“Storm” Comic Book Issue 10 “Chapter 10: Thunder War Begins” – Review

Storm issue 10, titled ‘Thunder War Begins’, served a very enjoyable chapter that had me excitedly going “WTF?!!!” as I read through the pages.

From writer Murewa Ayodele and artist Lucas Werneck (with colors by Alex Guimaraes), issue 10 of the Storm solo opened with a flashforward showing Bishop, in Madripoor, experiencing trouble trying to contain a whole lot of energy inside of him. With the promotional material talking about the chapter answering questions about the child Ororo saved all the way back in the first issue, you know the released energy is tied to the nuclear-powered kid.

However, before that particular situation can be addressed, we get to see Ororo, Manifold, and Japeth teleporting into deep space so that Japeth can consume a giant dead alien that Ororo got to know due to working with the Avengers. With how Eternal Storm gave Japeth a serious power-up, I’ve been waiting to see how becoming an Omega would impact his mutant ability. It’s revealed that Japeth doesn’t have a limit to how much he can eat anymore, and he can use the consumed energy to alter his size and strength.

I enjoyed the banter between the trio, with Japeth annoying Manifold due to having become a newly minted Omega-level mutant. Storm engaging with the fun conversation by calling herself the “Mistress of the Cosmic Elements” (while running lightning through the kaiju corpse to remove any possible pathogens) was a cherry on top for me. Yes, Ororo’s usually portrayed as a level-headed leader and strategist, but she does have comedic moments when she isn’t putting her life on the line to save the world.

With Manifold having been teased enough, the conversation shifted to Storm’s Omega-level teammate asking about her relationship status with T’Challa. While we didn’t get an answer from Ororo, I think it’s safe to assume that the two iconic Black superheroes have rekindled their romance, at least to some extent.

It’s revealed that Ororo had a reason for having Japeth be the one to consume the dead alien. Ororo hadn’t forgotten how a bunch of Thunder Gods jumped her a couple of issues ago. It was time for Ororo to get her lick back, and her current target was Sango (living in the realm of the Orishas).

Though we didn’t get an entire issue of Storm vs. Sango, we did get to see her counter his attacks in her base form. Ororo also demonstrated summoning lightning infused with solar radiation to keep him from retreating. We don’t get to see a lot of Ororo’s ability to control radiation. So, that was nice.

It’s clear that Storm didn’t want to waste time fighting the Thunder Gods solo. And you know what? I don’t blame her. She’s got a whole lot happening right now. Not only did she recently handle the FBI’s investigation, but she also has to ensure the nuclear-powered kid remains safe. There’s also the emotional turmoil of a mysterious being (Eternity) taking over her body against her will.

While I understand certain readers wanting Ororo to look into who was possessing her, I can also see why she doesn’t have the time to focus only on that particular issue. Ororo has a list of tasks to get through. It made sense for her to address problems that could be solved head-on, aka the Thunder Gods who attacked her, instead of trying to come up with a plan to unveil the identity of the mysterious entity while ignoring the other timely tasks at hand. Remember, she’s also busy with Avengers missions.

So, yeah, turns out, consuming the dead alien allowed Japeth to become gigantic and powerful enough to punch Sango away. With the Thunder God flying through the air, Manifold opened a portal to teleport Sango to a pocket dimension serving as Storm’s personal prison.

Storm having her own Sanctuary and now an extra-dimensional prison gave me serious Superman vibes, and I’m here for it. Also, the pocket dimension being called Marisol–Abeni, I appreciated that callback. Have a nice time in there, Sango and Chaac!

As for Ororo demonstrating teamwork to “defeat” Sango, I mean, of course, she wasn’t going to face a Thunder God solo, especially when there’s a lot more for her to still do. From a narrative-building perspective, these small battles are building toward a major confrontation between Ororo and Hadad. It’s a writing style certain mangaka utilize. Having a hero (Storm) eventually fight the story’s big bad (in this case, Hadad) lets you know that said hero was always capable of taking on the minor antagonists (Sango, Chaac, and the like) even if those confrontations didn’t occur.

Coming back to the situation in Madripoor, it’s been seven months since Ororo rescued the kid named Jaden. I liked seeing how close the two had grown over that time. However, their reunion was cut short due to Japeth and Manifold being killed right before their eyes.

When I tell you that I wasn’t expecting such a development at all.

How powerful is Agent Etienne and how do her voodoo abilities work? Is she really capable of killing a God? I want answers!

I highly doubt Japeth and Manifold will remain dead for long. But still, their deaths hit me hard, especially because I’m a fan of their interactions with Storm and how well they work together.

Another major surprise was delivered via Silver Surfer Soot and Galactus falling to Earth because they were rescued (in a sense) from a Black Winter by none other than… yet another surprise… freaking Infinity!

Eternity’s sister is looking for answers about her twin brother’s whereabouts, and with Silver Surfer Soot and Galactus not knowing what’s up, Infinity decided to pay Storm a visit on Earth.

I really liked how Werneck drew Infinity’s entrance as she stepped onto Earth after parting the sky as if a curtain. Her huge size reminded me of the “Giant Woman” song from Steven Universe. Anyway, Infinity directly asked Ororo about what she had done to Eternity. With what little information Ororo has about the drama occurring in the cosmos, I’m looking forward to seeing how our Omega-level Mutant Goddess will respond to such a question.

Again, I understand certain readers wanting Ororo to be aware of Eternity vs Oblivion. However, narratively, it makes sense for Ororo to be in the dark for now. Her journey has kind of mimicked Greek mythologies, where demigods and normal humans were unknowingly put through trials because of whatever game the cosmic entities were playing.

We know Storm’s going to have some choice words for Eternity when she realizes what’s happening and why she was selected as his host without her permission. Narratively, the story couldn’t have rushed through that moment. But rest assured that it’s coming now that Infinity has brought up his name.

What did you think of Storm issue 10? Are you excited about the Thunder War arc?

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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