Superhero Girlfriends Part 5: Storm, Mutant Diva

        Hey it's been a while since I talked about jacked up comic girlfriends. So in this installment the target is Ororo Munroe bka Storm of The X-Men. Now you are probably figuring "Logik done lost his mind!!" However if you haven't really read up on Storm, then there's a lot you have missed.   Now she's a great hero & good person but has a diva streak.  That's great for debutante balls but not to be a super hero's wife.  A while back she married T'Challa The Black Panther & became Queen Of  Wakanda.   At first I saw this as the beginning of something great, but unfortunately the diva showed up and ruined a great thing.  Egos can hurt a relationship, & this one is no different.  In this edition I will show & discuss how Storm is a big diva.  Some ladies may want to be divas but that's not a title to aspire to.

   
      Let's give you a bit of a background on her.  Ororo was born in New York to an African mother N'Dare & an American father David. Her parents moved to Cairo, Egypt due to all the racism & civil unrest they found in the U.S. This would be their undoing, due to a conflict between Arab & Israeli forces her parents were killed.  The worst part is that she was trapped under rubble with her mother's body.  This caused her severe psychological trauma in the form of claustrophobia.  Apparently Storm is actually a descendant of a long line of Kenyan High Priestesses who's distinguishing marks are long white hair, blue eyes, & the potential to use magic.  Now if you know this, don't you think you would have a huge ego.  Along with the natural mutant ability to manipulate weather patterns, it's very hard to be humble.  Especially if you are in a relationship.

     After her parents died she fell in with other street orphans in Cairo as a pickpocket & left Cairo as a teenager wandering through the Sahara at first. As a teen she met a teenage T'Challa, who was very attracted to her but couldn't maintain the relationship due to him being the Prince Of Wakanda.  Ororo eventually made it to the Serengeti Plains of Kenya,  This area was the home of her ancestors & met a tribeswoman who explained her ancestors origins.  The neighboring tribes in the area started to worship Storm.  This was the first creation of the diva.  Her powers are biological in origin, but due to the belief of magic she is worshiped   Another key point is that she's a teenager, the particular age for the wanting of attention.  So what better way than to be a high-priestess at a very pivotal, developmental age? Therefore thinking you are even more special than anyone. (Even though being a mutant is as common as being left-handed. Big whoop but come on.)  The funny thing is when she first encountered the X-Men it was to fight a villain named Delurge (a fellow weather manipulating mutant) in Africa.  She actually declined to be in the X-Men thinking she was needed for her tribe, in actuality Prof. Charles Xavier didn't want to tell her she was really a mutant cause the shock alone could kill her self-esteem, (Ain't that a bitch!)  Prof. Xavier had to recruit her due to the X-Men getting captured on the living island of Krakoa.

Yeah good idea Forge, apologize with a gun in your face & an angry woman behind it. 

      After becoming a stellar member of the X-Men, Storm overcomes everything from Brood attacks, becoming the leader of the X-Men & The Morlocks, you would think that's enough for her ego.  Well while on a trip to Japan to attend Wolverine's wedding.  She meets a rebellious female ninja named Yukio, & they become friends.  Yukio influences Storm's behavior to become care-free (aka reckless) & a sign of this was her having a mohawk.  So now not only your ego is on 3,000 you now have the diva mindset with it. Damn I feel sorry for the boyfriend...Forge.  Forge is a mutant with the ability to virtually create any type of machine he wants.  He unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you see it) created a weapon to take away mutant abilities which accidentally was used on Storm depleting her of her abilities.  Forge nursed Storm back to health & they eventually fell in love. However it was cut short when she found out he created the weapon.  They later reconciled when they were on an "alternate Earth", I could imagine the begging & pleading from Forge.

         

        So let's fast-forward to recent history T'Challa the Black Panther came back into Storm's life and proposed.   She accepted & the Marvel Universe rejoiced. I thought it was a good look for T'Challa (at first) cause they had been both deemed royalty & she had an understanding of the man T'Challa and his title of Black Panther. (It's not just a costume, you also the ruler of Wakanda & it's best warriior. No pressure!)  It's funny that during T'Challa's bachelor party Luke Cage tells him he tried to  "holla" at Storm but she came off a bit conceited. (Note: Luke Cage is a hood dude, but come on he's still a good person.)  T'Challa just chuckled & agreed cause he knew where she came from.  As all new relationships you are figuring out your partner from the likes & dislikes to how your families will get along.  Storm at one point even challenges T'Challa while they are sparring.  As she is using her abilities to gain the edge, T'Challa has already deduced how to get past her abilities. (See how's she's thinking fortunately T'Challa is on top of his game, being one of the smartest men on the planet you gotta do that.)  Storm even went to the nether realm to find T'Challa's soul.  I thought they were inseparable until the Phoenix Force returned to Earth.  Storm sides with her X-Men & T'Challa sides with The Avengers due to the Phoenix's destructive nature.  How can you side with something that will eventually eviscerate the Earth?  Cause you are more "familiar" with it?  GTFOH & you allow your empowered X-Men to attack your home.  So of course T'Challa is beyond pissed & not only dissolves his marriage but makes Storm an enemy-of-the-state.  I'm wondering was defending the Phoenix was really worth it?

