Since their explosive revival in the '80s, the X-Men have been a popular force in the comics world. That popularity has only grown as the franchise extended to numerous animated series and live-action movies, and the commercial future of these characters is stronger than ever. Because of this popularity, the X-Men and their enemies and allies are fan favorites when it comes to cosplaying the popular characters.
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Sometimes, X-Men cosplay is amazing because of the sheer accuracy of the cosplayers -- there's nothing quite like seeing someone really ripped and pulling off the perfect Wolverine. However, there are other times that X-Men cosplay is downright uncanny thanks to the distracting beauty of the cosplayers. With these particular cosplayers, it's difficult to imagine the world ever hating and fearing them. It's very easy, though, to imagine people across the world having difficulty keeping their eyes from wandering when they see these cosplayers all suited up in their X-Men characters. If you think it's impossible for Cyclops to make you think certain things or for Rachel Summers to make the apocalypse look good, then you best keep scrolling, bub. Just slide into your favorite pair of X-genes and check out the 15 most distracting cosplays of everyone's favorite mutants!
15 ROGUE
Despite her traumatizing powers and traumatic backstory, Rogue is another X-Men character that fans have thought about for years. One of the reasons for this is that Chris Claremont and other writers often took advantage of Rogue's near-invulnerability to put her in situations where she has revealing, damaged clothing. After all, Rogue may be nearly invulnerable, but that doesn't extend to her clothing!
One famous instance of Rogue's costume becoming battle-damaged was during an early X-Men adventure in the Savage Land, and that is exactly what cosplayer Jessica Nigri is paying homage to. As you can see, that battle damage conveniently leaves Rogue rocking a midriff and practically spilling out of her costume. Altogether, it makes for a captivating cosplay that might make fans forget where Jessica's eyes are. And while she has portrayed a great many other characters in her cosplay career, Jessica's Rogue is an instant costume classic.
14 PSYLOCKE
Psylocke started out as a British spy working alongside her brother, Brian Braddock, and she had a body swap thanks to a crime lord named Mats'uo Tsurayaba. From that point on, Psylocke was a very different character: a beautiful, dangerous ninja warrior who is as captivating as she is deadly. This can be an intimidating cosplay to pull off, but Sinne Dolle is more than up to the challenge!
It's easy to see why fans' eyes might wander when they first see this cosplay. Sinne hasn't shied away from the costuming of the character, making the bottom half of her costume not much of a superhero outfit. She's also rocking Psylocke's heels and her signature sword. Better make sure those eyes don't wander too far, or she'll have to put you back in your place.
13 DOMINO
If X-23 is currently having a moment due to her appearance in Logan, then Domino is poised to have her own breakout success. This striking, luck-powered mutant has been a favorite in assorted X-Men and X-Force comics over the years, and she is going to be prominently featured in Deadpool 2.
Of course, you don't have to wait for Deadpool 2 to come out: cosplayer Adamae is blowing fans her amazing Domino cosplay! She effortlessly captures everything that makes Domino herself such an engaging figure, from the striking makeup to the skintight, black costume. Of course, she's armed -- just in case those luck-based powers need a helping hand. Her cosplay is a perfect embodiment of Domino, melding fierceness and fearlessness with a provocative “just try it” stare. We'd advise you not to try it, though, or no amount of luck in the world will keep you from getting your butt kicked.
12 X-23
To put it mildly, the character of X-23 is having a moment. She has historically flown beneath the radar of mainstream media attention. That all changed when the young X-23 played a prominent role in Logan, the movie that finally closes the door on Hugh Jackman's amazing portrayal of Wolverine.
In this cosplay, Daria Roud is portraying the X-23 more familiar to comics fans. That is, she's much more grown up than the version portrayed in Logan, but she's lost none of the edge and attitude that help make her so dangerous. All in all, it's tough for fans to tell where they should look first, as her costume sports leather pants, complete with a yellow X-Men logo belt. And, of course, Daria Roud did a great job on X-23's signature claws...which fans might get to see up close and personal if they stare too long!
