Uniform Origins - X-Men Part One: First Class

This section covers the original X-Men– consisting of Cyclops, Iceman, Angel, Beast, and Jean Grey– as well as Professor Charles Xavier. Other iconic members such as Wolverine, Storm, Nightcrawler, etc. will be covered in a future article. This is the iteration of the team from 1963’s The X-Men #1 until 1975, where the roster changed in Giant Size X-Men #1, with writer Chris Claremont taking over the title and defining mutantkind as we know it.

• Cyclops

  Cyclops

  Age of Apocalypse

  First Appearance: X-Men: Alpha #1 (1994)

  In-Game Release: 3.4 - Age of Apocalypse Part 1 (September 13, 2017)

  In a timeline where Professor Xavier dies 10 years before the X-Men are formed, Apocalypse decides to begin his worldwide conquest early, killing millions of humans and taking control of North America. Instead of Xavier finding him, Scott Summers and his brother Alex are found by Mr. Sinister instead, becoming a father figure to them and working under Apocalypse as part of Sinister’s Elite Mutant Force. Over the course of the story, Scott becomes disillusioned in his work, eventually defecting and freeing Apocalypse's slaves along with Jean Grey, only for both to die at the hands of Alex, who stayed on Apocalypse’s side.

  Marvel NOW!

  First Appearance: Uncanny X-Men Vol. 3 #1 (2013)

  In-Game Release: 3.9 - X-Men (Marvel NOW!) (March 21, 2018)

  After killing Charles Xavier while under control of the Phoenix Force, Cyclops was arrested and later on the run as he formed his own school away from the Jean Grey Academy, located in the old Weapon X facility in Canada. By this time, Cyclops grew into a revolutionary figure, with his goal of preserving the mutant race– which was slowly being restored from the actions of Scarlet Witch– through actions that align more with Magneto’s message of fighting back against prejudice rather than Xavier’s insistence on peaceful collaboration, though much less violent or genocidal. More notably, this is all a front to paint a target on his head in order to keep mutantkind safe, adding to his reputation worldwide. This era was the culmination of years of character development for Cyclops, becoming both the combination of Xavier and Magneto’s ideals as well as being his own leader separate from the two of them.

  Phoenix Five

  First Appearance: Avengers vs. X-Men #5 (2012)

  In-Game Release: 5.4 - Phoenix Five Part One (September 10, 2019)

  The Phoenix Force is on a path to Earth to find a new host in Hope Summers, the “mutant messiah”, pitting the Avengers, who feared the destruction the Phoenix Force could bring to Earth, against the Cyclops and X-Men, who want to use it to restore Mutantkind from its near extinction by the Scarlet Witch. Cyclops, along with Emma Frost, Namor, Colossus and Magik eventually each become the hosts of the Phoenix as the Phoenix Five. They bring about world peace, but continue to be opposed by the Avengers due to the risk of any one of them becoming Dark Phoenix, which Scott eventually becomes as he takes in more and more of the Phoenix as each of the five were taken out. As Dark Phoenix, Scott kills Xavier before the Phoenix Force was purged from him by Hope and Scarlet Witch, restoring mutantkind to its prominence gradually.

  Modern

  First Appearance: House of X #1 (2019)

  In-Game Release: 8.6 - Destiny of X (December 7, 2022)

  After the establishment of Krakoa by the resurrected Xavier, Magneto, and Moira MacTaggert, Cyclops took a step back from his leadership duties outside of leading the X-Men, now living on the moon with his family along with Wolverine, whose room is suspiciously equipped with a door that has access to Jean Grey’s room. I wonder what that’s all about?

  Cyclops was relegated to the background during the Krakoa era, and didn’t have much to do until the Fall of X, where he is captured by Orchis and is placed under trial for Krakoa being framed as a terrorist state. They also made him wear his ugly 70s suit during all this and had his eyes blindfolded.

