Storm (2nd series) #5

Issue Date: 
August 2006
Story Title: 
untitled
Staff: 

Eric Jerome Dickey (writer), with Lan Medina (pencils), Jay Leisten with Sean Parson (inks), Matt Milla (colorist), Mike Mayhew (cover art), Randy Gentile (letterer), Kate Levin (production), Cory Sedlmeier (associate editor), Axel Alonso (editor), Joe Quesada (editor-in-chief), Dan Buckley (publisher)

Brief Description: 

The deRuyter brothers land in a nearby village, still arguing about what actually to do with T’Challa and Ororo. The two teenagers have just spent their first night together. After an argument regarding their different stations in life T’Challa asks Ororo to allow him to accompany her, so they can both learn from each other. As Ororo walks off to take a bath, the younger de Ruyter brother surprises and captures her, putting her into a Vibrnium coffin. He then secretly follows his brother Andreas, who surprises and fights T’Challa. The boy is almost a match for him but, when Andreas is about to win, the younger brother hits the Bull with tranquilizer darts and takes the unconscious boy, intent on taking revenge on him. Back at the helicopter, another poacher is interested in the tied up Zenja. She gains his trust to the point where she can take his knife and kill him. Then she turns to the captured Ororo.

Full Summary: 

The Bull’s helicopters fly above a small African village and finally land. Why didn’t they land closer, Andreas deRyuter aka the Bull asks his younger brother, as they and their men prep their weapons. The smaller man replies derisively that Andreas never was much of a hunter. The Bull retorts that his younger brother was never much of a warrior. “Fighting bulls, please!” the smaller man scoffs. Getting beaten and outsmarted by children, his elder brother reminds him. At least he attacks his prey head-on! A true hunter tracks his prey, the younger brother insists. When he sees a true hunter, he should call him, Anderas insults him. The younger brother returns the slight.

Before the argument escalates, another man asks how they can control the girl who manipulates the weather. The younger brother shows them a container made of Vibranium, already used by their father when he tracked a wind rider. He explains that their father theorized that, at the right frequency, Vibranium could neutralize a wind rider. He left it to him when he died. And does Andreas know why he left it to him and not Andreas? So he could become a terrorist like him, Andreas ventures, adding that their father was a deranged coward who believed in foolish things.

Another fight is about to break out, as the younger deRuyter challenges Andreas about his hatred of Wakanda. One of their men, the one who tried to rape Zneja before, goes back to the prisoner and admires the tied up girl, remarking she is beautiful and offering to protect her.

Looking at the curious villagers, the younger deRuyter refers to them as thieves and beggars and tells his men to make sure the natives don’t rip them off.

Elsewhere, Ororo and T’Challa are still asleep, after having spent the night together. Rays of sunlight wake Ororo up and she says his name. T’Challa jumps up, instantly alert. Ororo demands to know if she looks different now, like a woman. Annoyed, he reminds her that she asked that several times last night. How often does he have to answer? She repeats the question. He asks if she feels like a woman now. Annoyed, he adds that she sounds like his mother, before moaning that he needs five minutes peace. This is why man goes on his walkabout alone.

Ticked off Ororo shouts that she hates him, causing him to mock that looking like a woman and acting like a woman are two different things.

Ororo takes her revenge by using her weather powers to start an isolated downpour on him and ignoring his orders to stop. He begins to chase her and, ,laughingly she runs off. However, T’Challa surprises her by somersaulting above and in front of her, managing to capture Ororo.

Angrily, she pounds against his chest, announcing that she hates him. Why? he asks. Because what he did last night was wicked, she replies. She didn’t like it, he asks. She admits that she had no idea that she could feel like that and kisses him. Again, she asks her question and he admits that she looks indeed like a woman. See how easy that was, she asks him, all he had to do was say it. Five minutes, he begs. Annoyed, she repeats his words in a mocking tone.

Later, they peacefully sit together. Ororo is combing her hair and T’Challa is stocking up their water supplies. She asks him what he is thinking. T’Challa admits that there is a responsibility when you are a woman’s first. There will be an unbreakable bond between them. Ororo points out that she wasn’t his first. He asks what she is thinking. Ororo turns away. She shouldn’t fantasize. He is a prince and she is a … She doesn’t say it and he finishes the sentence for her. “Thief.”

Does that disturb him? Ororo asks. He doesn’t reply. Hugging herself, Ororo explains that she stole to survive. Better to barter with this than to have to barter with her body. She knows girls who do. She isn’t like them. Her body is her temple. Bartering with the body taints the soul.

And she was taken in by street urchins, T’Challa adds. She was buried alive and was rescued, she explains. And then they found her. Thanks to them she has survived the six last years. Six hard years without a family. Is she still a thief? T’Challa asks. She is still poor, Ororo explains. She has no money, no family, no kingdom. She still has to survive. She berates herself for being a fool. She is no princess and what he said about responsibility, an unbreakable bond… she suggests they erase those words.