11 MAGIK
X-Men have tragic backstories. It's just a fact of life for a comic based on the idea of marginalized mutants overcoming fear and hatred. However, even by the standards of the X-Men, Magik has had a worse life than most: she spent her formative years being trained by a demon in Limbo, and she must constantly battle with her dark impulses in order to maintain full control of her own life.
However, it's pretty clear that cosplayer Paper Cube has full control. In this cosplay, she absolutely nails her portrayal of Magik, rocking both the spiky armor from Limbo and the Soulsword, a magical and mammoth blade. This great attention merely enhances the fierceness of her overall appearance but whatever you do, though, don't stare too long, or she may use the sword and send you straight to Limbo.
10 KITTY PRYDE
Over the years, Kitty Pryde has sported a number of different superhero codenames (such as Sprite and Ariel), and a wide variety of costume changes. Historically, those costumes weren't overly revealing, but that is something that cosplayer Megan Mobley of Cheeker Cosplay is out to change!
While she is definitely rocking a great Kitty Pryde, Megan Mobley has kept this costume pretty straightforward: the bare arms, legs, and open “V” of the costume give an impression of a Kitty Pryde who is likelier to be taking a dip in the pool with Magik rather than gearing up to fight the White Queen. The use of the light and airy background also helps to challenge the ephemeral beauty of everyone's favorite phasing mutant. Don't make it weird by staring, though -- if Kitty Pryde isn't afraid to calling Professor Xavier a jerk, she won't hold back anything for you!
9 POLARIS
Polaris is an X-Men character that hasn't gotten a lot of mainstream media love, but that's likely to change with the character playing a major role in The Gifted television show. With her own magnetic powers courtesy of her father, Magneto, is able to attract just about anything. The same can certainly be said for this cosplayer, Byndo Gehk!
This cosplayer has portrayed a variety of awesome superheroes from Marvel, DC and beyond, but there's definitely something special about her portrayal of Polaris. She's achieved a perfectly striking shade of green for her hair, and at first glance, it's difficult for onlookers to distinguish what is fabric on her costume and what is skin. Combined with her stylish cape, shiny costume, and big, green boots, it's tough to figure out where to look first with Polaris. Don't worry: we promise not to tell Havok you were staring at her.
8 LADY DEATHSTRIKE
Considering how old and how mean he is, it's no surprise that Wolverine has made so many enemies around the world. Interestingly, however, few of them seem able to keep up with the X-Man, and even fewer pose a real threat to him. One such villain, though, is Lady Deathstrike, and she is portrayed to perfection by Oniksiya Sofinkum.
By this point, Sofinkum is a veteran cosplayer. However, even in her own repertoire of cosplays, her Lady Deathstrike is a standout hit. She is portraying the version of this character seen in the second X-Men movie, complete with skintight black suit and frighteningly-long claws. It's understandable if you have trouble remembering where her eyes are, and once you do, you may be surprised to see she's sporting the bright eyes that indicate she's under the control of William Stryker. That makes her dangerous, so don't gawk too long!
7 DAZZLER
As a character, it's impressive that Dazzler has managed to retain her popularity over the decades. She started out as the most '80s character ever, complete with a disco-tastic costume and the ability to transform sound into light. While that doesn't sound like the most “super” of superpowers, Dazzler has always thrived. The character has remained beloved by fans, and thanks to cosplayers like Florencia Sofen, her classic look is hotter than ever!
Florencia has captured the vintage look of Dazzler with great style and accuracy. She's got the iconic white, reflective Dazzler costume, and she enhances the shiny nature of her costume with sparkling bracelets and a big, sparkling choker. Between these and disco ball necklace, you might find yourself everywhere but her eyes. When you do, though, you're in for a treat, as Florencia has framed her eyes perfectly with Dazzler's trademark facepaint!
6 RACHEL SUMMERS
Like anyone else with the last name “Summers,” Rachel Summers has a pretty complicated history. While she would grow into her powers and work alongside the X-Men of our era, she started out in a darker reality. There, she served as a Hound, using her mutant ability to hunt down fellow mutants. While this represents the darkest part of her life, cosplayer DJ Spider has brought it to life!
