Costume Clash!
A battle between two similarly dressed heroes and/or villains to see who suits the suit better.
This first bout is between two members of the new Uncanny X-Men whose outfits both gleam and squeak from head to toe like only leather can but one could argue; veer towards that of a dominatrix! Has Cyclops' team gone one too many on the S & M? :
Emma Frost Versus Magik
These two X-gal's are responsible for inspiring this whole thing, and there is plenty of reasons why.
Emma Frost
Long has Mrs. Frost reigned as the overtly sexual White Queen and while many, too many, female comic characters have bee overly sexualized in appearance, few can claim such a depiction to be a considered and conscious part of their character; Emma Frost can.
Since her introduction in 1980 readers have seen Emma's costume go through changes while retaining a couple of constants: the starch whit color scheme and the extremely revealing cut. With Marvel Now she has moved to the dark side and gone for black leather. This change in color is both a reflection of the teams new stance as revolutionaries and, more importantly, a reflection of her own personal state. Though black is a powerful color and does aptly fit the pathos for Emma, it alone may not be enough of a visual insight, and color aside not a whole lot has changed in her outfit choice: impractical to say the least.
Emma Frost is a special case when it comes to the ol cliche female superhero/villain; readers who are in any way familiar with the character will know that her choice in outfit is not just about style; it serves a function, for most of her adult life Frost has been in circles of power, circles dominated by men, she used her outfit to disarm any man naive to take her at face value; that of the pleasing dancer she once was at the hell-fire club. She has continued with the victoria secret-esque clothing as a twisted statement of defiance against a world that portrays her objectively.
With 2013 X-Fans see Emma in a rare situation; an emotionally vulnerable one. With her telepathic powers all but gone, the tables have turned, and she is the one disarmed without the psychic crutch. In recent issues we see her reaching out to ex-boyfriend Scott Summers in an almost bashful yet endearing way that hints that her character is now forced to be open about her feelings and the difficulty she has at not knowing the feelings of others causes her much frustration but the cut of her clothes remains the same as the old and bold white queen who could afford to go skimpy because no one could get close without her seeing them coming and this doesn't quite fit her current situation.
All n all this may be too shallow a depiction for one in a state that is unique and scary to her but with her powers gone maybe Emma Frost clings to the one thing she still can control; how others will see her when she walks in the door; as fierce and confident as ever.
Magik
Illyana has, quite literally, been through a hell of a lot, and has gone from being written as subdued and angsty to full blown un-hinged but it's hard to blame her; being dragged into limbo as a child will do that to you.
For most of her career as an X-Person her costume design has been straight-forward; black and yellow, adhering to the template followed by alot of the New Mutant crew. Always, both before and after (and in between i.e limbo) her career as a mutant hero Magik's visual distinction centred around the magical armor that would spread across her body; the Eldritch Armor. This magical armor has always been a staple in the blonde russians wardrobe and served as a good visual anomaly: here is this skinny petit blonde teen with armor spreading from her left arm across her shoulder and up her right leg, giving the youth an edginess that contrasted with her soft features.
The crazy really started to show in Inferno when she grew horns and her legs became inverted with hooves at the end but this was always short-lived and Illyana has nearly always appeared quite conservative; an apt reflection for someone who holds back so much of herself.
It wasn't until the X-Infernus storyline that we got a look at a more adult objective take on the russian courtesy of Giuseppe Camuncoli or the more provocative cover to #1 by David Finch who readily drew her in the house style skin-show we associate with Top Cow. More importantly X-Infernus drilled home what a badass Magik is and the character has come on in leaps and bounds since.
Post A vs X Illyana comes across as more adult, confident and in-control and certainly remains a badass but something sinister is being hinted at; Magik may be in control but that doesn't mean it's all daisy chains and goodness, she definitely has a bad streak and I don't just mean the darkchilde inside; it's something more innate to her character.
Her current costume is very in-tune to her current sensibilities; she is now a veteran, one with a lot of power and isn't afraid to unleash it, this has instilled a boldness and presence that unnerves her fellow x-men. The black leather, the buckles, the shoulder pads, all of it evokes a rock n roll disposition but its the spikes and protrusions from her back that are the most intriguing; they hark back to infernus and the darkchilde persona, this connection makes you wonder what lies in store for Illyana Rasputin and, maybe more concerning, that of her teammates.
Verdict:
Emma may be the veteran when it comes to wearing very little and still crack like a whip but it's all getting to be a bit old hat especially when she's standing next to Magik who Emma herself has admitted scares the hell outta her.
Magik's character suits the look and makes it much more than a superficial cliche while Emma's outfit seems to be lagging behind the development of her character.
The costumes are too similar in color and style while the women are in two very different positions; the same look just causes one to detract from the other in terms of character depth.
Winner:
Magik
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