       I say that to say this, that diva sh*t will leave you lonely. Your marriage is bigger than teammates who have a tendency to mess up to the point where the Earth is put in danger (See: Prof. X & Tony Stark)  Storm's ego is a bit out of control, maybe being lonely for a while again can bring her back the Earth.  So sad though, cause it was great while it lasted.

Men Who Are Intimidated By Women

         A homegirl wanted me to touch on this subject.  At times some men can be intimidated by a woman.  It's not really the woman though, it's what she represents.  I like many men get "butterflies" when either starting a new venture, job, or any big endeavor.  Therefore it's about a man not truly being confident within himself.  Some women try to be intimidating because they know the man isn't as confident as they are.  So you have a clash of egos. This begs the question, why isn't a man confident in himself?  Well there are so many reasons let's look at some of them.

        The first could be that he's not where he wants to be in life.  Hey I'm 35 unfortunately some things I haven't done in my life yet that I should.  Times in the past I would feel real bad about my lack of life experience,   However some experiences are overrated, some things you just miss.  It doesn't mean he's not an adult, he's just coming into things real late.  Some ladies see it as fear, therefore you see women suggesting that the man change up overnight.  Some guys end up hostage relationships if they pursue women like that cause they feel if doing something risky but "grown" will alleviate their issues.  It usually backfires like when a guy moves out of his parents house cause of his age, but never really had a serious plan to.  So he either ends up moving in with his woman but doesn't know enough about her.  At first things are real cool, she's cooking & just happy to have you there.  However if she's not satisfied in the pace of the relationship, you might need to look for a place to live or call momma-do and ask for that room back.  The lack of confidence can allow other folks to shape who they think you should be.  Bad situations happen it's how you handle it that makes character in a man.


          Another is the fact he hasn't really matured,  Maturation isn't based on what you possess.  I know immature dudes with nice cars & good jobs.  Doesn't mean they are a grown-up.  A lot of times possession of materials deems some sort of confidence,  That's only cause maybe other male peers are lacking at that particular time.  Like here in NYC having a car is a luxury.  So even a Toyota Corolla can get you play on a cold winter's night (especially if she's a car whore).  Then you see the guy with the new Range Rover pull up, now the man with the Corolla all of a sudden feels inadequate.  Why?  I touch on that in my blog "The Popeye Complex" about having confidence only when in possession of something.of value.  So if they feel somewhat embarrassed they might not talk to a woman.  Even though the woman could care less what a man is driving.


           I've also learned that some of the men that are intimidated are the guys who lack good character.  Have you ever seen the "super thug" with the real square girlfriend.  They try to hide who they truly are around her.  So there's a whole lack of honesty in the relationship.  Sometimes it's the "nice guy" with the bitch girlfriend too.  She's so fucked up that he hates bringing her around but feels he can't do any better, going back to the source of his confidence.  Which is, his relationship so now he's allowing her to intimidate him out of fear.  So   he becomes intimidated out of fear.  And that begins the end of his relationship cause if his woman knows it's his downfall.


            You also have the momma's boys.  If they have had an overbearing parent particularly a mom.  They can make a man feel inadequate when he becomes a man.  Either second-guessing their choices or coddling them to the point where they can't experience failure for themselves.  Sometimes the son was the mother's surrogate "boyfriend" so he doesn't know to break off that relationship from his mom. Why?  Cause his mother is an intimidating woman, so he looks for that same strong personality trait in his women.


          Some men are intimidated cause of past bad relationships, so it's scarred them.  Sometimes men over-think & believe the woman they are dealing with is like their ex.  Maybe they have some similar character traits.  A man like that has to get through his heartache. Usually the 2nd relationship was a rebound relationship so there are unresolved feelings.  A woman will know cause he reflects a lot about the old relationship.  Avoid that man all day.


