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The X-Men have had many fierce battles, and a new cosplay has vividly depicted one such conflict as Wolverine and Cyclops square off against Russia's most lethal mutant. Scott Summers and Logan are in perfect sync in their cosplay, a far cry from their sometimes turbulent time as competitors, both politically and romantically, wearing spastic blue outfits. One of the strongest ties among the X-Men, their common past gives cosplays like this even more significance.
As Cyclops and Wolverine square off against Omega Red, several cosplayers have banded together to replicate an X-Men combat. Along with Mike Washington (@mikedastardly87), Demetrius Holt (@hellspawned_Cosplay) posted the cosplay on Instagram stars as Cyclops, with Robert Paul Day (@heroes_4_hire_costumes), Omega Red. Alexandre Abdoulaev (@comrade.america) snapped the pictures. Holt also uploaded a clip from a longer choreographed video made by TPJ (@blackcaptkirk) with visual effects by Blakk Viking (@psycho_image_films). These outfits combine several design ideas. While both Cyclops, but most importantly Wolverine, are in tones of blue, Omega Red is sporting a pitch-perfect rendition of his iconic Jim Lee appearance. Designed by John Byrne and Jim Lee, penciled by Lee, inked by Scott Williams, colored by Joe Rosas, and lettered by Tom Orzechowski, Omega Red originally surfaced in X-Men vol 2 #4.
Additionally included in Holt's essay is a lighthearted overview of the reasons this dispute is happening. Logan's clone Laura Kinney, also X-23, who is also Wolverine in her own right, has vanished, therefore Scott and Logan find themselves in Moscow where Omega Red jumps them. The narrative also suggests Mr Sinister's participation, maybe implying that another Cosplayer may turn up to perform the showy villain without much effort. Whether TPJ's entire video fits this narrative or it's really a justification for an amazing beat-em-up fight, it's fantastic either way and a fantastic use of effects to accentuate a Costume.
This cosplay makes interesting use of color. Traditionally blue is the color connected with cyclops; his most well-known costume, Jim Lee's X-Men vol 2 bodysuit is mostly blue. Logan has chosen either yellow or tones of tan, brown and black in meanwhile. This Cosplay puts Logan in a color-swapped version of his famed yellow costume to match Cyclops’ blue jacket, clearly connecting the two X-Men together. It’s not only an unusual visual, but also a sign of friendliness between the two, who’ve had a tumultuous relationship for decades.
The growth of Cyclops and Wolverine’s relationship is one of the most fascinating continuous arcs in X-Men history. When they first met, all the way back in 1975’s Giant-Size X-Men #1 there was already obvious hostility between the two. Cyclops was the strait-laced and repressed X-Men leader who’d been with Professor X and the team for years, while Wolverine was an arrogant loner who played by his own rules. The antagonism between the two hardened when Logan’s attraction towards Jean Grey, Cyclops’ romantic partner at the moment, was portrayed as an additional sticking point between the two.
Giant-Size X-Men #1 is written by Len Wein, penciled by Dave Cockrum, inked by Cockrum and Peter Iro, colored by Glynis Oliver and lettered by John Costanza. This dynamic grew more essential to the X-Men comics in the 1990s and early 2000s after Jean’s return to the X-Men, with X-Men: The Animated Series and the later X-Men live action films establishing this love triangle in wider mainstream culture for good. However, this interpersonal turbulence is only half of the reason that Scott and Logan don’t always get along. The 2010s in especially saw a shift in the characters’ respective views after the horrific Decimation, where the number of Mutants worldwide was reduced to just under 200 by the Scarlet Witch’s power.
Wolverine might be a killer, but that only fuels his desire to prevent anyone else ending up like him.
In the crossover Messiah Complex, the two established a new X-Force, a black-ops team with no compunction about killing. Logan objected to Scott adding X-23 to the team, and began to disagree more broadly on how Cyclops was militarizing the younger remaining mutants. Scott, however, argued that with things more dangerous than ever, it was unrealistic to not train these children to fight. This disagreement quite literally split the X-Men in two for several years, with half the team staying in San Francisco with Cyclops, and half relocating to a new X-Men school with Logan. This split is essentially a reversal of what fans might have expected of the two heroes, with Logan advocating for a less violent route. This shift is a testament to his and Scott’s evolution. Over the decades, Logan has mentored and formed paternal bonds with numerous younger mutants, from Kitty Pryde to Jubilee. Wolverine might be a killer, but that only fuels his desire to prevent anyone else ending up like him. Meanwhile, Cyclops has been continually disillusioned and beaten down. He once believed in Professor X’s hope of peaceful coexistence, but the human world hasn’t exactly reciprocated Xavier’s stance.
In recent years, Scott and Logan’s relationship has taken on an even-more-unexpected dimension. As with so many angsty male characters in a love triangle over the same woman, Cyclops and Logan have been a common pairing for gay slash fiction for decades. Now, in the Krakoan era, this once-unlikely relationship has now been all-but-confirmed. In X-Men (2019) #1, readers see the floor plan of the Summers’ house on the moon. This plan shows that the rooms belonging to Scott, Jean, and Logan all connect, which, when combined with their on-page flirting, suggests the three are in a polyamorous relationship.
X-Men (2019) #1 is written by Jonathan Hickman, penciled by Leinil Francis Yu, inked by Gerry Alanguilan, colored by Sunny Gho and lettered by Clayton Cowles. Funnily enough, there’s also been homoerotic subtext between Logan and Omega Red during the Krakoan era. In X Lives of Wolverine #2, Red jumps between different time periods, possessing and physically transforming Logan’s wife Itsu during, or just after, an intimate moment. This moment of Logan and Red ending up in bed together is a fun tacit acknowledgment of how the uber-masculine physiques and attitudes of ‘90s comics characters have an intense homoeroticism, even if the creators of the time didn’t realize it. It is, however, still no more than another hint at Logan being queer. X Lives of Wolverine #2 is written by Benjamin Percy, illustrated by Joshua Cassara, colored by Frank Martin and lettered by Cory Petit.
The problem with Scott and Logan’s aforementioned sexual or romantic relationship is that its very existence is never stated out loud on the page, only hinted at. Actually saying that Cyclops and Logan are queer characters is apparently a step too far for Disney and Marvel, who’ve been painfully conservative around their major characters’ depictions for years, despite the best efforts of so many writers. Hopefully, if the popularity of Krakoan era shows anything, it’s that there’s so much more room in the X-Men for queer characters, even mainstays like Wolverine and Cyclops.
The X-Men have been a staple of Marvel Comics for decades, and their characters have become cultural icons. Wolverine and Cyclops, two of the team's most beloved members, have inspired countless pieces of fan art, cosplay, and even fan fiction. The complexity of their relationship, marked by both rivalry and camaraderie, continues to captivate audiences. The cosplay video showcasing Wolverine and Cyclops in their blue Costumes is a testament to the enduring power of the X-Men, their iconic characters, and their ability to inspire creativity and passion among fans.