Born in Harlem to an American photojournalist and a Kenyan tribe's princess, Ororo Munroe was born with the same shock of white hair and luminous blue eyes that many of her ancestors have borne before her. As a baby, Ororo and her family journeyed to Cairo for one of her father's photo assignments. While there, the family's home was destroyed by a plane, which crashed into it and killed both of her parents. The hours she spent trapped in the rubble with her dead mother later led to the development of claustrophobia in Ororo. As a girl, she joined a group of beggar children who were tutored to be pickpockets by an elderly man; she became an accomplished street thief, even stealing the wallet of Charles Xavier, with whom she would cross paths again. Ororo went south to find her mother's tribe, settling in the plains below Mt. Kilimanjaro, where she was worshipped as a goddess because of her ability to control the weather, with which she could nurture their crops and provide relief from draught. Years later, Ororo was sought out by Xavier to join a new team of X-Men, to go on a mission to rescue his five original X-Men. He explained to Ororo that her powers were rooted in her mutant DNA, and that she was not a goddess; he offered her a glimpse into the world outside her isolated tribal home, and she accepted. Using the code name Storm, Ororo joined the team and was a regal and imposing addition. She formed a close friendship with the other female team member, Jean, who helped her to acclimate to the ways of modern American society. Storm battled against her claustrophobia, which sometimes hindered her ability to help the team, but shone through as a fighter to the last. After Jean's death, Scott left the team for a time and Xavier asked Storm to replace him as the team's leader. She was hesitant, but ultimately accepted with the backing of all of her teammates. As an X-Man, Storm took part in many team adventures, and saw the addition of other mutants to the roster. Rogue, a new member who had formerly worked against the team, fled to Mississippi after being brought up on a murder charge; Storm gave chase and despite her warm advances, federal agents found the pair and neutralized Storm with a specially designed gun that removed mutant powers. A human, Storm felt lost, but found shelter with a man named Forge. The two started a long-time love affair, which has been a rollercoaster ride for Storm. During her time without powers, Storm learned to embrace her emotions, and her outlook changed, allowing her to be more assertive and fierce in her command of the team. She eventually regained her powers through Forge's help; he had designed the gun that originally stripped them from her. She continued, newly refreshed by the return of her abilities, and an even more commanding and decisive leader of the team. Storm is currently still working with the X-Men.