If you could redisign an x-character

[FreeFallin]

if you were the writer/creator of one of your favorite or least favorite x-character, how would you change them. things like powers, origins, or personality.

which x-character needs your redisign the MOST?

[Monty_Cristo]

Beast would have never sprouted fur. i liked the big jawed "caveman" Beast w/ the oversized hands and feet. i think it was neat to have him look like an evolutionary throwback and be so advanced mentally. i think giving him fur and fangs was overkill; even moreso when Nightcrawler & Wolverine came around.

Cyclops would have never become muscle-bound. he can be in good shape and still be tall/lanky. i think there should be more variety in physical shapes within the mutant-verse.

as for Shortpack (you knew this was coming), there are several things i'd change about him; just to make him more attractive to other writers. for starters, he'd definately have to be a blood relation of one of the more well-known X-Men. or he'd be Professor Xavier's adopted child; to explain why he was being financially supported but kept a secret from the X-Men. i'd also like him to be less vulnerable; physically. he's named after an action figure so i think he should be a little tougher/denser than a shrunken human. he could also stand to be less naive since his job is to shepherd around secret agents.

[Canemacar]

I wouldn't completely redesign Emma, just stop ignoring the fact that she's a 40+ year old couger with more plastic surgery than Micheal Jackson. She was more interesting like that than Jean Grey mk. 2.

[justinkos91]

Wolverine: I'd make sure he appears in less books, and keep him in X-men, X-Force, and his solo, nothing else. I'd also keep his origin a mystery, Wolverine was better as a mysterious guy we knew nothing about. The origins stories felt like a let-down to me. Keep it at weapon X and beyond. Also, I'd make sure he remains beast-like and not looking like a pretty boy with extra body hair and a weird hairdo, though it has made him who he is.

Storm: After she broke up with Forge in the 90s, it's been nothing but disappointment from her. I'd keep the two together and she wouldnt be some snobby queen, but the leader she once was, and a mother-like figure to the rest of the team. I'd make sure her costumes are anything but white (white costumes look bad on her) and that she discovers and learns more about her powers, maybe the two living in the penthouse. They made a great couple :frown:

Shadowcat: No ninja shadowcat please. Her and Logan may have bonded, but her ninja stuff was all forgotten, so why include it?

Rachel Grey/Phoenix: No mullet, anything but the mullet! :eek:

[rwsmith]

Cable would never have been a time-traveler or a Summers. Just a mysterious ex-commando, ex-mercenary with a cybernetic arm and eye and perhaps some light telekinesis (and possibly even light telepathy as well, but nothing all that powerful). I might even consider making him not a mutant at all, and the source of his powers comes from cybernetics or nanotech in his brain that grants him weak psychic abilities (kind of like how SHIELD is able to create psychics somehow). Not sure why he'd be hanging with the X-men if he wasn't a mutant, though.

As for a physical re-design, I think the whole cybernetic limb look has been done to death. So I would have Nate cover his cybernetic arm with a synthetic skin of some sort (like the Terminator):

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f18/Jackraow21/Cableorganicarm.png

I might also lose the glowing eye, to be honest, because so many other characters have it. Personally, I prefer the way Olivetti draws his left eye (not glowing most of the time, unless he's using his powers, but distinctly different from his organic eye).

[FreeFallin]

i'd redisign angel, for a member of the O5 he is pretty useless. First I'd make him keep the name archangel, seems more original and tougher. But i wouldn't give him the metal wings seems to over the top for more then once in a while.

I'd change his powers so that he was super fast while flying. He'd be able to at least challange quicksilver and northstar in a race. he'd be able to fly so fast his wings could cut through solid objects. I would also make it so he can fire feathers so fast they are razor sharp

[Deep_Sleeper]

I'm going to agree with the poster that said Scott Summers should be lanky. I'm not saying he should be scrawny, but I'd like to see him more wirey than muscular. When he was younger, I'd picture Scott Summers to be like David Duchovny. Not muscular, not scrawny, just kind of lanky looking.

James Howlett AKA Logan. I'd completely overhaul the costume angle. I really hate the fact that Wolverine runs around in a bright yellow costume. Why does he wear a mask? What's he hiding from? Nothing, that's what. So what's the mask needed for? Aesthetics? Lame. I'd lose the costume. If anything, I'd give him a bulletproof vest-like leather top, some dark black or brown army style pants and military boots. No masks, no gloves, no costume. Just a regular looking tough guy.

