“Storm” Issue 2 “Chapter 2: Death by Voodoo” – Review

With Storm getting radiation poisoning in the debut issue and also deciding to tell the truth about a recent nuclear disaster, the second chapter in writer Murewa Ayodele’s Storm solo series had Ororo Munroe race against time to find a cure to her ailment.

Chapter two opened with Storm not taking a break from saving lives, even though she continued to breathe heavily and cough up blood. The fact she didn’t get herself checked the moment she noticed blood coming out of her mouth during the previous issue made no sense to me. Also, she’s stated to be the Avatar of Life, who is all about maintaining balance. So I would assume she should know when something’s wrong inside her body. But, oh well, due to narrative reasons, Ororo didn’t pay a visit to the ‘Night and Daye Hospital for the Extramundane’ until she saw a bunch of her hair fall out during a shower inside the Storm Sanctuary.

Ororo’s interaction with Dr. Daye was interesting and slightly similar to how she was treated by the people she saved a couple of hours ago. Apparently, anti-mutant sentiments were on the rise (again!) amongst certain communities. So, the ship’s crew didn’t want Ororo to remain onboard because they were worried her mutant powers might accidentally trigger a catastrophe. The last thing they wanted was to die due to a mutant freak accident.

As for Dr. Daye, he wasn’t a fan of treating X-Men because that particular team of mutants hadn’t supported the hospital the way he expected. Numerous heroes (Reed Richards, Tony Stark, Dr. Strange, etc.) had pitched in to keep the hospital running, and yet the X-Men didn’t send the establishment a single penny over the decades. Not only that, but they didn’t even share the medical advancements the mutants made during the Krakoan Age.

Even though she’s not currently serving in any X-Men team, I understood why Ororo felt the need to fix things with Dr. Daye during her visit. Ororo’s an iconic member and leader of the X-Men. She’s also, more or less, the voice of mutantkind. Having her apologize on the X-Men’s behalf made sense to me. However, what I didn’t like was Ororo handing over her mother’s ancestral ruby as financial compensation.

Like, Ororo! Cut that man a damn cheque! You have the money!

Yes, I get that giving the doctor her ruby was a huge sentimental and financial gesture, but I have a feeling there’s more behind this particular creative decision. I think Murewa will have Ororo wanting the ruby back for some reason or another down the line. Or perhaps the ruby will be stolen by a mysterious entity because it has untapped powers. The bottom line is that something is up with that ruby!

With Dr. Daye’s mutant power being medical diagnosis, he told Storm she only had six hours to live due to the radiation syndrome afflicting her. He was unable to help treat her, but he knew of someone who was more than capable of doing so. Dr. Daye sent Ororo to seek out none other than Doctor Voodoo aka Jericho Drumm, cementing the fact that there’s more to Ororo’s condition than mutant-caused radiation.

The narrative in the debut issue made it clear that the universe was trying to kill Ororo for unknown reasons and Eternity was watching her. Her current predicament was yet another test for the Omega-Level Mutant Goddess to try and survive.

I liked how the narrative threw some shade at Ororo. The statement about Ororo seeking a magician’s help even though she’s the freaking descendant of Ashake and shared blood with Agamotto (the first Sorcerer Supreme) made me smile. Ororo was also called out for being unable to cast a simple defensive spell. What would she do if her mutant powers were taken away from her?

Like, yes, Murewa, dive into Ororo’s magical potential and explore how her abilities are more than just a mutation! Seriously, I can’t wait to see what Murewa has in store for Storm fans as the series continues.

The art by Lucas Werneck, with colors by Alex Guimaraes, is visually stunning. Werneck is definitely one of the best Storm artists out there. Ororo showcased a couple of outfit changes during the second issue and I appreciated that a lot. Most comic books don’t have characters change outfits in a single issue.

Also, look at this particular panel!

The synopsis for the upcoming third issue has shared that Doctor Voodoo will be able to help Storm. However, the cure apparently came at the cost of her mutant powers. The depowered state will be temporary and this won’t be the first time Ororo will be in such a state. That’s why I’m interested in seeing how Murewa will handle a depowered Ororo.

Another fun thing about the current issue was a letter by Murewa where he shared a popular dark magic spell from his Yoruba tribe. The spell’s called the Afose and it is meant to bend the will and desires of another person to the caster’s words.    

What did you think of Storm issue 2?

Let us know.

Author: Farid-ul-Haq

Farid has a Double Masters in Psychology and Biotechnology as well as an M.Phil in Molecular Genetics. He is the author of numerous books including Missing in Somerville, and The Game Master of Somerville. He gives us insight into comics, books, TV shows, anime/manga, video games, and movies.

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