History EarlyInstallmentCharacterDesignDifference / MarvelUniverse

** Today, the ''Ultimate'' version of ComicBook/NickFury is probably best known for being [[ComicBookFantasyCasting closely modeled after]] actor Creator/SamuelLJackson, with the assumption that Jackson was always destined to play Fury on the big screen. Understandably, it can be a bit jarring to read Ultimate Nick Fury's first appearance in ''ComicBook/UltimateXMen'''s 2001 story arc "Return to Weapon X", where [[ArtEvolution he looked nothing like Jackson]]. While [[RaceLift still African-American]], Fury had noticeably lighter skin than Jackson, and was drawn with a fade haircut instead of Jackson's distinctive shaved head. He also wore [[BadassInANiceSuit a very stylish white suit]] rather than the black BadassLongCoat that would later become his IconicOutfit.

** During her first appearance in Creator/EdBrubaker's run on ''ComicBook/CaptainAmerica2005'', Janice Lincoln, the new Beetle, was clearly a white woman. Her expanded role in ''ComicBook/TheSuperiorFoesOfSpiderMan'' would later reveal she was the Afro-Dominican daughter of [[ScaryBlackMan Tombstone]], and her skin was darkened to reflect this development.

** During her first appearance in Creator/EdBrubaker's run, Janice Lincoln, the new Beetle, was clearly a white woman. Her expanded role in ''Comicbook/TheSuperiorFoesOfSpiderMan'' would later reveal she was the Afro-Dominican daughter of [[ScaryBlackMan Tombstone]], and her skin was darkened to reflect this development.

** Characters/DoctorDoom didn't have a flowing cape when he first appeared, and [[https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSvI4a5T77BUxEbFz6Hnu7uoQ13s8l21GuNZA&usqp=CAU his green tunic looked more like a jumpsuit worn over his armor]].

EarlyInstallmentCharacterDesignDifference in this series.

* ComicBook/BlackWidow originally had black hair, and wore a much more flamboyant costume that included a mask, fishnets and a cape. Natasha would bring the costume back years later just to tease Tony Stark at the end of a mission in Russia in an issue of ''ComicBook/IronMan''. Not to mention her very first outfit as FemmeFataleSpy which was a green dress, scarf and hat.

* In TheSeventies, ComicBook/{{Blade}} was drawn in a positively ''groovy'' green outfit with oversized sunglasses and a funky afro. His badass leather ensemble only began to take shape in TheNineties, before being solidified by [[Film/{{Blade}} the 1998 movie]].

* When Tiberius Stone was first introduced in ''ComicBook/IronMan'', he was handsome, athletic, fashionable, and blond. When he joined the cast of ''Amazing Spider-Man'' during Dan Slott's run, he was redesigned to have darker hair, a scrawny build, and a nerdy fashion sense.

** During Creator/SteveDitko's run, the wall-crawler had noticeable, dramatic webs under his armpits. These mostly disappeared over time as other artists took over, to the point most people don't know they were ever part of the costume. He was also incredibly skinny, to the point he almost looked malnourished. When Ditko left, so did the GeekPhysique. As well, his first appearance had the large spider on his back be blue. All subsequent appearances would turn it red. Peter also had blue eyes, and kept wearing his glasses for the first handful of issues before ditching them. Another detail that is easily missed was that in his first issue Spidey [[https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSJztARpJewu_lunhCO3W6BpjTFo1tq3n8ACw&usqp=CAU appeared to have eye holes or at least visible pupils in his mask]], whether it was a mistake or intentional choice to empathise the moment is unknown but either way Peter’s eye lenses never show his pupils like that again.
** ComicBook/DoctorOctopus wore a white lab outfit during his first appearance in ''Amazing Spider-Man'' #3, followed by a very plain purple outfit when he returned in issue #11. His iconic green jumpsuit didn't debut until issue #53, and even then, it lacked the yellow collar, gloves and boots, which wouldn't be added until issue #88.
** ComicBook/GwenStacy in her first appearance is very dissimilar to the iconic look she’s known for nowadays. No Brigitte Bardot headband, green jacket or purple skirt (which were her death clothes) she’s instead [[https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSernnJT2ocAXCfsZIsA_BU-tHgfzN2KsJ9mQ&usqp=CAU she had pinned up hair and a red dress as well as arching eyebrows]] which went along with her haughty AlphaBitch introduction. It wasn’t until John Romita Sr. showed up that Gwen’s features softened and by ASM #47 her signature headband showed up. The green coat would come even later when she starting dating Peter.
** The Vulture had tail feathers on his costume in his first appearance, which were dropped for his subsequent outings.
** In his debut appearance, ComicBook/{{Venom}} lacked his razor-sharp [[FangsAreEvil fangs]] and long, bestial tongue. Instead, Venom donned a prominent SlasherSmile with regular human teeth and looked less monstrous overall.