DJ Spider absolutely nails the red costume that helps to make Rachel’s red hair pop. She also did an amazing job with the spiky accoutrements on the costume, helping to establish what a truly Dystopian world Rachael inhabits. And while you may be too busy staring at those spikes to look up, she has done an amazing job on Rachel’s facepaint, which really sells the idea of a character who exists only as a weapon to be used against fellow mutants.
5 STORM
Storm would probably be used to having all eyes on her as someone who has lived as a goddess among men. She is one of the most powerful members of the team, and also one of the most statuesque characters in all of comic books. When it comes to admiring the form of a goddess, Cosplay Mate has channeled the perfect Storm (so to speak).
She manages to solidly embody Storm with striking leather, including high-heeled black boots and a cape made for dramatic posing. Cosplay Mate is completely rocking this spot-on Storm outfit. It’s enough to distract just about any fan, but make sure you admire the nice touches like her wig. In fact, that wig is so good we wish we could send it back in time for Halle Berry’s X-Men appearances.
4 CYCLOPS
Too often, Cyclops is stuck being the Teacher’s Pet for Xavier (well, until he kills him), and he is mostly a combination of sounding board and punching bag for characters like Wolverine. However, one look at Nadyasonika’s Cyclops crossplay might be enough to make you change your mind about the character!
For the most part, Nadyasonika has faithfully recreated the '90s Cyclops costume in all of its blue, gold and red glory. And if the colors weren’t '90s enough for you, she’s also sporting pouches galore! However, one style change this cosplayer made was to remove a major portion of the shirt, exposing a healthy helping of mutant midriff. In fact, this is so distracting that you may have trouble looking her in the eyes (or eye), but be sure to take the time to appreciate her awesome ruby quartz visor!
3 WHITE QUEEN
The White Queen's membership in the Hellfire Club meant that her outfit mirrored their style, which is a mashup of Victorian design and '80s fashion. And even after the White Queen turned over a new leaf and became an X-Man, she retained her style that was downright distracting for friends and foes alike.
“Beautiful distraction” is a style that Cosplay Butterfly has down pat in her recreation. First of all, the costume itself is perfect, from her tall white boots all the way to her flowing cape. She also has the trademark White Queen bustier that helps amplify her assets, and she finishes the outfit off with sleek gloves and white fur trim off of her shoulders. With all of this going on, there’s a fair chance you may take your time looking up, but when you do, you’ll see Cosplay Butterfly has thoroughly embodied the White Queen’s withering stare!
2 PHOENIX
While it always depended on who was drawing her, fans don't usually think of Jean Grey as a desired X-Man, especially when she's working alongside flirty characters such as Rogue or more risque characters such as Psylocke. However, Cara Nicole is out to make Jean as noticeable as possible with a costume that ensures you'll have trouble keeping your eyes from wandering!
Like most X-Men characters, Jean Grey has had many different costumes over the years. In this case, Cara is rocking Jean's White Phoenix outfit, complete with a mostly white costume and gold accouterments, including the Phoenix symbol. While the entire history and story of the Phoenix Force remains as complicated as ever, the meaning of this costume is straightforward: unlike the malevolent force of Dark Phoenix, the White Phoenix costume shows Jean's desire to use her powers for good. Here's hoping that Cara Nicole does the same!
1 JUBILEE
This firework-generating, arcade-playing, bubblegum-popping mutant known as Jubilee managed to usher in a new generation of X-Men fans with her appearances in X-Men: The Animated Series , becoming much more popular because of the animated incarnation than she was in her original comics appearances.
Avalon Cosplay is continuing in this tradition with her great Jubilee cosplay. She's sporting Jubilee's classic look, from her bright yellow jacket to her shorts and sunglasses. Capturing Jubilee's classic look, however, hasn't kept her from making this cosplay as fierce as possible, and Avalon shows off her assets with a pink tube top and X-Men necklace that ensure fans will have trouble looking her in the eyes. Of course, you don't want to leer at her too long -- we understand she's got this mean guy protecting her, and he's the best there is at what he does.
Which of these cosplays is your favorite? Let us know in the comments!