00:00Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in the 60s, the X-Men started out as five super-powered teenagers
00:06under the tutelage of Professor Charles Xavier.
00:10Eventually, they blossomed as one of Marvel's most recognisable teams.
00:14While there have been many fashion disasters in the X-Men, there have also been many success stories as well.
00:20Sometimes, these redesigns are so good that it becomes a defining look for the characters.
00:25With this in mind, I'm Dan from WhatCulture, and here are the 10 best X-Men costume redesigns.
00:32Number 10. X-Factor Havoc
00:35As Cyclops' younger brother, Havoc often gets overshadowed by the more popular Summers.
00:40Yet, time and time again, he has proven himself to be a great leader in his own right.
00:45Initially, the younger Summers wore an all-black bodysuit, complete with a unique helmet, which allowed him to control his
00:52powers.
00:53But during the 90s, Alex Summers received a more contemporary redesign, as he was tasked to lead the revamped, government
01:00-sanctioned X-Factor.
01:02Sporting a big yellow X on his chest, complete with a leather jacket, this new uniform matched closely with his
01:09comrades.
01:09Ultimately, Havoc's redesigned costume was modernised during the new decade, while maintaining the aesthetic established by Neil Adams all those
01:18years ago.
01:19Number 9. 80s Colossus
01:21Designed by Dave Cockrum for the all-new All Different X-Men during the 1970s, Colossus was the X-Men's
01:29first Russian member.
01:31Peter Rasputin would leave his country to join Charles Xavier and his X-Men as the then-youngest addition of
01:37the team.
01:38His first costume, consisting of red and yellow colours, was way too similar to Nightcrawler's, though Colossus retained this costume
01:46initially.
01:46As the new decade arrived, Colossus would spend most of his time in the 80s sporting a shirtless appearance, especially
01:53during the outback era of the X-Men, where the team had relocated to Australia.
01:58It was a fitting change for Rasputin, allowing him to showcase his muscular physique and emphasise his status as the
02:05big, metallic man of the team.
02:07The shirtless look would remain a defining staple of the character, with it being used as his reintroduction in Astonishing
02:14X-Men.
02:15Number 8. Professor Kitty Pryde
02:17Kitty Pryde has had a long journey with the X-Men.
02:21From her changing codenames from Shadowcat to Sprite, Kitty was also often a victim of fashion disasters.
02:27But in the mid-2000s, it seemed that the young Kitty Pryde had finally found a luck that stuck with
02:34her.
02:34During Joss Whedon's Astonishing X-Men run, Kitty returned to the team and served as a major character.
02:41Having started out as one of the youngest characters, the now Professor Pryde had come full circle, serving as a
02:47teacher who would guide the students in Xavier's school for gifted youngsters.
02:52Her character arc would also reflect her appearance.
02:55Sporting an updated version of her first uniform during the 1980s, Pryde had finally found a costume that would define
03:02her luck for years to come.
03:04The simple colours and the design of her uniform signified Kitty's role as one of the team's more down-to
03:10-earth members.
03:11Number 7. Feline Beast
03:13Dr. Henry McCoy is no stranger when it comes to cosmetic changes.
03:18He had initially been a mutant that was relatively human-looking, with the exception of his big hands and feet.
03:24But in the 70s, Hank underwent a transformation in which he received blue fur, which was more fitting of the
03:30name Beast.
03:31This altered appearance of his would become one of the character's defining traits.
03:36Unfortunately for the good Doctor, this was not the end of his physical evolution, as he underwent another mutation and
03:43received a more feline appearance during Grant Morrison's new X-Men run.
03:47Beast's new luck would be part of his character arc.
03:50He feared that he was slowly losing his intelligence, and was slowly devolving into an animal.
03:55Thankfully though, McCoy learned to live with his new appearance, and his feline luck would become a staple of the
04:01character for years to come.
04:03Number 6. Archangel
04:05Warren Worthington III was one of the original members of the X-Men.
04:09Extremely wealthy and carefree, he enjoyed his tenure as Angel, as he joined his teammates on numerous adventures.
04:16But, his role as the winged Avenger would later take a tragic turn, when his wings were mutilated by Harpoon,
04:23during the mutant massacre of the 80s.
04:25Eventually, his injury led to his wings having to be amputated, after forming an infection.
04:31Distrought at the loss of his wings, Angel fell into a depression, and was presumed dead in a plane crash.
04:37But, Warren actually survived this, and would later be found by Apocalypse.
