Marvel just confirmed what fans suspected: Swimsuit skins are strutting into Marvel Rivals – and they’re debuting in print first.
Marvel Swimsuit Special: Friends, Foes & Rivals #1 drops July 9. It stars Janet van Dyne (the Wasp) roping Marvel heroes and villains into a globe-trotting swimwear shoot.
The comic features new costume designs, which will appear in Marvel Rivals as part of a summer event. Expect fan favorites like Spider-Man, Psylocke, and Iron Man – and maybe newcomers like Cyclops and Jean Grey.
Marvel revives discontinued Swimsuit Special to reveal Rivals’ summer skins
Marvel’s bringing back its long-retired Swimsuit Special to help debut Rivals’ highly anticipated summer skins. The cult-favorite ‘90s comic is officially revived with a new plot, splashy art, and enough summer skin to require SPF 100.
Tim Seeley and Tony Fleecs handle writing. Artists like Nick Bradshaw, Marguerite Sauvage, and Luciano Vecchio are on visuals.
Yes, it’s mostly an excuse for pinups. No, we’re not complaining.
Marvel calls the issue a “super-sized special” with “splash page after splash page of gorgeous art,” and “a story so you can pretend you’re reading it for the articles.”
The comic is a playful tribute to the original Swimsuit Special, which ran through the ‘90s and featured “tongue-in-cheek articles and descriptions” of heroes flexing in exotic locales.
SWIMSUIT SKINS INCOMING
The Marvel Swimsuit Special comic book is returning for the first time in 30 years with Friends, Foes, Rivals’ #1 on July 9th. A press release for the issue promises that it will “include designs for new costumes coming soon” to #MarvelRivals. pic.twitter.com/4t1DJE462m
— Miller Ross (@mmmmmmmmiller) April 17, 2025
Miller Ross, community manager for Marvel Rivals, confirmed the connection on X: “The Marvel Swimsuit Special comic book is returning for the first time in 30 years… It will include designs for new costumes coming soon to #MarvelRivals.”
When a fan joked, “It’s gonna be the thing 10 women and Jeff 
,” Ross clapped back: “I believe this is likely to end up being evenly split by gender.”
Fans wasted no time. “Time for the Venom thong skin.” That’s going to be particularly funny with his twerking emote, no doubt.
Another added, “Sauvage and Vecchio on the list is promising.” And one nailed it: “These devs know what sells and would be DAMNED if they didn’t capitalize on it.”
With summer skins surfacing and older ones getting quiet tweaks, Marvel Rivals is clearly in its swimsuit era.
