Get Ready To Cool Off Poolside in Marvel Swimsuit Special: Friends, Foes & Rivals #1

By Chad Burdette

on July 7, 2025

Throughout the ‘90s, fans enjoyed a lighter side of the Marvel Universe in Marvel Swimsuit Special, an annual one-shot that featured breathtaking artwork of Marvel characters in beach attire and swimwear. This unique and beloved special makes its long-demanded return this July in MARVEL SWIMSUIT SPECIAL: FRIENDS, FOES & RIVALS #1!

Primarily an artist showcase, Marvel Swimsuit Special presented pinups from the industry’s top talents in a magazine-style format, complete with tongue-in-cheek articles and descriptions.

Each year, a light-hearted plot brought the heroes to a different setting, from the jungles of the Savage Land to the shores of Monster Island. MARVEL SWIMSUIT SPECIAL: FRIENDS, FOES & RIVALS #1 continues the tradition with an overarching story written by Tim Seeley and Tony Fleecs and drawn by superstar artist Nick Bradshaw that stars Earth’s Mightiest fashion designer, Janet Van Dyne, aka the Wasp! In addition to Bradshaw, fans can look forward to unforgettable, instantly-iconic imagery from top artists like Nic Klein, Marguerite Sauvage, Luciano Vecchio and more.

Mark Brooks Wraparound Variant Cover

Taurin Clarke Variant Cover

Terry Dodson Variant Cover:

Lucas Werneck Variant Cover:

Russell Dauterman Variant / 1:50 Incentive Virgin Variant Cover

Pablo Villalobos Variant / 1:100 Incentive Virgin Variant Cover

Ivan Tao 616 Comics / Comic Traders Variant / Virgin Variant Cover:

Shannon Maer 616 Comics / Comic Traders Variant / Virgin Variant Cover:

J. Scott Campbell Webstore Black Cat Variant Cover:

Greg Horn KRS Comics / Sad Lemon Comics / The Comic Mint / 7 Ate 9 Comics Variant / Virgin Variant Cover:

Marvel Swimsuit Special: Friends, Foes & Rivals #1

Roxxon Comics is at it again when they release their own UNAUTHORIZED SWIMSUIT SPECIAL! Wasp is on the case and seizes the opportunity for Marvel’s heroes to do their OWN swimwear fashion shoot all over the world! But fear not, True Believers, we know what you’re REALLY here for!

This super-sized special features splash page after splash page of gorgeous art, but with a story so you can pretend you’re “reading it for the articles”…

Creative Team

Writer: Tim Seeley & Tony Fleecs,
Artist: Mahmud Asrar, Nick Bradshaw, Aaron Kuder, David Marquez, Ron Lim, Nic Klein, Mirka Andolfo, Luciano Vecchio, Marguerite Sauvage, Joshua Cassara, Ryusei Yamada
Colorist: Rachelle Rosenberg
Letterer: Travis Lanham
Cover Artists: Adam Hughes
Variant Cover Artists: Pablo Villalobos; Ivan Tao; Russell Dauterman; Lucas Werneck; Taurin Clarke; Mark Brooks; Terry Dodson; Shannon Maer; J. Scott Campbell; Greg Horn
Editor: Wil Moss
Format: Oneshot
Cover Price/Page Count: $5.99/ 50 pages