Member-only story
In X-Men ‘97, Storm Shows Us How to Remember Who We Are
“Don’t you ever let a soul in the world tell you that you can’t be exactly who you are.” — Lady Gaga
Each of us experiences it, you know — journeying back to oneself.
Amid navigating an immensely capitalistic society, it’s easy to conform to an avatar or persona that pushes us to assimilate to the world. We’re made to believe this avatar/persona is the only way to succeed and we should collectively strive to become it.
This avatar represents the embodiment of cultural values and beliefs — a component of a quintessential “dream” notable in every country, including the States. While the dream feels like an unattainable myth for many, there’s a small voice convincing us we can re-imagine what it looks like within the confines of being marginalized or systemically displaced.
It’s probably why I gravitated to X-Men as a kid.
As a young Black girl in a divided society, I often felt like an alien. With the history of Black folks in America, one might conclude such, but I’m certain our collective contributions prove we’re more than deserving of being here.
Still, feeling alienated in various spaces isn’t uncommon.
I discovered other Black X-Men characters later in life, but Storm was my first introduction. It was easy to feel connected to her — to feel seen. The resurgence of X-Men ’97 undoubtedly satisfies my inner child, particularly with this version of Storm having a beautiful umber hue. It’s clear the creators understood the assignment.
However, when The Executioner snatched Storm’s powers with his neutralizer in episode five, Lifedeath Part 1, I felt an emptiness inside. How could Storm lose her powers? How is she no longer an X-Men? Clearly, I didn’t read any of the comics because it’s par for the course, but I was unprepared for the glow up that would happen in Lifedeath Part 2.
By this time, Storm and Forge are searching for the cactus cave, home to the plant that can cure the poison from the Adversary’s bite. With a bit of reluctance, Storm let Forge accompany her on the quest to get the plant and save him. However, inside the cave, Forge points to a small tunnel for her to crawl through to retrieve the plant. And if you’re…
