Crossovers that matter for Storm: Mutant Massacre (1986), where the Morlocks she led are decimated; X-Tinction Agenda (1990); Age of Apocalypse (1995); Avengers vs. X-Men (2012), who ends his marriage; and the era Krakoa (from 2019). She almost always occupies a position of responsible, no fighter.
Storm has been going through the major mutant events since 1975, which is a considerable amount of issues. Not everyone is equal, and selection matters more here than elsewhere.
The criterion applied is simple: does the event change anything for her? Many crossovers contain her without doing anything to her; those that follow are those where his situation changes.
Mutant Massacre (1986)
Killers decimate the Morlocks, an underground community of which Storm had taken over three years earlier.
It is the event that matters the most for this character, and for a specific reason: it sets her up to fail in the only role she had. selected. He had been given command of the X-Men; that of the Morlocks, she had conquered. The event destroys exactly what she had built alone.
The crossover crosses multiple titles, making it an extended collectible project. Uncanny X-Men issues are the most sought after; tie-ins from other series remain very accessible.
X-Tinction Agenda (1990)
A slave nation of mutants captures part of the team. Storm undergoes a major transformation which deprives her of her usual means: a recurring motif for this character, and always her best register.
Event of 1990, therefore in the middle of a period of overproduction: very high print runs, abundant copies, value almost entirely decided by the gradation. Great reading buy, mediocre speculative bet.
Age of Apocalypse (1995)
An alternate reality where the mutant story has diverged, and where the characters appear in radically different versions.
This type of event has a particular collection interest that this corpus readily points out: it produces alternative versions of known characters, some of whom subsequently integrated the main continuity. These first appearances of variants are often poorly identified and therefore accessible.
The crossover is vast and entirely replacement: all regular series have been suspended for it. It is a coherent whole, which can be collected like a block.
Avengers vs. X-Men (2012)
The conflict between the publisher's two major teams, the personal consequences of which are considerable for Storm: it was following this event that his marriage with the ruler of Wakanda ends.
This point is worth noting. A marriage established in 2006 and undone in 2012 illustrates a constraint of periodical publishing that this corpus has documented elsewhere: a status quo changed almost always ends up being reinstated, because the characters must remain available for all stories.
The Krakoa era (as of 2019)
The most ambitious overhaul of the mutant franchise in decades, featuring a sovereign nation and an elaborate political organization.
Storm occupies leading positions there, which naturally extends her trajectory: team command, leadership of the Morlocks, Wakandan royalty, then Krakoan responsibilities. Few characters have such a consistent career over fifty years.
Recent period: abundant, inexpensive, but be careful with alternative covers, very numerous over these years, with significant differences in value in both directions.
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Three recommendations for this character.
Prioritize Mutant Massacre. This is the only event that directly concerns her, and the Uncanny X-Men issues in this sequence are the ones that matter.
Treat the 1990s like reading, not investing. X-Tinction Agenda and Age of Apocalypse belong to the period of overproduction. The collections are more rational than the fascicles.
Look for non-X-Men tie-ins. Storm appears in dozens of event issues that no one sells as "Storm issues." This is the area where knowledge of the catalog pays off the most, and it is very little exploited.
As always, condition and gradation determine value; relying on real recent sales is strongly recommended.
Find the complete selection in our key numbers and our tier list of key issues.
Track each crossover and identify missing tie-ins with our collection management application.
Where to start: reading guide to Storm's crossovers
To follow Storm's evolution from team leader to head of a nation, the simplest approach is to read the events in publication order: Mutant Massacre in 1986, X-Tinction Agenda in 1990, Age of Apocalypse in 1995, Avengers vs X-Men in 2012, then the Krakoa era from 2019. Each step changes her situation, and chronological order makes those shifts easy to read.
Landmarks by event
- Mutant Massacre: the entry point is Uncanny X-Men #210. The event is driven by Mister Sinister and his Marauders, and extends to X-Factor, New Mutants, Thor, Power Pack and Daredevil. For Storm, the essentials play out in Uncanny X-Men; the tie-ins matter only if you want the full picture.
- X-Tinction Agenda: an event spread over three series, Uncanny X-Men, New Mutants and X-Factor. Read it in one sitting rather than issue by issue, because each series shows only part of the story.
- Age of Apocalypse: with all the regular X series suspended, the whole thing reads as a self-contained universe. There is no point looking for Storm alone: she is one alternate version among others.
- Avengers vs X-Men: the main miniseries carries the story, the tie-ins add context. For Storm, remember above all its personal consequences.
- Krakoa: House of X and Powers of X (2019) serve as the gateway to the era. It is the reading to do before following the series that stem from it.
Points of caution for collectors
Before buying, check that the issue really belongs to the event: many issues carry a crossover logo without Storm playing any role in them. Note also that the series have been relaunched several times: the same issue number can exist in different volumes, so check the volume and the year, not just the number.
For the 1990s, prefer collected editions if you want to read, and keep single issues for the numbers you have a specific interest in. For the recent period, alternate covers are numerous: decide in advance which cover you are looking for, otherwise your want list becomes blurry. A good habit is to keep one list per event, with one line per issue, to see at a glance what is missing.
Finally, as with any crossover, reading everything is not mandatory. If your interest is Storm, concentrate on the issues where she acts and treat the rest as a complement.
Frequently asked questions
Mutant Massacre (1986), because it destroys the Morlocks she led and defeats her in the one role she had won for herself. It is the event whose stakes concern her most directly.
The conflict between the two teams has a personal consequence for her: the end of her marriage to the ruler of Wakanda. That marriage had been established in 2006.
No: these 1990s events belong to the overproduction period, with high print runs and plentiful copies. Collected editions make more sense than single issues for reading.
It is a 1995 alternate reality for which all the regular series were suspended. It is collected as a coherent block and contains alternate versions of familiar characters.
Storm appears in dozens of event issues that nobody sells as Storm issues. Knowing the catalog lets you find underexploited pieces there, but condition and grading decide value.