We’re back with a frequency the likes of which my articles have never seen— but let’s be honest, I’d be doing a disservice to this season’s theme if I gave an Avenger a leg up! And it’s the perfect time to celebrate the X side of things— with the release of X-Men ‘97, pro-mutant sentiment has been at an all–time high, which means it’s time to give homo superior its day.
When I pick cards for these, I want to pick someone with a deep and varied variant catalog AND a strong well of existing covers. Some characters make this easier than others. As I'm saying, we might not see one of these for Miek any time soon. But plenty of Marvel characters are magnets for terrific covers: our favorite mutant chameleon might take the cake here.
Mystique! Whether you’re a fan of Rebecca Romijin’s reptilian turn in the original X-Men movies, Jennifer Lawrence’s main character energy in the First Class films, or the good old-fashioned femme fatale from the comics, Mystique is iconic. Her design and powers are a playground for exploration and creative compositions— and it shows in her very strong set of variants in the game as well as general existing covers. This Top 3 is a genuine competition, with several variants not in here that I think are still very strong.
Part 1: The Top 3
Elizabeth Torque Mystique
Original Cover: Astonishing X-Men (2017) #2 (Torque Character Variant)
Artist: Elizabeth Torque
How do you draw a woman who can be anyone? Why, as everyone, of course! Every artist to draw Mystique mid-shapeshift has to walk the line between depicting her disguise(s) and her original blue form. You want to flex her shapeshifting, but you want to make sure she’s also recognizably herself— enough for us to appreciate who we’re looking at. Elizabeth Torque understands this and dives straight in, stripping Mystique in between layers of Wolverine, Gambit, Archangel, and Rogue to achieve a fluid effect. With a nod to the inspired scaly visual effects of the original X-Men movies, there’s a terrific sense of motion in the shapeshifting, owing to Mystique’s lively pose and multiple forms; the diagonal movement across her body helps, too. Each different form has a great recognizable slice of a character’s costume, and they’re all rendered just as well as you’d want a full picture of each character. And what’s left to talk about but Mystique’s sly expression, still front and center, communicated both through Rogue’s eyes and her own? This variant is a home run all the way around.
Peach Momoko Mystique
Original Cover: Inferno (2021) #1 (Peach Momoko Variant)
Artist: Peach Momoko
Now, for anyone who’s been around, this might be the most iconic Mystique variant we’ve seen so far. As a bundle variant, it’s exclusive— and as a Peach Momoko variant, it’s some of the best art in Snap. Momoko’s art has steadily arrived more and more onto the scene since, but when this variant was first datamined, it was one of her big pieces that really turned heads; for good reason, too! Where we often see Mystique flashing glimpses of other recognizable characters, here we get Momoko’s more dream-like, surreal flair— morphing her into an ominous, deathly visage. Mystique’s always had a thing for skulls, and that, combined with her natural flowing form, makes her a perfect match for Momoko’s more interpretive watercolor stylings. There’s currently no way to get this Mystique now that it’s long left the bundle shop— and whether you like it or not, this is a dynamite demonstration of the incentive a variant can provide a bundle. Damn!
Dan Hipp Mystique
Original Cover: Snap Commission!
Artist: Dan Hipp
I know, I know, I know! He’s back. And he’ll keep returning until he misses—but that day isn’t today. Dan Hipp takes a page from classic Mystique pieces. He also shifts her between a couple of recognizable forearms, borrowing some Spidey and Deadpool(?) to brandish a gun (another classic Mystique pose).
Still, the most striking thing here is Hipp’s divergence into a slightly more dramatic, detailed style. Hipp’s not without his downsides, and I think sometimes he can veer a bit basic when there’s not much else to back up the more simplistic human figures he draws— I’m thinking about pieces like his Medusa or Debrii, with not much other than their cartoon features on the piece. But Hipp is more versatile than people credit him; his Jessica Jones is a similarly more dramatic piece, and it’s a welcome departure echoed in this Mystique. I suspect that as he’s gotten more comfortable working in Snap (and heard feedback on different pieces of his), he’s become more willing to shift into a more dramatic style when the character demands it. The tough-as-nails expression, the shapeshifting effect (which will look terrific combined with Snap’s VFX), and the colors, as always— another one for the books.
Part 2: The Aren’t Here Yet
And we’ll round out the back half with The Aren’t Here Yet! Will I adhere to my own title of a Top 3 wishlist? Maybe. You’ll never know unless you get to the bottom. But without further ado, let’s look at my wishlist for Raven’s next Snappy attire!
