Storm's 5 Biggest Moments

After 40 years contending with her as a mainstay of the Marvel Universe, super villains all across the cosmos have learned one thing: you don't mess with Ororo Munroe. Storm's strong will, self-confidence, and pride have made her one of the most formidable heroes in the Marvel Universe. Heck, she once used her spirit to provide life support for the cosmic being known as Eternity. She holds her head high with every turn her life takes, whether she's leading the X-Men, being worshipped as a goddess in Kenya, or making a living as the best pickpocket in Cairo. Get up to speed on all things Ororo with a list of some of her strongest moments below.

Storm had her work cut out for her during her first mission as the X-Men's leader. Just imagine how stressed you would be if a time-traveling Kitty Pryde showed up to stop an assassination in order to prevent a nightmare future. As her team went up against an all-new Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, Storm outwardly kept her cool while she internally fought off feelings of doubt. She snapped into action the instant Wolverine tried to use his killer claws on another bad guy, slapping her hand down on his shoulder and sternly saying, "I am leader of the X-Men. While that is so, you will use your claws when I command. No other time." From that moment on, no one -- not even herself -- questioned Storm's role as the X-Men's leader.

With a small band of X-Men outnumbered and held captive by a sewer-dwelling mutant group called the Morlocks, Storm had no choice but to duel with their leader for freedom. Only one catch: Storm had been rendered violently ill by the touch of a Morlock named Plague. Oh, actually two catches: Storm also has severe claustrophobia. Backed into a corner, though, Storm rose to the occasion. "Callisto… I lead the X-Men," exclaimed Ororo. "The challenge, the duel – your life – are MINE!" The normally regal Storm, now capeless and barefoot, became a fast moving street fighter, plunging her knife right into Callisto's heart. A Morlock healer saved Callisto's life just as a permanently altered Storm and her X-Men departed the sewers.

After adopting a harder, punk-influenced look and losing her weather-manipulation powers, Storm dueled with Cyclops for leadership of the X-Men. Storm had held down that position for a while and refused to give it up solely because Cyclops wished to have it back. The two took to the Danger Room for a sparring match, and the X-Men's original leader quickly realized that his concussive optic blasts could not catch the agile and stealthy Storm. Munroe won the battle by snatching Cyclops' visor from his head, rendering him effectively blind. The defeated Scott Summers returned to his newborn child and crumbling marriage, and Storm prepared to lead the X-Men through the darkest era of their lives.

Her brief tenure with the Fantastic Four allowed Storm to journey across the cosmos, adventuring to places the X-Men rarely traveled. She even clashed with the Silver Surfer during one of his recent stints as the herald of Galactus. After the rest of her teammates failed to get the Surfer's attention, Storm confidently approached the cosmically powered being. While in outer space, she encased the Surfer in the middle of a five-yard sphere of dense hydrogen atoms, thus creating the perfect atmosphere to strike the herald with a powerful and massive lightning bolt.

Upon returning to the X-Men, Storm did not take too kindly to her longtime friends feuding amongst themselves and splitting their allegiances into camps led by Cyclops and Wolverine. Although her squad of X-Men went on missions for Cyclops, she refused to answer to Cyclops. This created friction between herself and Colossus after her team discovered a branch of newly awoken proto-mutants. When she learned that Colossus had been reporting to Cyclops behind her back, Storm confronted the mountainous metal man that she once affectionately called her little brother. Storm does not let anyone, not even her dearest friends, stand in the way of the greater good.