THE AVENGERS Reimagined as Sengoku Samurai Heroes

Artist Alex Mitchell has taken the characters from The Avengers, and given them an awesome samurai style makover. The art was inspired by the the Sengoku period also known as the Warring States period in Japanese history. It was a time of social upheaval, political intrigue, and nearly constant military conflict that lasted  from the middle of the 15th century to the beginning of the 17th century. 

These are all incredibly cool, and I love that S.H.I.E.L.D. is staffed by ninjas and spymasters! That should be part of Joss Whedon's new TV series. Check out the cool series of art below and hit us up in the comments! What's your favorite character re-design?

Iron Man is reimagined as 'Tetsu-jin'.

Tetsuya Suzaku was born into a rich and powerful merchant family (though they had bought their way into a samurai house some years back). The Suzaku family owned mining interests as well as a variety of businesses that utilized the resources those mines produced. Weapons and armor were of particular interest to the brilliant young heir to the family name, and he voraciously studied the latest designs and barbarian technologies. 

The fame and fortune of the Suzaku name increased due to his early adoption of new techniques and innovations. His personality and lifestyle ballooned with success, and his wild behavior led to a rift in the Suzaku family. A bloody attempt by a family faction to kidnap Tetsuya and force him reveal his new gunpowder formula forced him to change his outlook. He escaped the mine he was held in by building a suit of armor and weapons from strange materials he found in the mine depths.

Now he fights for his own philosophy of justice with a razor keen wit and the latest advancements in arms and armor.

Thor is reimagined as 'Raijin'.

Born of Izanami and Izanagi, Raijin is a powerful god of storms and thunder. He was sent down to Earth in human guise to stop the destruction waged by his brother, Kagu-tsuchi, god of fire and devastation.

Raijin has godlike strength and durability, and he wields a whirling manriki (meteor hammer variant) to frightening effect. He is good-natured and kind to mortals, but quick to anger and exceedingly stubborn.

He searches the islands of Japan to put an end to his brother's plans to sow chaos in the human world.

The Hulk is reimagined as 'Kaibutsu'.

Nobu Tsubana was a promising young onmyouji in the court of a powerful lord. When news spread of a terrible demon making trouble in the land, Tsubana was among those dispatched to exorcise it. The encounter with the mighty oni went awry, proving too much for any of the sorcerers and priests to handle, and Tsubana was forced to seal the creature inside his own body as a last resort.

Now Tsubana lives as a wandering outcast, for the demon within him will wake if he does not constantly keep his emotions controlled. When the oni stirs within him, he loses his grasp on his sanity as his body and mind both grow more monstrous. He uses meditation and specially prepared seals to keep himself from transforming into a monster.

Now he travels the roads of Japan, applying his skills as an onmyouji where they are needed, and battling fearsome youkai and kami attracted by the strong spiritual presence of the slumbering demon. Needless to say, only a fool would provoke his ire.

Captain America is reimagined as 'Taishou'.

Shin Raijou was a sickly child of a low-level samurai bureaucrat, and was confined to his bed for much of his early years. He might have lived out his life in anonymity if he hadn't been present for a martial arts demonstration by a master swordsman. The young boy was enthralled, and afterwards begged the swordsman to take him on as a pupil. 

The master refused, but Raijou went to his house where he found employment as a servant. He performed household chores faithfully for two years before finally being accepted as the old master's only student. He studied diligently, and his innate martial talent was revealed. After teaching all he knew, the old man was killed as the result of anti-bakufu treachery.

Raijou would spend the next decade as a soldier in the long and bloody unification conflict, distinguishing himself time and again as a sword prodigy and tactical genius. After the final battle, he disappeared, leaving the battlefield behind. He spent several years in solitude but now he's found a new sort of battle, to protect the people of the land and the honor of Japan.

Raijou favors a peculiar style of fighting that incorporates a steel-reinforced parasol. It sometimes serves as a non-lethal alternative to a sword, and sometimes is used in tandem with a sword.

Loki is reimagined as 'Kagami'.

The man known as Kagami is truly the god of fire, Kagu-tsuchi, youngest son of the gods Izanagi and Izanami. His birth was difficult and his mother died. In a blind rage his father struck off the child's head.

Being a divine personage, Kagu-tsuchi recovered. However, he thereafter held a burning grudge in his heart against his father and all of Creation. When the opportunity presented itself, he stole the sacred mirror and used its power to transmit himself to the mortal world. There he used tricks and godly magics to sow chaos, using the mocking pseudonym Lord Kagami (a name which means 'mirror', but is written as 'fire god').

The gods elected to send Kagu-tsuchi's older brother Raijin after him to put an end to his brother's plot of destruction. The two siblings are destined to clash in a battle between immortals that will rage across the islands of Japan.

'Kumo' is the code-name for the deadly ninja spy, Natsuko Iruma. Iruma was raised from birth in a brutal shinobi clan. She was trained to be an expert kunoichi, willing to kill or die at command. She was eventually assigned to infiltrate the court of the Shogun to destroy the shogunate from the inside. 

The man known as 'Takajyou' was born Kin Obata. Obata was an orphan from a remote region of Japan, raised by bandits. His archery skills are without equal, easily able to fire off several shots at great range with pinpoint accuracy. He was the leader of a small gang until the day he was defeated and recruited by the spymaster of the Tate-ryuu.

It was here that Iruma came to the attention of the mysterious leader of the shogun's secret guard. Impressed with her superb skills, Iruma was given the option of joining. Fighting years of conditioning, she agreed to join, in large part due to her budding relationship with a fellow recruit, Takajyou.

Both now work for the fearsome Tate-ryuu, living and fighting in the shadows.