Which Superhero has the best costume?

Post by **Hound** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 8:36 pm

Give us a top 10.

Now I'd like to see well-considered lists and well-thought justifications. Something interesting for people to read not just 10 names...

Take into consideration things like, how well does it go with the name and/or powers of the superhero? How dynamic is the look? It should really fit the character, it should have something that goes beyond just looking nice.

In descending order:

Hawkman - This guy has a real classic look, you don't really get to look more like a "hawk-man" than he does. the big wings and helmet have evolved into a very nice look.
Green Arrow - Ollie has a very Robin Hood-ish look which fits him really well because not only is he an arrow-slinger but he fights for the little guy too.
Superman - It doesn't really get more superhero-y than this guy and the costume more or less represents a kind of classic Superhero look all bright and primary-colored with a cape and underwear on the outside.
Captain America - Nothing screams America more then this costume and that shield is just awesome.
Flash - Bright red with lightning bolts all over it and little wings on the head and boots. What more could possibly say, "I run really, really fast"?
Captain Britain - This guy almost literally is wearing a British flag and their aren't a whole lot of flags out their that would look as good as a spandex body suit.
Iron Man - I could be talking about just about any suit of armor that he's worn too. Even the original Kirby design is perfect for a guy named "Iron Man". Most of them have a really nice look to them too.
Captain Marvel (DC) - I like this costume because it's got a kind of military look to it. It's got that funky cape and the top has that button up part and all that. The lightning bolt on the chest is perfect for a character who calls down a lightning bolt to become Captain Marvel. C.C. Beck did a really good job. It's a great costume.
Batman - This one is almost too obvious. The best part is that it can look genuinely scary. It's meant to strike fear into criminals and it really looks like it would. Imagine seeing a giant black bat looking thing swooping down on you if you were commiting crimes in the night.
Spider-Man - This was really an easy choice. It's bright and primary colored and it also has a really dynamic design. All the webs all over the costume the spider on the chest and back. The mask looks cool. It's perfect for a guy named Spider-Man.

Post by **Denyer** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 9:03 pm

Jenny Sparks.

Pete Wisdom.

Most of the ones that feature long coats rather than capes.

Spandex isn't a good look for anyone if you assume it to be spandex rather than inked lines filled with colour. Batman at least can be chalked down as body armour, kevlar, leather, etc.

Halfshell · Post by **Halfshell** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 9:12 pm

Spider Jerusalem.

What? He's got as many superpowers as Batman.

The Spider / The Shadow / The Green Hornet / Rorschach / The Question / Anybody who's ever thought "hrm, fedora and trenchcoat"

Post by **Denyer** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 9:46 pm

Originally posted by Brendocon
Spider Jerusalem.

What? He's got as many superpowers as Batman.

Not so much setting out to be a superhero...

Honestly, most costumes (certainly skin-tight stuff) are cheesecake to anyone who prefers whichever gender is being depicted by a particular panel.

For iconic, I'd say DC's big three, Captain America's shield, the X-Men team logo, Flash, and probably some other Marvel characters I'm forgetting. DC has more icons that function separately from the characters they're attached to, though.

CounterPunch · Post by **CounterPunch** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 9:47 pm

The Shadow.... Man I gotta get the film on DVD

Out of the list you provided hound I've got to go with Hawkman, his is very brilliant.

I liked Kyle Rayners post Ion one, Nightwings, Captain Atoms Goldness, like Ares (marvels Ares) current one.

Halfshell · Post by **Halfshell** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 9:52 pm

Originally posted by Denyer
Not so much setting out to be a superhero...

Which one? Batman or Jerusalem?

I see a lot of parallels between the two, tbh. Both marginally psychotic individuals setting out to change the world to some degree through the use of gadgets. Okay, so in one case the gadgets consist of cam-specs, a laptop and a gun that makes people **** themselves, but still...

Clogs · Post by **Clogs** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 10:01 pm

Cap Britain: Not the original one, but the red one was cool and the latest one is decidedly nice.

Dark Phoenix: Very sexy and very well coloured.

Wolverine: The Fang costume he picked up during the M'Krann crystal affair all those yonks ago. Oh, and the other costume he has when the spandex one's been trashed again ...

