This is a personal fan-fiction variation on the X-Men. I thought it would be a fun exercise to do the X-Men in an alternate medieval/fantasy reality. Prejudice and discrimination were rampant in our history. Being a darker and less civilized time, fear and hatred ran deeper making it an interesting setting for the X-Men. The task to protect and defend the ‘gifted’ would be near insurmountable. 

Wolve’rune – Loghand
 

Loghand is not just another grouchy dwarf, unlike other dwarves he has the ability to heal quickly. He earned his surname Wolve’rüne with his fierce temperament and his odd ability to return from battles unscathed. The name roughly translates from dwarvish as the ‘The Stone Wolf.’ Stone and earth being long lasting and enduring, while wolves being ferocious ill tempered beasts; thus the name Wolve’rüne.

 

Wolve’rüne’s past is a mystery for he doesn’t even remember it. His earliest memory was being dug out from a cave-in by his dwarf clan. Emerging with no injuries and having a suspiciously long life, the dwarves feared he was either cursed or meddling in the dark arts. Due to strict dwarven law against dark magic he was severely judged and exiled. Refusing to speak to him in any manner, they mercifully only told him his name.

 

Character concept explorations. More images can be found on my website: http://natehallinan.com/wolverune/

 

(Personal notes) Making Wolverine a dwarf just seemed so fitting especially with his famous demeanor and already being short in the comics. In fact, he was the first character I thought of and it inspired the rest of the series. Yes, his name is ridiculous but Dwarves often have such literal or obscure names. His crazy hair and costume also plays well to popular dwarf iconography. Since he doesn’t have much need for armor, I designed what little he does wear to be more offensive in nature.

Lord Charles Xavier
 

He is the lord and founder of The Order of X. Charles developed the abilities to read, control, and influence human minds. He formed The Order because he saw and felt the injustice happening to the ‘gifted’ people around him. Understanding his role he felt that it was his noble duty to protect these people.

 

Tragically, Charles was mortally wounded in an encounter with a black dragon as a young adult. Before the dragon could kill Xavier and his soldiers, Xavier forced his mind onto the Dragon’s. Not only did this stop the dragon but Xavier was able to tame it. This was the first time in history that a man was able to gain obedience over a dragon.

Character concept explorations. http://natehallinan.com/lordxavier/

 

(Personal notes) You can see I obviously liked Patrick Stewart’s portrayal of Professor X. He’s played kings in other roles and what better fit for this reinterpretation. Why fix what isn’t broken? You might have guessed but the black dragon is the re-imagination of the Blackbird jet. I also had fun playing with the combination of a throne and a wheelchair; it became a character in itself. The words engraved into the back are Mutatis Mutandis.

Cyclops – Scott Summers
 

Scott and his younger brother were both orphans who grew up fending for themselves on the streets. The day Scott’s ability manifested he accidentally destroyed several buildings and set fire to half the village. In the chaos of everything Scott lost sight of his brother for he couldn’t open his eye without causing more destruction. Xavier, perceiving the trouble, quickly dispatched members from his order to rescue Scott.

 

Scott has the ability to emit a destructive beam from his eyes. He has learned, for the most part, to live without his sight. He wears a protective blindfold that keeps him from opening his eyes as well as from being easily removed. Needing to cover his eyes all time, people have spread rumors that he is actually a cyclops with a magical destructive eye. False as this may be, he enjoys being called Cyclops; striking fear in his enemies.

(Personal notes) Cyclops was a serious conflict for me. It just didn’t seem realistic that they would have the ability to make a functional visor for him in a time period like this. So I thought, what if hes just blind for the most part? Only using his ability for those ‘Hail Mary’ moments. Jean and Scott could grow close together needing her assistance on and off the battlefield. He could somehow fill the ‘blind-wise’ leader role.

Phoenix – Lady Jean Grey
 

Jean comes from the noble family of Grey. She was a bit of a tomboy growing up. Her parents despised and discouraged her unladylike behavior, but once she developed unnatural abilities, her family feared the worse. Lord Xavier offered her parents an opportunity to provide her with guidance and protection; they reluctantly accepted.

