1.

The X-men: one of comics most diverse and character driven treats. the story spans the struggles of nearly hundreds of mutants fighting to live in a world that hates and fears them, and as a result has become a perfect mirror for those who feel like outcasts in any way among the series' vast readership.

Or at least, that's what people will tell you. That is in a nutshell what people think of when they think "X-MEN". mutants with justified angst, political struggles between heroic mutant activists and stern mutant terrorists, metaphors for death camps and genocide, debates about religion, love, sex, humanity, morality, ethics, death, purpose, all with the odd love triangle tossed in, that's why we read the book...or, thats what why we stay with it, a lot of us just came for the explosions and fight scenes. (be honest, you were seven, it's fine).

The issue with all of the above is it's barely what it means to read x-men anymore. the team is more often reality hoping or fighting space wars and time travel prophecies than it is upholding the lessons they learned in that vast mansion in westchester. It isint anyones fault, not really, the book was never intended to be a metaphor for anything and some fans like it best that way. When x-men first came out it was simply a way for good ol' Stan the man to bypass an unnecessary power-origin for every member that came along. As the book grew, and teams changed, writers picked up the slack of a then failing work by injecting some humanity into it, namely by cashing in on the Type-A:Nerds' feelings of being shunned and isolated by giving them a little 30 page sign of hope. The message: Yeah sure they don't like you, but look at how great you could be despite them!

As the book grew so did the cast...and boy did it grow.





With a cast this size something odd began to happen. With most comics new characters are hard pressed to get any screen time, but not in the X-Men. All you needed was a power that felt even remotely interesting and you were in, maybe not among the mainstays but enough to be feature again and again.
This sounds like progress, but it never really was. For every character that stuck an entire team would be left behind, only to have the remaining characters become the literary versions of kids who never got chosen for dodge ball. for every character in the X-Men franchise you can name, there are five that were tried, failed, and completely forgotten about.


Forgetting the characters means forgetting their stories means forgetting the reason we even read these books to begin with. We need to be honest with ourselves, the X-men are cluttered, convoluted, and overly complex, which wouldn't be a problem if the complexity came with meaning, but here we have back stories and expanding story threads that span generations without a single paragraph meaning anything to the way some characters are represented today. how important are Scott summers children to his character? how many teams has angel really been on? why?

This is a classic showcase of quantity vomited all over quality...we need an escape route, we need to find the moment the potential of this series was strongest, and work our way up. As my favorite bearded drunk use to say...




THE PROPOSAL: the X-men didn't become what we know of them until well into the series' run. they've been everything a superhero can be and we need to pinpoint from the get go what the theme of the series will be
However, there are so many characters that redesigning them all would..well..it would likely kill me, so we start with the first line-up.

Angel, Beast, Cyclops, Iceman, and Marvel girl. the original X-Men.

Marvel has tackled this team and applied the ideas suggested here before. Making these outcast teenagers the forefront for the fight of mutant rights would be incredibly compelling, and can been seen to a degree in the mini-series X-Men: First Class and in the X-men segment of MYTHOS. However, if we take the idea seriously we need to go further than just telling the story.

The issue is the look, not just how the students look but what the look means.

I see this, and though every nostalgic bone in my body may love it nothing about this registers as a logical choice. Of course, the look is a classic and thus holier than a house of god to some, so it's been updated a few times...

Here: pleasing, keeps the same basic elements of the classic intact while respectfully deviating in ways to attempt an appeal to modern readers.
It still doesn't work. The problem is we're thinking of the x-men as superheroes when, if we can be honest, they're not. They are super-heroic, yes, but they shouldn't be stopping bank robberies or keeping muggers scared of their favorite alleyways. The x-men don't patrol, they don't instigate super-powered incidents, they take care of their own and attempt to show the world they mean well. This is civil rights sci-fi at it's best...

and as a result they're going to get shot at..a lot.
So I'm saying scrap the spandex. Remove the masks. But...I'm not saying get rid of costumes...actually I'd argue the x-men need costumes.These are teenagers, trained like a militia, with the sole purpose of promoting peace through protection, capture, defense, mass rescue, and public outreach. that's scary, slapping spandex on them makes it even worse "the circus acrobat is screaming at me about his rights as a mutant, and he's ON FIRE".

