One of the most popular outfits at comic book conventions is undoubtedly Rogue‘s Savage Land costume from Marvel‘s 1990s X-Men comics. Famous for its prominent cosplay attention, Rogue’s Savage Land look has a considerable presence in variant covers and superhero fan art. Even though the Savage Land predates the mutant’s first appearance, this outfit connects Rogue to the location for many fans.
Created by Jack Kirby and Joe Simon in 1941’s Marvel Mystery Comics #22, the Savage Land, also known as “The Land Where Time Stands Still,” is a tropical preserve in the Palmer Peninsula of Antarctica, home to various prehistoric monsters. While the X-Men and Brotherhood of Evil Mutants are the most famous Marvel characters featured in the Savage Land, several other characters discovered the location first. The Eternals frequented the Palmer Peninsula when they first arrived on Earth, and Atlanteans used it to import and export mystical creatures. Captain America even fought Nazis and a dinosaur with a human brain there during World War II. This rundown is only a brief account of how the Savage Land constantly impacts the Marvel Universe.
Once the X-Men visited the island in Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s X-Men #10, it primarily became a mutant-related location. The 1990s featured several mutants becoming survivors in the prehistoric danger zone, which resulted in battle-damaged costumes for heroes like Rogue and Wolverine. After so many characters lost their iconic unitards, it became somewhat of a gag to strip characters down in the Savage Land, treating it like a vacation spot for mutants. While several mutants are famous for their tropical getups, Wolverine and Rogue are two of the most popular characters who show off their skin in the Savage Land. Art Adams’ variant for 2022’s X-Men #12 kicks the summer off with Rogue’s tropical look.
The cover features Rogue with her iconic bandana, a torn 90s-style costume, a necklace made from dinosaur teeth, and a green neckband. Fans can also see a blue dinosaur native to the Savage Land looming behind her. Adams’ work is well-known among X-Men fans. Since he kickstarted a 1985 Longshot miniseries with writer Ann Nocenti, he’s drawn various comics and covers for everyone’s favorite mutants, from Magneto to Dazzler. With his recurring commissions for Rogue in her Savage Land ensemble, it’s only fitting that he returns to draw an X-Men variant cover fit for the summer.
This summer promises to be an iconic one for X-Men comics. Not only are the immortal mutants of Krakoa the primary protagonists against the Eternals for the highly anticipated Judgement Day crossover event, but Art Adams also returns to draw a variant cover featuring Rogue in her Savage Land look. It’s safe to say Marvel fans have plenty to look forward to once X-Men #12 arrives on June 1.
