Storm – Toward Liberty Square – Brian Manton

1.
Aerial view of Cairo, where we see two bridges over the Nile river - the Qasr al-Nil Bridge and the 6th October Bridge. Thousands of protesters gather at the west side, trying to gain crossing en route to Tahrir Square.

TEXT:  Cairo, January 28, 2011.

CAP:  You wouldn't believe it unless you were here. I mean, there's clips on YouTube but you can't really make it out.

2.
Shot of the western entrance to the Qasr al-Nil Bridge [reference below].

Riot police have the entrance completely sealed off with four green personnel carriers. Protestors, men and women from young to old, surround.

A protestor has climbed onto one of the personnel carriers. A policeman reaches for his leg. Another man rallies the protestors with a bullhorn, waving them forward. Some of the protestors are clearly injured. Spent tear gas canisters litter the ground.

One man, with a red scarf wrapped around his mouth, stands defiantly atop one of the lion statues that mark the entrance to the bridge, as the clouds of tear gas are taken away in the wind.

CAP:  Just as it was looking like they would push us back, a wind blew up from nowhere and cleared out the tear gas.

3.
View from the entrance to Qasr al-Nil Bridge, looking up the road towards the 6th October Bridge where a mini storm cloud forms - black spiral tendrils compiling. This bridge is also blockaded by riot police and swarmed with protestors - this detail will be quite small in the distance, but if the crowds can be indicated it should be sufficient.

CAP:  Then we heard this noise - this thunder.

CAP:  Up at the entrance to 6th October Bridge we see a black cloud just sort of - forming.

4.
The west side of October 6th Bridge [reference below]. This bridge is much wider and is not adorned with statues.
Lightning strikes an empty vehicle on the bridge and it bursts into flames. Riot police jump for cover. Protestors cheer and push forward. We see people climbing the vehicle blockade. The disarrayed riot police do their best to hold the protestors at bay - some attack violently with their batons. The rain pours down.

CAP:  And... KRAK!

CAP:  The protesters just poured onto the bridge.

5.
Back at Qasr al-Nil Bridge west entrance. In the bkg we can see that 6th October Bridge is in sunshine again. The cloud has moved down here now. The protestors rejoice and cheer as they get soaked in the heavy rain and wind. In the bkg the riot police have regrouped nearer their blockade and are not attacking the protestors.

This panel has more focus on the protestors than previously. We can see their signs, placards (with both English and Arabic writing) and Egyptian flags. "GET OUT MUBARAK" "FREE EGYPT" "We want a FAIR election!"  [Further references below]

Amidst the crowd we see a young Ororo Monroe, around 10 years old. She wears a blue hoodie with a faded Nike swoosh. Her hood is down and her long white hair is heavy with rain. She stands behind one of the protestors and is reaching inside a slit in the underside of the front pocket of his backpack, taking out a wallet. She holds a box-cutter in her other hand - somewhat concealed by her sleeve.

She smiles widely. *Here's a difficult one to ask an artist for... try to show that she is not just happy about scoring the wallet. These are her people and she shares in their joy. It's not a mischievous smile. It is very genuine.

CAP:  The wind changed again and brought the cloud right above us.

CAP:  Someone shouted "Even the sky wants us to pass".

CAP:  We broke through Qasr al-Nil Bridge later that night.


##References:

Article with photos from the Qasr al-Nil Bridge on the day

Western end of Qasr al-Nil Bridge 

6th October Bridge (view from west side)

Protestors 1
Protestors 2

Storm - Thunder and Lightning - Niel Jacoby

Full splash: Storm and Jushin Thunder Liger standing back-to-back, surrounded by The Brotherhood of Evil Mutants.

Caption: SURROUNDED BY THE BROTHERHOOD, WITH ALL HER ALLIES OUT OF COMMISSION, CAN STORM, THE MISTRESS OF METEOROLOGICAL MAYHEM, TEAM UP WITH JUSHIN THUNDER LIGER, THE MASTER OF THE SHOOTING STAR PRESS AND THREE-TIME BEST OF THE SUPER JUNIORS CHAMPION, TO SAVE THE EARTH FROM ULTIMATE DOOM?

Caption: CONTINUE ON AND SEE, GOOD READER, IN THIS STORMALICIOUS 3-PART NOVEL:

Story logo: THUNDER AND LIGHTNING!

Storm - Weather-Beaten - J.D. Coughlan

Four long horizontal panels.

