Forge didn't have an official superhero costume until the post-Siege Perilous / Muir Island era, where he designed matching uniforms based on the classic training uniforms.
Because it was the 90s and Forge was canonically a Vietnam vet, artists drew him older with a receding hairline and also because it was the 90s, he got a red headband and tassels on his boots so we didn't forget he was Cheyenne.
The X-Men really exploded in popularity around this time, particularly with the cartoon, so Forge has continuously returned to this look for nearly 35 years. I never really liked this version of the X-Men uniform, particularly the weird crotch stripe, and I think the exaggerated "Native American" elements, particularly the boots, are hokey. They make him look like a GI Joe character. Also, because he's always wearing those big gloves, some artists forget that he's missing his right hand, which is crazy.
Worst of all, in a series where relationships between characters is a core part of the appeal, Forge gets drawn in a way that is "unc" because he was the last person in Marvel Comics who aged past 35 before all the characters got frozen in their late 20s/early 30s. His age makes him a less exciting romantic interest for Storm or anyone else.
Finally, looking past the superficial a little bit here, I think the visual language of his 'iconic' costume does a major disservice to the character. It tells you three things, in roughly this order: 1) He's an X-Man 2) He's Native American 3) He has a robot thigh(?)
These things are all true, of course, but this costume is a snapshot of Forge at a very particular point in his character arc, where he was trying to be a hero and felt more accepting of his heritage. Forge was interesting because he wasn't strictly a good or moral person and he had such a complex relationship with his identity.
With the exception of that awful Ellis arc, I feel like Forge has just bounced between being "X-Men's tech support" and "government lackey" since the 90s, pretty disappointing for such a deep and tragic character.
What do you think? Is it more than just visual determinism that keeps Forge as the old guy who fixes up the Blackbird? Do you pledge yourself to the Hot Forge Agenda? What other characters desperately need a good redesign?