04:42Transforming him into the Horseman of Apocalypse, Death.
04:45Now, with blue skin and metallic wings, that could be used as projectiles, the fallen Angel became a darker character.
04:53Even after leaving Apocalypse, Warren was forever changed by his experience.
04:57And while he did regain his natural wings years later, Angel's time as the Horseman of Death, and his new
05:03luck, would remain one of the character's most memorable moments.
05:07Number 5. Marvel Now Magneto
05:10Magneto has always been a key player of the X-Men, having first appeared as the team's four during their
05:16first issue.
05:17Jack Kirby's original design made Magneto such a memorable villain.
05:22His original appearance would remain fairly consistent throughout the years.
05:26But, after the death of Charles Xavier during the Avengers vs. X-Men story arc, Magneto would ditch the red
05:33and purple for something more fitting and somber.
05:35Now, sporting a white costume as well as a sleeveless look, Eric joined the morally compromised Cyclops and his rogue
05:42X-Men during the Marvel Now era, as they fought harder for mutant rights.
05:48Number 4. Dark Phoenix
05:49The Dark Phoenix saga is one of the most iconic X-Men storylines ever, as the Phoenix Force possessed and
05:57corrupted Jean Grey.
05:59She became a danger not only to her friends, but to the entire universe as well.
06:03Swapping her green and yellow colours for a dark red, Jean Grey as the Dark Phoenix bared a sinister visage
06:10as the Cosmic Force possessed the young woman.
06:13With her eyes losing humanity, and her face having an otherworldly expression.
06:17The Dark Phoenix became one of the X-Men's biggest foes.
06:21Ultimately, Jean chose to die as a mortal, rather than be consumed by the godlike power.
06:26While she has been resurrected numerous times, Jean's turn as the Dark Phoenix remains a classic in the X-Men's
06:33rich and colourful history.
06:35Number 3. Punk Storm
06:36Aurora Monroe is one of the X-Men's most powerful members.
06:40Having been treated as a goddess in Africa, her initial appearance was one benefiting of such a description.
06:46With her long white hair and flowing cape, Storm would serve as a member of the second generation X-Men.
06:53But after her experience with the brood, Storm decided to change her serene look for something that was much more
06:59contemporary to the 1980s.
07:00The result was her punk phase, or better known as Punk Storm.
07:05Losing her flowing locks for a mohawk, and ditching her costume for a leather vest, Storm underwent a major change.
07:13This change would shock her teammates.
07:15But despite this, Punk Storm would become one of the character's most iconic looks.
07:20Number 2. Jim Lee's Cyclops
07:22Since the inception of the team, Scott Summers has been the field leader of the X-Men.
07:28Since the 60s, the man known as Cyclops had the most consistent of costume designs.
07:33But, in the 1990s, artist Jim Lee took over the series, and gave the characters new costumes that would define
07:40the team for a generation.
07:42Among them was Cyclops' new costume.
07:44Despite being filled with 90s style ornaments, such as pouches and leg holsters,
07:50Cyclops' new costume has remained one of his most memorable looks.
07:54It was distinct enough to allow Scott to stand out as a leader,
07:58while keeping true to his character, by keeping the same colour scheme that he's always had.
08:03Number 1. Wolverine's Brown Costume
08:06Initially, a one-time foe for the Incredible Hulk, James Howlett, better known as Wolverine, joined the X-Men in
08:13the 70s.
08:14He eventually became one of the fans' favourite characters in the series, even gaining solo titles.
08:19Despite this, his earlier outfits had him sport bright yellow and blue colours,
08:24which, despite being well designed, didn't seem to fit with the character all that well.
08:29Then, along came artist John Byrne, who decided to give Logan a brand new look,
08:34giving him a more muted colour scheme, as he wore a brown and tan costume.
08:38This redesign gave Wolverine a much darker appearance, which fit the character a lot more than the bright yellow that
08:44came before it.
08:46And, while Wolverine would later return to his blue and yellow colours, this redesign would remain one of his best
08:51looks.
08:52And here's hoping that once the character finally makes his MCU debut, he finally gets his iconic mask and costume.
08:59And that's our list. Know of any other good X-Men costume redesigns?
09:03Let us know in the comments section below.
09:05You can follow me on Twitter, at Dan J Durkin.
09:08And after that, be sure to swing on over to whatculture.com for more lists and articles like this every
09:13single day.
09:14For now though, I've been Dan, and I'll catch you in the next one.
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