic grip on Storm’s voice and powers in that Voices story, too. Al Ewing is obviously incredible, but it would be nice to see priority given to a black writer this time around.

On that note: I’ve been very happy to see Peach Momoko doing her thing on Ultimate, especially when this franchise loves to use characters of East Asian descent and take so heavily from said cultures - lol seen most recently with a certain ””ninja”” from Chicago still sponging up panel time in every other title - but has little concern for actually hiring us to tell our stories. We’re overdue for more of that.

Would love to see Trung Le Nguyen, Preeti Chhibber, and some of the other marginalized writers from Unlimited get the same countless chances that certain folks under outgoing editorial were given, too. Even Eisner winners like Marjorie Liu and Kelly Thompson have both hinted at hitting Marvel’s glass ceiling, and it would be great to see steps taken to dismantle it. We can’t claim “oh well no black female writers can sell this book!!” if they’re not getting even a fraction of the opportunities that other people in that office were handed over and over (and over).

Storms solo depends on tptb. They keep other failing solo alive if they love the character.

Krakoa in a nutshell. Ditto the many stealth solos.

And unlike other stealth solos, at least Red featured some of the best writing seen in X-books of the past five years. Ewing didn’t need to trick readers with a bait and switch by throwing other popular characters on the covers, then shuffling them to the background. Aside from the writing and art, a big draw was Storm herself.

[Factor]

Why has she not done so beforehand? What has prevented her from managing to do so before?

For those that think she can, what qualities unique to her do you feel enable to carry her own book long-term?

If you feel she CAN'T carry her own book long-term, what changes do you feel need to be made to the character in order for her to be able to do so?

Well, they only really tried giving her an ongoing once. And as much as I usually enjoy Pak’s work, that book was very mid.
I believe she’s popular enough that with the right creative team and direction she could sell pretty well.
I mean, she’s way more well-known than some characters that are always getting ongoings like Moon Knight or Carnage. The problem is that they don’t try pushing her as much as some other properties.

[Zoks]

Well, they only really tried giving her an ongoing once. And as much as I usually enjoy Pak’s work, that book was very mid.
I believe she’s popular enough that with the right creative team and direction she could sell pretty well.
I mean, she’s way more well-known than some characters that are always getting ongoings like Moon Knight or Carnage. The problem is that they don’t try pushing her as much as some other properties.

I think it's more of a problem that the only reason to push a Storm solo is that so she can have a solo. It's not like she won't hold a major role on any X-Team she's on, as she practically guaranteed a team leader spot. To have a successful solo that last years she'd need to leave the X-Men while joining another book with a story that has Marvel-wide implications. Otherwise you would just get X-Men fans buying her book, who may or not buy it if they just see it as something they can ignore, in which case you'll just have Storm fans buying it. Maybe reboot the Defenders and have her as a member for a while.