Storm Owl

"How dare you destroy my unit! You'll pay for this with your life!"

- Storm Owl

Storm Owl, known as Storm Fukurowl (ストーム・フクロウル) in Japan, is an Owl-based Maverick who is a member of the Repliforce, an organization branded as Mavericks because of their yearning for independence. One of the Repliforce's most resourceful generals, Storm Owl regarded the entire staff as family. He was extremely resentful when he and his associates were branded as Mavericks by the Hunters. After the Repliforce coup began, he launched the air brigade to divert the Maverick Hunters attention.

Strategy
Storm Owl has a variety of attacks at his disposal. Almost constantly in the air he likes to dive in and grab his opponent, then slam them into the ground. With his ability to manipulate wind he can fire four homing air shots, create small vortexes, and powerful tornadoes. When his health is down by half he tends to move to the center of the screen to release a constant, four-way rotating stream of air shots for a short duration. X will have no trouble dealing with him using the Aiming Laser gained from Cyber Peacock (even easier with the Helmet Upgrade, as uncharged shots won't drain energy). Zero, however, will have very opportunities to effectively attack with Rakuhouha (the damage Storm Owl takes from the attack multiplies with each projectile he his hit by) without being hit in turn. The most effective strategy is to bait Storm Owl into swooping down on you; trigger Rakuhouha just as he dives. This ensures 3-4 hits on Storm Owl with one usage, and if timed correctly will cause him to abort his dive and exit the screen without damaging the player.

It should be noted that Rakuhouha's energy meter refills upon taking damage. If the player has adequate life to absorb an attack, timing Rakuhouha so that Storm Owl hits the player upon unfreezing can allow the move to be used more liberally.

Most bosses show the ability that you will gain during the battle. For X, his Double Cyclone is based on Storm Owl's similar attack. As for Zero, Tenkuuha is from Storm Owl's ability to absorb normal damage by surrounding himself with a small air current after being struck once.

Data
Stage description: The Repliforce ship has taken off. Pursue and blast it out of the air.

Stage enemies
Enemies in Storm Owl's stage, Air Force.
 * Mid Boss: Generaid Core
 * Beam Cannon
 * Giga Death
 * Metal Hawk
 * Plasma Cannon
 * Walk Shooter

When Playing as X
Storm Owl: How dare you destroy my unit! You'll pay for this with your life!

When Playing as Zero
Storm Owl: Why did you judge us as Mavericks!?

Zero: Wait! Stop the coup!

Storm Owl: No. We're justified in doing this!

Archie Comics
Storm Owl was among the various Mavericks revived by Sigma-1 during the Worlds Unite crossover event in order to invade other worlds. Following the mass attack on the Sky Patrol, they scattered to various worlds to plant Unity Engines. Storm Owl was teamed with Storm Eagle to attack the world of NiGHTS into Dreams, only to be defeated by the arrival of Tails and Air Man.

Trivia

 * In Storm Owl's level, there are two powerful laser cannons fired from above that will destroy a group of Metal Hawks in its laser fire (a Heart Tank is on a Metal Hawk in the first laser's line of fire). The lasers are a possible reference to the film Independence Day.
 * Storm Owl is the first boss in the X series to share a name prefix with a previous boss, Mega Man X's Storm Eagle. The two don't appear to have any relation beyond being based on birds.
 * Storm Owl is the only Maverick to not receive a chapter of his own in the Rockman X manga series, appearing only for three pages before being fatally shot by X in the Ultimate Armor, who had been driven mad by grief.