The talented artist Joshua “Sway” Swaby recently revealed gorgeous redesigns of two iconic X-Men heroes, giving bold new looks to Betsy Braddock’s Captain Britain and the impressive Polaris. The X-Men are infamous for the amount of costume changes they go through, seemingly changing their looks for every new series, and Captain Britain and Polaris are no different.
The incredible Sway (@JSwayArt) – who has wowed fans with his stunning covers of Queen Nubia, Storm, and Emma Frost – recently posted the redesign commissions he created for Lorna Dane and Betsy Braddock, giving the two beloved female mutants new looks that are perhaps their best costumes yet.
Betsy Braddock’s redesigned costume, which Sway has posted previously, is a blending of the pink-heavy looks she wore early on in her X-Men career and her new role as Captain Britain, with Sway giving Betsy some amazing glimmering silver armor, a perfectly placed butterfly accent, and an intimidating glowing sword. Sway’s redesign of Polaris’ costume is so entrancing that it would be a shock if it were not used for cosplay at a future comic convention, incorporating Lorna’s classic tiara, Krakoan Age jacket, and the perfect pose and facial expression.
Betsy Braddock’s Redesigned Costume Should Be Her New Captain Britain Look
For many years, the incredibly Betsy Braddock operated as the sword-wielding mutant Psylocke, living inside the body of the Japanese woman Kwannon after a twisted scientific experience. However, since 2019 Betsy has finally been back in her original British body and quickly took on the role of Captain Britain after her brother, Brian Braddock, stepped down from this position. Betsy’s time as Captain Britain has been met with great strife and nay-saying, with the people of Britain largely rejecting Betsy as their Captain due to her status as a mutant, making Betsy lean into her role as protector of Otherworld.
While Betsy continues to try her hardest to represent both mutantkind and Britain’s interests as Captain Britain, Sway’s redesign of her Captain Britain costume is an awesome way to reject the oppressive nationalism of Britain while still remaining a fierce warrior for her various people. Betsy’s Captain costume is inspired by her brother’s look from the ’80s, which features a large Union Jack on the front of her costume. Sway’s redesign, which looks more like something an Arthurian fairy warrior would wear, is a beautiful way to honor her loyalties to Otherworld and the iconic armored outfit she wore during the X-Men’s Outback era.
Polaris Will Need A Bold Change After The Fall Of X
Polaris, famous for being Magneto’s daughter, has been rocking the same look since joining the formal X-Men team in 2021, and now is the perfect time for Lorna Dane to get an updated costume. Polaris has not been seen during the X-Men’s current Fall of X era, where the remaining mutants need to show Orchis that they are imposing and a force to be reckoned with. Sway’s jaw-dropping redesign of Lorna would be perfect for her first appearance in the Fall of X, intimidating Orchis forces with her gorgeous new look before wiping them out with her powerful magnetic abilities.
Since the X-Men change their costumes at least every few years, it would not be shocking if both Polaris and Captain Britain sported new looks in the Fall of X, and Sway’s spectacular redesigns honor the iconic heroes past designs while ushering them into their newest eras.