 Now on the flip-side, there are women who try to be intimidating on purpose.  If you aren't confident with who you are you can see it from afar.  If not here are some types to be aware or beware of:

The New Wave Feminist - She's either fresh from a women's lib class or read a few feminism books so she thinks she's a NOW advocate. There might be some daddy issues there, so they try to give you  anger left over from that class they took.  Just remind them they are not Susan B. Anthony.

The "I'm Too Smart For You" - Ever met a young lady who though she was a genius.  She's using her brain to dictate the relationship,  Most of their info is from self-help books or a lot of Oprah & Dr. Phil.  So now big words are thrown around to confuse you.  This doesn't imply true intelligence, just the fact that she read a dictionary.  Sometimes the intellect is used to mask other shortcomings.

The "I Can Do Better By Myself" - Word you that ill, if that's the case why are we on a date?  She's doing so well that all men don't measure up.  Usually this is some delusion & the real problem is they actually don't know what they want.  Rather than asking what can work, they focus on what doesn't work for them.  Relationships are 2-way streets COOPERATION is the key.  Until she lets that anger go, you can't really do anything for her to help. BOUNCE!!!!

The "Wannabe Dime" - The female who is okay-looking, she looks like a low-grade Halle Berry.  In the hood they have men trying to get their attention. So with some nervous men find this intimidating cause she has options. Fellas remember all women have options even the ugly ones.  Thirsty men are in-style so even the girl with the missing teeth & big butt can feel like a winner.

The "Testosterone Fiend" - Ever met a lady who tried to out "man" the man.  The hyper-aggresive, talk with your hands, extra dude sounding female can come across intimidating.  A lot of them are in the "hood" but are even in business such as Yandy Smith from Vh1's Love & Hip-Hop.  Real loud to the point you either gotta talk over them or put that Chris Brown right on em. "Oh you tryin' to help Ike?" ***SMACK***  The aggression isn't needed, cause the man will step to you anyway.  This type tells me some things happened in their childhood that deemed they needed more control in their life.

So ladies if you are running into intimidated men, ask yourself what kind of energy am I putting out?  Am I dating down?  You have to figure if you really want a man who's really confident or just comfortable?  You could be one of the types I've noted above & those issues are keeping you from rising. Figure it out.

Iron Fist: Marvel's Version Of Eminem

Hello folks & readers I decided to switch it up this time.  I wanted to focus on one of my passions comics.  Particularly a fave of mine, Danny Rand aka Iron Fist.  I think he's one of the coolest cause he's one of the Marvel Universe's best martial artists.  He's also just a real cool, kick ass character.  Particularly with writers exploring more of who he is as a man, he's become way cooler.  I'm guessing any rich kid with a black man as his best friend and business partner, a black woman as his fiancee, & he meditates.  This would definitely bring out a coolness factor.  However it's deeper than that.  As anyone knows Eminem (aka Marshall Mathers) is probably the most successful Caucasian emcee in a music genre created & dominated by African-Americans.  Therefore there is a resolve, a sort of never-say-die attitude.  I will bring up a few points that makes them similar.

Damn near twins

1. Underdog - Both were underdogs when learning their craft.  Danny Rand had issues inside of the mystical city of K'un Lun as being an "outsider" being taught martial arts by his sensei Lei Kung.  Eminem had issues in the battle rap scene in Detroit.  A lot of hip-hop crowds didn't get his rhymes or thought he was corny.  Both were driven by the fact of being an outsider to be better than their peers.  After achieving their statuses, the real challenges began.  They have both learn to endure past all their problems at the cost of personal sanity.

2. Salt & Pepper - . Particularly in the fact there is an African-American & Caucasian partnership.  Aside from the obvious racial differences, they stark contrast works. Both became famous being one half of a famous black/white duo Danny Rand had Heroes For Hire Inc. with Luke Cage (At the time he was known as Power Man) & Eminem had Bad Meets Evil with fellow Detroit emcee Royce Da 5'9",  Their partnerships fostered great tales in the comic world & some really good music with Eminem and Royce Da 5'9".  However both had broken up as working partners but reconciled later.  

3. A Taste For Brown Sugar - Both have a taste for Black women.  Iron Fist's long time lover Misty Knight is a private eye & adventurer.  Eminem was famously known for offending black women with a racist tirade  that was found on tape by The Source Magazine as follows: ''Blacks and whites they sometimes mix / but black girls only want your money cause they're dumb chicks,'' the rapper on the tape says. Later he raps, ''Don't date a black girl / if you do it once you won't do it twice.'' He also adds, ''Black girls are dumb, and white girls are good chicks.''  This just shows you both love(d) black women at a point in their life. 