Office Copier Hijinks
Original Cover: X-Men (2019) #20 (Variant)
Artist: Mike Del Mundo
It’s been a whopping (1) article since I’ve mentioned Mike Del Mundo, and so I’ve taken the necessary sabbatical for me to return and say, please, please, please, please Second Dinner, get more Mike Del Mundo in Snap. This is likely one of his higher profile pieces, and that’s purely because it’s just such a home run conceptually: Mystique wearing the faces of her enemies and compatriots? Old hat. Wearing those faces, Mystique leaned over an office copier like a middle schooler, pages flying everywhere. Brand new. CTRL + C peeking out on the console? Immaculate. Del Mundo’s knack for playful humor plays well with his relentless skill at rendering everything else, turning it from a one-note gag into a lively, human depiction of a striking character. I love the mix of muted and silly faces from various characters and stars, and I love the implication that Mystique made all those faces herself. This might be one of the easier Del Mundo pieces to port into Snap’s templating, with a clear background and foreground you can play with. I love this piece! Second Dinner! I’m begging you!
Shapeshifter, Incognito
Original Cover: Captain America: Steve Rogers (2016) #3 (Death of X Variant)
Artist: Kevin Wada
Not to be outdone, Kevin Wada brings another terrific spin on shapeshifting shenanigans with this piece here: and if we often get wild and bombastic ways to show shapeshifting in comics, Wada instead goes subtle, hinting at Mystique’s ordinary skin tone through her outfit and the cast shadow from her hat. It’s equal parts pitch-perfect Mystique and Carmen Sandiego— and between the train setting and the newspaper in the foreground, the storytelling on the piece is phenomenal, with zero outside contrast needed to know that this is a Raven on the run. It’s an inventive take on the character and compositional demands, and the setting and vibe match the character perfectly. I can see it being a challenge to bring a piece to Snap where the character is in the background, but if there were ever a character to demand that sort of extra effort, wouldn’t it be Mystique?
Femme Fatale
Original Cover: Mystique (2003) #9, #12, #16
Artist: Mike Mayhew
This is actually a blank for pretty much any of the covers Mike Mayhew did for this Mystique series back in 2003, but I’ve chosen a couple of favorites. Straight up, these covers are memorable and iconic: for lots of people, myself included, some of the first images of Mystique you might’ve seen floating around were from this set, seeing our favorite shapeshifter rocking leather and cheesing her way through a series of classic feeling action-espionage covers that feel ripped from the cover of a paperback. If I ever seem too critical of an extra-renounced-realism piece, know that it’s not out of disdain; instead, I think that it can be easy to mask other art shortcomings under the guise of detail. And the thing is, pieces like this raise the bar to a tremendous level: there are plenty of realistic takes on comic characters, but few reach this level of painstaking composition and rendering in the paint: this is fine art applied to comics.
Honorable Mention: A Stylish Twofer
Original Cover: Inferno (2020) #2 (Variant)
Artist: David Aja
Original Cover: X-Men Blue: Origins (2023) #1 (Variant)
Artist: E.M. Gist
Okay, look, I’m going to level with y’all; I considered five different justifications for including more than 3 covers, but I want just too many covers in the game. So, I couldn’t go without naming two more. David Aja (first pictured) and E.M. Gist (second) bring exceptional graphic takes on Mystique. Both compositions would make delightful variants— though both might have more obstacles in getting ported over to Snap. Aja’s piece leans on negative space in a wonderful, wonderful way that incorporates Mystique’s iconic white outfit into a stark white background: something I love in a piece. Still, I imagine would be a challenge in Snap’s background templating. And Gist’s work calls forward a cool mod-retro aesthetic that doubles as creative shapeshifting, with each silhouette forming a different person— though the figure here might be slightly less detailed than many of Snap’s existing variant compositions. Both are exceptional pieces— enough for me to have to include. But I have to imagine that Snap’s Art Director (Hi, Johnny!) has to navigate several criteria when it comes to selecting back-issue covers for variants, and those might keep these in the backlog.
But hope springs eternal!
And That’s Just My Opinion
My opinion, opinion, just my opinion, etcetera. Mystique is a lightning rod for terrific art, so I’ve had an even harder time narrowing my picks down this time around. (And let's be honest, I play fast and loose with “Top 3” whenever there’s extra art that I love.) But there are plenty of Mystique variants other folks are partial to, and there are no doubt great covers that I’ve missed in my own research. So I’ll need your help to let me know what you think! Which Mystique variants did I snub? Are there other covers I should’ve considered?
Finally, I’ve really appreciated the positive feedback for these and would love to keep them up. So, thank you to everyone out there reading; please let me know if there are any characters that you would like to see!