Emma Frost. I like the flowing type costumes she wears. I'd maybe give her a full-bodied white costume with a waist-cape. I wouldn't show too much skin on her, maybe a full bodied costume that shows a little bit of cleavage, that's it.

Archangel. I love the grim and gritty Warren. I loved it when he was scarred by Apocalypse and I like the idea of an angel being tainted by a dark force. Call it cliched, but I like the angle. I love the fact that his metalic wings can also launch poison tipped metal feathers. Whoever thought up that idea is a frikkin' genius.

Beast, I'd ugly him up more. I'd like him to look more vicious rather than cuddly. I'd like him to look frightening, yet when he begins to speak, the contrast should leave you dumb-founded. I'd liken him to the biggest, ugliest, and scariest looking guy in prison who comes up to you and discusses Shakespeare.

[Excelsior]

Wolverine and Angel would be Marvels equivalent to Apollo and Midnighter

[ProfeZZor X]

Okay I'll shoot...

Iceman would be more like his AoA counterpart in the 616 universe. Both in attitude and with his powers. Though I'm going to forget that little incident with Colossus crashing through him and instantly killing him, despite the fact that Sentinels did the exact same thing to him in just a few issues before that.

Other than that, he was more exploratory with his powers, and far more in control of them at that time. Though it did make him a little detatched from others.

[Kage Kisaragi]

I would make Storm from England and she'd be white. That way I wouldn't feel so bad looking at the character and thinking shes a poor portrayal of anything other than a walking sex pot/homeless tranny..

Prodigy, Dr Cecil Reyes, Bishop, and every other black character would just become white or Asian. Only two successful demographics in comics anyway, might as well go with the winning formula. I mean if all the other non asian/white characters either get shunted off into limbo, make small non speaking appearances, get killed / turned evil, return as boot lickers, then whats the point?

I'd make Emma Frost the first X-woman. She'd also have saved the world single handedly five times. She'd have dumped every guy in the marvel universe after one week of being in a relationship with them and would swear that only Scott Summers is man enough for her. (They'd still be together just in case I wasn't clear on that.)

Scott would be 6'8 and weigh 220lbs. He'd have glowing red eyes that have energy leaking out of them, but the beams themselves would be held back by his unbreakable will. He'd run at speeds exceeding Light Speed, be able to bench press the moon if necessary. He'd feel no pain, and be impervious to all but the rarest mineral in the entire galaxy. He'd be able to see the other side of the universe from his living room, be able to hear the heart beat of a yak 200,000 miles away and be able to kill it with a whisper from the same distance. He'd be so awesome looking that it would hurt anyone but Emma who looked at him for more than 5 seconds. When he speaks the entire planet immediately knows it and quivers is shear awe and terror. Black Bolt, Iron Man, Xavier and Reed Ricards would kneel before him and kiss his boots before every Iluminate meeting and would end every meeting by singing his praise.

Wolverine would be a poodle with adamantium bones.

X-23 would still be mostly the same except she'd have poodle ears, making her a sexy dog girl of anime-ish acclaim.

Pixie would be largely unchanged.

Jean Grey would replace the one above all as Queen Bitch of the entire damn universe and all other universes.

I would then blame all these changes on Jean Grey, because its always her fault. :tongue:

[/sarcasm]

[Excelsior]

I would make Storm from England and she'd be white. That way I wouldn't feel so bad looking at the character and thinking shes a poor portrayal of anything other than a walking sex/homeless tranny..

Prodigy, Dr Cecil Reyes, Bishop, and every other black character would just become white or Asian. Only two successful demographics in comics anyway, might as well go with the winning formula

[/sarcasm]

I know its sarcasm, but its sadly true. It amazes me that comics are still stuck in this rut. Yet when its characters are transferred to other mediums--Movies, Television, Video Games--they become more diverse.

Such as the X-men Movies, Hancock, Wanted with Morgan Freeman and Common, Batman with the addition of Morgan Freeman, Hell even Tropic Thunder with Morton Downey playing a black manyou would think the powers that be would take a hint.

[Excelsior]

I would make Storm from England and she'd be white. That way I wouldn't feel so bad looking at the character and thinking shes a poor portrayal of anything other than a walking sex/homeless tranny..

Prodigy, Dr Cecil Reyes, Bishop, and every other black character would just become white or Asian. Only two successful demographics in comics anyway, might as well go with the winning formula

[/sarcasm]

I know its sarcasm, but its sadly true. It amazes me that comics are still stuck in this rut. Yet when its characters are transferred to other mediums--they become more diverse.