Going casual has adverse effects as well, making the public think "anyone can be one of those x-men, hiding in the shadows with nukes for hands" isn't the goal here. The X-men need a look that is tactical, up front, uniform, and will protect them from more than just bullets, since mutants tend to pack heavier artillery than that.

So, my suggestion.

Cyclops
On Display:1.demonstration of optic-rays reflected on ruby quartz lenses.2.Pouches contain a variety of handy tools I.E spare protective shades.3.Alternate angle of the visor.4.Demonstration of Scott's mutant ability canceling out when in direct contact with his body.5. Side view of visor mechanics, including stability bars and shifting ruby quarts lens pieces.6.Top:required padding for extensive use.Bottom:Interior view of ruby quarts lens' and rotor attachments.

We start with scott because i believe he would, in any circumstance, be the one to wear the uniform as is. Scott is the poster boy of this team. Strong willed, precise, intelegent, tacticale. Scott is a natural leader and his look should show him attempting to lead by example. The man buttons every button, cleans his uniform, and takes pride in his position, likely to cover for how afraid he must be.

I look liberities with the visor. I chose to bulk it up so it would seem more plausible that it was holding back a force that can punch a hole through mountains. The new visor is industrial, tough, and expresses a bit about the iron convictions of the X-men's top dog.
As with every uniform i chose to keep things simple; the blue bodysuit is an above-military grade soft-shell fabric beast worked up. 4 layer hard plastic pads can be found around the major joints embedded into the suit. the suit also features padded tactile gloves, All terrain, flexible steel-toed boots and interchangeable pouches around the waist.
The X-Vest is the real protection however. Bullet/fire/acid/radiation/heat/sonic/ice/energy/everything under the sun-proof. Essential protection for a team who faces a random collection of escalating dangers every week. I shaped the vest into a giant X so a symbol felt unnecessary, i dont believe the team would place the X-symbol on themselves, at least not in the very beginning. a stark branding like that when among group members creates a sense of authority i don't believe they would want to associate with at first.

Next:

Beast
On Display:1: hanks oral anatomy is a mix of gorilla, feline and human traits.2.Diagram shows two sets of claws, exterior nails and protractable claws.3.Gorilla like hands, much larger than a typical humans.4.Eyes a mix of human and feline anatomy.5.Feet feature ape like physiology granting great pedial dexterity

Beast wears more-or-less the essential uniform, modified by removing the soft shell top and the combat boots, as both impede his natural acrobatic and offensive abilities. Beast also has additional carrying equipment for his field research regarding mutation and its effect on the greater environment, as well as other studies that come his way.
Obviously, beast places his reading glasses into one of the common pouches when active. i always wondered why beast would need glasses if his mutation increased all of his senses, my answer would be he must miss that aspect of his pre-mutation lifestyle, the comfort of placing those glasses on the bridge of his nose when he finally got to take a solid look at something interesting. As beast, i imagine the glasses, at least in hanks mind, express his intellect even beyond the dramatics attached to the rest of his appearance.

I just made myself sad. On to the next one.

Angel
On Display:1.Back of angels X-Vest is specially designed to accommodate the space needed for his wings.2.Warren's bone structure is hollow, displayed here.3.Warrens' muscle structure is compressed, he contains twice the set of necessary muscle structure to accommodate the physiology of his wings and the lost density provided by solid bones.4.Warrens wings are capable of compressing directly against his back, making them easily concealable.5.Warren contains a hidden, organic hard- lens which protects his eyes from debris during flight.6.Anatomy of the attachment of warrens wings to his additional back muscles.

Angel's body fascinates me somewhat. he should be incredibly muscular to have wings that size just sitting on his back. The books always explained his wings as having super strength, which i find ridiculous since having an appendage that size that's stronger than the rest of your body would cause a dangerous amount of stress to the surrounding structure of the subject. So i propose his entire body be super-strong, which would be necessary for all the strain extended flight would cause warren, especially with the poses he does during.(to some, i know they will feel a musclebound angel would detract from his pretty boy persona, but just think of him as a younger Aaron eckheart and you'll see where i'm going with this.)
Angels' suit is perhaps the most modified to suit the needs of his mutation. the soft shell bodysuit has been replaced by a skintight environmental armor. The fabric protects against the shifting temperatures of high altitude flight, as well as conforms directly to warrens shape with no drag so nothing rips off when he reaches 70MPH. because of this he has no pouches, since carrying them in any way would be incredibly frustrating. the suit retains the same padding as the initial soft shell, as well as highly durable soles embedded into the foot of the suit.
The vest is the same as the others, but features a thin back which clasps in the space between angels wings.

