SubscribeNote: Marvel might be building up to an “All-New, All-Different” X-Men by bringing back the original team, but artist Snareser is showing just how different, how new, and how unique they can be. Flipping the chromosomes around, the artist has re-interpreted the original Lee/Kirby line-up as more X-Women than X-Men. That Cyclops design is especially great — that coat is positively envious. . – Chris A.
Project : Rooftop
Superheroes, Redesigned
Tag: Iceman
She-Design/He-Design: Snareser’s X-Men!
Redesign Rewind: Alex Ross’ X-Men!
Note: Did you know that before Frank Quitely re-envisioned the X-Men for his run on New X-Men with Grant Morrison another artist got a chance but was turned down? That’s right, Alex Ross was asked by Marvel to come up with his take on the X-Men in 2000. Although Ross’ designs where never used, Wizard Magazine published them soon after. We’re spotlighting that magazine spread and a few additional pieces from the project to remind people what could have been. Quitely’s designs were perfect for the time, but imagine an alternate world where Ross’ designs took the center stage. – Chris A.
P:R Redesign: Toks Solarin’s X-Men!
Note: Another day, another round of X-Men redesigns! This time out, Toks Solarin returns with a militaristic take on Marvel’s merry mutants. The original five are here, strapped, locked and loaded to take on threats to mutantkind. The longtime X-Men fan in me subconsciously posits that this looks like an X-Men team organized by Cable rather than Professor X, but Toks has his own impetus for each character’s design which we’ve shared below. The one that stands out to me most is the Iceman, which follows along with Drake’s recently revitalization in Uncanny X-Force and Wolverine & The X-Men as a more offensive attacker. – Chris A.
Cyclops:
When ever I think of Cyclops I always think of Jim Lee’s version so the current version looks weird to me, it’s not bad it just doesn’t feel like cyclops to me. This is what came out when I set about designing my own version of the x-men team leader. Scott seems like the type of guy that would take his role as leader very seriously. The X-Men find themselves fighting for their lives almost daily and as a result I think Scott would study military tactics and deployment and so I made his uniform reflect that. I tried to stick to the blue and yellow colour scheme where I could, I gave him a flak jacket providing protection for his vital organs and made his suit a bit more protection based in general. I gave him a utility belt of sorts as the X teams are often deployed all over the world and the belt gives him the ability to carry medicine, food, water, communications, tracking devices and many more helpful items, which would prove indispensable on missions.
Marvel Girl:
Jean is the communications specialists. Linking the teams minds allows for tactics and intel to be shared instantaneously which gives them a huge tactical advantage in battle. The ability to control minds comes in handy when extracting information from an enemy combatant and the telekinesis is a great offensive weapon. (on a side note, Jean carries steel ball bearings with her so if there is nothing else she can use in battle she can project them like bullets.)
Beast:
Hank is the Tech officer on the team and with an IQ off the charts there isn’t much he can’t understand or build. He’s also the team member that is most suited to stealth missions. With his augmented abilities (which came at a cost.) there isn’t a place on earth Beast can’t infiltrate. Violence doesn’t come naturally to Hank, but he believes in the x-mens cause and is fully prepared to defend it. Beast will never start a fight but you can be certain he will finish it.
Iceman:
Bobby Drake is the powerhouse of the team. With almost limitless power at his command Iceman is able to fight in many different ways but his favorite is as a giant ice golem, which enables him to go toe to toe with some of the most powerful beings on the planet.
Angel:
He’s a recon/surveillance specialist and sniper. Warren didn’t like his role in the team when first assigned to him, especially when Scott explained to him that with out learning these skills he was useless to the team. ‘What use is a guy that can fly in a fire fight, you’re not super fast so if you attempted to swoop down and attack some one they would see you a mile off and have plenty of time to shoot you out of the sky, but at as a long distance fighter and the real time intel you can provide us on the ground you would be invaluable to the team’. However once Angel threw him self into training he excelled at every thing and as a result became an indispensable part of Scott’s team. Hank equipped Angel with everything he could need in his role. The head gear provides Angel and the team with Telescopic, night , and thermal visions. enhanced audio and video recording and a multitude of tracking options. The mask can also provide Warren with air if he needs to fly really high to avoid detection. The rifle has stun, kill and explosive options.
P:R Approved: Matthew Humphreys’ X-Men, Animated!
Note: Marvel’s X-Men have made their way to the animated world on numerous occasions with varied styles and subject matters, but artist Matthew Humphreys has single-handedly created, for me at least, the measuring stick of what X-Men cartoons should be. Below you’ll see the inspired takes on 20 of the X-Men’s top characters, taking each character’s styles over the years and distilling them down to a fun overall design with an energetic, bouncy style. I’m usually not one for fan-driven campaigns, but this makes me re-think that. Who’s with me? – Chris A.