Such as the X-men Movies, Hancock, Wanted with Morgan Freeman and Common, Batman with the addition of Morgan Freeman, Hell even Morton Downey Jr. Playing a black man, you would think the powers that be would take a hint.


Its called playing to the fullest audience possible.

[rage6839]

I would make Storm from England and she'd be white. That way I wouldn't feel so bad looking at the character and thinking shes a poor portrayal of anything other than a walking sex pot/homeless tranny..

Prodigy, Dr Cecil Reyes, Bishop, and every other black character would just become white or Asian. Only two successful demographics in comics anyway, might as well go with the winning formula. I mean if all the other non asian/white characters either get shunted off into limbo, make small non speaking appearances, get killed / turned evil, return as boot lickers, then whats the point?

[/sarcasm]

Harsh but oh so much truth. Bishop would be leader of SHIELD or reformed XSE by now.

[Push You Down]

Angel- Would have been the hand to hand fighter guy on the original team. Basically his wings would be used as extra limbs. He'd be the originator of a winged mutant martial art. This would have removed the necessity of giving him the metal wings and making his character darker for the sake of utility.

[Sanctus]

Illyana would have never died, but instead, would have become an apprentice of Dr. Strange.

Sunspot would have developed near invulnerability

Angel would have had access to a vast arsenal to make up for the fact that he is the weakest member of the O5.

Synch would have lived and become Rogue's love interest. He and prodigy woudl have become best buds whose's powers complimented each other in battle.

[nikbackm]

I'd make Emma Frost the first X-woman. She'd also have saved the world single handedly five times. She'd have dumped every guy in the marvel universe after one week of being in a relationship with them and would swear that only Scott Summers is man enough for her. (They'd still be together just in case I wasn't clear on that.)

Scott would be 6'8 and weigh 220lbs. He'd have glowing red eyes that have energy leaking out of them, but the beams themselves would be held back by his unbreakable will. He'd run at speeds exceeding Light Speed, be able to bench press the moon if necessary. He'd feel no pain, and be impervious to all but the rarest mineral in the entire galaxy. He'd be able to see the other side of the universe from his living room, be able to hear the heart beat of a yak 200,000 miles away and be able to kill it with a whisper from the same distance. He'd be so awesome looking that it would hurt anyone but Emma who looked at him for more than 5 seconds. When he speaks the entire planet immediately knows it and quivers is shear awe and terror. Black Bolt, Iron Man, Xavier and Reed Ricards would kneel before him and kiss his boots before every Iluminate meeting and would end every meeting by singing his praise.

Wolverine would be a poodle with adamantium bones.

X-23 would still be mostly the same except she'd have poodle ears, making her a sexy dog girl of anime-ish acclaim.

Pixie would be largely unchanged.

Jean Grey would replace the one above all as Queen Bitch of the entire damn universe and all other universes.

I would then blame all these changes on Jean Grey, because its always her fault. :tongue:

[/sarcasm]

I think you're onto something great here! Just remove that pesky mineral vulnerability for Cyclops and it's perfect.

[marvell2100]

Beast, Beast, Beast. I'd put him back in the other suit.

[IIX]

Beast - Back to his original form.

Cyclops - Lose the Visor make him be able to control his optic blast.

Jean - Lose the Phoenix powers and gain back her original powers.

Wolverine - just his brain and his eyes in a canister of some kind of liquid in Beast's lab.

[marvell2100]

And just the heck were those things on top of Havok's original uniform?

[Anodyne]

At the climax of From the Ashes, I would reveal that Madelyne Pryor's resemblance to Jean Grey was an illusion created by Mastermind. He made Madelyne see her own face when she looked at Jean's photo; he made the X-Men see Jean's face when they looked at Maddie.

[tetragene]

I know it's just supposed to be physical/image redesigns--but I feel an explanation/change/reason is needed to justify the looks.

first I'll do a character I dislike:

Sage: the whole jack-of-all trades, perfect at everything schtick has to go first. With her ability to obtain & relay knowledge she should be behind the team helping them strategize and adapt, not in the forefront trying to shame them with her "1337 physical skillz". No more black bodysuits, no more Matrix-rip off costumes. I see her more as a "Luccia" from Chrono Cross. Something kind've studious, but contrasting (I'm sick of ALL black on her). She comes off kind've like an uptight bitch, so despite her Hellfire Club past (which has been heavily retconned into a "spy" ordeal) she doesn't seem the type that would be showing off her midriff and tit crack. No cyber shades, instead a cyber monocle w/ headset to communicate w/ team. No pistols, but instead a laser rifle w/ stun capabilities (since she should be keeping her ass in the back, supporting/aiding her team for the most part--and not up front firing slugs at people and horse kicking them! Support first, fight second).

