As the X-Men prepare to turn the page on a new chapter with the upcoming Hellfire Gala, much has been made of the fashion of the event. A new image focuses on Professor Xavier and his imposing security detail, confirming this new version of Xavier is about as far from the kindly, wheelchair-bound mentor as one can get. If anything, it seems Xavier has become more grandiose, something reflected in his fashion choice.
Marvel has been teasing sneak peeks of the Hellfire Gala, the setting for a massive twelve-issue story which will redefine the X-Men. The gala, hosted by the Hellfire Trading Corporation, will see the mutants of Krakoa speaking with representatives of the world's governments and agencies. As such, many of the mutants are donning new formal wear as befitting of the swanky setting, with each costume created by mutant fashion designer Jumbo Carnation.
In a recent Tweet, Marvel Entertainment posted an image of Professor Xavier in his gala fashion. Professor X is seen wearing a white bodysuit as well as stylized boots and gauntlets with golden highlights made from the same substance. The costumes also features a corsage that hangs off of the frilled neckline, also with subtle gold highlights. Even his all-white Cerebro helmet features the same trace amount of gold.
Professor Xavier's redesign has been one of the most subtly off-putting elements of Dawn of X. While the character is most familiar as the X-Men's bald mentor in a wheelchair, Dawn of X casts Xavier, having regained the use of his legs, in an imposing Cerebro helmet that hides most of his face. The redesign certainly has more than a little in common with that of Maker, the corrupted Reed Richards of the Ultimate Universe. The parallels certainly aren't lost on those around Xavier, with many heroes - and even some villains - commenting that Xavier is behaving more like a villain than a hero, much less the mentor of a team of heroes.
The fashion for the Hellfire Gala highlights these changes to Professor Xavier. While the color white can typically be seen as a color of good and purity, it can also be a symbol of self-righteousness. The gold highlights are also very interesting, as the color itself could also be a symbol of greed and corruption. Much of the X-Men reboot up until now has seen Professor Xavier consolidate power in and around the mutant island-nation of Krakoa. His Hellfire gala duds could be seen as a symbol of the corrupting nature of the power Xavier has accumulated over the course of the reboot. It also shows how grandiose the mutant leader now sees himself, who is becoming increasingly more like his long-time friend Magneto.
Readers will have to wait to see just what changes the Hellfire Gala brings to not only Xavier, but to the rest of Krakoa, including the X-Men. However, one thing is for certain, as this new version of Professor Xavier is walking down a very different - and potentially darker - path for mutantkind.
Source: Marvel/Twitter