Paty Cockrum

Paty Cockrum, born David Emmett Cockrum on November 11, 1943, in the United States, was a comics artist best known for co-creating several iconic X-Men characters: Nightcrawler, Storm, Colossus, and Mystique, as well as the antiheroine Black Cat. He entered the industry in the 1970s, quickly making a name for himself as a prolific and inventive costume designer. Cockrum notably updated the uniforms of the Legion of Super-Heroes and later the X-Men, giving them a sleek, modern look that defined the era. His signature style combined dynamic figure work with a flair for dramatic, character-defining costumes. He collaborated closely with writer Len Wein on the new X-Men, and later with Chris Claremont, helping to shape the team's visual identity. Beyond X-Men, Cockrum contributed to titles like *Wally Wood's T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents* and *ElfQuest*. He died on November 26, 2006. While he did not receive major industry awards during his lifetime, his co-creations remain foundational to Marvel's success, and his influence on superhero costume design endures.