We can sit here and joke all day about Kitty Pryde being fashionably challenged, pointing to that time 40+ years ago when she used a Shi’ar cosplay machine to make the worst outfits imaginable and also Darth Vader.
But in truth, many artists have been afraid to take risks when it comes to the X-Men’s first kid sister. Consider the fact that she spent most of the 2000s in a variation of the blue-and-gold X-Men training uniform.
Kitty has had some iconic looks though, from the puffy sleeves and domino mask of classic Excalibur to the shorter hair and Wolverine claws of the Age of Apocalypse to the red jacket and knuckle tattoos of the Krakoan era.
Our artists took a crack at synthesizing the many eras of Kitty Pryde into something new. Check out more of their work on their respective social channels!
Rake
@pastelrake on socials
To me, the X-man formally known as Kate is at her best (and worst) when she gets out of her own way and commits to an idea; debonair swashbuckler with misplaced confidence is a role I feel suits her and is one she has returned to frequently.
Taking inspiration from classic Excalibur, the Krakoan era, one specific bedtime story AU and a touch of The Princess Bride, I arrived at a look that’s always one saving throw away from misadventure.
Hector Barros
@snibbits.eurosky.social on Bluesky
My goal was to design something that looked urban, ninja-ish and practical at the same time, while still making her look young and approachable. I also wanted her to have a more androgynous look with a shorter hair style.
Joshua Bruckner
@Joshington_bear on Instagram; @Joshingtonbear on Bluesky
Shadowcat has had so many random looks to pull from, but I mostly wanted to get her far away from the black-and-yellow training uniform she was stuck in for so long. I took a lot of inspiration from her blue Excalibur costume and tried to make a look that really said both “shadow” and “cat.”
Her primary colors are now navy blue and purple, and the hood fits her shadowy, stealthy powers. The domino mask evokes a cat’s face. It’s important to me that Kate looks Jewish, so she’s got big, messy hair!
Jamie Fay
@jamiefayx on Instagram
I wanted Kitty to reclaim the Shadowcat name and become a fierce fighter and mentor among mutants. I wanted it to be a modern callback to her Excalibur look. In my universe, Kitty and Rachel are finally a couple. My art was colored by the amazing Israel Silva.
Joe Pryde
X: @JoePrydeCosplay; Bluesky: @artofjoepryde.bsky.social; Instagram: @joeprydecosplay
I wanted to call back to some of Kitty’s previous looks (Excalibur puffy sleeves/Revolution chest “X”) with more modern Krakoa and Exceptional X-Men elements.
I also included an homage sketch to a panel from Eve Ewing and Carmen Carnero’s Exceptional X-Men.
Thwwip
@Thwwip_Stickers on socials
Kitty will always be the student that got away for Emma Frost.
So for this redesign, I decided to enter a world where Kitty became a Hellion instead of joining the X-Men.
This not only meant redesigning Kitty but also the Hellions uniform. I decided to shift Shadowcat and the Hellions into the ’90s and pay tribute to when she tried to design a costume based off Dazzler and take some design inspiration from the Mutant Pop Princess.
Not only did I decide to do a fun Risograph-style character shot, but in true ’90s fashion I gave Kitty the trading card treatment as well.
Dan Grote is the editor and publisher of ComicsXF, having won the site by ritual combat. By day, he’s a newspaper editor, and by night, he’s … also an editor. He co-hosts The ComicsXF Interview Podcast with Matt Lazorwitz. He lives in New Jersey with his wife, two kids and two miniature dachshunds, and his third, fictional son, Peter Paul Winston Wisdom. Follow him @danielpgrote.bsky.social.