 

Phoenix is a name that the Lady Grey eventually earned in battle. With Jean’s telepathic and telekinetic abilities, she became formidable archer. Flying further and surer than anyone else’s, her arrows never miss their target. When they are lit afire; they burn brighter and some say they are guided by a phoenix. It didn’t help that her hair was also a fiery red.

(Personal notes) Jean Grey always seemed like a weak second-hand member of the x-men. (Until she turned into the Phoenix of course.) I liked the idea of making her a stronger character. Xavier saw the potential in her ability and combined it with archery and other weaponry. With Scott’s visual disability, he would depend on her aid.

Nightcrawler – Kyrt V’wagnyr
 

(Kyrt V’wagnyr roughly translates from elven as Nightcrawler.) Kyrt never knew his real parents. He was found by a band of elves as an infant. They were on a twilight march, celebrating the new moon, when they found him crawling next to his basket on a riverbank. They happily adopted him seeing that he was part elf. His enchanting midnight appearance and mysterious abilities makes him highly regarded among elves. Magic runs deep in the race of elves but Kyrt’s abilities are more potent than most.

 

Kyrt joined The Order of X because he, being different himself, strongly believes in their quest. Additionally, Xavier’s family has always been friends of the elves. Kyrt also hopes that one day he might find answers to his past and discover who his parents are.

(Personal notes) Elves have become clean-shaven beings in popular media. I felt it would be fun to make elves in this reality closer to nature like animals and, in contrast, slightly more fury. (Maybe also have tails?)

Stormbringer – Ororo
 

As a young adult, Xavier met Ororo as a child on one of his quests. He caught her trying to steal his coin purse with his mind, but when he did, he saw her potential. He offered her a home where she would never have to steal again. Henrick McCoy took her in as one of his apprentices.

 

Ororo eventually developed the ability to manipulate weather. For obvious reasons, she gained the name Stormbringer. Many presume that she is a witch from a distant land, even worse, some even fear that she has control of Xavier’s mind with a spell. Unwavering to these rumors, Xavier considers Ororo as one of his most trusted counselors.

(Personal Notes) I really liked playing up the idea of a priestess or white robed witch for Storm in this type of genre. The contrast of looking feminine or fragile (unfit for battle) yet being extremely powerful. I really love characters that hide their potential.

Colossus – Peter Rasputin
 

The mountain of metal; Colossus. His father was a blacksmith and eventually apprenticed him in the family trade. Hard labor made Peter strong but he was always larger than the other kids. His size and strength even made certain people nervous. Others even rumored that it was ‘unnatural.’

 

By happenstance, he developed the ability to cover his body in metal and increase his strength. He discovered his abilities in his youth when his younger sister became trapped under a collapsed cart. When villagers witnessed his transformation they became frightened. Thinking that Peter might be some monsters, a mob formed and came after him and his family. They couldn’t harm Peter but he couldn’t protect his family without harming the villagers. Peter and his family were driven from their home but they found refuge in the land protected by Lord Xavier.

(Personal notes) I didn’t want Colossus to have the typical perfectly sculpted bodybuilder look he usually does. I wanted his form to come across as though he gained it from hard labor. The best reference were guys from strongman competitions. His name is after all is Colossus, so I not only wanted him to be mountainous in muscle but pretty thick as well. I also thought it would be cool to make more iron (not chrome) giving him a darker, rough, natural look.

Beast – Henrick McCoy
 

Henrick’s mind is as fierce as his appearance. Henrick was given the name “Beast” as an ironic term of endearment. He is loved by his peers and is one of most wise and trusted members of Xavier’s council. He is well educated and continues to be a scholar of many disciplines.

(Personal notes) There are several versions of Beast in the Marvel universe, but I thought it would be fun to do my own and make him more bear-like. Beorn from The Hobbit has always been an interesting character to me so I took the chance using him as an influence. The challenge to figuring out Beast’s appearance is making him seem intelligent as well as fierce. Quite a challenge with those polar characterizations.