Marvel's Avengers' latest DLC, "Future Imperfect," adds new content to the game, and Crystal Dynamics has outlined a roadmap for updates launching in the coming months. These include Black Panther and Wakanda joining the game. While details on these are unknown, other items that are now in the game have sparked conversation. These include new skins for the existing lineup of heroes.
These outfits are based on the characters' various appearances from the comics and Marvel Cinematic Universe, and one notable one is a nod to Tony Stark's time as a villain with his Endo-Sym armor from The Superior Iron Man. However, this isn't the only skin that shows some of Earth's Mightiest Heroes at their lowest points.
One of these less-than-heroic skins belongs to the God of Thunder himself. Dubbed "Unworthy," this costume is based on Jason Aaron and Olivier Coipel's The Unworthy Thor series, which followed a version of the character who was no longer able to wield the mighty Mjolnir and tried to find a new hammer to regain his power -- and his pride. In the mini-series, Thor endured bouts of depression and even "warrior madness" due to his intense desire to reclaim his hammer. In the end, Thor was humbled and had to prove himself worthy again by battling friends and risking everything to regain what he lost.
However, while "Unworthy" shows a powerful God at his weakest, one Captain America skin represents the character at a time when he became pure evil. "Modern," which has been available since launch, can be earned through Captain America's challenge card. It's based on Nick Spencer and Steve McNiven's event series, Secret Empire, which showed Captain America as the leader of Hydra.
This Cap's rule reached across all of America and very nearly destroyed the modern Marvel Universe. In the end, it took a separate Captain America that fans knew and loved to defeat the tyrant and restore order. While the costume represents the patriotic hero at his most vile, it's also a remarkable recreation of his suit and its different fabric patterns.
Marvel's Avengers has been pretty creative when it comes to character costumes. Most are based on the heroes at various points in their pasts. Black Widow, for instance, has skins based on her time as a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent and her classic comics catsuit. This allows players to create teams inspired by some of their favorite moments from over 80 years of Marvel history. With the Unworthy, Modern, Edo-Sym and Maestro skins, players can be inspired yet again and create their own Anti-Avengers team.
While some suits are simple recolors of others, adding skins like these that come with darker histories and implications show how far the developers are willing to dig into Marvel lore. And with more updates coming, fans should expect even more classic (and controversial) skins to be added as well, giving players even more opportunities to create otherwise impossible team lineups.