now for one I love:

Dazzler: in keeping with the basic character concept that she is a pop singer/performer I'd split her 50/50 with career and heroine. None of this "pursuing career, but getting caught up in hero business" (which has already been done well in her solo series) or "hero constantly pining for the career again" (which has been done to death since her solo series ended). She'd be a X-Man and help the team with missions--any other time she's doing career/singing oriented stuff. She'd have a manager/agent that understood this balancing act and also banked on her hero/singer duality for promo. As for the redesign-redesign--since she's a performer and juggles performing & heroine-ing, she wouldn't have a set "super hero costume"--instead she'd have multiple stage costumes (since performers generally wear different stage outfits when performing) that would also be used as her "hero" outfit. That way it's a nice throwback to her old series, it implements the fact that she's a singer into her super-hero work, and allows the artist to experiment with lots of different looks (though a set theme might be preferable).

[Squidboy]

I'm hoping I won't be banned for saying this, but if I were to rework an X-character, I would follow the lead that Austen was making by making Warren an interesting character again. During Austen's run was the only time I found Angel actually interesting and worth reading about, though I can't really point my finger on it as to why. He was given some actual weight to pull on the team as a leader and even though it was controversial and probably hated amongst many fans, his relationship with Paige was an interesting one, to say the least. Maybe if the current X-writers could mix the playboy/businessman/adventurer aspects together right, Warren can become an interesting character again, though considering what's been going on in X-Force hasn't been completely explained yet (in regards to his appearance in Uncanny, that is), maybe Warren will be having another change in character to compete with.

[Anodyne]

Tetragene, I like your ideas for Dazzler. :smile: Allison can sing in any genre she chooses. If she occasionally does disco it should be because she enjoys it, not because she's stuck in the past.

As a responsible person, of course she'd pull her own weight with the X-Men.

Give Allison back her natural hair-color!

[jeannie]

Beast's secondary mutation would evolve him toward being a dolphin, not a cat. No one thinks cats are smarter than dolphins and apes except for cat people, whose irrational love for the filthy beasts excludes their opinion anyway.

Sage with a monocle... beautiful.

[justinkos91]

Jean Grey doesn't die :smile:

[ProfeZZor X]

If I were to redesign Colossus, I would make him a little like Metalhead of the 2099 X-Men. Only I would add a little Rogue to him in the sense that whatever metal touches his skin, he takes on the properties of that metal. The only catch is that he has no control over his powers if he accidentally touches any metal. So if he converted his body into Adamantium, and Magneto pelted mercury pellets at him, he would change into mercury... and so on.

[Monty_Cristo]

At the climax of From the Ashes, I would reveal that Madelyne Pryor's resemblance to Jean Grey was an illusion created by Mastermind. He made Madelyne see her own face when she looked at Jean's photo; he made the X-Men see Jean's face when they looked at Maddie.

i'd go further and just erase Madelyne Pryor. because of her, Cyclops is a d*ck.

[AdamYJ]

I know she's busy being Wondra right now, but one thing I always wanted to do with Jubilee is play up that sort of "street-smart teenage runaway" angle with her. Jubes is odd sometimes because she comes from two different places. On one hand, she's got the whole rich, prep-school, Beverly Hills teenager thing. On the other, there's the whole orphan, runaway, ragamuffin kid angle. Both have been played to varying degrees. There was more of the latter in her early days and more of the former after she officially joined the team. The thing is that I think the whole Valley Girl thing has gotten kind of dated. Also, I think Brian Wood kind of took that depiction to its peak in his Generation X run. So, I'd go more in the other direction. A sort of troubled, street-smart, wise-ass kid who challenges authority and wants to belong though doesn't like to admit it. I'd also maybe push her abilities as a "street urchin" to being maybe just under Gambit and Storm's level (she's self-taught but she learns quick). I tend to look to cartoons and animation a lot for inspiration. So, my main template is Ro Rohan from the WB cartoon The Zeta Project. With some of Disney's Aladdin thrown in for skill and maybe a dash of Treasure Planet's Jim Hawkins for a little extra attitude. I also think she could use a new look. She looks best in something derived from civvies (especially my take on her), but they definitely have to get away from the Robin-inspired outfit she had originally.

Oh, and for Beast I would make him more of a composite creature rather than looking like one kind of animal. More of a fantastical Beast.

