Uncanny X-Men #197-#198: Lifedeath 2

I've been disregarding the Storm bits of the last few issues, which is good, because now it means I totally ignore the A-plot of #197 (Arcade) and talk about her instead, although not before saying that Colossus has noticed Kitty is being written older, too.

Storm, as we know, has been depowered by Forge's gun, and after a brief spell leading the X-Men anyway, has left New York to go back to her teenage stomping ground in Kenya. She rescued someone from the Struckers (their first appearance), got shot by them and was left to die. We don't know who they are but they appear to be South African racists (they're calling people "kaffir", you see, just like we saw the confirmed South African racist call people in Marvel Team-Up #100). In #197 we find her recovering from that, and #198 focuses on her adventures in Kenya. This issue is drawn by Barry Windsor-Smith (who also drew #186, "Lifedeath", and also way back in 1969, issue #53 with Blastaar).

Storm finds a young pregnant woman, Shani, the sole survivor of a bus accident, and helps her back to her village, and then aids in the birth. This ability to help someone, despite her powerless, proves a turning point for Storm - her descent started with rejection of life (even if it was evil alien implanted life) in that second Brood arc, and now her ascent starts with bringing new life into the world. Nicely done.

This is yet another issue with no actual punching in it. Storm's story will continue in a more traditional style in New Mutants.