** ComciBook/{{Gambit|MarvelComics}} had pretty different look when he first appeared to a de-aged Storm in the 90s. Firstly his irises were white rather than red and his [[https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSmI4GRMdoyKsCubr_6uG28EhGflOR21SmQUw&usqp=CAU face was creepy and long]] (Claremont had initially intended him to be secretly a younger Mr.Sinister who would be a EvilMentor before changing his mind) upon joining the X-Men Gambit gained the dashingly handsome and chiseled look he’s known for. Not to mention the cover depicts him as having purple thighs with stripes along with blue full gloves and boots almost [[CoversAlwaysLie none]] of which was used proper.

* While the top of [[Comicbook/SubMariner Namor]]'s head often looks flat, his Golden Age adventures sometimes had him drawn with a large, exaggeratedly triangular skull that made him resemble an alien. His green trunks were also variously colored red, black or blue depending on the issue, which continued into the early Silver Age. The other members of Namor's race also looked completely different in the earliest stories, with large, bulging eyes and fish-like appearances. This was gradually toned down until they came to resemble humans with blue skin instead.

** ComicBook/{{Beast|Marvel Comics}} originally looked like an ordinary human, albeit one with enlarged hands and feet. He didn't gain his iconic apelike appearance until the ''Amazing Adventures'' series in TheSeventies, and even then, his fur was initially ''gray'', [[HairColorDissonance then black]], before finally being described as blue in the pages of ''The Avengers''.

** Most of the new costumes from issue #39 fall under this trope. The new design for ComicBook/{{Cyclops}} was well received and became his default look for many years, but none of the others had quite as much staying power. These included Beast wearing a red and blue bodysuit with a mask similar to the one on the old uniforms, and ComicBook/JeanGrey donning a miniskirt with a mask and go-go boots. Of note, the green and yellow color scheme would later be used for her Phoenix outfit, and the go-go outfit would go on to reappear several more times throughout the character's history, including the end of ''ComicBook/TheDarkPhoenixSaga'' and during Creator/JonathanHickman's [[ComicBook/HouseAndPowersOfX run]].

** [[Characters/MarvelComicsGambit Gambit]] had pretty different look when he first appeared to a de-aged Storm in the 90s. Firstly his irises were white rather than red and his [[https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSmI4GRMdoyKsCubr_6uG28EhGflOR21SmQUw&usqp=CAU face was creepy and long]] (Claremont had initially intended him to be secretly a younger Mr.Sinister who would be a EvilMentor before changing his mind) upon joining the X-Men Gambit gained the dashingly handsome and chiseled look he’s known for. Not to mention the cover depicts him as having purple thighs with stripes along with blue full gloves and boots almost [[CoversAlwaysLie none]] of which was used proper.
** ComicBook/{{Jubilee}} had an entirely different design in debut wearing [[https://2.bp.blogspot.com/roTzpeWfR7ThSvwTVoWVaGTSXxO0Md72NX9PJuX4ouN-KcUtPjC4m131SjLvBGWV550UYKyeXTuq=s1600?rhlupa=MjAwMTo4MDAzOjE2NDA6ZTEwMDpiODMxOjg5ZmQ6YzQwYjoxY2Mx&rnvuka=TW96aWxsYS81LjAgKGlQaG9uZTsgQ1BVIGlQaG9uZSBPUyAxNl80XzEgbGlrZSBNYWMgT1MgWCkgQXBwbGVXZWJLaXQvNjA1LjEuMTUgKEtIVE1MLCBsaWtlIEdlY2tvKSBWZXJzaW9uLzE2LjQgTW9iaWxlLzE1RTE0OCBTYWZhcmkvNjA0LjE= a blue jacket, black shirt and blue skirt]]. It wasn’t until until issue #257 that she got her yellow trench coat that’s stuck with her decades as well as her shades, though the blue shorts and gloves wouldn’t come until later on when she joined the X-Men proper as [[https://2.bp.blogspot.com/6CT7WtmxMFBomIe3dlbOk15BoHxXtF5dBdfCPPxdUWb7xV9UkWvoe4GtzTRBOn3kF2bveqCmAMEl=s1600?rhlupa=MTIwLjE1OC4zMC4xOTY=&rnvuka=TW96aWxsYS81LjAgKGlQaG9uZTsgQ1BVIGlQaG9uZSBPUyAxNl80XzEgbGlrZSBNYWMgT1MgWCkgQXBwbGVXZWJLaXQvNjA1LjEuMTUgKEtIVE1MLCBsaWtlIEdlY2tvKSBWZXJzaW9uLzE2LjQgTW9iaWxlLzE1RTE0OCBTYWZhcmkvNjA0LjE= they were green]] making her similar looking to ComicBook/{{Robin}}.
** Comicbook/{{Sabretooth}}'s first costume lacked the character's signature headpiece. Additionally, while Sabretooth himself was still pretty beefy, he wasn't quite as massive as he would later be drawn as.

