15 Gender-Bending Marvel Redesigns That Change Everything

Gender-bending redesigns are fun and sometimes even funny ways to re-imagine our favorite characters in a whole new light. It can be enlightening and inspiring to see superheroes, princesses, and other heroes as the opposite gender. Some redesigns, such as those that put male heroes in the common poses and costumes of female heroes, demonstrate the ridiculousness of industry standards for women much more blatantly than words could ever manage.

Marvel comics already re-imagine heroes in varying shades of gender, giving us heroes like Iron Man, Thor, Spider-Man, and even Deadpool in male and female incarnations, but sometimes it’s fun to see how a specific character like Nick Fury, Luke Cage, or even Magneto might look and act like as another gender. Some artists create phenomenal versions of these what-if scenarios just for fun while others create some mind-blowing reimagining of characters that we just can’t unsee. As crazy as they might seem, sometimes the redesigns spark our imaginations to wonder if perhaps the character could have even been better if they were different.

Here are 15 Crazy Gender-Bending Marvel Redesigns That Change Everything.

15 Phoenix And Cyclops

They are the power couple that everyone either loves, or loves to hate. Phoenix and Cyclops are often portrayed as the goody two-shoes lovers of the X-world, but their more recent adaptations would say otherwise.

In this re-imagining by CapnFlynn, we can see a buff Phoenix with a fantastic head of red hair with his lover and X-Men leader, female Cyclops, who may be much smaller and leaner than her counterpart but still looks like she could do some damage with that concussive force beam.

The artist even has a fun name for Phoenix – Gene Grey – and says that he has a bit of Irish in him. Some fans have pointed out that there is already a female version of Scott in the alt-universe known as Summer Scott, AKA Starbolt, but we’re sticking to the main characters rather than AU versions for this list.

14 Magneto, Red Skull And Doctor Doom

We’ve never seen Magneto look more lovely! DeviantArt user alefolla created this beautiful gender-swap of Magneto, Red Skull, and Doctor Doom. It would be sexist to say that the trio seems less evil in this light, but it’s not just because of their gender-bent look; there is no context (save for Magneto possibly jamming a dagger into Red Skull’s head, if that would even do anything) so they could easily be three goddesses or superheroes here to save the day.

Or they could be some of the most evil super villains to ever grace the pages of Marvel comic books. Yes, it’s jarring, but can we just say that Doom’s hair is amazing? Red Skull is actually more fearsome this way, too, although she also sort of looks like Hellboy’s mischievous cousin.

13 Gambit, Cyclops, And Angel

These three mutants are already some of the most attractive characters in the entire Marvel universe, so when marvelboy1974 gender-swapped them into some fierce and gorgeous mutant women, we had to pick your jaws off the floor. Just look at these powerful and amazing swaps!

Cyclops gives us a Robocop feel and Gambit somehow looks much more capable and disarming than the Cajun we know. Angel looks like she was made to be one of the X-Men. This is one of the most seamless swaps we’ve seen, and much of that is due to the incredible detail work on those costumes. These women need their own comic.

The artist says that the game Candy’s World was also used for inspiration in the piece.

12 The White Queen

Emma Frost is well known for her frosty, often cruel heart and scant clothing, so when the White Queen is replaced with a White King, the results are pretty interesting.

For starters, he’s less clothed than many of his male superhero coworkers, but Joe Phillips’s redesign also wears an expression that hints at a little less vanity and a little more depth. Perhaps that’s simply the man in action and this character is every bit as vain and mean as his inspiration, but we’d have to experience his written personality to be sure.

Phillips has re-imagined many characters, from Dark Phoenix to Black Cat, and not only are they all well done, but he makes the costumes look pretty good, too. Phillips also creates gender-bending DC Comic characters based on women like Poison Ivy and Catwoman.

11 Nick Fury

If you’re a post-Marvel Cinematic Universe fan of The Avengers, you might still be waiting to hear Nick Fury demand to know why there are so many snakes on the Bus. It’s the ultimate fanfic begging to be written. But if you’ve ever dreamed of a female Fury, you’re in luck: aerith0808 created one that will blow your mind. Not only is the movement in the piece palpable from the swish of her ponytail to the wrinkles in her fabric, but the look on her face means nothing but business. She is every bit the calculating, mysterious SHIELD colonel that we know.

There are a bunch of other great swaps at aerith0808’s page to check out, too. Her Thor and Loki swaps look like runway models and her Hawkeye looks like her parents were Neo and Katniss Everdeen. Pretty wicked!

10 Professor X, Mystique And Magneto

For many fans, Days of Future Past served as the healing balm to remedy the gaping wound of the first X-trilogy, rendering it all null and void. In this gender-bending version of Professor X, Mystique, and Magneto, artist alefolla gives us another alternate reality in which some of our favorite characters are different genders entirely.

Myatique isn’t so surprising here since she can change at will, but Charles and Erik, renamed by the artist as Charlotte and Erika, are striking as women. Notice that this same artist made Magneto in a completely different fashion earlier in the list, demonstrating multiple ways that a gender-swap can manifest.

Does anyone else think of Herminone Granger when they look at this version of Charles?

9 Disney Marvel Mashups

Disney gender-benders, mashups, and alternative princesses are lots of fun, particularly the zombie versions. Combine those with Marvel gender-bending characters and you have these cool creations by artist Christopher-Stoll.

From a Mulan-Hawkeye to an Ariel-Scarlet Witch, the creations are amazing, each in their own unique ways. The best, however, is the Pocahontas as Captain America piece. Not only is it just breathtaking, but it implements a Native American woman as the captain of the nation, which is much more fitting. There’s a paucity of indigenous superheroes to begin with, let alone indigenous women characters. The artist also seems to avoid sexualizing the character, surpassing her original rendition as a nuanced person rather than an “Indian princess” trope.

