Storm Debuts Her Iconic New Costume in X-Men Red #1

WARNING: Spoilers for X-Men Red #1 ahead!

Fans of Ororo Munroe, the X-Man who goes by Storm, will be excited to see her newest costume redesign on full display in X-Men Red #1 by Marvel Comics. Combining her punk, superhero, and goddess looks into one gorgeous design makes this new Storm outfit one of her best of all time.

Storm is truly a fashion icon, and her various costume redesigns over the years are often redrawn over and over again in gorgeous fan art because her aesthetics are incredibly inspiring. The current Krakoan Era has seen Storm remerge as a major force in Marvel Comics, after years of writers relegating her to simply being “Black Panther’s Wife” or the “Queen of Wakanda,” with Ororo taking center stage in the new mutant culture, both on Krakoa and Arakko. Now that Storm is stepping into an even bolder role in the pages of X-Men Red, she deserves a fierce rebranding, which she has certainly received.

Storm’s redesign was created by the talented Russell Dauterman – an illustrator who started out doing costume design for movies like Captain America: The First Avenger and is now known for his Marvel artwork in series like Thor, War of the Realms, and Marauders. Dauterman has designed many X-Men characters over the past two years as well as many Krakoan’s looks for the annual Hellfire Gala event. First unveiled in December 2021 by Dauterman on Twitter, X-Men Red #1 – written by Al Ewing with art by Stefano Caselli and Federico Blee – marks the official debut of Ororo’s new look, featuring daring cutout and intimidating spikes. Storm will be leading a new “Brotherhood of Mutants” with Magneto and Sunspot on the planet Arakko to keep peace in “The Broken Land,” and this redesign is the perfect compliment for the new role she is stepping into. On Twitter, Dauterman had this to say about the Storm costume update:

Was very happy to design more X-Men! The assignment was to give Ororo an updated version of her 80s mohawk costume — I wanted to merge that punk aesthetic with her goddess and superhero looks 🌩

Although Storm has taken on a role of royalty since the terraforming of Mars, as the Regent of Arakko and Voice of Sol, she has never given up on her protective, fighting ways, continuing to battle members of Arakko’s Great Ring as well as saving S.W.O.R.D. and the Majestrix Xandra more than once. In X-Men Red #1 Ororo has realized that there are major threats to Arakko that require a more powerful fist, one that a Queen cannot provide, especially given the clearly manipulative machinations of Abigail Brand, and Dauterman’s redesign of her costume perfectly reflects these new priorities. The full shot of Storm’s new look at the end of X-Men Red #1 does not show off the bottom of her legs, but one can assume her new outfit will include Dauterman’s nifty knife holder, and the new look also features smaller lightning bolt ear pieces, reminiscent of her large lightning crown pieces, but more subtle and suitable for battle. Storm’s gorgeous curly hair, kept in a tied back mohawk, and studded cropped jacket are perfect call backs to her punk times, while the lightning designs and stunning cutouts weave her superhero and goddess looks in wonderfully, emphasizing her beauty, strength, and new mission.

To be honest, Storm always serves a look, but this new design created by Dauterman, and debuted in X-Men Red #1, is one of the best rebrands of her image in recent memory. Ororo Munroe is a complex hero who is currently being pulled in many directions, and this gorgeous redesign shows that in this new “Destiny of X” era she is prioritizing her role as a protector, warrior, and X-Man. Make sure to pick up X-Men Red #1 by Marvel Comics to see the debut of Storm’s beautiful new, instantly iconic costume.

Source: Twitter/Russell Dauterman

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