• Iceman

  Iceman

  X-Men Blue

  First Appearance: X-Men Blue #1 (2017)

  In-Game Release: 6.3b - Inhumans vs. X-Men Part 3 (Midmonth, August 25, 2020)

  This is the time-displaced version of Bobby Drake, who along with the rest of the original five X-Men were transported from the 60s era to the modern day by Beast in an attempt to show Cyclops how far he had fallen. It didn’t work, and the five eventually joined Cyclops in Canada. This is also when Iceman discovered that he was gay not because of self-reflection or any of his own doing, but because the time-displaced Jean Grey looked into his mind and told him he was. I am not joking. This is seriously how it happened. This uniform is from after the Inhumans vs. X-Men event, where the time-displaced X-Men were now under the tutelage of Magneto.

• Angel

  Angel

  Archangel [X-Force]

  First Appearance: X-Factor Vol. 1 #23 (As Archangel, 1987), X-Force Vol. 3 #4 (Design, 2008)

  In-Game Release: 4.5 - X-Men vs. Sentinels (October 24, 2018)

  When Warren Worthington III lost his wings in a mission with X-Factor, he was chosen by Apocalypse as his Horseman of Death and became Archangel, being given new metallic wings and blue skin. Over time, Warren was restored to his normal self and regained his original feathered wings, only to lose them again and regrow his metal wings while with X-Force, where it’s revealed that his Archangel form emerges in times of immense stress. Warren continues to become a part of X-Force, even helping Wolverine run and fund the team in secret after Cyclops disbanded the team.

  When the new X-Force later killed the child reincarnation of Apocalypse, it activated a contingency within Warren that would turn him into the next Apocalypse. To stop this, X-Force travelled to the Age of Apocalypse universe and claimed a Life Seed, which Psylocke (who was Warren’s lover) used to kill Warren, rebirthing him into a new Warren without any of his memories. This is covered in The Dark Angel Saga, part of Rick Remender’s acclaimed Uncanny X-Force run. I recommend reading this book as it’s one of the best Marvel books of the 2010s if this synopsis interests you, or if it somehow turned you into an Angel fan, one of maybe just a dozen.

  All-New X-Men

  First Appearance: Wolverine and the X-Men Vol. 1 #15 (2012)

  In-Game Release: 8.6 - Destiny of X (December 7, 2022)

  Reborn without his memories, the new Angel was enrolled to the Jean Grey Academy by Wolverine, where he thought of himself as a literal angel and befriended Evan, the cloned child reincarnation of Apocalypse. He becomes the school’s first graduate and becomes part of Wolverine’s X-Men that fights against the Phoenix Five.

• Beast

  Beast

  Age of Apocalypse

  First Appearance: X-Men: Alpha #1 (1994)

  In-Game Release: 3.4 - Age of Apocalypse Part 1 (September 13, 2017)

  Without the guidance of Xavier, Hank McCoy became a sinister genius who worked as one of Apocalypse’s greatest geneticists, creating the mutants Blink, the Madri (AKA Multiple Man), and Wolverine. He took refuge in Earth-616 after Bishop corrected the timeline where he continued his experiments in secret, eventually replacing the 616 Hank for a time before being caught and imprisoned. 616 Hank continued to seek help from his counterpart after this, notably in trying to find a way to restore mutantkind after its near extinction by the Scarlet Witch. He later helped X-Force find a way to save Archangel from becoming the next Apocalypse, only to betray them. His presence has especially impacted 616’s Hank’s character, who has gradually been going down a path of villainy over the years (he’s better now in the current From the Ashes era, though this is because he got revived without the memories of his past actions).

  Uncanny X-Men

  First Appearance: All-New X-Men Vol. 1 #5 (2012)

  In-Game Release: 5.1 - Uncanny X-Men (May 29, 2019)

  Note: This uniform was released during the 2018 Uncanny X-Men run, which is why it takes this name instead of All-New X-Men.