* In her first appearance, Comicbook/AmericaChavez wore a (very {{Stripperiffic}}) costume, despite ''Comicbook/YoungAvengers'' later establishing that she prefers CivvieSpandex because she thinks costumes are stupid.

* ''Comicbook/UltimateMarvel'':

** In his first appearance in ''Comicbook/UltimateMarvelTeamUp'', Comicbook/IronMan had a completely different armor that looked more akin to his mainline universe suits, rather than the blockier, bulkier design he would later sport in ''Comicbook/TheUltimates''.

** ComicBook/GwenStacy in her first appearance is very dissimilar to the iconic look she’s known for nowadays. No Brigitte Bardot hairband, green jacket or purple skirt (which where her death clothes) she’s instead [[https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSernnJT2ocAXCfsZIsA_BU-tHgfzN2KsJ9mQ&usqp=CAU she had pinned up hair and a red dress as well as arching eyebrows]] which went along with her haughty AlphaBitch introduction. It wasn’t until John Romita Sr. showed up that Gwen’s features softened and by ASM #47 her signature hairband showed up. The green coat would come even later when she starting dating Peter.

** The ears on ComicBook/{{Wolverine}}'s mask were originally far smaller when he first showed up in ''The Incredible Hulk'', and Logan himself was less hairy. His eyes could also be seen in his first appearance (rather than featureless white) and the mouth has a ridged line design that was scrapped by the time he showed in ''Giant Sized X-Men''. He was also originally taller, appearing to be around 5'5 instead of 5'2.

** During Creator/SteveDitko's run, the wall-crawler had noticeable, dramatic webs under his armpits. These mostly disappeared over time as other artists took over, to the point most people don't know they were ever part of the costume. He was also incredibly skinny, to the point he almost looked malnourished. When Ditko left, so did the GeekPhysique. As well, his first appearance had the large spider on his back be blue. All subsequent appearances would turn it red. Peter also had blue eyes, and kept wearing his glasses for the first handful of issues before ditching them.

** The Golden Age ComicBook/{{Human Torch|1939}} was originally drawn as a human-shaped blob of flames, before his design was refined so that his physical body was clearly outlined, with largely vertical black lines to define his musculature. When Johnny Storm became the new ComicBook/HumanTorch, Kirby initially drew him with an even more vaguely human-shaped blob of flames than the original Torch in his earliest appearances. Kirby soon updated Johnny's appearance to the "classic" Torch design, but made Johnny's facial features visible to distinguish him from the earlier Torch.
** ComicBook/DoctorDoom didn't have a flowing cape when he first appeared, and [[https://static.comicvine.com/uploads/original/11/113509/6923538-doom%20look.jpg his green tunic looked more like a jumpsuit worn over his armor]].

** The ears on ComicBook/{{Wolverine}}'s mask were originally far smaller when he first showed up in ''The Incredible Hulk'', and Logan himself was less hairy. He was also originally taller, appearing to be around 5'5 instead of 5'2.

** When ComicBook/{{Rogue}} first debuted in the pages of ''ComicBook/TheAvengers'', she had a more homely appearance and [[OlderThanTheyLook was visibly older]] than her actual age. She was only redesigned to look [[ProgressivelyPrettier younger and prettier]] once she became a member of the X-Men.

* ComicBook/BlackWidow originally had black hair, and wore a much more flamboyant costume that included a mask, fishnets and a cape. Natasha would bring the costume back years later just to tease Tony Stark at the end of a mission in Russia in an issue of ''ComicBook/IronMan''.