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- Murewa Ayodele Chats Marvel's Storm and Putting His Stamp on The X-Men Goddess
Murewa Ayodele Chats Marvel's Storm and Putting His Stamp on The X-Men Goddess
Marvel’s new Storm series by Murewa Ayodele (I Am Iron Man), Lucas Werneck, Alex Guimarães, and VC’s Travis Lanham has officially arrived in the X-Men’s newest era. Ororo Munroe’s new adventures feature the hero trying to be a force of positive change in a world where mutants are once again under scrutiny simply for existing. I spoke with Ayodele about writing Storm and what readers can expect in the series in the future!
What makes Storm such a fascinating and beloved hero? How did you want to play into her strengths? How important was it to center the story around Storm — not necessarily with the X-Men or Avengers, but focus on the Goddess?
MUREWA: Haha! This is a loaded question. Well, a bunch of loaded questions fused into one, but I’ll do my best to respond to them. Storm has such a tragic and trauma-filled childhood birthed from losing her parents so early and living on the streets of Cairo, yet she is one of the warmest and most empathetic characters in the Marvel Universe. She is of humble beginnings – living most of her adult life in a poor village in Kenya, yet she carries herself with the confidence of an Asgardian royalty. Her powers are long-ranged in nature, yet she is a master in hand-to-hand combat. She surpasses expectations. Always. That’s why I love her. That’s why I strongly believe exploring her challenges outside of a team setting will make for interesting and inspirational stories. That’s why I think giving her an ongoing solo in this new era is a genius call to make. And with the stellar creative team of Lucas Werneck, Alex Guimarães, Mateus Manhanini, and VC’s Travis Lanham, we’ll surpass expectations too.
(STORM #2 COVER ART by MATEUS MANHANINI)
With that said, how did you land on Frenzy to co-star in issue one?
MUREWA: I made the decision to co-star her in the debut issue because of her recent history with Storm in S.W.O.R.D. and X-Men: Red. Her super strength is also very ideal for rescue missions like the one that takes in Oklahoma City in STORM #1. And I like the character.
As the series continues to run, we’ll see her interact more and more with characters in the Marvel Universe – mutants, humans, cosmic entities, etc. We’re talking about characters like Rogue, Wolverine, Doctor Doom, Voodoo, Eternity, Oblivion, Maggott, Cyclops, etc. It’s going to be loads of fun.
(STORM #3 COVER ART by MATEUS MANHANINI)
Was it challenging to take Storm back to Earth following her arc on Arrako? How do you balance the recent past while attempting to forge something new?
MUREWA: Bringing Storm back to Earth from Arrako wasn’t exactly my call. My story begins after Storm had already relocated to Earth and joined Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, the Avengers. My job is to have fun with her new status quo and I am having a lot of fun with it.
Regarding how I balance her recent past while attempting to forge something new… well, to be honest, I don’t. We’ll have nods, references, and a ton of respect toward Storm’s past here and there as the series runs, but we’ll mostly be blazing at insane speeds as we forge new paths for the goddess Storm. This is a whole new territory for the goddess – from operating as a solo hero and the cosmic threats headed her way.
(CREATION OF ETERNAL STORM by DOTUN AKANDE)
Was there anything with Storm you really wanted to get right with your new run?
MUREWA: I want a run where the storytelling is very easy to get lost in like Saga by Brian K Vaughan and Fiona Staples, a run with an escalating sense of dread like Batman by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo, and a run that introduces fun new concepts like Venom by Donny Cates and Ryan Stegman. So, I constantly run over to my desk every morning to make sure of that.
(ATTEMPT AT STORM'S LIFE by LUCAS WERNECK)
Lucas Werneck draws a powerful Storm; what can you say about his work (alongside the series colorist) and putting their stamp on the hero?
MUREWA: I’ve had the privilege of seeing more issues drawn by Lucas Werneck and colored by Alex Guimarães than the audience has, so trust me when I say that the art gets even better. There is really nothing I can say beyond that. I’m always so stoked when I see new pages. Lucas, especially, brings so much creativity, aesthetics, fashion, and human expression to every page. This is going to be a gorgeous series. I’m sure loads of panels will have a life of their own in Storm fandom spaces.
(STORM IN THE NIGHT SKY by LUCAS WERNECK and ALEX GUIMARÃES)
How has your experience on I Am Iron Man helped prepare you for a bigger, ongoing series? Was Stark's inclusion a nod?
MUREWA: I Am Iron Man indeed helped me take on a bigger, ongoing series like Storm, but not in a way you would think. I’m the newest writer in the From the Ashes lineup. But every time my competency was ever challenged, Iron Man fans were always there to defend me. They were my armor when the announcements came in and joyfully handed me over to the Storm fans. That wholesome experience wouldn’t have been possible if I Am Iron Man didn’t exist. So yes, Stark’s inclusion was 100% a nod.
(I AM IRON MAN #1 COVER ART by DOTUN AKANDE)
You've mentioned Shuri appearing in issue two. Could this potentially lead to T'Challa showing up—and if so, do you have any interest in exploring that relationship?
MUREWA: Haha. Shuri’s appearance in Issue #2 is just a small cameo and has to do more about her own character than her relationship with T’Challa. Now, will T’Challa eventually show up in Storm’s solo series? I certainly hope so. The first issue has a cameo by him and an Easter Egg that references their annulled wedding, after all. We endeavor to leave no crumbs on the table when it comes to this series.
(STORM SANCTUARY by LUCAS WERNECK and ALEX GUIMARÃES)
What's been the most fun thing about writing this book? How has seeing the reception been?
MUREWA: The reception has been so phenomenal – not only because of how overall positive it’s been but because it’s also been coming from a lot of readers new to monthly comics. I still remember the joy of discovering that comic that made me a monthly reader, so it feels especially good to be able to provide that same joy to others. But I have to admit, that’s the second most fun thing about working on this series. The most fun part is getting to come up with the most “broken” power moves for Storm and watching them become canon.
(STORM RUNS ON INSTANTLY FROZEN WATER by LUCAS WERNECK and ALEX GUIMARÃES)
Throwing Storm into cosmic chaos at the end of the issue — what can you say about her upcoming adventures with the cosmos and Eternity? Is that where we may see Adam Brashear?
MUREWA: A lot of classic and even modern Marvel comics that deal with cosmic forces like Eternity are usually comics where most of the stories unfold on planets far far away. Space comics. For this Storm series, most of the major plot beats take place on Earth which helps us create beautiful and thrilling contrast between the grounded, human challenges and mind-bending, ethereal ones. Its DNA is very Lovecraftian, but instead of cosmic beings like Cthulhu, you get petrifying behemoths like Oblivion.
And, yeah. Adam Brashear will have a couple of cameos.
(STORM VS OBLIVION by DOTUN AKANDE)
Storm #1 from Marvel Comics is available in comic shops now. Storm #2 will be released on November 20, 2024!