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In the landscape of Marvel Comics, Storm, one of the most iconic members of the X-Men, endured a significant period without her mutant powers. However, Storm was able to regain her mutant abilities, thanks in part to the intervention of Forge, a fellow mutant and skilled inventor.
Storm's journey through this challenging time was marked by a struggle to reconcile her identity and purpose in the absence of her powers.
In the ongoing Disney+ animated series, X-Men '97, the character faces a similar predicament when she is depowered by the X-Cutioner's inhibitor laser.
How did Storm regain her powers in the comics?
In the comics, Storm decided to leave the X-Men and embarked on a journey to Africa, seeking solace and introspection. However, her sense of duty prompted her return to the X-Men and her active involvement in various significant battles, despite her lack of superpowers.
In Uncanny X-Men #186’s story, titled Lifedeath, Forge was determined to undo the consequences of his creation and restore Storm's powers. However, their budding relationship came to an abrupt end when Storm learned that Forge was responsible for creating the weapon that deprived her of her powers.
This was followed by several unsuccessful attempts to regain Storm's mutation, including an interlude where Loki bestowed upon her the Stormcaster (a weapon akin to Thor's Mjolnir). Uncanny X-Men #225 depicted Forge's creation of a new device that finally restored Storm's weather-controlling abilities.
How did Storm lose her powers in the comics?
Ororo Munroe, the omega-level mutant code-named Storm, has always had a prominent position as a seasoned member of the X-Men, wielding extraordinary power over weather phenomena. Her leadership and guidance are highly regarded within the team, shaping a legacy of heroism and mentorship.
However, Storm's story takes a dramatic turn when she endures a prolonged period without her weather-manipulating abilities, a storyline now being played out in X-Men '97.
In the 1984 comic, Uncanny X-Men #185, Storm was stripped of her abilities when government operative Henry Gyrich inadvertently discharged a special weapon intended for her teammate, Rogue.
Lasting for a substantial three years, her powerlessness became one of the most memorable arcs in her character's journey. Unbeknownst to Storm at the time, the weapon was crafted by Forge, a mutant inventor of Native-American descent.
Storm’s current predicament in X-Men ‘97
In X-Men '97 episode 2, Mutant Liberation Begins, Storm and Magneto joined forces during a United Nations conference disrupted by protesters. In the animated series, it was intended for Magneto to be targeted with the weapon instead of Rogue.
The assailant, the anti-mutant extremist X-Cutioner, fired the shot and despite Storm's attempt to shield Magneto, she became the target of the X-Cutioner's attack.
Beast explained that the weapon used by the X-Cutioner employed radiation to deactivate mutant powers at a cellular level, seemingly permanently stripping Storm of her weather-manipulating abilities.
At the end of episode 2, Storm was depicted in Texas, where she encountered Forge. Episode 4 of X-Men '97, titled Motendo/Lifedeath – Part 1, unveiled Forge as the mutant responsible for the weapon that incapacitated Storm. Adding to her plight, the demonic Adversary poisoned Forge and captured Storm to exploit her despair.
X-Men '97 seems poised to follow the comics' narrative trajectory, potentially exploring Storm's journey to reclaim her powers in the upcoming episode titled Lifedeath – Part 2, which will premiere on April 17, 2024, on Disney+.
