Writer: Gerry Duggan
Art: Stefano Caselli

Colors: Edgar Delgado & Chris Sotomayor

Letters: VC’s Cory Petit

Publisher: Marvel
Price: $3.99
Release Date: 5/5/21
Reviewer: Soycornholio

A New Beginning:

Once a character reaches a certain point in their career, it becomes harder and harder to write them. This is especially true when you have an Omega Level Mutant such as Ororo Munroe aka. Storm. With the Hellfire Gala FINALLY upon us, one of our favorite mutants is given a chance to reflect on how she has touched the lives of many of her colleagues over the years. As Storm looks upward towards the sky, let’s look down on Earth and take a look at Gerry Duggan’s Marauder #20 titled: WindRiders

If you’re interested in this comic, series, or any of the others mentioned, simply click on the title/link to snag a copy through Amazon.

The Eye of the Storm:

One of the main themes in X-Men is family. Back in the Claremont days, we often saw Marvel’s Merry Mutants play baseball, or shopping (that’s how they met Jubilee). Nowadays, our mutants are not able to sit down and just have a moment. These issues finally gave our heroes a moment to just be a family. Pyro and Iceman are making bets on how many knives Storm has, Kitty, is reflecting on a broken nose that Storm fixed, and Bishop throwing jabs at Pyro are all reminiscent of those shopping trips the X-Men use to take into town. Besides Emma stressing about the Hellfire Gala, there was nothing urgent that needed to be dealt with. This was a break they deserved.

Greatest Hits:

I honestly wish more comics paid homage to what has happened in the past to certain characters. The majority of most X-Issues does this to an extent. For instance, we are consistently reminded of the Phoenix with Jean and the troubles the X-Men have had with characters such as Sinister over the years. However, this is purely surface level. This issue of Marauders did an amazing job by allowing the reader to revisit some of Storm’s greatest hits along with stories that happened without us knowing. This is demonstrated by Emma recounting the infamous duel between the two in Uncanny X-Men 151 – 152. The X-Men have so many stories and characters, that it is often that we forget things that have happened to our characters in the past. Seeing Emma remember this (and seeing Storm in her OG outfit) was a nice subtle touch. I would love to see more of this “recollection” type of atmosphere with our characters. Imagine Xavier pondering his initial meeting with the Original 5 X-Men and how much they have grown since then. It’s beautiful.

What’s Next?

There has been some speculation that Storm will be moving to space on some type of mission. It has been numerous years since we have witness Storm’s power in space. That would be an amazing setting for her to flex her strength. However, we honestly do not know what is to come for her. What we do know, is that she is leaving the Marauders. It has been said numerous times over the years, that the Windrider is a free spirit. Storm is very fluid and creative. I would argue that when she is stuck on one team without a leadership role, she becomes a bit boring. Her creativity is stifled. When she is on her own OR is an actual leader, we are treated to some of the very best Storm storylines (check out X-Men Unlimited #1 or X-Men Annual #3). Wherever she goes, we can rest assured that we are about to see some amazing Storm action.

Final Thoughts:

Storm is one of the most underrated heroes in comics. For being the powerhouse that she is, Storm should have Wolverine clout. Compared to her status back in the ’70s, 80’s, and 90’s, Storm has calmed down. Even with her being a part of the Marauders, she has been slightly…underwhelming. This issue promises that there is much more to come from Storm. I highly recommend picking up Marauders #20. This is a Storm centric issue. It is…it is a heartwarming comedy that reminds us why Storm was once worshipped as a goddess.

9/10