Panel 1: Close-up of Storm. She looks exhausted, anguished, defeated. Rain pours down on her face.

STORM (CAP): I can tame the elements.

Panel 2: Medium shot of Storm. We now see she is on her hands and knees in a field of green grass. Rain pours down on her.

STORM (CAP): I can make wind and rain and hail and thunder and lightning do my bidding.

Panel 3: Wide shot of Storm. The field, and the rain, stretches far.

STORM (CAP): But my powers are useless against the uncontrollable chaos I now face.

Panel 4: Very wide shot. Storm is almost a dot now, but still identifiable. We now see a road next to the field. In the foreground, next to the road, is a large sign which reads:

SCOTLAND
welcomes you
ceud mìle fàilte

STORM (CAP): I have met my match.

END OF PAGE

Storm – A Cool Southern Breeze - Shaun Richens.

This would be drawn my Sean Murphy in an ideal world.

PAGE 1 – 7 PANELS.

1.1 Wide. The bleak white expanse of Antarctica, the sky is nearly as clear and white as the blanket of snow on the ground. A row of bright orange and yellow tents dots the horizon, standing tall behind them is a selection of HALLEY VI ANTARTIC RESEARCH STATIONS, in blues and oranges. To one side of the research station is a DOPPLER WEATHER RADAR.

Researcher BROOKS (Coming from inside the research station): I think this might work.

1.2 Pulling inside the research station. A group of researchers huddle around a sleek, futuristic looking monitor. Researcher Brooks sits centrally to the monitor.

The screen displays a weather radar image of the local area. The image shows a large swirling blue weather cloud-moving in. (Reference something like this.)

RESEARCHER BROOKS: This is unprecedented. Fisher, check the scans.

1.3 Tight on RESEARCHER FISHER, she looks astonished. Her breath clouds up as she speaks.

FISHER: No need to check the scans. But we might want to turn the heating up.

1.4 Close up on the thermostat built into the wall. The thermostat reads - 57°C

NO COPY

1.5 A Polar bear stands on a tall and thin piece of ice in the middle of the ocean. His four paws close together as he tries to stay balanced. The bear looks down worried towards the ocean below.

NO COPY.

1.6 The Polar Bear suddenly has more room as the ice grows and forms a mini ice island. The bear looks up towards the suddenly dark sky.

NO COPY.

1.7 Wide. STORM floats in the air over the ocean. Her cape and Mohawk sway in the strong winds that she whips around herself. Dark clouds form overhead and large snowflakes are falling.

ICEMAN (Bobby) skates over the ocean on a path made of thick ice. From his hands he sprays even more ice this is the source of the bears new island.

STORM: You feeling the breeze yet Bobby?

ICEMAN: I might break a sweat I’m so hot.

STORM: Always with the smart mouth young man.

Storm – Check – MK Stangeland Jr.

(NAMOR the SUB-MARINER is on the verge of one of his ‘Invade the surface world!’ binges again.)

(10 Panels)

(Since this page probably looks a little crowded, I’m trying my hand at one of those panel guidelines for it to help show how I’m thinking it might all be able to fit.)

1122

1133

4567

899(10)

Panel 1: NAMOR is storming down a beach and halfway into the water. STORM has flown to put herself in NAMOR’s path.

STORM: Namor, STOP!

NAMOR: Stand aside, woman.

Panel 2: NAMOR sweeps his hand aside to try to signal for STORM to get out of his way.

NAMOR: You may control the weather, but I rule the sea!

Panel 3: Upward angled view of STORM as her eyes begin to glow, intended to make her look more intimidating. Above her, the sky begins to darken and clouds begin to form.

STORM: You doubt my powers out here?

Panel 4: Wide view of the surrounding area as a miniature hurricane – miniature as in about as covering as small an area as is possible – begins to form around the two.

Panel 5: View from inside a nearby city as people begin to look towards the direction of the uniquely small storm that’s begin to form off in the distance and the clouds that hang above in the sky. While the winds aren’t very violent around them, there is sign that there’s far lesser winds affecting them as well.

Panel 6: View from space of the general area surrounding where NAMOR and STORM are standing, where it’s seen that as small as the storm is, the clouds that are forming around it can still be seen from space.

Panel 7: Image of a news program, where an anchor is sitting at a desk with a picture of a hurricane up over his shoulder.