Hur-hur-hur.

Post by **Hound** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 10:29 pm

Originally posted by Brendocon
The Spider / The Shadow / The Green Hornet / Rorschach / The Question / Anybody who's ever thought "hrm, fedora and trenchcoat"

The Sandman!

Edit: Actually the Sandman's costume is really great, I'd rank it highly just because it really does give you an idea of what he does as a crimefighter and the type of person he is. He's a detective who gases bad guys when he needs to. Trenchcoat, fedora and gas mask. Perfect!

The Green Hornet though...

Why's he called "Green Hornet"?

Post by **Hound** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 11:34 pm

Originally posted by Denyer
Spandex isn't a good look for anyone if you assume it to be spandex rather than inked lines filled with colour. Batman at least can be chalked down as body armour, kevlar, leather, etc.

Well, it is skin-tight stretchy fabric of some sort. You sort of have to assume that as in many instances you see the characters puting on a costume that could not be anything other than skin-tight stretchy fabric.

Superman was designed in the 30s. Did spandex exist then?

Anyway, I'm not about to dismiss every costume that happens to be skin-tight just because it's skin-tight.

Just as I wouldn't only consider costumes that happen to be skin-tight. Iron Man for example...

Post by **Denyer** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 11:57 pm

Originally posted by Hound
I'm not about to dismiss every costume that happens to be skin-tight just because it's skin-tight.

Odds are I wouldn't find the average 20-30 year old woman in skintight attire unattractive or laughable. The mental image of a bloke with a chest that isn't hugely disproportionate and a crotch bulge (eg, the Superman movie versions) makes it a bit hard to take the costume seriously.

The consistent tits-and-ass approach is also off-putting, because it makes the characters generic. How many really iconic female costumes can you think of other than, say, WW, Batgirl (a tweaked copy) and Black Canary?

edit: Zatanna's also quite distinctive.

Post by **Hound** » Thu Mar 29, 2007 12:16 am

Originally posted by Denyer
The consistent tits-and-ass approach is also off-putting, because it makes the characters generic. How many really iconic female costumes can you think of other than, say, WW, Batgirl (a tweaked copy) and Black Canary?

Phoenix, I suppose.

Hmm, the FF are iconic so you could say Sue Storm.

That is a difficult question because there aren't really that many super-heroines that have stood the test of time.

We could preach about how comics are sexist, but that wasn't really what I meant this thread to be about. Though I'll go along...

T-n-A kind of goes along with comics being sexist. Though even the male characters are drawn so masculine because they're meant fit into the ideal of what is sexy. The majority of Super-heros look powerful and sexy. They're meant to because that appeals to the audience. That and because it has been that way for so long now (nearly 70 years).

After 65 years of Wonder Woman being tall, big busted and running around in a swimsuit and boots the fans would be disappointed to see a short girl in baggy clothes with an a-cup chest. Superman suddenly a scrawny short guy wouldn't really sit well either I imagine. As a novelty the concept might appease though.

Civ · Post by **Civ** » Thu Mar 29, 2007 12:31 am

I'm going to do this as versions since heroes have a tendency to change costumes every so often and I like some better than others. So with that said, in no particular order:

The Ronin costume from the New Avengers. Very dark, ninja-ey, and very badass looking there. It's such a good disguise that a woman can wear it, look like a man, and no one would have a clue at first glance who it was behind the mask.
Captain America's armored look back when the serum in his body went to ****. Man, that was a kickass design. I wish they'd do that again but a bit updated like they do with Iron Man's look. He still had the shield but also a bunch of extra defense goodies that came in handy as well as flight. Also patriotic in design.
That manga version of Thor. The classic Thor costume just sucks IMHO but somehow, with a few tweaks, this was made:

