Storm’s First Appearance
Storm was the first black female superhero in comic book history. Her first appearance, as most collectors are aware, was in Giant-Size X-Men #1, published in 1974. She was the only female in a new team of X-Men consisting of herself, Wolverine, Banshee, Sunfire, Thunderbird, Nightcrawler, and Colossus.
From the start, Storm was one of the more popular members of the new team. In fact, only two X-Men – Wolverine and Cyclops – have appeared in more comic books. She was also the team’s second field leader ever, appointed to the role by Professor X when Cyclops left the team after the first death of Jean Grey.
As one would expect from one of the single most highly valued Bronze Age comics, there are a ton of graded copies of Giant-Size X-Men #1 in the CGC census; 12,417 to be precise. Current sale prices range from $33,600 for a 9.8 graded copy selling in the January 16 Heritage auction to a slashed $800 for a 0.5. Any way you slice it, you’re going to pay a lot of money for this mega-key.
Storm’s Origin
Chris Claremont would reveal Storm’s origin in X-Men #102. Although aspects of it have been retconned over the years, the basics are all here. As one of the early issues of the new X-Men, this issue is popular with collectors. There are 1,796 graded copies in the CGC census.
A sale of a 9.8 in the January 16 Heritage auction saw this comic skyrocketing in price once more to $2,220. While not a record, it’s still a significant 74% higher than the $1,277 average price for a 9.8 over the past year.
First Meeting with Professor X
In X-Men #117, a very young Storm met Professor X for the first time in a flashback that included the first appearance of the Shadow King. It’s here that we see her utilizing her lockpicking abilities as a child thief in Egypt. With 1,710 copies in the CGC census, it’s still in the range of well-collected early new X-Men issues.
While the current 30-day average for a 9.8 is quite high at $650, prices drop considerably as grade decreases: 9.2 30-day average - $88, 8.5 30-day average - $66.
First Meeting with Black Panther
In a backup story in Marvel Team-Up #100, we witness the first meeting of Storm and her future husband, the Black Panther. The story is a flashback to their initial meeting prior to Storm joining the X-Men and is a pivotal moment in her biography.
This is a very affordable Storm key; the 9.8 30-day average currently stands at $288, while all other grades are below $100.
Mohawk Time!
Did you grow up with Storm sporting a mohawk as opposed to her waist-length hair? It would be a look she would have for many years thereafter. We get our first look at her new do in Uncanny X-Men #173.
Published in 1983, the new X-Men were approaching a decade in publication. As such, we’re now getting into affordable X-Men territory. There’s no reason you can’t find a 9.8 for $140 or less, while 8.5 graded copies should be in the roughly $50 range.
First Solo Series
Storm finally received her first solo series in 1996, 22 years after her debut, in Storm #1. While not one of the bigger offerings from Marvel from the 1990s – as evidenced by the 101 graded copies in the CGC census - 9.8 graded copies fetch a higher premium than one would initially think.
A February 1 eBay sale saw a copy going for $150. While prices did shoot up to $200 in 2022, this comic has retained its value fairly well by not slipping below early 2021 average prices.
Marriage
In Black Panther #18, published in 2006, two of Marvel’s greatest characters would join together in matrimony as Storm and Black Panther wed.
With only 51 graded copies in the CGC census and low prices for graded copies, this is a modern comic you’d be best off searching for in the wild as raw copies can be easily found in back issue bins.
Storm is fully expected in the MCU at some point. While her appearances in the Fox X-Men films were underwhelming, the hope is that Storm will take on a role in the MCU befitting her importance in comics.
Are you a Storm collector? What are some of your favorite issues? Let us know below.