NEWS ANCHOR: This just in, there are reports of a freak, miniature hurricane forming…

Panel 8: Panel returns to NAMOR as he stands in the middle of the storm. He looks around, but in typical NAMOR style, he appears unphased by STORM’s display.

Panel 9: The hurricane begins to break up as STORM lets her powers subside. The white is gone from her eyes and there is now a smile on her face.

STORM: Glad to know you’re able to listen to reason, Namor.

NAMOR: Of course…

Panel 10: STORM flies back past NAMOR towards shore with the expectation that he intends to follow her. She’s largely off-panel at the moment, though, as it largely focuses on NAMOR, who is still standing in the water. He turns so that he can watch as STORM flies past her, the intent being that he’s ‘checking her out’. There might be a small, cartoonish style heart over his head to help emphasize the point that her display caused him to become smitten with her.

NAMOR: …what kind of king would I be otherwise?

(END PAGE)

Storm- Storm Warning -Dan Hill

PAGE FIVE

Panel 1

Close up on NAMOR.

NAMOR: You came here expecting some playful back and forth.

Panel 2

Fixed panel. Namor, bored.

NAMOR: I’m busy, so I’ll save you the trouble.

NAMOR: I did it.

Panel 3

Wide panel; We’re in a meeting room somewhere in Atlantis. The entire room is made of a strange, see through material. Looking outside it’s apparent we’re somewhere hundreds of feet beneath the ocean.

In the room itself is a table, Namor at one end, STORM at the other. Some ATLANTEAN GUARDS also dot the room. Storm is not in her X-Men uniform, but a functional black suit that would look at home on a Navy Seal.

STORM: I know. But that Roxxon rig was in Genoshan waters.

STORM: We may be broken and battered, but we are rebuilding and we will not tolerate this kind of aggression.

Panel 4

Back on Namor, he gestures his hands to indicate their surroundings.

NAMOR: Look where you are. You do not frighten me Ororo Munroe.

Panel 5

Angle on Storm, not taken in by Namor’s arrogance.

STORM: I could rip the air from your gills right now.

Panel 6

On Storm still, now standing up as if ready to leave.

STORM: I could bring typhoons and disasters down on this kingdom by merely thinking about it.

STORM: So, I advise you to look where you are, Namor McKenzie.

Panel 7

Tight on Namor, not amused.

NO COPY

Panel 8

On Namor, breaking out into a predatory smile.

NAMOR: My mistake Madam President.

Storm - Raise Up - Grant McLaughlin

I don't have an exact circumstance for this one.  Let's go with the Jean Grey School having a kindergarten program - or whatever works on your end to excuse this situation.

1 - A number of young mutants (aged 4 or 5) are playing in a park.  Most of them are having a grand old time, playing tag, hide and seek, with bubbles, or what-have-you.  However, one young girl sits on the ground, looking sullen and downcast.  A kite sits next to her.  There's some adults supervising, including Storm, who is walking towards the girl.

NO COPY

2 - Storm has walked up to the girl.  Storm hunches down, hands on her knees, bringing herself closer to the child.  The kid doesn't really look up; Storm looks optimistic and hopeful she can turn the kid's mood around.

STORM: What's the matter?

3 - The girl looks up and responds.  She's still pretty downcast.  Storm reacts with quiet surprise and interest.

GIRL: My kite doesn't work.

STORM: Oh?

GIRL: It won't fly.

4 - The girl's expression suddenly has a spark of optimism.  She has a sparkle in her eye as a thought occurs to her.  Storm smiles back, picking up the kite.

GIRL: ...could you help me with that?

STORM: I'd be happy to.

5 - Storm and the girl hold hands / the kite string.  They run together with the kite behind them, just like anyone else would.  They both wear big smiles on their faces.

CAPTION (STORM): Let's do it together.

Storm - Power Up - Ben Rosenthal

1.  Storm is calling down a bolt of lightning, sending it through a Sentinel.  It is raining around her with strong winds.  It is showing that she is not in a calm mood, but enraged.

VOICE (off panel)

Look at those readings!

2.  The same panel however is being shown on a TV screen.  There are readings all over the screen.  It is taking information from Storm as she fights.  No specific numbers, but they should show a spike graphically as the lightning strikes.

VOICE (off panel)

There is definitely a strong correlation between Storm’s use of her powers and a spike in our measurements.  But how did you know?