  As part of his mutation, Hank has undergone many physical transformations; with this instance nearly killing him if not for the help of his time-displaced self, who he recently brought to the future with the rest of the first class. In this ape-like form, his path to villainy continues, refusing to take accountability for bringing the original five X-Men into the future and contributing in the incursions as part of the Illuminati (he replaced Xavier after his death), but he was still heroic like when he tried to save mutantkind from the Terrigen Mist or when he helped restore the world after X-Man– the Age of Apocalypse version of Cable– remade the world. This is his appearance until the end of the Krakoa era, where he became a full-blown villain and was replaced by a younger clone of himself.

  All-New X-Men

  First Appearance: Wolverine and the X-Men Vol. 1 #1 (2011)

  In-Game Release: 8.6 - Destiny of X (December 7, 2022)

  After the death of Xavier, Hank replaced him as a member of the Illuminati, becoming the brief owner of the Mind Gem and assisting in the incursions– destroying Earths meant to collide with Earth-616– and was faced with an impending physical mutation (detailed above). With both this and fearing Cyclops’ revolution would end mutantkind, Hank decided to bring the original five X-Men to the future under false pretenses to try and make Scott see how far he had fallen. Upon meeting the current Cyclops, the original X-Men decided to stay in the future, causing a rift between Hank and the X-Men that resulted in the team holding an intervention, and Hank decided to leave the team when he refused to acknowledge his mistake. Hank is a bit of a self-righteous hypocrite, if you haven’t been able to tell.

• Jean Grey

  Jean Grey

  Because Jean doesn’t usually stick to just one look and many associate her with different looks (Phoenix, Marvel Girl, 90s), I’ll cover all of her uniforms including the base look:

  Phoenix

  First Appearance: X-Men Vol. 1 #101 (1976)

  In-Game Release: 3.1 - Rise of the X-Men (June 7, 2017)

  When attempting to escape outer space after being captured by Sentinels, Jean Grey and the X-Men crash landed in Jamaica Bay, with Jean emerging from the water as the Phoenix: the host of the Phoenix Force which is the cosmic manifestation of life. Later, it is revealed that this is merely a physical copy of Jean made by the Phoenix Force and that the real Jean was being healed in a cocoon deep below the bay. Along with her telepathy and telekinesis, Phoenix has the ability to conjure flames and greatly amplifies Jean’s established abilities (though she’s already an omega level mutant without this buff).

  X-Men Red

  First Appearance: X-Men Red Vol. 1 Annual #1 (2018)

  In-Game Release: 5.1 - Uncanny X-Men (May 29, 2019)

  Now back from the dead after 13 real life years, Jean Grey–who split from the Phoenix Force at the end Phoenix Resurrection: The Return of Jean Grey–has decided to work towards establishing Mutants as a nation and bring peace and tolerance between Humans and Mutants. When Cassandra Nova begins to psychically suggest Mutant hate crimes worldwide, Jean assembles her own X-Men consisting of Storm, Nightcrawler, Wolverine (Laura Kinney), Namor, Gambit, Honey Badger, Gentle and new mutant Trinary to stop Cassandra.

  Marvel Girl

  First Appearance: House of X #1 (2019)

  In-Game Release: 5.9 - House of X (March 18, 2020)

  Returning to her outdated and boring Marvel Girl costume, Jean became a fixture of the nation of Krakoa, becoming a member of the Quiet Council, helping with the nation’s first tenets, and eventually added to X-Force by Xavier. More importantly, she gets to be in a throuple with both Cyclops and Wolverine. Good for her!

  Jean left the Quiet Council during the X of Swords event due to not being able to interfere in battle in Otherworld as a council member. She and Cyclops decide to reform the X-Men afterwards, eventually leaving before its third iteration (X-Men members were voted in every Hellfire Gala during this era). And then she died–again. And then became host of the Phoenix Force–again. With the Phoenix Force, Jean defeated Enigma, the original Mr. Sinister who gained power beyond that of the known cosmic beings and aimed to neutralize mutantkind and the Phoenix Force (this is a long story). Jean also discovered the White Hot Room in this period, a sort of purgatory for Phoenix Force hosts when they die and are resurrected. This is also where Krakoa is now located, waiting for another writer to bring it back. Back with the Phoenix Force, Jean now travels outer space to bring life to the cosmos instead of the death associated with it.