http://www.immortalthor.net/bio-alternate-mangathor.jpg

This is such a cool costume. Armor with glowing patterns and the use of really dark blues. If only Mjolnir were a bit more devastating-looking, it would complete the look.
Free Spirit -- yeah, Captain America's protege for awhile. Really patriotic look that catches the eye moreso than any other patriot-themed costume I've ever seen. Maybe it's the asymmetric look but it definitely made me do a double-take when I first saw it.
Batman's costume in Batman Forever near the end when he took on Two-Face and Riddler. Very nice monotonic dark/gray look there without the molded nipples. Looks really bat-like with it on.
Deadpool before the...erm...sock-like mask he's sporting now. Red and black with weapons galore somehow seem to enhance the character being a smartass, probably due to the paradox that a person wearing a badass costume probably isn't all that funny.
Shadowcat's Xtreme X-men costume. I liked it simply because it looked like a break from the norm for Kitty. I thought it made her look more independent and stronger. Shame she's back in a more blah costume now.
John Stewart's costume in the JL cartoon series before the goatee. Really simple design with the black and green but for some reason that I can't put my finger on, it seems to stand out.
Hawkgirl's armored look in that Justice League movie where the Thanagarians take over Earth. That was a really awesome look for her and was far better than her yellow, green, and red look with the crappy mask. The helmet IIRC was very hawklike without those headwings. Both my brother and I were hoping she'd use that from then on but it didn't happen.
Sunfire's Age of Apocalypse outfit especially in X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse. The outfit just screams hot, hot, hot! I liked that contrast between the really dark red and the blazing yellow with the skull-like mask.

Shockmeister · Post by **Shockmeister** » Thu Mar 29, 2007 9:43 am

Off the top of my head...

- Black Siddha. He's a 2000AD character, which is why I'm sure some of you (at least) are scratching your heads, and he's not a terribly popular one either; along with, say, Moon Knight, he can be filed safely under 'Batman rip-offs with an extra gimmick'. But his outfit's brilliant; mostly consisting of dark blue, with a kind of sphynx-like helmet sporting tusks and glowing red eyes (three of them!), sleeveless top to display a mess of funky tattoos and lots of kinda rune-like designs over the fabric.

- Wonder Man's 'casual' gear. Not his actual superhero stuff, but the red jacket and shades combo that he's currently wearing in Mighty Avengers. Somehow, that makes him look distinctive; probably since few other superheroes dress so...well, casual. But it also sticks out enough to become instantly recognisable after you see it a few times.

- Ghost Rider, moreso the 90s Dan Ketch look than the original, blue-jumpsuited Johnny Blaze gear. Testament to how simple ideas can work. "Okay, we've got some guy with a fiery skull for a head; how do we make him more cool?" "Uh...spikes and chains?" "Sold!"

- The current Ms. Marvel gear. I'm a sucker for kinky boots, and I like the little red scarf thing. Not much more to say about it...

- Original (first appearance) Iron Man. It's not hard to see why they keep making the clunky, grey armour show up through the medium of flashbacks and dream sequences; it's hugely badass, and a lot more initimidating than his modern, oh-so-fancy armour. It might be old, but it makes Tony less of an iron man, and more a walking tank with an unpleasant disposition.

- Classic Namor, again for the simplicity. Post-Superman, what's the one thing that screams 'superhero look'? Pants on the outside. So what does Namor wear? Pants and nothing else. And it works!

- V. The wig just shouldn't work at all, but it does, somehow. The mask being awesome kinda goes without saying, and the way his cloak almost always covers his legs heightens the impression that V's nothing more than a ghost, which I like.

All I can think of.

Cliffjumper · Post by **Cliffjumper** » Thu Mar 29, 2007 1:51 pm

Avoiding semantics about what makes a super-hero...

Miracleman - Just loved the colours and the chest emblem when Garry Leach drew it.

Catwoman - because she was h0t. ****in' deal with it.

Spider-Man 2099 - best version, IMO, just edging out the reversable coat thing.

Quicksilver - the AOA version... never liked the 'classic' [in the Silver Age sense of being old, rather than something that possesses class] "lighting bolt". The one he had around Onslaught was pretty nifty too, though.

V

The Spider - love the drums on the front (they're for the ****ing webbing, Titan you ignorant pricks).

Iron Man 2020 armour - those big shoulder gears are great.

