A gorgeous new piece of X-Men cosplay art pays homage to a stunning cover of the mutant Magik by artist Jorge Molina.

The fan-favorite hero Magik, or Illyana Rasputina, is one of the most prominent of the New Mutants. The sister to X-Men Colossus and former Sorcerer Supreme and ruler of Limbo, Magik is an incredibly powerful mutant with vast teleportation abilities. Now, the cosplay collaboration between digital artist Pat Loika (@patloika) and cosplayer Caitlin Contagious (@caitlincontagious) shows exactly why Magik is such an iconic mutant hero.

The gorgeous cosplay collaboration was revealed by the talented photographer and digital artist Loika. It is a chilling homage to the cover for New Mutants #28 - by artist Jorge Molina - which depicts Magik facing off against a horde of horrifying demons, whose attack could be real or a metaphor for the young woman's intense trauma.

Magik Has Gone Through A Lot At The Hands Of Demons

New Mutants #28 Jorge Molina Cover-1

Magik is perhaps best known for her time spent as a prisoner of the demon Belasco in the Hell realm of Limbo, and the trauma she suffered from her years long imprisonment, which has shaped much of her history since. While her time in the shadow of Belasco's abuse has forged the hero into a resilient and impressively brave young woman, Vita Ayala's recent run on New Mutants - in particular the "Trials of Magik" arc - gave closure to much of Illyana's horrifying experiences while in Limbo, returning much of the characters' agency, and giving her an opportunity to truly heal. Yet back in 2011, when New Mutants Vol 3 #28 debuted, Magik was still very much dealing with the impact of Limbo's legacy on her heroism. Illyana had been imprisoned by Cyclops in New Mutants #25 after tricking the X-Men into defeating Limbo's horrific Elder Gods, a trick which threatened to destroy the world if the heroes had not succeeded.

Pat Loika and Caitlin Contagious' cosplay art is an absolutely breathtaking, and chilling, homage to Jorge Molina's cover, which depicts Magik in her X-Men prison cell being haunted by the demons of her past. New Mutants #28 does not depict this cover's scene exactly, but it does have a group of Limbo demons invading the X-Brig where Magik is being kept prisoner in an attempt to rescue her. However, she denies their help saying that she "wants a life," and is not interested in being Queen of Limbo any longer.

In describing Molina's masterful cover Loika said, "Sometimes a piece of art es by, and it leaves you in a state of awe, and it’s just never leaves you." He went on to say that he was inspired to photograph Caitlin in this pose back in 2019, but did not feel comfortable recreating Molina's cover until now, when his digital art and editing skills had greatly improved. Loika's impressive editing gives Caitlin's Magik cosplay, where she is wearing the same costume Illyana wears in New Mutants Vol 3, the addition of the magical and mutant restraints placed on her by Cyclops and Danger, while providing his own terrifying interpretation of the Limbo demons coming to haunt the complex young hero.

Marvel Rasputin Vertical

Magik has been a beloved and fan-favorite character for years now, nearly as popular as other X-Men mainstays like Wolverine, Storm, and Jean Grey. Her simple yet unique costumes and looks seem to be the perfect outfits for cosplayers to painstakingly replicate. The impressively intimidating Soulsword that Magik uses, combined with her stark white-blonde hair and classic headgear make her a cosplay favorite, and Pat Loika and Caitlin Contagious' Magik interpretation brings her cosplay to a whole new level of homage.

The X-Men mutant Magik is one of the most beloved, and complex, heroes in the Marvel Universe, and this absolutely beautiful cosplay homage to Jorge Molina's cover for New Mutants Vol 3 #28 is the perfectly chilling reminder of how far Illyana Rasputina has come.

Source: Pat Loika