Anticipation forMarvel Rivalsis high, especially following the recent reveal that 33 heroes and villains will be immediately available starting in Season 0. WithHawkeye confirmed to be the latest addition toMarvel Rivals' Duelist role, the hype continues for the December 6 launch date. The newly unveiled Gladiator skin for Captain America is also drawing the community’s attention.
Marvel Rivalshas a vast collection of stories to draw from, with Marvel Comics dating back to 1939. Over time, legendary creators like Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and Steve Ditko contributed to a collection that now includes over 27,000 comic books. With near-limitless possibilities, NetEase Games can capitalize on famous and lesser-known narratives for its seasonal themes and character skins.
Marvel Rivals Has Endless Potential for Comic-Inspired Skins
The Inspiration Behind Captain America’s Gladiator Skin in Marvel Rivals
While gladiator-themed cosmetics for Marvel Comics characters aren’t new, some fans may not be as familiar with Steven Roger’s time in Battle World, a patchwork world made from the remnants of destroyed realities. As a character introduced in thePlanet Hulkseries, a spin-off ofMarvel’s multiverse-destroyingSecret Warsstory, it’s revealed that Steven Rogers Earth-16832 is a variant of the original Steve Rogers. Going by the alias “The Captain,” he initially believes himself to be a reincarnation of his former self. However, it’s later revealed that this version of Steven was created by a nearly omnipotent race known as the Beyonders, who dwell outside the Multiverse.
Forced to fight in The Killiseum, The Captain becomes one of Battle World’s champions. Interestingly, this isn’t the first time a Gladiator skin for Captain America has appeared in a video game. As recently as 2022,Marvel’s Avengersadded a gladiator skin for Captain America, following Hulk and Thor cosmetics inspired by Planet Hulk and the 2017 filmThor: Ragnarok.Now, after its November 19 reveal,Marvel Rivalsis following suit by introducing an exciting gladiator-themed variant for Steve Rogers.
Future Marvel Rivals Skins Could Borrow From Marvel 1602
Marvel 1602is a limited eight-issue comic bookthat was published by Marvel Comics in 2003, though it also led to the conception of sequels such as1602: New World,Marvel 1602: Fantastick Four, andSpider-Man: 1602. The first series takes place in a timeline where the superheroes exist in the Elizabethan era, alongside historical figures like Queen Elizabeth I of England, her successor King James I, and Virginia Dare. Notably,Marvel 1602has a massive roster of heroes and villains including, but not limited to:
Moreover,Marvel 1602features a distinct art style achieved through the “enhanced pencils” technique, which sends pencil drawings to the colorist first instead of an inker. Andy Kubert handled the penciling to achieve this look, Richard Isanove digitally painted the illustrations, and Scott McKowen created scratchboard covers. This approach emphasized cleaner, more elaborate linework, which could be pretty compelling among the otherstunning visuals ofMarvel Rivals.
Ultimately, while the story was loosely adapted from Disney+’s andMarvel’sWhat Ifanimated series, introducing cosmetics inspired by this unique storyline into NetEase Games' super-powered shooter could be a step in the right direction. After all, the positive reception to Captain America’s gladiator skin, with comments like “totally left-field, and I love it” under the announcement post on X (formerly Twitter), suggests players may also embrace cosmetics based on other lesser-known but artistically intriguing comic series.
