Superstar Marvel Comics artist Russell Dauterman’s latest X-Men variant cover showcases Storm‘s different costumes over her comic history. The original teenage team may have made their debut in pretty bland yellow and blue uniforms, but over the decades the X-Men have become associated with some of the most stunning superhero costume designs of all time.
Ororo Munroe, better known as the weather goddess Storm, is one of the most notable mutant heroes. Most of her costumes have been sweeping and regal, with Marvel happily breaking their unofficial “No Capes” rule in order to create some beautiful designs. In fact, one comic claimed the capes helped Storm fly by catching the wind she summons, but that was swiftly forgotten, and she’s since been seen flying in civilian attire countless times. But Storm is also well known for a Mohawk phase, dropping her standard look for something a little more punk – and prompting a horrified reaction from a young Kitty Pryde.
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Artist Russell Dauterman shared the cover to Twitter, revealing it as the latest of his celebration of the history of the X-Men with a range of variant covers for different books, recently celebrating Rogue’s costume history in the same style. His cover for S.W.O.R.D. #8 shows a number of Storm’s most iconic designs, although in this case he’s been forced to only show a limited selection of them – simply because Storm has had too many different looks.
Dauterman’s method involves drawing the body only once, and then switching it up with different outfits and hairstyles; that explains why some of Storm’s more random phases, such as the time she spent transformed into a child, aren’t shown. The most unfortunate omission, however, is Storm’s beautiful wedding dress, which she wore in Black Panther #18 when she married Black Panther. This was one of the most stunning dresses ever seen in comics, and it was designed by Shawn Dudley, the Emmy Award winning Costume Designer for TV’s Guiding Light.
Still, Dauterman has captured some of Storm’s most memorable costumes. It’s interesting to note he’s chosen to place the Jim Lee design at the center, recognizing this is the one many X-Men fans know the best – if only from X-Men: The Animated Series. Her Second Genesis costume is also in a prominent position, probably the second-most well-known. But it’s likely many casual readers will be taken aback at one image in the background, which shows Storm as a literal Goddess in armor that is distinctly Asgardian in style. Storm did indeed wield an enchanted hammer named Stormbringer, although its power was ultimately spent when she defeated the death-god Uovu. It’s details like this that will make the variant cover essential for fans of X-Men and Storm when it releases with S.W.O.R.D. #8 in September.
Source: Russell Dauterman
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