Next...

Marvel Girl
On Display:1. vest adjusted to better suit female build.2.jean using her abilities while wearing her stress shield.3.Attention to pants and occasional broach on sash in later stories (possibly bird related).4.Stress shield, special nanite technology weaved through glass which filters communication between psychic frequencies.5.Powers burn hot when pushed past their limit.Possible foreshadowing to phoenix connection.6.Back pockets replace pouch system.

Marvel girl required a lot of thought. Visually, she isn't pinned down as anything but "that redhead" before her manifestation as the phoenix.I took a few ideas from her past looks, attempt to find a lingering iconicism and introduce it here in subtle ways.
The uniform here is the basic, same bodysuit, same boots,same gloves, same vest. the variations here are less about jean and more about the changes needed for female members of the team, as the series expands the other women would have jeans uniform as a template before adding their own personal flares.
The sash is jean adding a splash of color and life to the uniform. Jean was always the first to comment on the fashion of the teams uniforms in the initial series and i believe she would be the type to add little touches of warmth to her suit. It also nicely ties her look to the look she maintains as the phoenix later on.
Due to the sash the pouches have been removed, but jean has plenty of pockets.

The mask is something i'm calling a Stress Shield, it releases the tension of constant psychic feedback in situations of panic or strain, especially when jean is in crowded areas (expanded above).
Iconicisim is all in the face, and if you have a face that can be easily mistaken for someone else in the comic world, you get docked points by me (hold up portraits of jean, mary jane, angelica jones, black widow, siryn, and medusa and tell me this shouldn't be a real rule.)So to fix that for jean i tried to find something that separates her from the rest of the auburn heard. Once i found her 70's look i knew where to pull from.

The streams of wisping light are a representation of expelled or unnecessary thoughts from jeans environment. i imagine it gets stronger the more her mind requires relief to carry on. It would make for a nice visual indication during all of those "I CANT HOLD THIS HEAVY OBJECT/I CANT FIGHT THIS STRONG PSYCHIC"moments the books seem to be so fond of.

And finally.

Iceman
On Display:1.Breath is a constant stream of cold air.2.Eyes are a series of snowflake patterns which thin near the iris, unique patterns appear with each transformation.3. Ice is abnormally hard, enough to deflect bullets with minimal damage.4.Exposed feet allow bobby to use and create his ice bridges with ease.5.X-men under armor is worm under the sheath of ice, bobby's shirtlessness is an illusion.6.Ice can be easily created from thin air through extracting heat from water particles in the air.

Bobby was my favorite to draw. His design seems to vary from being so basic to being almost unnecessary in everything I've seen with him. fully iced up, bobby is boring, a near white silhouette isint nearly as remarkable as you would think.
Bobby refuses the vest because he doesn't need it, he's protected already. He also likely thinks showing off his literally sculpted physique will impress the girls he saves.
The pants are the uniform materials, with two long pockets for any spare objects he may be required to return to the mansion.i exposed the feet so bobby could create and bond with his ice bridges without issue, i also left an X brand on his belt so he'd tie closer with the rest of the teams look.


All in all these looks show the beginning of an idea. Does it fix where the x-men are right now? no. but if we present the idea concisely from the get go maybe the train will stay on the tracks, The uniforms can easily be taken and tweaked for any x-member from this point and beyond, hopefully an idea like this would expand into something similar to what grant moorison tried to achieve. A world where mutants have their own culture, music, political views, media representation and schools beyond just the Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. Let's avoid house of M this time around...

I had fun with this, who knows...maybe a second genesis overall is in the potential project's future.

As always, thank you for reading, watching, and remember that you have every right to adore or despise the opinions presented above.