Ultimate Cap - the all-too-briefly-glimpsed WW2 version. Just pips Union Jack (the regular costume, not the "Oooh we're the writers of Knights of Pendragon, we're so socially aware we think the National Front attend meetings in bodystockings" **** version) for best variation on a theme.

The Rocketeer

The Midnighter

Post by **Denyer** » Thu Mar 29, 2007 2:29 pm

Originally posted by Hound
After 65 years of Wonder Woman being tall, big busted and running around in a swimsuit and boots the fans would be disappointed to see a short girl in baggy clothes with an a-cup chest.

Why assume the opposite extreme? Just reign the artists in on the bazonkas, and there might be space for a non-distended logo. Power Girl window only works for one character.

Catwoman's a good one, and could pass as a hero in the right storyline...

Atom Eve. Mostly because almost every artist avoids pink.

Circuit Breaker's distinctive. Z-list, but memorable.

Engineer II. Simple works.

Mystique. Scarlet Witch. She-Hulk. All colour things.

Jakita Wagner.

Post by **inflatable dalek** » Thu Mar 29, 2007 5:03 pm

Another vote for Batman Forever Batman.

Post by **Hound** » Thu Mar 29, 2007 6:10 pm

Originally posted by Denyer
Why assume the opposite extreme? Just reign the artists in on the bazonkas, and there might be space for a non-distended logo.

I actually don't care for Wonder Woman's costume one bit. It's not practical. No woman goes into a battle wearing a low-cut, strapless bathing suit and high heel boots. To me it's stupid that that is the costume she's been wearing for the better part of 65 years and that she'll probably still be wearing 65 years from now.

As for breast size, it depends on the artist. Adam Hughes doesn't ever draw anything smaller than a F-cup on any female character. Perez's version was reasonable sized though.

Ice Shard · Post by **Ice Shard** » Thu Mar 29, 2007 7:45 pm

mr. incredibles suit. and wolverines.its yellow

althought spider mans costume is cool as well

Wolfang · Post by **Wolfang** » Thu Mar 29, 2007 10:24 pm

Okay-

Black Panther: T'Challa's costume with the gold trimming for the claws, eyes and sundries. It looks cool as hell, most especially on the cover for issue one of the Marvel Knights series.

Batman: It just boils down to Batman being a really iconic character because of his threads. Hence why there are dozens of Batman knock-offs, parodies and the like. Clothes maketh the man- they maketh him Batman, in this case.

Captain America: I love it. I know I should think it's corny- particularly as I'm English- but the fact that Steve Rogers takes such pride in wearing this. In this case, the man makes the costume and not the other way round. God bless Steve Rogers- I hope he's back soon.

Wolverine: A real wolverine is small, hairy and likes to dig it's claws in. Sound familiar? You can put any colours on Wolverine- as long as you keep the same basic style. I'm waiting for a red and black costume...

Hawkman: mondo bias. Like several people have mentioned, I just think there is a very iconic look to Carter. You only really need the helmet and the wing harness. (And pants, naturally). We want to watch Hawkman slapping people around with the Claw of Horus and his mace- and he just looks awesome with those.

Xi'an (2099): Don't know quite why, but I really dig the whole 'Lawrence of Arabia' meets 'Mad Max' thing that goes on with this suit. I really do.

Drax the Destroyer: Again, a really odd pick I know- but it works for him. Sleeveless purple hooded bodysuit with boots, gloves and collar cape to match, topped off with a gold belt and wristbands. If he didn't have green skin, this would look decidely less cool.

Midnighter: Just because it's what Batman should actually wear, as opposed to what he does.

Nightwing: Simple design- black bodysuit with a big blue 'v' sign and a bandit mask. You could probably make this one yourself.

Black Adam: I don't known if you'd class Teth Adam as a hero, but his threads are cool. The black and gold looks so much better than the red and gold that his goody-goody counterpart Captain Marvel sports.

Edit: Oh, I forgot Union Jack. Really- that suit says 'Rule Britannia' far more convincingly than Captain Britains. His name basically dictates his costume and vice versa.

Zisteau · Post by **Zisteau** » Thu Mar 29, 2007 11:17 pm

None of you numnuts has mentioned the Flash. Okay, I'll do it.

The Flash.