Marvel Rivals has breathed new life into a host of lesser known Marvel characters as fans flock to the hero shooter to test out characters of all shapes and sizes (but mostly leggy and blonde), dealing with the ever evolving meta. However, there’s no doubt that the the designs themselves have been a huge factor in the game’s success, and now we’re seeing that influence the comics.
After being retired in 1995, Marvel’s Swimsuit Edition (in the style of Sports Illustrated) is returning soon, with the skins being primed for Marvel Rivals too. Described by Marvel as a “tongue-in-cheek” comic book, the magazine-style issue depicts the various heroes chilling at the beach or by the pool. And, soon, they’ll also be chilling in Shin-Shibuya.
Marvel’s Swimsuit Costumes Will Soon Be In Marvel Rivals
The premise of the comic book sees Wasp as a fashion designer specialising in swimwear, and inviting all of the Marvel heroes to partake in their own customised oufits. The two covers revealed show Phoenix and Cyclops at the beach and Spider-Man and Psylocke surfing.
There’s also a wrap-around cover featuring Captain Marvel, Rogue, She-Hulk, Mary-Jane, and Black Widow posing in swimsuits by surfboards, though not all of these characters are in Rivals at the moment. Though we don’t know which ones will make it into the game yet, the press release confirms that several outfits included in the editon will feature in Marvel Rivals too.
Marvel Swimsuit Special: Friends, Foes, Rivals #1 will be available July 9 at digital and physical comic book stores, and Marvel explains that the majority of the comic is art, describing it as “primarily an artist showcase”, but that it does feature enough of a plot “you can pretend you’re ‘reading it for the articles'”. It knows the Rivals base well.
Nick Bradshaw is the primary artist for the collection, though Marvel mainstays like Nic Klein, Marguerite Sauvage, Luciano Vecchio, and more will also feature in the edition.
It’s not the first time we’ve seen Rivals link up with the comic books (and not just in the very obvious sense that of course a game based on Marvel references comics). Jeff the Land Shark is getting his own solo series in June, directly inspired by his popularity in Rivals as the game’s first true breakout character.
This might prove to be a more popular move than the other recent edition to the game’s costuming, which saw custom colours be locked behind a paywall and heavily restricted. Knowing the Marvel Rivals playerbase, it’s hard to imagine many people having a problem with Sue Storm in a bikini, but I’m sure they’ll find a way.
Marvel Rivals
- Released
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December 6, 2024
- ESRB
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T For Teen // Violence
- Developer(s)
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NetEase Games
- Publisher(s)
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NetEase Games
- Engine
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Unreal Engine 5
