Superman's bulge

[Apathy Boy]

Eh, someone had to start an anti-matter universe version of the Power Girl threads.

But seriously, what's the deal with superheroes who put their underwear on the outside?

[glennsim]

Back when Superman was created, wearing tight shorts like that was the only way to keep tights up, since Spandex hadn't been invented. It's just been a tradition since then.

Personally, I think the heroes should all wear t-shirts, normal pants, combat boots, and then jackets with their symbols and stuff on them.

[ocelotrevs]

Back when Superman was created, wearing tight shorts like that was the only way to keep tights up, since Spandex hadn't been invented. It's just been a tradition since then.

Personally, I think the heroes should all wear t-shirts, normal pants, combat boots, and then jackets with their symbols and stuff on them.

I 2nd that, maybe a long coat which can resemeble a cape occasionally

[Rob H]

Personally, I think the heroes should all wear t-shirts, normal pants, combat boots, and then jackets with their symbols and stuff on them.Like the T-birds?

[glennsim]

Like the T-birds?

I dunno. Got a link?

[Blueferret]

Like the T-birds?

How about the Avengers with their "cool" brown jackets.

[glennsim]

How about the Avengers with their "cool" brown jackets.

Yeah, that was a step in the right direction.

Actually, I don't think it would work to have the heroes just suddenly start wearing this stuff. You'd have to reboot everything and have the spandex stuff not be cool (much like in the real world). All of the heroes and villains would start off wearing this sort of thing.

When they wear the jackets in the spandex world, there's always the question of why everybody doesn't wear them.

Note: I don't really expect this to ever happen. But it would be nice to take something that makes super-hero comics seem cheesy to many (the costumes) and take it down a notch. You'd still have lots of colors and distinctive looks.

[dan bailey]

But seriously, what's the deal with superheroes who put their underwear on the outside?

asked & answered -- http://forums.comicbookresources.com/showthread.php?t=48380

[Core]

Like the T-birds?


And don't forget the Pink Ladies!

[jetfire85]

How about the Avengers with their "cool" brown jackets.

It was cool when Animal Man started the trend. That's all I'm saying...

[Blueferret]

And don't forget the Pink Ladies!


HAH!! I was thinking the same thing when I posted earlier but couldn't think of a way to say it without overly explaining it. As always, the simplest way is the best.

[onetruejp]

I was thinnking about this very topic today and decided it was so they didn't have visible panty line.

[Mr. Bungle]

Personally, I think the heroes should all wear t-shirts, normal pants, combat boots, and then jackets with their symbols and stuff on them.

Sounds like New X-Men.

Which happens to be my favorite X-Men look.

[hitokiri_]

wally west told us the reason in the YJ tie-in.

[LibrarianThorne]

Jackets? Seriously?

Let me ask you a better question. How would Batman work without his costume? His costume is a part and parcel of his psychological effect. Without it, he's just another Question or other "detective" type hero.

Honestly, I love superheroes. I love their look. There is something magnificent about them, something epic. The cotumes make them stand out, help set them apart. Some guy in jeans and a t-shirt flying just doesn't have the same effect as seeing a red cape up there in the sky. Read Superman: For All Seasons. Read it now.

To make them look like an everyman is to inherently defeat their purpose. They aren't heroes, they're more than that. They're superheroes, and as such making them look normal or average kind of defeats the "super" part, no?

[dazzler_slave]

Jackets? Seriously?

Let me ask you a better question. How would Batman work without his costume? His costume is a part and parcel of his psychological effect. Without it, he's just another Question or other "detective" type hero.

Honestly, I love superheroes. I love their look. There is something magnificent about them, something epic. The cotumes make them stand out, help set them apart. Some guy in jeans and a t-shirt flying just doesn't have the same effect as seeing a red cape up there in the sky. Read Superman: For All Seasons. Read it now.

To make them look like an everyman is to inherently defeat their purpose. They aren't heroes, they're more than that. They're superheroes, and as such making them look normal or average kind of defeats the "super" part, no?


My thoughts exactly

[cosmoboy]

I wouldn't mind more realistic alternative costumes that maybe popped up once in a while, but lets not get rid of costumes altogether. This is a visual medium, to take the visual component out of it would be a bit silly.

[glennsim]

And don't forget the Pink Ladies!

Oh, THOSE T-Birds.

Well, sorta. They don't all have to match each other.

I'd say a more accurate real-world example would be some of the stuff race-car drivers and athletes wear, except that instead of it being their sponsors logos, it's their own symbol.

[glennsim]

Jackets? Seriously?

Let me ask you a better question. How would Batman work without his costume? His costume is a part and parcel of his psychological effect. Without it, he's just another Question or other "detective" type hero.


Well, I think my mindset on this is that Batman isn't really scary. A guy in tights isn't scary. He's scary in the comics and movies because they tell us he's scary and the other characters act like he's scary. Suspension of disbelief.

Being non-powered, he ought to be heavier on the body armor, and lighter on the get-caught-on-stuff cape. His fearful reputation should be based on how bad he's kicked the ass of others you've heard about, not on how he looks to someone who'd never heard of him. I'd allow for maybe a long coat and MAYBE the bat-ears on a helmet. Smoke-bombs might be a better substitute than the cape for obscuring him.

Honestly, I love superheroes. I love their look. There is something magnificent about them, something epic. The cotumes make them stand out, help set them apart. Some guy in jeans and a t-shirt flying just doesn't have the same effect as seeing a red cape up there in the sky. Read Superman: For All Seasons. Read it now.

To make them look like an everyman is to inherently defeat their purpose. They aren't heroes, they're more than that. They're superheroes, and as such making them look normal or average kind of defeats the "super" part, no?

Well, not everyman wears a jacket with a big-ass "S" on it and nobody actually flies at all. A super-hero could be a hero who is more heroic, or more powerful, than a normal "hero", without having to look larger-than-life. And I'm looking at it from a more plausable, less suspension of disbelief point of view, something that might help more people enjoy the genre.

I don't HATE things the way they are now - I just think this might be an improvement.

[Peter]

But seriously, what's the deal with superheroes who put their underwear on the outside?

Martha Kent answered this question in the first episode of the "Superman" TV show back in the nineties, when she designed Clark's costume and he asked her about the lack of a mask...

"Well sweety, nobody's gonna be lookin' at your face."

It's an identity thing. Weird, but very true. *nods*

[VietN]

I figure, at the beginning of Batman's career, when the bad guys see batman they don't see a man in tights in a bat costume. I'm guessing it's dark and they only see the outlining of him. Who is this guy taking us out so easy?

Now he's got his reputation so when people see him, even if its just a shadow, they're thinking Batman. Scary and all that and so he's instantly recognized. He's got a trademark.

---
Basically, a man in tights not so scary. But if you hear about a guy, or SOMETHING, who took out a whole gang of huge thugs with guns... well they go hand in hand now.

[Joker2503]

I somewhat agree with the idea of more realistic costumes, but at the same time, I understand why they can't just go to jackets and jeans.

Characters with secret identities (Superman, Flash, Batman, etc) need costumes for obvious reasons. Batman needs the intimidation factor. The Green Lanterns were GL uniforms (aside from Kyle).

I don't get characters that don't need costumes who wear them. Why do Aquaman and Wonder Woman wear what they do? they don't have identities to hide, and their costumes don't really have functions. Maybe distraction on Diana's part?

And J'onn. Please. You can look like anything you want, and you pick THIS?!?!
http://jl.toonzone.net/martian/004.jpg