Ok first let me say that you are giving a mini-internet crush right now. If you were an artist I'd totally be one of your groupies :P:
You have such an eloquent way of expressing yourself, and this is such a thought provoking topic.
So many things to say about Storm that resonated with me. I think what connected me to her the most, at least at the beginning, was Storm's ability to persevere and overcome her struggles on sheer force of will, and that she possessed such a strong spirit. I liked that despite her tragic beginnings she was tempered by her losses in a way that allowed her to gracefully flourish in adversity, and made her bold, wise beyond her years, compassionate, noble, and selfless. For all her power and being headstrong and prideful, she is also recognized her weaknesses, and owns her flaws. I found these traits of her character invigorating, exciting, and inspiring to read when I first started reading X-Men, and it has stayed with me ever since.
I'll think more on the spiritual exploration in the X-books. Storm, Kurt, Jean, and Logan spring to mind.