4. Jacked Up Family Life - Both have several jacked up origins particularly dealing with family.  Danny Rand saw his father killed by his business partner & his mother was killed by a pack of wolves.   Eminem's dad abandoned their family & his mother sued him for $10 million.   Eminem's contempt for his mother's issues has been documented on the songs "Cleanin' Out My Closet" & "My Mom".  Eminem & Iron Fist fortunately had father-figures to help shape them as men.  Iron Fist has his sensei Lei Kung & Eminem had his Uncle Ronnie who introduced him to hip-hop. 

5. Steel Reserve - Outside of the tragedies they have had.  Eminem lost of his rhyming partners, Proof to street violence.  Iron Fist as a fictional character must constantly face new danger.  However what we love about them is that they rise in spite of itl

So now look at Iron Fist & tell me he's not one of the coolest white guys in the Marvel Universe.  I could see him rhyming while kicking someone right in the teeth.  Em's one of the most popular cats in music, so I guess we can refer to him as the Iron Fist on the mic.  Along with being able to summon the power of a dragon, he got a new upgrade in his look. 

He's fly, can fight, & is zen cool Danny Rand aka The Iron Fist.

Perception Is A Funny Thing

      

         I was having a very interesting conversation with some friends.  One of them (a young lady) was giving me an understanding of why some women don't want to hang with you when you ask.  So I asked why is that?  She first off explained that some ladies may be a bit nervous around new people.  I countered that argument by asking "If she met me through you and you trust me, why shouldn't she?"  After some more intense conversation, the real issue showed up.  Something about women being attacked by men they know surfaces.  Now I've never had to attack or sexually assault a woman.  It's despicable & deplorable that men even do that.  So I'm wondering to myself, "Why would you think I would go there?" & "What kind of ninjas have you been dating?"  Do I put out a creep/perv vibe to women?  Is my look or physical stature imposing to women?  A funny thing happened to me last night, A young Caucasian woman asks me to pretend that we are together cause some young man was stalking her.  I was so amused I asked her to repeat herself.  She proceeds to tell me the story about how she hung out with this guy.  So now he's the creep & I'm the protector.  Just in one day I go from being creep to hero.  This made me look at myself of how I'm perceived before anything is even said.

SMH, these n*ggas.

      So is it me putting out a fearful aura?  Like anyone we all have had dark thoughts, however I don't let them run my psyche.  So is it the image in media that have made young women fearful of black men?  Possibly, at the same time a lot of black men don't help this image by committing public foolishness.  So by default a lot of women & non-black folks already dismiss us. Even before speaking, so they are already on the defensive.  As for myself I'm 5'11" & about 270 so that's physically intimidating.  I try not be this ominous person because that energy draws bad things to you.  However I don't have this all smiles demeanor either.  When I'm hanging some ladies usually think I'm the street dude from the corner cause I do wear the baggy jeans & timbs.  The reason, I don't do sport coats with jeans at the hip-hop events or skinny jeans.  I'm a big guy so I need space & I wear size 14 so those colorful shoes you like don't come in my size. (They also look terrible in my size, have you ever seen a big guy with a cardigan sweater? One word: MOIST)   When they see me laugh & have a good time I notice I get more love.  However the assumption of me being this hard guy is made totally on my physical, but folks who know me know I'm a kind, giving dude.

This isn't helping our cause brothers

The funny thing is I know my personality is intimidating.  At times I'm brash, loud, & talkative.  However when does this come across as scary?  I think it becomes scary to folks who lack something.  Maybe my intelligence scares folks into retreating cause they have nothing to say.  Could be just the fact they have issues  on their own & haven't worked through them?  I know it's not in style for a black man to have an opinion about anything. Why is that? Are we just cannon fodder for media & angry women who have nothing better to do?  It almost feels natural for America to shit on us.  Throwing us under the bus has been a staple since slavery.  It might be that slave mind that still has some folks caught up in this "fear the black man" stance.  I just wonder what is thought of me by strangers on the train?  Some are afraid to sit next to me, like I'm going to wig out or something.  It's worse though when you get judged like that from people who actually know you.  Especially when they don't defend your character to others.  It's just as bad if not worse than stealing or committing a crime against me.  Matter of fact it is a crime, the crime of being fraudulent.  To get to know me is a blessed thing, if you understand that we are friends.  If not, you just think we are friends.

Always remember perception doesn't equal truth.  Perception changes from angle to angle. So change your angles & see truth for what it really is.