Of course, the artist’s rendering of Snow White as The Hulk shouldn’t be missed, either!

8 Shadowcat And Colossus

They are another X-couple that fans either love or hate: they’re adorable together, but she was practically a child when they first fell in love. Does seeing Shadowcat and Colossus gender-swapped in artist CapnFlynn’s piece make you love or hate them any more strongly?

Colossus looks much more confident in Kitty’s costume, giving it some major swagger that Pryde doesn’t normally carry. Shadowcat’s look as Colossus is perhaps the most jarring. Long, curly black hair, steel limbs paired with her face and figure… it definitely takes the Kitty out of the Shadowcat!

CapnFlynn has created several gender-swapped Marvel characters, including others on this list. “Magenta” as a new, female version of Magneto, and Black Bolt and Medusa are also worth checking out.

7 Quicksilver And Scarlet Witch

There’s not much left to make the popular X-twins who were once the children of Magneto, lovers in another universe and responsible for the loss of mutantkind, any more shocking than they’ve already been, but swapping their genders is still pretty interesting.

Wanda looks much happier in her brother’s trademark colors and her sporty ponytail helps complete her speedy look. His brooding attire, piercings, and scruff give him a more witchy, pensive appearance. In this case, it would seem that artist vasira not only swapped the twins’ looks but their personalities as well.

The artist went on to depict both characters in action, completing the transformation as well as making them look even more awesome. A comic based on these swapped roles could be very intriguing.

6 Deadpool, Wolverine, More

It’s obvious that artist taintedsilence put a lot of thought into these Marvel gender-swaps. Not only are there six of them, but they all have their own fabulous new names and personalities. Penny Parker, the Spider, is just begging for her own story, and Wendy Wilson seems more interesting than Lady Deadpool. It’s got to be that Wade Wilson smirk she’s wearing.

Toni Stark, the “Iron Maiden,” has to be the most on point transition; we rarely see the playboy-millionaire archetype on a woman, and her plunging neckline and fancy stole are over-the-top brilliance.

“Lauren,” the Wolverine, seems just as happy to be here as Logan would be, but  shesomehow maintains an endearing quality with that expression (not to mention those amazing boots). Thor just looks right as the goddess of thunder.

5 Gambit And Rogue

They are yet another X-couple beloved by many and hated by… many others. Gambit and Rogue may have a long, winding history of volatile love, secrets, and lies but swapping their genders makes their story all the more exciting.

Kat Laurange’s art melds Rogue’s sleek, strong look with Gambit’s trench coat, bo staff, and trademark costume to create a petite petite who looks like she could still take on the Juggernaut while Remy bulks up Rogue’s lime and lemon garments a bit as his hair streaks out in white over his headband.

No matter their gender nor the many problems they’ve faced over the past few decades, the two still make a pretty cool-looking power couple when they are drawn together. If only we could hear their new accents…

4 Daredevil

How many of us have wished on a star to see Daredevil and Elektra swap genders? It’s not just because of the time he got her stabbed or his many sexist moments or… wait, yes, maybe those are enough reasons, aside from the fact that it would just be cool! Luckily artist kaoshoneybun made it happen for us on DeviantArt.

The artist even took it a step further, utilizing Daredevil’s yellow costume to create a more striking image for Elektra. It’s a great decision since we normally see her in all red anyway. She’s even got “D” earrings to highlight her new moniker and definitely looks like a decent addition to the Defenders team.

Murdock, on the other hand, seems like he would fit in with The Hand just fine here.

3 Luke Cage

Speaking of the Defenders, most Luke Cage fans would balk at changing a thing about Power Man, especially with someone like the incredible Mike Colter embodying him in the flesh. But an indestructible woman with Cage’s look sounds intriguing, right?

Behold Zayarts’s awesomely alternative Luke Cage! The female version is wearing Cage’s classic outfit and looks like she could have come from his early pages long before the Netflix series, but she also looks like she could take some names and kick some hiney today– and do it all before you can say, “Sweet Christmas.”

From her gorgeous hair to the ferocity in her eyes to her take no prisoners pose, this Luke Cage would definitely be interesting to read or watch. Think she could give Misty Knight a run for her money?

2 Storm

Most of the interesting gender swaps that fans have created involve male heroes being turned into female heroes, which is not surprising since most lead characters are male. But some of the most incredible swaps involve turning a traditionally female character into a new male character, such as in this example of Timberoo’s Storm.

This version of the goddess wears much less clothing but radiates power nonetheless. The best part of the digital art is all of the cool metallic effects that look real on the superhero – although some may argue that it’s his abs!

Timberoo has also made gender-swapped versions of Emma Frost, Dazzler, and Jean Grey. Some of them have celeb vibes; “John” Grey looks a bit like Gerard Butler, for example. The artist’s swapped Polaris and Havok piece is particularly cool.

1 Avengers Casting

No list of gender-bent Marvel characters would be complete without a fan-based casting. Most of us think we could do a better job of casting our beloved characters, so there’s no shortage of alternative castings for any Marvel feature. What’s different about Andy Gordon’s incredible list is that all of the characters have different genders than their originals in the Avengers films.

Blockbuster actors like Chris Pine, Mila Kunis, Kate Beckinsale, and Jennifer Lawrence all replace the familiar faces we know as Black Widow, The Hulk, Iron Man and Thor, giving them completely new possibilities.

Can we just say that Kristen Stewart looks incredible as Loki and that Amber Heard looks like she could do the Captain America suit justice? Don’t skip the second page; Zoe Saldana is the coolest looking Falcon we’ve seen.

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What superhero would you like to see as a different gender? Let us know in the comments!

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