Avengers X-Men 1993 Crossover Posters by Adam Hughes, Liam Sharp

Today marks the release of Avengers vs X-Men #1, celebrated in comic shops all over the nation.  I read the first issue and it has as good an excuse for a fight as any that Marvel has produced.  The Avengers fought the X-Men during the 1980s in a mini-series that was forgettable.  But did you remember the 1990s crossover event?  Bloodties was the name and Marvel Age #129 featured this Adam Hughes cover marking the occasion.  I've always thought an Avengers X-Men conflict was rife with untapped potential, since many Avengers members (Scarlet Witch, Quicksilver) are also mutants.

Marvel Age #129 also featured one half of a poster drawn by Liam Sharp and inked by Mark Farmer.  I almost thought this was Silvestri at first but it wasn't quite right.  You can see the Jim Lee designed X-Men costumes.  Captain America's wings sticking out remind me of Rob Liefield.

Marvel Age #130 featured the second half of Sharp's poster.  Dig the Image-style 90s style here, especially Crystal.  She's wearing a jacket that can't possibly be buttoned around her massive chest and her waist is teeny tiny.  Never liked Black Knight wearing a leather jacket either.  I'm glad this look has faded into the past.  Nuff Said!

Marvelous Girls by Adam Hughes: Invisible Woman, She-Hulk, Ms Marvel, Jean Grey and Gwen Stacy

Here is something for, tovarisch, as Colossus used to say.  What is the plural of tovarisch?  Tovarisches?  Anyway, something for you, a gallery of tastefully illustrated Marvel women, by Adam Hughes...

Invisible Woman.  This was done for an auction to raise money for victims of domestic violence.  This piece raised $7500 for the cause!  That is all icing on the cake of this great illustration, showing Sue Storm as lovely as she can be in her FF uniform.

She-Hulk.  This was a lithograph for Sideshow Collectibles, included with the statue of the green lady.  I think Norman Rockwell would feel very flattered, don't you?

Ms Marvel.  In her original outfit designed by John Romita!  You can definitely see the Alphonse Mucha influence with that scarf wrapping around her head.  I hope she doesn't trip on it.

Jean Grey as Marvel Girl, wearing her outfit from the Neal Adams period.  My what a big mask, she would need telekinesis just to keep that from flying off her head!

Gwen Stacy, Spidey's greatest love, in her trademark 70s coat and black boots.  Misty water-colored memories of the Way We Were! It always brings a tear to my eye.  Nuff Said!

Adam Hughes Marvel Swimsuits Part 2: Black Widow, Silver Sable, Val Cooper

How many more Adam Hughes Marvel Swimsuit pin-ups can I unearth from the Marvel vault?  Lo, this trio of lethal ladies, true believers!

This Black Widow pin-up was the centerfold of the 1993 Marvel Swimsuit issue.  Natasha looks super lithe and sexy here, and a little bit dangerous as well.  I love how she's taken the clip out of her gun.  The rock formation on the background makes up a web pattern--very clever!  This is a great illustration, everything from the design, Natasha's facial expression, and the coloring are superb.

Marvel fan Leo Yen owns the original art to this Black Widow pinup.  You can visit Len Yao's gallery at ComicArtFans to see more of his collection.

From the 1995 Marvel Swimsuit issue, Hughes did this nifty illustration of Silver Sable getting ready to take a dive.  Notice that her one piece suit is silver and she's dangling a grenade around her neck.  Just in case Sable needs to blow up and underground lair while diving!  This piece really reminds of the work of Alphonse Mucha, who is an influence on many artists.

The next image from the 1993 Swimsuit special is my absolute favorite Adam Hughes pin-up, one that has burned itself permanently in my memory.  Can you name who it is without reading the caption?

This sneaky blonde is--Val Cooper from the 1990s X-Factor team!  A very obscure choice for a pin-up girl.  Val Cooper was the government liaison for Peter David's X-Factor team that consisted of Havok, Polaris, Quicksilver, etc.  Val wasn't a super-hero, and she dressed conservatively in the X-Factor comic.  I've no idea how the editors or Adam Hughes picked her for this issue.  But I find Val super sexy here, as she strikes a pose in this X-Factor themed bikini, hat, and trench coat.  The trench coat really seals the deal--anyone see that episode of Rescue Me where Andrea Roth surprised Denis Leary in a trench coat?  Perhaps this image is also a mark of the time period--the film Basic Instinct came out in 1992--Sharon Stone made deadly blondes very sexy back then.

In case you missed it, check out Part 1 of my Adam Hughes Marvel Swimsuit retrospective.  Nuff said!

Adam Hughes Marvel Swimsuits, Part 1: Sue Storm, The Wasp, Scarlet Witch, She-Hulk

Adam Hughes has always excelled at drawing babes and adding a little humor to his compositions as well.  In 1994 he contributed a number of stellar pinups for the fourth Marvel Swimsuit Special--which took place in Attilan and the Blue Area of the Moon.



The cover featured Sue Storm getting her freak on with Namor the Sub-Mariner.  Is there any reason why Sue wouldn't want to have a fling with the undersea prince?  She looks pretty fantastic and her leg is slightly opaque to reveal Namor's speedo.



Janet Van Dyne looks pretty luscious in this one piece outfit.  My first impression was there is nothing funny going on here.  But look behind the Wasp to see the bulging thongs behind her, belonging to Wonder Man and Captain America.



This Scarlet Witch pinup is really clever.  She's not wearing a swimsuit per se.  Wanda has used her magic to disassemble her costume--helmet, gloves, cape, etc--leaving only her red centerpiece intact.  How many thirteen year old boys fantasized about undraping the Scarlet Witch?  Adam Hughes sure did.



Here is the funniest piece of this 1994 set.  The Sensational She-Hulk--a must-have babe for any swimsuit special--sitting on top of my favorite dog in the Marvel Universe: Lockjaw!  Clearly, Jen has been using Lockjaw's teleportation powers to zip around to the best beaches.  They've been to Rio and Jamaica and god knows where else, from the stickers plastered on Lockjaw's back.  Jen's bag is packed with thongs, and the creepy Watcher is lurking in the background on the left.  I pity poor Lockjaw, he just looks exhausted from hauling Jen all over the world!  Nuff said.

Update: Comments from my old MT blog...

3 Comments

By joe bloke on July 22, 2009 1:28 PM

great stuff. I loved these when I first saw them, I love them still. 1994? really? that long ago? wow.

Adam Hughes is far and away my favourite good girl artist working today. that Scarlet Witch pin-up is a corker!

By Joe Marfice on January 17, 2010 2:27 PM

Sue Storm getting her freak on with Namor the Sub-Mariner. Is there any reason why Sue wouldn't want to have a fling with the undersea prince? She looks pretty fantastic and her leg is slightly opaque to reveal Namor's speedo.

No, her leg is slightly transparent. It is mostly opaque.

By Perv on March 5, 2010 9:04 AM

Just wanted to point out that not only are there banana-hammocks in the background of the Janet pic, but also we can't tell what part of Collossus' anatomy Janet is perched on.

Somethin' saucy, no doubt. :)