One X-Men '97 Actor Just Cosplayed As Their Character – And It's Perfect

A year ago, who would've thought that "X-Men '97" would make it all the way to the Emmys? The show overcame a premise that screamed cheap nostalgia (and behind-the-scenes problems) to become a critical darling. "X-Men '97" ultimately came up short for Outstanding Animated Program to "Blue Eye Samurai," but it remains easily one of Marvel Studios' best recent achievements.

Many of the show's cast and crew attended the ceremony, but if there was an award for Best Dressed, it had to go to Lenore Zann, the voice of Rogue. Rather than typical formalwear, Zann chose to cosplay her character. (Take a look at the outfit on Zann's Instagram.)

Zann, who returned after voicing Rogue in the original 1992 "X-Men" cartoon, has had one of the most illustrious careers among her castmates. From 2009 to 2021, she even served as an elected legislator in the Nova Scotia Assembly and then the national Canadian parliament. Even so, she still considers her time on "X-Men" — and her recent return — a career highlight. Her upcoming memoir "A Rogue's Tale" is titled after the "X-Men" season 2 episode that first revealed Rogue's backstory. I'm not surprised that she's the one who went all out on mutant pride. 

Rogue has two costumes in "X-Men '97." Her one from the original series (first designed by Jim Lee in Marvel Comics), a green-and-yellow bodysuit with a short-sleeved army green bomber jacket. Towards the end, she switches to a green-and-white hooded outfit. She also has the best hair on the team; a sea of curls she lets hang loose, colored auburn brown with a thick white streak on top. 

Since green is Rogue's signature shade, that's the color of Zann's gown. It's closer to Rogue's second outfit, especially its hood. Zann's suit, which adds thick green sunglasses and a wig matching Rogue's distinctive 'do, is not just a Rogue-themed gown, though. It's a recreation of the character's own black tie costume.

From 2021 to 2023, the "X-Men" comics had an annual tradition called the Hellfire Gala. The in-universe set-up is that Emma Frost's Hellfire Trading Company held a yearly gala (open to all mutants) on the island of Krakoa. In the vein of the real-life Met Gala, guests would show up in flashy, ostentatious, and expensive-looking outfits. (See the whole line-up of Hellfire Gala 2021, designed by artist Russell Dauterman, below.)

Marvel Comics

Out-of-universe, Marvel published three "Hellfire Gala" special one-shots each of those years, and different "X-Men" comic series would converge around the event. Rogue as worn by Zann is modeled on the design from Hellfire Gala 2023. The artist who designed the costume, Luciano Vecchio, took note and shared his excitement on Twitter.

So, this happened:
The ICONIC @ZannLenore , who plays Rogue in X-Men ´97, recreated the look I designed for X-Men Hellfire Gala 2023 and wore it at The Emmys!

I'm speechless, mind blown, dead and reborn, not in my wildest dream could I have imagined this.
Thank you Lenore!!! pic.twitter.com/d6j9GqWY9M

— Luciano Vecchio (@LucianoVecchio) September 9, 2024

Compare Rogue's looks at the 2021 Hellfire Gala (a dapper green collar-and-gloved-suit designed by Dauterman) and the 2022 event (a fur-trimmed bodysuit that, per artist Mad Mahmud Asrar, covers all Rogue's skin except her face because of how dangerous her absorbing powers can be.)

Marvel Comics

Marvel Comics

Vecchio's 2023 look (and Zann's recreation of it) also conveys character through fashion choice. Note the long green opera gloves, which again keep Rogue from making skin contact; even covering her neckline with a hood reinforces that. The top half of the costume is a long dress worthy of any Southern Belle, but it parts at the waist, revealing black leather shorts, fishnets, and black knee-high boots. That part of the design reflects Rogue's kick-ass and punch-first attitude.

Zann went the extra mile to dress for the occasion by picking not just any Rogue costume, but one that was designed for an event like the Emmys.

"X-Men '97" is streaming on Disney+. Season 2 is currently in production.