  Dark Phoenix

  First Appearance: X-Men Vol. 1 #134 (1980)

  In-Game Release: 8.6 - Destiny of X (December 7, 2022)

  The Phoenix Force, for all its vast power, is also easily corruptible–evident when the Phoenix is captured and corrupted by Mastermind and the Hellfire Club, the former manipulating her into thinking they are husband and wife (Ew). When she is free from the illusion, Phoenix–now Dark Phoenix–departs far away into the galaxy, destroying an entire star with a population of five billion. The Shi’ar Empire along with other galactic empires decide that the Phoenix Force must be destroyed. When Dark Phoenix’s powers go haywire once again and threaten to destroy the solar system, Jean (or the Phoenix’s manifestation of her personality) regains control temporarily and decides to sacrifice herself, putting an end to the ordeal… except everyone these days knows she comes back. And that the real Jean was still under the sea (though she does get Phoenix’s memories later). The story’s still a classic, though!

• Professor X

  Professor X

  Like with Jean, I will be covering all of Xavier’s uniforms including his base look. This is because he can walk in this game when people typically associate him as paraplegic, despite the fact that he’s been able to walk again longer than he has been crippled. This also gives me the excuse to talk more about early Krakoa.

  Modern

  First Appearance: House of X #1 (2019)

  In-Game Release: 5.9 - House of X (March 18, 2020)

  Now back alive at the end of the 2018 Astonishing X-Men book, Xavier finally begins his master plan (retconned to be) built up for decades: a sovereign nation for all of mutantkind, which he finds in the sentient island Krakoa. With the help of Magneto, Dr. Moira MacTaggert–who was retconned to be a mutant with the ability to reincarnate up to ten times with her memories intact, which she used to determine the right path for mutantkind– as well as Cypher, Emma Frost, and Mr. Sinister, the sovereign nation of Krakoa was born, quickly establishing its foothold in the world with its miracle drugs from the island’s plant life that cured all diseases, extended the average lifespan, and acted as a universal antibiotic. Along with this, Xavier establishes the Quiet Council, the governing body of Krakoa originally consisting of himself, Magneto, Apocalypse, Emma Frost, Sebastian Shaw, Mystique, Exodus, Mr. Sinister, Storm, Nightcrawler, and Jean Grey, with Kate Pryde added soon after. Now with his dream fully realized, Xavier is plagued by a nagging truth that he fights against: regardless of their actions and in all of Moira’s past lives, Mutantkind always loses: a truth only known to Moira and Xavier. Ironically, it’s Xavier’s actions in this era that bring about this loss; a lesson for anyone reading to never trust a man named Mr. Sinister or anything similar.

  Classic

  First Appearance: X-Men Vol. 2 #1 (1991)

  In-Game Release: 7.0 - Marvel Universe (April 20, 2021)

  Though you may associate this design with the 1992 X-Men cartoon, this design first makes its appearance in the comics in 1991 in X-Men #1, the best selling comic book of all time and led to the beginning of the X-Men mania of the 1990s. Unfortunately I don’t have much to write about this design because it’s just Xavier in a hoverchair, so I’ll talk about the hoverchair instead: it was made by Forge after Xavier was once again crippled after being able to walk again (this happened a lot), infused with Shi’ar technology that helped it hover above ground. Because Xavier was not yet publicly out as a mutant and neither was his involvement with the X-Men, he continued to use a wheelchair with actual wheels when out in public.

  Quiet Council

  First Appearance: Marauders #21 (2021)

  In-Game Release: 8.8.5 - Quiet Council (Midmonth, February 28, 2023)

  This is Xavier’s 2021 Hellfire Gala outfit, where he didn’t have much to write about outside of getting verbally owned by Namor (X-Men Vol. 5 #21). The Gala became an annual event that decided the new roster of X-Men that hosted mutants, heroes, world powers such as Namor and Dr. Doom, and real life celebrities alike, and this first iteration also revealed Planet Arrako, the planet Mars terraformed into a new home for the mutant nation of Arrako.