[mcgaffer]

Gambit- I would have Gambit evolve into a person who truly fears his own abilities. I'd keep Sinister as his dad, but i would have him know that he has a mother too. The knowledge of his mother is long suppressed. He fears his mother with a maniacal passion, it does'nt help that apparently so does Sinister. Gambit knows that he has a duty to perform but he does'nt know what it is so try's to avoid using his kinetic powers at every opportunity. Choosing instead to fight with his agility and Bo Staff.
Gambit would also be the face of the X-Men now they've gone public. Gambit's mutant charm ability would be the ultimate X-Men weapon in mutant/human relationships. Gambit would feel more and more used and more and more manufactured and artificial until he completely lost his mind......then arrives his mother.

[Anodyne]

i'd go further and just erase Madelyne Pryor. because of her, Cyclops is a d*ck.
No, Cyclops is a d*ck because of his own behavior toward Madelyne.

[Monty_Cristo]

No, Cyclops is a d*ck because of his own behavior toward Madelyne.

what's the difference? she was introduced w/ a specific story in mind. that story involved Cyclops becoming a deuchebag.

[jrc_burgess]

I think Magneto should reflect his age. Be a little bit more how he is in the films.

He should certainly be healthy and fit but his muscle bound form in a skin tight red outfit just seems silly to me.

The depiction in the Morrison run of New X-men for example is amazing. Still physically impressive without looking like some brawler character. Ironic really as I am so strongly against his characterisation in that run!
lol

[hierro_boshid0]

I'd actually keep Cable exactly how he is with the exception of 2 things..


1.) He'd stop going back from being powered, to de-powered. He'd be full powered and he would rip s#$% up from the ground up every now and then. Talkin about seein him bug-out occaisionally and just rip a underground base straight up from the ground with his uber-telekenostrix, talkin about seein him take on a wave of sentinels in various time-lines, talkin about seein him strain himself just to take down a skrull mother ship, s#$% like that.

I'd have him full powered, but not to the point where he can just blink and destroy everything in sight. I'd make him to where he actually breaks a sweat doing it. Like if he did wipe out one wave of sentinels or rip a base out from the ground, I'd have him exhausted afterward and for a decent amount of time. Basically I'd want to see him balanced in a realistic fashion. Like if he's got his tele-shield up, he can't keep it up and try to dismember someone or move somthing with his telekinesis, and he can't read anyones mind when he has his shield up either, and thats why he still carries his guns and acts like a soldier ultimately. He can keep his tele-shield up and run n' gun, but he can't concentrate on keepin his shield up AND use his telekenises to move something.

Basically, he can't use more then 1 tele-power at the same time.

2.) He would never, ever, evereverever, be seen in his football pads again. Ever. Never ever. The way Udon drew him and all the different suits Patrick Zircher drew him in were perfect. But technically everything they draw is practically perfect, but yeah, they nailed his look. Udon started him off in that trench coat, Zircher gave him that suit that helped him f$#% with the Info-net. Both looks we're pretty bad-ass. Thats how I'd have Cable look.


Oh yeah and one more thing, I'd have him and Deadpool together just for a first arc of protectin the baby. Deadpool would be Cables back-up against Bishop, bust just for an arc. Then they could go into their own books :biggrin:

[The Sword Is Drawn]

I wouldn't completely redesign Emma, just stop ignoring the fact that she's a 40+ year old couger with more plastic surgery than Micheal Jackson. She was more interesting like that than Jean Grey mk. 2.

Give this man a cigar! I don't even care if you don't smoke - have one anyway! I totally agree.

[The Thunderbird]

I wouldn't completely redesign Emma, just stop ignoring the fact that she's a 40+ year old couger with more plastic surgery than Micheal Jackson. She was more interesting like that than Jean Grey mk. 2.
Agreed, even though I miss Jean and her warmth, I would not want another character to take her place.

Beast would be more like his previous ape form.

Jean Grey would have her soul transfered from her original body to the body created by the Phoenix Force and would come back to her empty original body in the cocoon after she died. Dark Phoenix would be the Phoenix Force itself wantng to experience passion and manipulates Jean's mind and body to do it. Rather then Jean dying at the end of Morrison's run, Xorn would use his massive power to seperate Jean and the Phoenix. The Phoenix Force leaves to the White Hot Room to heal and Jean would still have a small fraction of the Phoenix's powers, but Jean would be no more powerful than Storm, Iceman, or Magneto and have no chance to go insane.