When finishing the dark phoenix saga, I found the portrayal of Storm to be very interesting. I know she was not the main character, but she was made to be very likable. She had major power, but also was vulnerable. She, of all the characters, seemed to evoke a response of protective or anger towards her attacker in fights because she was knocked down a lot.
After the first first fight with the white queen, Wolverine and Colossus are lying on the ground. Yet, Storm is being held by her hair by one of the men in a very dominating way. We discussed in class the image of Storm chained up, almost naked, by the white queen. Then there is the major battle between her and Shaw. He grabs her ankle, cape, viciously knocks her head onto the floor, and drags her out of the room. Even Jean hits her in the face with a whip, but doesn't act against the others Xmen. In the fight with the dark phoenix (pg 140)where we look up Storm's body to Dark Phoenix over her. Finally, on the moon she is the first Xmen down and is again pulled up by her hair.
These are images aren't to invoke happiness, obviously, but there is a reason the writers chose for this to happen to Storm. As a society, we don't like to see women getting beaten in such a manner. True, Storm is much more capable than the average woman, but still. Why would the author choose to have Storm usually, and uniquely, treated this way? I think it is to show women vulnerable, but to also make the readers want to fight for her and feel sympathy in a way they wouldn't for the other characters.
I'm right there with you, Mags. The abuse of Storm by friend & foe made me very angry indeed. When normally I can control and suppress my negative emotions, this exception proved too much for me to handle.
ReplyDeleteAfter much analysis, I believe this is due to Storm's character. She had a rough childhood. She beat it, and grew up to be a fantastic hero. She's nice to everyone and very considerate of their feelings and moods. She always wants to help. She's smart and beautiful, cool and calculated. I can not think of a single flaw in her character*. She's unique and almost innocent. And now she's getting her head KROMmed into the ground..?
Since she's such an upstanding X-man, she's the author's clear choice to turn to when it comes to eliciting pity and anger from the reader. Seeing Wolverine drown was not an emotional experience whatsoever (partly because, come on, he's coming back...). However, seeing Storm even punched makes my brow furrow and my head recoil, even though I know she too is coming back. She doesn't deserve this treatment, being as close-to-perfect as she is. And the writers effectively and commonly use this innate emotional bond to pull on our poor, manipulate-able heartstrings time and time again.
*She certainly has flaws in her outfit, though! Cut your hair, Storm, and maybe it won't get pulled all the time. And lose the cape (haven't you seen The Incredibles?); find another way to fly.
I agree with the both of you that Storm is an appealing character to The Dark Phoenix Saga readers' sentiments. The author evokes this connection from within in the reader by making Storm a multi dimensional character unlike some of the other team members of the X-Men. Storm's background story calls for the reader to sympathize with her tragic childhood where her parents were killed and she was left to walk the desserts alone. Her relationship with Kitty Pyrde demonstrates her ability to serve as a role model and take on a position of leadership. In fight scenes, Storm always has a presence whether she wins or loses she battles to the best of her ability. The illustrator has drawn her to be a unique character due to her dark skin, white hair and blue eyes and this originality makes her attractive to the readers eye. She has a very clam and collected ora and remains clear headed in stressful situations. Storm's character was designed as an easy favorite for comic book readers since she is portrayed in a positive light and there is depth to her character.
ReplyDeleteStorm in the Dark Phoenix Saga does present being beaten up pretty badly by Sebastian Shaw. However, there were also times when Storm was crucial by helping the other X men in dire times. For instance, Storm was an essential element in gaining Kitty Pryde's trust and recruiting her into the X-men. Additionally, Storm also utilized her powers whenever need be. By presenting both vulnerable and strong sides of Storm, we see the different facades of her, whereas, we only see one dimension sides of other male characters including Wolverine and Colossus, This makes the characterization of Storm more developed.
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ReplyDeleteStorm, like so many will agree, is probably my favorite character in the X-Men. Alexandra brings up a great point about her likeability arising from her being a multi-dimensional character. She is a strong, able character with the ability to simultaneously fight valiantly alongside her male counterparts and demonstrate maternal compassion toward Kitty. The combination of strength and compassion makes her relatable which in turn causes her to be an extremely good role model. Seeing such a physically and emotionally strong character struck down evokes pity from the audience. However, this only makes us like her even more when she is victorious.
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