Stormy Weather

Lore & Background

In this episode, Aurore Beauréal is akumatized into Stormy Weather after losing the school's weather anchor contest to her rival, Chloé Bourgeois. Empowered by Hawk Moth, she gains control over the elements, unleashing tornadoes, lightning, and hailstorms across Paris. Ladybug and Cat Noir must work together to capture her akuma, which is hidden in her microphone, and restore calm to the city.

Reader's Guide

The song was first performed by Ethel Waters at The Cotton Club in Harlem in 1933. That same year, the entire floor revue from the Cotton Club went on tour as the Stormy Weather Revue, with Adelaide Hall singing the song. The Comedian Harmonists released a German cover in September 1933 titled "Ohne Dich" with quite different lyrics. Lena Horne's 1941 version was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2000. The original handwritten lyrics, with crossings out and corrections, were appraised on Antiques Roadshow in 2011 at $50,000–$100,000. Ethel Waters' 1933 recording entered the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2003 and the National Recording Registry in 2004. Horne's 2004 version ranked #30 on AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs survey. The Five Sharps' 1952 version is one of the rarest R&B records, with only three 78rpm copies known.

Did You Know?

• This episode was the second to air, premiering on October 19, 2015, in South Korea, after the actual series premiere, 'The Bubbler'.
• Aurore Beauréal's name is a play on 'aurora borealis', fitting her weather-themed powers.
• The episode establishes the core formula of the series: an akumatized victim, a lucky charm solution, and the iconic 'Miraculous Ladybug' cleanup.
• Stormy Weather's design and powers were inspired by classic weather-controlling villains in superhero media.