Ororo "Storm" Munroe

PAST | PRESENT | FUTURE

(This history is based on what we facts we can glean from the show and its comicbook spin-off. For a more detailed but headcanon-heavy history, see here.)

Storm’s origins are only very briefly covered in Evolution. Unlike her comic counterpart, she has an existing family in her sister, Vivian as well as her brother-in-law and their son, Evan. What we are aware of is that Storm spent her childhood and teenage years in Africa, where her mutant abilities of weather manipulation manifested and was then worshipped as a goddess by her tribe.

Some time between this and the beginning of X-Men Evolution, she made her way to the United States of America. It’s not clear how or why she came to live in the States, but eventually she was able to pursue an education, and even made it to university. It was during her grad student days that she met one Professor Charles Xavier, a mutant with exceptionally powerful telepathic abilities, when he gives a lecture on genetics at her univerrsity. He “discovers” Storm, so to speak, when he witnesses her save a student trapped in a burning car. Ororo helps save the student by summoning a quick torrent of rain over the wreckage. Charles, having previously believed that he and his friend Erik Lensherr (who would later be known as Magneto) were the only mutants alive, sought her out and explains to Ororo about who she is and what her powers mean.

Initially uneasy and disbelieving of him, Storm later comes to trust Xavier, and even helps him look for and reach out to more of their kind. It is Storm who in fact powers the first prototype of the Cerebro – a device that allows Xavier to detect other mutants as they use their powers - with the help of her lightning. Almost immediately, they find out the whereabouts of a runaway mutant known as Wolverine. Together they approach and offer him a place with them (instead of Magneto, who also attempted to “recruit” him), and thus marks the beginnings of the X-Men. It is just the three of them for a time, with Storm and Wolverine sent on missions to put a stop to Magento’s plots, until the Xavier Institute for Gifted Youngsters is founded by Charles Xavier to help young mutants develop their abilities and how to use them for good.

As their little “family” expands with the addition of more young mutants, Storm takes up the role of teacher, instructor and sometimes-mother, and helps them train, develop and control their powers.

CLOSER INSPECTION

THE SAMPLE

Out of habit, Ororo spent the later part of the afternoon and early evening in her attic loft, watering plants and straightening shelves of gardening tools, compost and other such items around her little sanctuary. Most knew not to disturb her at this time of the day, leaving her alone to her devices and letting her have the quiet space and privacy that she craved in a house that could get as crowded as theirs. The noise of activity barely, rarely reached this floor, and so her day went by as smooth as any other.

It wasn’t until she went back down later that she realized that the quiet was almost unsettling. Had something gone on while she was locked away in her detached little bubble? Her feet led her to the kitchen, often the source of activity, and was surprised to find it curiously empty except for a crumpled copy of today’s paper, ripped in half. She arched an eyebrow, picked up the pieces and fit them together to read - and nearly dropped it in surprise. Her fingers tightened their grip on the edges as she continued to quickly scan the article twice in succession.

Death, fear, and other, ugly words screamed out at her from the headlines in dark, inky print. A third read finally convinced her that this was real, it was actually happening despite all that they’d tried to do to keep it from occuring and oh, goddess, the children, the students, the mansion would be one of their first targets-! And what about other mutants out there? Fear gripped her heart as she thought of the rest of mutantkind facing threats of this magnitude without the kind of defense that the mansion could provide. Goddess, Evan was out there, defending the Morlocks in New York’s sewers… She put both halves of the newspaper down in an effort to calm her fraying nerves.

A cool, familiar anger began to simmer from deep within her; the accusations were nothing new, of course, but this talk of registration acts, labeling the mutant menace… It was all becoming a very real, very tangible threat. She thought of what atrocities that mutants out there were suffering, and imagined it happening to the rest of the students… No. She would not, could not allow any of it to continue.

A glance out the window and at the darkening sky reminded her to keep her emotions under control. She closed her eyes and put a lid on the worry, anger and fear in her heart, locking them away to deal with later in the same breath it took to send the gathering storm clouds far away. Right now, the students were the priority. It was important that they felt safe, and how could they, if she couldn’t even be strong for them?

She picked the newspaper back up and strided purposefully from the kitchen in search of Charles, Logan and Henry. They needed to discuss this, and what their plan of action would be in response to this new development.