X-Men Officially Debuts New Colossus Design, Finally Equal to Cyclops

Published Sep 22, 2026, 9:30 AM EDT Robert Wood is a writer and editor based out of Cheshire, England. He is the author of 'The False Elephant: and 99 Other Unreasonably Short Stories' - 100 stories, each told in exactly 100 words. Rob got into comics via Bendis' Ultimate Spider-Man and the UK anthology 'The Mighty World of Marvel,' which was running Frank Miller's Daredevil, Classic Hulk and Contest of Champions II. Prior to journalism, he worked in copywriting and copyedited for Oxford University Press. He is on X as @PinchTwigs and Instagram as roobwoodjourno. Sign in to your ScreenRant account A new design for X-Men's Colossus transforms the metallic superhero, finally making him Cyclops' equal with a shimmering status symbol that changes everything about how fans see the big-hearted brawler. Debuting in 1975, Colossus was part of the relaunch that turned the X-Men into household names, with Piotr Rasputin lending the X-Men his metal skin and incredible strength ever since. Now, as Marvel reimagines the X-Men as truly despicable villains, Colossus makes the leap with a redesign not dissimilar to Flash Gordon's Ming the Merciless. X-Men Redesigns Colossus As One of 'The Exalted' Marvel recently published the graphic novel Marvel Dimensions, from Alex Ross, Jason Millet, Josh Johnson and Ariana Maher. The story depicts a new alternate universe called the 'In-Verse' where Marvel's greatest heroes are self-serving villains, the X-Men included. As a villain, Colossus has a shaved head and a sharp-edged beard, wearing a black and red costume with a grand collar and imposing cloak. Like his classic costume, the new redesign showcases his metal muscles, but with an imperious design and plenty of gold - a substance which seems to have a symbolic meaning in this reality. The story sees Spider-Man break into the X-Men's base, only to be captured by Xavier's team. In this world, the X-Men are known as 'the Exalted,' wearing gold as a symbol of their immense status and wealth. While Earth-616 depicts Cyclops as team leader, all of the Exalted seem equal, at least in the sense that they're all catspaws of Xavier. In this world, mutants aren't an abused minority, and have instead used their superpowers to become incredibly wealthy. They also don't seem to have much use for codenames, with Colossus only addressed as 'Rasputin.' The villainous Colossus isn't afraid to use his strength, grasping Spider-Man by the neck as he's questioned by the Exalted. Marvel Just Totally Reinvented the X-Men Marvel Dimensions doesn't just redesign Marvel's biggest heroes, it rethinks the lore surrounding them. While the villainous Exalted are relatively egalitarian among one another, there's a dark secret to their wealth and status. In the In-Verse, mutants aren't oppressed by humans, but by each other. While X-Men including Cyclops, Jean Grey, Angel and Colossus become the 'Exalted,' there's also a slave class known as the 'Branded.' This group appears to be made up of mutants who have less human appearances, with Wolverine, Beast and Nightcrawler fitted with restraints and forced to serve the Exalted. As much as Cyclops and Colossus wear the gold of the Exalted, the metal isn't just a symbol of status, it sets Exalted and Branded apart, creating a brutal class system among Marvel's mutants. This seems to have begun with Charles Xavier, and is opposed by the Metallurgist (this universe's Magneto.) The Exalted/Branded split appears to echo Marvel's 1991 decision to split the X-Men into two teams - the X-Men Blue and X-Men Gold - rendering these team names strangely literal. Commendably, Marvel Dimensions creates new symbolism and connections in a world where Marvel's heroes are villains. In this world, Magneto's control over metal has a brand-new meaning, as he literally turns the Exalted's symbol of supremacy against them. Fans Need To See the In-Verse X-Men Again Marvel Dimensions does the fascinating work of crafting an entire fictional universe where Marvel's biggest heroes are villains and vice versa - a world where the X-Men are the oppressors and the Avengers strike first as agents of an imperialist state. Hopefully, this mirror universe won't be kept to a single appearance, as there's a huge amount of potential in the In-verse, and especially its disturbing mirror image of the X-Men and their essential themes of oppression and found family. Marvel Dimensions is available now from Marvel Comics. Movie(s) X-Men (2000), X2, X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009), X-Men: First Class (2011), The Wolverine (2013), X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014), Deadpool (2016), X-Men: Apocalypse (2016), Logan (2017), Deadpool 2 (2018), Dark Phoenix (2019), The New Mutants, Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) TV Show(s) X-Men: Pryde of the X-Men, X-Men (1992), X-Men: Evolution (2000), Wolverine and the X-Men (2008), Marvel Anime: Wolverine, Marvel Anime: X-Men, Legion (2017), The Gifted (2017), X-Men '97 (2024) Video Game(s) X-Men: Children of the Atom (1994), Marvel Super Heroes (1995), X-Men vs. Street Fighter (1996), Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter (1997), Marvel vs. Capcom (1998), X-Men: Mutant Academy (2000), Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes (2000), X-Men: Mutant Academy 2 (2001), X-Men: Next Dimension (2002), Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds (2011), Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 (2011), X-Men Legends (2005), X-Men Legends 2: Rise of Apocalypse (2005), X2: Wolverine's Revenge (2003), X-Men (1993), X-Men 2: Clone Wars (1995), X-Men: Mutant Apocalypse (1994) First Film X-Men (2000) Character(s) Professor X, Cyclops, Iceman, Beast, Angel, Phoenix, Wolverine, Gambit, Rogue, Storm, Jubilee, Morph, Nightcrawler, Havok, Banshee, Colossus, Magneto, Psylocke, Juggernaut, Cable, X-23 Comic Release Date 213035,212968