Note: Some of the best designs in comics were one-off creations for an alternate reality story, and one of the best (in my own opinion) was the X-Force seen in the 1992 X-Force Annual #1. The designs for Shatterstar, a merged Power Pack heroine called Powerpax and a mature Magik by Greg Capullo were inspired. The other X-Force redesigns aren’t anything to talk about, but these three still stick in my mind. See my thoughts below. – Chris A.

When he was introduced, Shatterstar was little more than a teen version of Longshot and his costume by Rob Liefeld had a lot to complain about. This redesign by Capullo reconciles Liefeld’s ideas into a more cohesive design, and adds a more swashbuckling aspect to it. I like the loose top with the tight pants, and the armored headgear, shoulderpad and gauntlets work better than the previous leather ones.

Going by the name Darkchild in this continuity, Illyana Rasputin seems more level-headed and mature than her 616-counterpart, and this design brings in her armored elements with a nod to her brother’s metal visage is a good thing. The buccaneer gloves and boots might need to be reigned in a bit, but overall it’s memorable and functional.

SCarrying the mantle of Power Pack, this heroine Powerpax is a hereto-unknown new character called Francine Powers carrying the powers of the entire Power Pack team. The story’s too short to get into this unique amalgamation, but the design is solid.

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