AsThorsteps down from theAvengers, he’s being replaced by another iconic Marvel god. Recently, Thor was framed for the murder ofsupervillain Roxxon CEO Dario Agger, aka the Minotaur. At the same time, his enemy the Enchantress cast a spell that dulls his thinking when he’s on the Earthly plane of Midgard, turning him into a parody of the hero fans know and love. With cataclysmic events occurring in Marvel’s godly sphere and his effectiveness now limited on Earth,Thor has made the difficult decision to stand down from the Avengers.
However, Thor isn’t leaving the Avengers without a god. In Jed MacKay and Valerio Schiti’sAvengers #18, the team face-off against the ultra-powerful Hyperion, uniting with the X-Men to stop him from destroying Earth. In the aftermath, Ororo Munroe’sStormmulls over the team’s offer to join them, and Thor asks her to accept, stating,“Accept the invitation, Ororo Munroe. Become, once more, an Avenger. Speak for your people. And ensure that a God of Thunder rides with the Avengers still.”
Storm’s star is very much on the risein Marvel Comics, following her triumphant appearance inX-Men Red, where she became the regent of Mars and the voice of Sol, representing the entire solar system in alien affairs. Now, she’s back on Earth, working to represent and protect mutantkind during their darkest hour, including making sure that world-famous teams like the Avengers don’t overlook the needs ofhomo superior.
Storm will also be starring in her own self-titled solo series from Murewa Ayodele and Lucas Werneck, withStorm #1coming October 2.
As well as replacing him, Thor has a secret reason he wants Storm on the Avengers…
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Earth’s Mightiest Heroes Need the Queen of Mutants
While Storm was once considered a powerful mutant,she is now worshiped as a goddess by groups in Kenya and Wakanda, and has discovered her family’s connection to ancient magic.Her powers have gone from strength to strength, and fans saw how powerful she actually is in theSins of Sinisterevent, where she was reborn as a goddess with total control over cosmic weather. In Marvel’s mainstream continuity, she’s continued experimenting with her powers, developing the ability to flatten entire armies with air pressure andcarrying a storm through spaceto destroy the unbeatable Sentinel known as Nimrod.
Alongside Wolverine and Spider-Man, Storm is only the third hero to have served on the Avengers, X-MenandFantastic Four over the course of her hero career.
Storm has also proved multiple times thatshe’s worthy of Thor’s hammer Mjolnir- only recently, inImmortal Thor #4, she joined a group including Beta Ray Bill and Jane Foster, who passed the hammer between them in order to provide Thor with godly back-up against the ultra-powerful Toranos. While Storm doesn’t have the exact same power over weather that Thor does, she definitely qualifies as a Marvel god, and will be crucial to the Avengers not missing a step as Thor Odinson resigns. However, Thor isn’t just keeping the team from being embroiled in his drama - in fact,he knows there’s a very specific reason the Avengers will need a god…
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The Avengers Need a God Because Thor’s Brother Is Coming
In recent Thor comics, Marvel fans learned that the cosmic wheel has turned, unleashing ancient gods who long ago left the material realm. The first such ‘Utgard-God’ was Toranos, who Thor found no way to beat with power alone. Instead, he had to hand his powers over to Toranos, essentially tricking him into a victory. However, there’s even worse coming, with Thor’s mother Gaea warning him thathis eldest brother Atum is coming and can’t be beaten. What’s more, Gaea doesn’t want him to be - mankind’s abuse of nature has turned her against them, and she’s willing to see humanity go extinct unless Thor can broker some kind of new understanding.
Thor hasn’t told the Avengers how dire the situation is, likely because as the All-Father of Asgard and Gaea’s son, he sees these new enemies as his responsibility. However, it’s clear that the rise of these ancient gods is on his mind when he asks Storm to ensure that the Avengers continue to have a god on their side - not just someone who can control the weather, but someone tied to the divine power that may soon threaten all of humanity.
Storm joining the Avengers is a historic moment, as a godly mutant hero takes her place on Marvel’s premier team. However,Thordoesn’t just wantStormon theAvengersto guarantee them firepower - he knows that Earth’s Mightiest Heroes will need their own god to survive the cosmic chaos that’s coming their way.
The Avengers #18is available now from Marvel Comics.
Thor
Associated with the mythical realm of Asgard, Thor is a Marvel Comics hero who channels the power of thunder to slay their foes. Though the name is chiefly tied to Thor Odinson, several other characters also take on the role of God of Thunder, including Odinson’s love interest, Jane Foster. Odin is portrayed as a physically imposing hero with incredible strength and typically wields the dwarven forged hammer, Mjolnir.
