Warning: the following contains spoilers for X-Men: Red #18An explosive preview for the upcoming X-Men: Red #18 – the final issue of Al Ewing’s beloved X-Men series – sees the pompous Genesis give the iconic Storm a mocking nickname, the “Queen of Commoners.” However, this is a title that the Omega-level Ororo Munroe would wear with great pride and reveals how Genesis’ antiquated view of strength, based solely on beating anyone seen as lesser, will eventually be her downfall.
X-Men: Red #18, from writer Al Ewing and artists Yıldıray Çınar and Federico Blee, follows Genesis and Storm’s final battle for the fate of Arakko, after the two powerful mutant warriors have raised massive mutant kaiju to fight against each other.
During their apocalyptic battle, Genesis calls Storm the “Queen of Commoners,” a surprisingly apt title for the mutant hero who constantly fights for the oppressed, and a new nickname that proves why Ororo should lead the X-Men in their newest post-Krakoa reboot era.
Storm Has Always Fiercely Fought For The Oppressed
Ororo Munroe is a mutant hero with lived experience, orphaned at a young age, living as a pickpocket on the streets of Cairo, and then becoming a weather goddess to communities on the Serengeti plains. After being manipulated by Charles Xavier into joining his X-Men, Ororo became Storm, navigating the complexities of the world as both a mutant and a Black woman. Ever since she was young, Storm has been fiercely dedicated to fighting for the oppressed and underrepresented, proven by her continued regret and guilt over the Mutant Massacre and her perceived failure to protect the Morlocks.
When Genesis calls Storm the Queen of Commoners it is meant to be an insult, but Genesis knows nothing of Ororo’s history or her heart, or else she would realize that this is what Storm has always aspired to be. While Ororo rejected the title of Regent of Arakko, wanting to fight for the people of Arakko without being “royalty,” she is still their leader and the general of their small but mighty army. The Genesis War is all about values, and how Storm and Genesis have opposing definitions of “strength.” Ororo will always argue for the strength of asking for help and relying on others, something Genesis will never understand, and why she will lose this war.
The X-Men’s New Era Will See Them Need A Strong Leader
Storm has only been tangentially affiliated with the X-Men for months now, instead focusing almost the entirety of her time on protecting the people of Arakko… against Abigail Brand, Uranos, and now Genesis. Ororo has always displayed truly breathtaking leadership – leading multiple X-Men teams over her long career with the group – and her time as leader of Arakko continues to prove how effective she is in a position of power. Now that the X-Men’s Krakoan Era is ending, and with humanity hating mutantkind more than ever, Storm is the perfect mutant hero to take over leadership of the X-Men.
The Krakoan Era has specifically shown how ineffective and harmful Charles Xavier’s leadership has been, which Storm has directly confronted Xavier about on several occasions. The “Queen of Commoners” is the ideal new leader for the X-Men, a beloved and confident hero who will fight for mutants both visible and invisible, and who will bravely lead mutantkind into their unknown new future.
X-Men: Red #18 from Marvel Comics debuts December 13th, 2023.