VOICE TWO (off panel)

I had always suspects there was a link.  One cannot simply ‘control the weather’ without it being based in some fact.

3.  A shadowed figure sits in front of the screen.  He is a numbers man – a scientist but we only see his silhouette.  He has turned his back to the screen and is looking at the individual off panel to whom the second voice belongs to.

VOICE (seated)

And you think that with control of the weak electromagnetic field in her nervous system Storm is able to charge the air to creature a pressure build up and  manipulate wind flow, perform an electrostatic discharge for lightening and target moisturised air for rain?

VOICE TWO (off panel)

I know a magnetic manipulation when I see it.  The only question is—

4.  The second voice is revealed.  It is Magneto, deep in thought.

MAGNETO

--can it be learned?

Storm - New Position - R.A. Wonsowski

Panel 1 - In a wind-whipped sky on the Shi'ar homeworld, above a citadel, STORM casts lightning from each of her hands (she is in her new costume and mohawk hairdo).  One is deflected by the hammer of BETA-RAY BILL, the other by the power cosmic of the SILVER SURFER.

STORM:  No!  I will not!

BETA-RAY BILL:  Woman!  You must!


Panel 2 - The weather beginning to calm, the SILVER SURFER approaches STORM on his board. STORM is listening and calming, but her guard is up.

SURFER:  All of his heralds, former and recent, are gone.  I am the last there is.

SURFER:  I have to discover what happened to them and why.


Panel 3 - From above, we see STORM, the SURFER, and BETA-RAY BILL hovering close to each other, looking past us and the storm clouds.  SURFER is pointing upwards, BETA-RAY holds his hammer
across his chest.  STORM  looks conflicted.

SURFER:  But I need Bill's help, and the master cannot be without the merciful guiding hand of a herald.

SURFER:  Outside of yourself, I know of none more honourable in the galaxy.

BETA-RAY BILL:  (or closer...)


Panel 4 - STORM looks at BETA-RAY, his face offers nothing.

NO COPY


Panel 5 - She looks down at the Shi'ar rooftops.

NO COPY


Panel 6 - Close-up, STORM looks up into the sky again, now determined.

NO COPY


Panel 7 - STORM flies upwards, away from the SURFER and BILL, punching a hole in the clouds.

STORM:  Fine.


Panel 8 - Foreground, STORM flies away from us.  In the background, knee-deep in the clouds, the towering silhouette of GALACTUS watches her approach.

STORM:  But be about your business quickly, Surfer.  I am pledged to the cause of life.

STORM:  I have no wish to be a bringer of death.

[Next page would be a half page splash of GALACTUS, hand outstretched, bestowing the power cosmic on STORM, followed by a panel blast cosmic light, then a full page splash of STORM in her new form as a (temporary) herald, flying into space.]

Why Storm?

Orphan.  Claustrophobe.  Thief.  Goddess.  Mutant.  Leader.  Queen.  Hero.

Let me start out by saying that I'm not a HUGE fan of the X-Men.  I have a few go-to runs, particularly Joss Whedon's, Grant Morrison's, Warren Ellis's.  But if you were to ask me my favourite mutant, you can keep your Wolverine, your Rogue, your Scott and Jean.  For me, it will always be Ororo Munro, a.k.a. Storm.

Her story is inspiring to me.  As a young girl stealing among the Afrian poor, she learned to survive.  Her courage is illustrated notonly in her deeds of daring-do, but in her everyday struggle against her own phobia and fear.  Her power over the weather led her to being worshipped and revered as a goddess, but her friendships and romances, particularly with T'Challa, the Black Panther, brought out her deep humanity.

That, for me, is what seperates her from the rest of the X-Men.  The others - Xavier, Cyclops, Wolverine, Magneto, Emma, Cable - let their mutations define who they are.  Not Ororo.  She is defined by her compassion, her heroism, her leadership, her actions.  Just to illustrate a point, she was once judged worthy to carry Mjolnir, the hammer of Thor.

Back to rockin' the mohawk!  Cover: X-Men (2013) #1

She is at the forefront once again, in Brian Wood's X-Men.  Issue one is excellent, and I recommend it highly.  I am looking forward to see what Mr. Wood and Messr. Coipel have in store for her and her team.

And just to clinch it:  she was played by Halle Berry in the movies:

She'll be back in Bryan Singer's X-Men: Days of Future Past

So, everybody on the ThoughtBalloons Storm-front!