She ignores his protest. He has been sheltered. He doesn’t understand how hard it is for a girl to escape the horrors of this world. Ororo is one of the lucky ones. While he is in a castle, she lives among the poor and desperate. His walkabout takes him through these places, but these places are where she lives. He thinks it’s about stealing, but it’s about surviving. About not becoming somebody’s tramp and having babies. Determined, she gets up, announcing that she is filthy and has to bathe him off her skin. Mockingly, she adds he should wash the scent of a thief off his royal loins. Heaven forbid his parents ever found out…

He stops her rant, admitting she is right. Their worlds are different. That is why he is on his journey, to seek knowledge and wisdom. Maybe he can travel with her for a while. Maybe they can teach each other things. Mollified, she suggests he join her and they can talk about it. He asks her to wait so he can undress and bathe her. What makes him think she will allow him to do such things? he asks playfully. Is she always this difficult, he sighs. She’s a girl. She is supposed to be, she laughs.

Happily, she walks to the water, marveling that her emotions are now no longer reflected by the weather. Kneeling at the river, she has heard steps behind her and figures it is T’Challa. Too late, she sees the reflection of the younger deRuyter brother in the water. The next moment, a tranquilizer dart hits her. As she tries to crawl off, the man mockingly informs her that her teacher and all her thief friends from the village are dead. That’s what happens when people tick him off. She refuses to believe it and he asks how she thinks they found her. Now that they have her they can deal with her boyfriend. As they load her into the Vibranium coffin, she drowsily tries to shout a warning to T’Challa.

Another poacher worriedly asks the younger deRyuter if she can manipulate the weather from inside the coffin. A Kaffir woman inside a Vibranium coffin? the other man scoffs, before admitting that a wind rider has never been captured before. So they don’t know if it’ll work, the first man worries. DeRuyter just orders him to take her back to the helicopter and wait for him while he kills her boyfriend. The other man reminds him that his brother wanted T’Challa. As he walks away the younger deRuyter just replies that the Bull won’t rob him of his victory. Anyone who stands in his way shall see God. Within the coffin, Ororo tries to use her powers, shouting that T’Challa should run.

T’Challa is crouching over their camp, packing things. The Bull’s servant politely asks him if he is the son of T’Chaka. And if he is? T’Challa retorts. Shall he wait until he beats him within an inch of his life? the servant asks the Bull, who has just shown up. His boss replies he should keep his eye on the windrider. T’Challa assumes a fighting stance, announcing that he remembers him.

( flashback)

A very small T’Challa sees the Bull lying, beaten in the dirt at the hands of his father, T’Chaka, who commands him to leave Wakanda now or be buried where he sits.

(present)

Good, the Bull replies. Then he will understand this is war.

Back at the helicopter, the other poacher orders his servants to load the off in inside the helicopter, where the tied up Zenja is. While the man begins fondling her, Zenja asks if Ororo is inside that coffin. Is she dead? No, the man informs her.

Elsewhere, T’Challa evades the Bull’s blow. The man predicts that soon he will be the permanent guest of the Republic of South Africa. Soon, Wakandans will bow down every time they hear the Bull’s name. They will spit on his grave, T’Challa retorts.

The younger deRuyter witnesses the fight and takes aim with his rifle. T’Challa hits the Bull, who is impressed, admitting that few men have hit him so hard. T’Challa just wants to know where Ororo is. They’re not done, the Bull replies.

Inside the helicopter, Zenja slyly asks if they won’t butcher Ororo like they did her friends and her father. No, the other man replies. She is special. With a smile, Zenja announces she knows what he wants. If he is kind, she will welcome him. As he begins to clumsily kiss her, he tells her he has been to eight countries. No woman is as pretty as her.

Inside the coffin, Ororo relives the day her parents died and she was trapped in the rubble, helpless to do anything. She calls out for the gods, but they don’t answer. She is abandoned.

Does his touch scare her, the lecher asks Zenja. Tears in her eyes, she announces that she has survived more than he will ever imagine. He finds himself turned on by her feistiness. She remarks that the rope holding her arms up is too tight. If he lets her lie down, she offers to make it worth his while.

Elsewhere, T’Challa gives the Bull as good as he gets. Having momentarily beaten the Bull to the ground, he tries to run and find Ororo, but the Bull actually tosses a tree at him.

Before he can kill the boy, though, he is hit by tranquilizer darts, courtesy of his brother. The Bull begs him not to betray him. He reminds him of Wakanda’s mineralogical treasure trove. They can become rich kings.

The younger deRuyter just spits back that he disgraces the Republic of South Africa. He barely beat this young boy. He is old. Washed up. His career has been over for a decade. Now he should just sleep it off. With that he takes the unconscious boy and walks off.

Back at the helicopter, Zenja’s hands are still tied, but no longer forced above her head. Embracing the man, she asks if he will let her see Ororo. Knowing she has one friend alive would make her feel better. He refuses. Then he offers nothing for what he takes, Zenja points out. He promises to take her to Nelspruit with him and make her his mistress. In response, she bites his ear as hard as she can and then kicks him outside the helicopter. She jumps straight on his chest and then uses her tied hands to strangle him. Taking his knife, she frees herself. Knife in hand she looks at the Vibranium coffin, ominously repeating the word special

Characters Involved: 

12-year-old Ororo Munroe

teenage T’Challa

Zenja

Andreas deRuyter aka “the Bull”

Younger deRuyter

Lecherous oacher

The Bull’s servant

Other men

Villagers

in Ororo’s memories:

David and N’dare Munroe

In T’Challa’s memories:

King T’chaka

Small T’Challa

The Bull

Story Notes: 

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Issue Information: 

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