WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Giant-Size X-Men: Jean Grey & Emma Frost #1, by Jonathan Hickman, Russell Dauterman, Matt Wilson and Clayton Cowles, on sale now.

Jonathan Hickman transformed the X-Men from a team of mutants into a nation in last year's House of X/Powers of X. This new status comes with new threats and greater dangers, especially as more humans begin to use scientific means to combat the rise of mutants. During Giant-Size X-Men: Jean Grey and Emma Frost #1, these two X-Men confronted a new threat when Storm mysteriously collapsed and was rendered unconscious on the island of Krakoa. Venturing into her mind, Jean and Emma sought the cause of Ororo's collapse in the hopes they could eradicate it. Outside of revealing Storm's new condition and imminent death, this journey unveiled new insight into the mind of one of the X-Men's greatest heroes and leaders, as well as her connection to the nation of Wakanda.

Storm and Black Panther have shared a complicated relationship over the years. After a chance encounter at a young age, where each helped to save the other, Ororo and T'Challa shared a bond for many years. When the time came for Black Panther to marry, he asked Storm to serve as both his bride and as queen of Wakanda. While their marriage had many wonderful moments, Storm's competing obligations to the X-Men and Wakanda contributed to its eventual end in Avengers vs. X-Men #9. Black Panther told Storm that he had annulled their marriage after Namor's destruction of Wakanda.

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However, it seems Storm still feels an enormous connection to Wakanda. Upon arriving in her mind, Emma and Jean are met by a sight that will be familiar to those that watched Marvel Studios' Black Panther: the Wakandan Ancestral Plane, a.k.a. Djalia. In the film, T'Challa was able to commune with his deceased father in the mystical realm as he prepared to take the throne. This setting was depicted as the African Savannah, with Baobab trees and a purple skyline. While Storm's mind has a few differences, such as a glowing symbol floating in the sky with a striking similarity to her headdress, her mind appears mostly the same as the Djalia.

Although this could just be a nod to her past, there is also some evidence that the landscape of her mind could be a natural transformation for any leader of Wakanda, past or preset. After serving in the Wakandan monarchy, many rulers find their minds and souls linked to the nation's history. For this reason, each Black Panther has the ability to commune with past Black Panthers. As Storm married into the Wakandan royal lineage, her mind may be a reflection of her own spiritual connection to the land. In an earlier Hickman story in New Avengers, T'Challa did remark to Ororo, "You will always be a queen." It could be that her mindscape literally reflects that.

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The references to Wakanda do not end there. Emma and Jean are confronted by two large lions that demand to know the reason for their presence. While these lions hit upon a certain complicated relationship, they also could serve as a bridging of the gap between Ororo's history as both queen and goddess. These lions are most likely symbolic of both Storm's role as a weather goddess in Kenya, as well as the panther god Bast. During her time as queen, Storm encountered Bast as she sought her favor and help in many battles. During this time, Storm also maintained that she was her own individual with her own unique set of abilities that made her extremely powerful. Perhaps, these lions represent Storm's godhood and her relationship with Bast.

In Jean and Emma's journey, there a plenty of references to Storm's past as they embark to find the cause of her collapse. Connecting Ororo's mindscape to Wakanda opens big possibilities for the future as Storm becomes a more pivotal figure in Krakoa. Her mind may reveal divided loyalties: Should Wakanda and Krakoa ever come to conflict, Storm might choose to stand by her former nation, rather than the mutant island.

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