P:R Redesign: Michael Lunsford’s X-Men!
Note: Artist Michael Lunsford sent this in unannounced earlier this week, and blew out socks off (mine and Dean’s both!). Lunsford has revisited the inaugural class of Xavier’s School For Gifted Youngsters and given the group a modern day makeover. Lunsford gets bonus points for doing the costume variants for some of the members — the only thing I wish I could see more of is Beast in his original human guise before he went all blue. I like all of the designs, especially his take on Cyclops — the idea of hard armor over a more manageable cloth uniform is a great idea. – Chris A.
Look after the jump for bigger versions of each character, including some alternate designs!
P:R Approved: Nate Bellegarde’s X-Men!
Note: Gentleman artist Nate Bellegarde returns to the P:R parlor with this updated and slightly militaristic new take on the X-Men. Cyclops’ eye-globe is a beaut to behold! If you like this and want to see more, Nate’s started a unique thing on his blog where you can request him to draw specific things for a small fee. – Chris A.
P:R Redesign: George Kambadais’ X-Men!
Note: Up here in the Northern hemisphere it’s getting cold outside, and artist George Kambadais shows us that even the X-Men need some winter wear. He’s outfitted them in costumes reminscient of Frank Quitely’s New X-Men designs but with a twist. With all the great “baseball” issues of Uncanny X-Men, was there ever one with a snowball fight? - Chris A.
P:R Redesign: Anjin Anhut’s All-New, All-Different X-Men!
Note: After ranking high in our recent Spider-Man: Webhead 2.0 contest, artist Anjin Anhut returns with a startling re-imagination of Marvel’s classic mutants, the X-Men. Reminding me of some of the best of the Millenial Visions books Marvel put out at the turn of the century, Anjin has taken Xavier’s kids and made them as visually startling as their powers are. – Chris A.
Here’s what Anjin had to say about the work:
Mutants are outcasts of society finding solace, company and purpose in Xavier’s school for gifted youngsters. So my goal was to make their mutations not only very visible, but to a certain degree disfiguring. Something that renders them to be freaks on the surface, so that they can show their humanity in their deeds.
Cyclops doesn’t wear the cool as hell glasses, but has his face tissue damaged by the force of his eye blasts and his head is illuminated from within, rendering his skull visible.
Marvel Girl’s telepathic and telekinetic powers manifest in a deformed head containing an oversized mutated brain. She is shown as a young and fragile girl to illustrate the non-physical aspects of her power.
Beast always was one of the most disfigured xmen anyway, so there wasn’t much to change. I upgraded his hands, giving him 2 opposable thumbs, so it goes along with his hand-like feet.
Iceman, since he can create any shape from water particles in the air, I felt like he could have any form he likes.
Angel always confused me. He was often used to illustrate the desire of becoming normal, in the movie,in the comics. He always was the one wanting to look normal, while being the one xmen, who actually mutated into something that many people would worship and find beautiful. So I made him appear more bird like, and turned his name “Angel” into less of an accurate description and more into a nickname.
Regarding costumes. All characters only have small badges or marks with the X-logo, if anything. They identify with the team and the X but still hold to their own preferences and expression of self, when picking their colthing and gear.
All-Ages All-Stars: Bill Walko’s Spider-Man & His Amazing Friends
Note: Bill Walko does it again! P:R readers should remember his work from the frequent submissions he’s done for us over the years, and this newest piece really digs deep into a fondly-remembered 80s cartoon series of mine. Stay tuned for Bill’s commentary below the art! – Chris A.
Spider-Man And His Amazing Friends: “Chillin’ In The Crime Lab”
Ah, the Spider-Friends. One of my favorite cartoons as a kid… probably because Spider-Man, Iceman and Firestar were so much cooler and funnier than the Superfriends. And remember how their apartment converted into a high-tech crime lab with the twist of that football trophy? Well, here it is — the Spidey Pals – Pete, Bobby, Angelica and even Ms. Lion – in their civvies. I took the look they had in the show and gave ‘em some more modern looks. Spider Friends…. go for it.
Marvel’s “X-Men: Evolution” Variant Covers Costume Cavalcade!
Note: Marvel really been thinking outside the box lately when it comes to variant covers. From last year’s Iron Man: By Design variants to its Tron: Legacy covers and now this. This series of covers, dubbed “X-Men: Evolutions,” hits the high points of costume design for a host of X-men as well as two notable villains. The stand-outs for me are the diverse array of designs for Storm drawn by David Yardin, as well as thinking about how many designs for Wolverine that didn’t make it into Patrick Zircher’s line-up. – Chris A.
Storm line-up by David Yardin
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