Mystique Becomes Wolverine in Perfect X-Men Cosplay

The mutant Mystique has one of the more unique powers among Marvel’s X-Men, and an inventive fan found a way to recreate her shapeshifting abilities in cosplay form – while shifting into Wolverine. Mystique is one of the premiere shapeshifters of the Marvel Universe; she’s able to perfectly mimic a person’s appearance, their voice, their mannerisms, their clothes and even their physical powers (albeit the look if not the abilities). The cosplay showcases this ability to a T – and shows a rare moment where Mystique is in mid-transformation.

Mystique has over 40 years of storied history as a comic book villain, having first appeared in the pages of Ms. Marvel #18 before appearing in the X-Men books proper. With a striking appearance that sets her apart from other mutants, Mystique can nevertheless change her shape to blend in with other humans (and, as is the case with Jennifer Laurence’s portrayal of the character in the new X-Men trilogy, can simply change her skin color without altering her face). She’s shifted from hero to villain to everything in between, and nowadays is known for her devious planning and machinations in addition to her powers.

A cosplayer on the site Reddit.com going by the username “Alice-Ayres” has found a brilliant way to depict Mystique in mid-transformation. Wearing a custom-designed yellow X-Men shirt, she’s painted half of it blue – along with the entire right-hand side of her body and face – in the shade of Mystique’s skin. The shirt is the real secret; shining sequins are able to flip between blue and yellow and back again with a minute wave of Alice-Ayres’ hand. To complete the look, the cosplayer has attached facial hair to one side of her face, with the other side adorned with half a red wig – Mystique’s trademark hair color.

It’s worth noting that while Mystique can copy Wolverine’s appearance completely, she can’t truly copy his molecular structure. His unique adamantium claws are virtually unbreakable, but as Mystique can only alter the appearance of her own body and not its chemical makeup, her facsimile claws can break as easily as cardboard. She also fails to copy signature scents – allowing mutants with heightened senses like the real Wolverine (and Daredevil as well) to spot a double in seconds should Mystique encounter anyone she’s copying.

Nevertheless, the cosplay is an excellent and quite detailed way to showcase Mystique’s unique transformation sequence. With the X-Men film rights reverting back to Disney (and thus Marvel), one wonders when both mutants will appear in the MCU. Until then, this cosplay is indicative of the fans’ dedication and respect toward both Mystique and Wolverine.