A clever new piece of fan art turns four Pokemon into members of the X-Men. The images in question show the first-generation creature Psyduck as X-Men leader Professor X and Mewtwo as his best friend turned arch-nemesis, Magneto. Squirtle joins the action as Iceman with a Greninja reimagined as Gambit. The images are among many pieces of art that combine Pokemon with members of the X-Men.
First introduced in the first generation of Pokemon, Psyduck is one of the most recognizable creatures within the franchise. First introduced in Pokemon Red and Blue, it was able to learn both Water and Psychic moves and would appear in nearly every video game installment. Since its first appearance, the duck creature has been honored with a number of artistic tributes, including a Psyduck ashtray. Squirtle and Mewtwo were likewise introduced in the first generation while Greninja first appeared in Pokemon X and Y. A more recent piece of fan art, however, shows the character as one of the most iconic members of the X-Men.
In a recent post, Reddit user Selfishly_Efficient shared a tribute to Psyduck, Mewtwo, Squirtle, and Greninja. The artwork imagined Psyduck as the iconic leader of the X-Men, Professor Charles Xavier. In place of a wheelchair, the Pokemon instead seems to be traveling in a Poke Ball. The second piece shows Mewtwo as X-Men antagonist Magneto, dressed up in the character's iconic outfit from the 90s. Squirtle appears covered in ice as Iceman while Greninja is covered in Gambit's clothes. It is one of the latest pieces of fan art that shows Pokemon combined with X-Men characters.
Like Psyduck, Mewtwo first appeared in Pokemon's first generation. The creature was available for the player to capture after they defeated the Elite Four in Pokemon Red, Blue, and Yellow. Later on, the character would get an expanded backstory in Pokemon: The First Movie, where it was revealed that it was a clone of Mew. Mewtwo would be available in Pokemon Let's Go to players once again.
Both Magneto and Professor X were introduced to the world in 1963 in X-Men #1. Since then both characters have shifted back and forth as good guys and bad guys. Breaking Bad star Giancarlo Esposito is a fan favorite to play Professor X in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and is rumored to be in talks for the role. So long as the X-Men remain popular, however, it is likely that Pokemon tributes like this will continue to find their way to the internet regardless of who is playing the part in live action.