I'll never forget the comic in which Storm debuted her punk look with the leather outfit and mohawk. In those pre-internet days, a wild alteration in her appearance truly took readers by surprise - I remember Kitty Pryde mirroring my shock in the pages of the story. The new look didn't come completely out of nowhere, though. Chris Claremont had written Ororo in such a way that the reader could see her desire for change.
Punk Rock Storm was a wild variant by the time I came along and started reading X-men comics... which was only because some kid on the playground kept wanting to play pretend as the characters and I couldn't wrap my head around what he was asking, especially with "Wolf-a-marine" and Nightcrawler. He wanted to always play Nightcrawler because "He's a black guy, just like me... well, a european black guy, while I'm Americanian... but still. You're white, so you have to be wolverine, I'm black, so I have to be Nightcrawler."
ReplyDeleteBy the time my dad bought me some comics with X-Men characters, I'd stopped playing with that kid because of the arguments we'd had. We started again when I read some comics with "Wolf-er-ine" and bet him a comic against a comic that I could win the race as Wolf and him as Night Crawler.
And yet, to this day my favorite costume of Ororo's is the one she made her debut in.
ReplyDeletePS: You may recall that some time ago I suggested a team I called "Fezzik's Angels" because it was made up of "large women" (Stature, DC's Elasti-Girl, Lady Diane, Ginormica, et al). Last night I had a dream wherein they'd all been shrunk down to micro size by a (now proportionally humongous) Mr. Mind.
@Greggory: Who won that race?
My readership of X-men ended with the adoption of Storm's "Ms. T" look. In fact, part me of thought Claremont's idea for that look might have been Mesmero's fault!
ReplyDeleteThat being said, I have to wonder what Mesmero would want with Hawkgirl the grandniece of Golden Age Hawkman.* My guess? The Thanagarian absorbascan. The one knowledge-gathering device on Earth capable of making Cerebro look like a battery-operated Lego toy!
*The way Katar tried to get back "together" with her? Talk about an "Ewwwww!" factor.
@Bob Greenwade: Pinocchio, by a nose?
ReplyDelete@Anonymous: No. Definitely....NO!
ReplyDeleteThis cover is about two seconds before Storm grabs hold of Hawkgirl just above the ankle with her right hand (the one we don't see) and shocks her back to her senses. Leaving an exhausted Storm catching her breath as Shayeera prepares to feed Mesmero her mace.
ReplyDelete@Garycomic: Don't blame Chris. All Chris said was, "Storm gets a haircut, Kitty freaks out." The decision was Weezie's but, only because, along with several other designs, I did a shot of Storm in a short, fat, Mr. T. Mohawk AS A JOKE!
ReplyDeleteFor a few seconds it worked, everyone in the office was laughing. Then Weezie pulled the infamous left-turn-at-Albequrque and said, "They're going to hang us no matter what we do. We may as well commit the crime." The Mohawk was in.
I took it upon myself to change the original style from intentionally silly and stupid (again, IT WAS A JOKE) to something as serious and respectful as I could in the time remaining.
For those that like the Mohawk, credit Weezie for the decision. For those that don't, blame me and my so-called "sense of humor."
Happy Trails
Smitty
Thanks for sharing that anecdote, Paul! Great behind the scenes information from someone who would certainly know! I loved your depiction of Ororo in both looks.
ReplyDelete@Mr. Smith: the only Weezie I remember is the late, great Isabel Sanford as Louise "Weezie" Jefferson. Whereas, Mr. Claremont's name was the only one I ever paid attention to, on the opening page credits, in each issue of X-MEN. So, to put it nautically, everybody blames the ship's captain for an avoidable disaster at sea. Rarely--if ever--the shore-bound admiral.
ReplyDelete@ Cary: Overly harsh, much? Smitty was referring to Louise Simonson, wife of Walt Simonson, with whom she collaborated on the spin-off comic, "X-Factor."
ReplyDelete@Anonymous: I almost hate to say this. But, I wasn't too fond of X-FACTOR, either.
ReplyDelete@Mr. Smith: For the period in Ororo's life that it happened, I think the Mohawk was quite appropriate. I understand the resistance against it, but I'll credit you and Weezie equally (at 45%, and Chris at 10%). Really, I don't think a pixie-cut would've worked at all.
ReplyDelete@Carycomic: Nautically speaking, If you want to blame the Captain, the Captain was Weezie; Chris was the navigator and I was the pilot. Creatively speaking, the idea was mine, the decision was Weezie's. Feel free to dislike the Mohawk, many did but, don't blame an innocent man for something he didn't do.
ReplyDeleteHappy Trails
Smitty
Allegedly didn't do! ;-D
ReplyDelete@Cary and Smitty; ding-ding-ding! And the fight ends in a draw. Neutral corners, gentlemen!
ReplyDeleteCarycomic said...
ReplyDelete@Anonymous: I almost hate to say this. But, I wasn't too fond of X-FACTOR, either.
__________________________________
What did you think about POWER PACK? She was the original writer on that series...
In fact, IIRC, she's posted here herself to comment on a team-up that Ross created for them.
The first series was all right when it was just them protecting Earth against the Snarks. But, then came the revolving door nomenclature which made it maddening to keep track of which sibling had what super-powers. Culminating with the parents moving the whole family to a new house and thereby necessitating new schools for all four of the kids. Implying the mixed blessing of adolescent angst!
ReplyDeleteAnd, just as it did for the original Nova series, that led to the mixed blessing of comic cancellation. I know Marvel prides itself on emphasizing the "human" in "superhuman." But, when the soap-opera elements overwhelm the superheroics...well, that's when I start looking for DC's and indies at the nearest comic shop.
@Cary: dude! He was talking to me. Not you!
ReplyDelete@Anonymous: Well, was I wrong?
ReplyDelete@Carycomic: unfortunately, not entirely. :-(
ReplyDelete@Carycomic: “Allegedly” according to the fantasies of the fellow who wasn’t there and takes pride in not knowing the players involved or the roles they perform.
ReplyDeleteMy point is this: intended as a joke or not, that look was still your brainchild and, thus, still your ultimate responsibility.
ReplyDeleteMrs. Simonson was merely the midwife and adoption facilitator.
Nothing more/nothing less/case permanently closed!