Silver Age Marvel costume changes

[destro]

I prefer Iron Man's original costume - As I may have stated a time or sixteen before, I like my Iron Man more "Guy trapped in a Monster Suit" more than gosh wow shiny techno-futurism.

I'm not with you on that one, but I wouldn't have minded a longer period of the big bulky suit before slimming it down.

[Phil Maurice]

I'm not with you on that one, but I wouldn't have minded a longer period of the big bulky suit before slimming it down.

I love that one of the earliest alterations to the armor came about because the bulky, gray Iron Man frightened women and children. The solution, suggested by a woman: bling it out by painting it gold!

[Cei-U!]

Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch's costumes were both simplified over the course of a couple of years after their debut in The X-Men #4. Pietro lost his outfit's epaulets and his Robinesque pixie boots were swapped out for standard cavalry boots with, if memory serves, little wings resembling those of the Silver Age Flash, while Wanda's tiara evolved from wrapping all the way around her head to merely framing her face. Her boots changed too, eventually losing the three rings (for lack of a better descriptor) that encircled them.

For that matter, Magneto's costume lost much of its detail *during* the course of X-Men #1!

Cei-U!
I summon the sartorial splendor!

[Dizzy D]

How about the X-Men's change from blue-and-yellow uniforms to individual costumes? I liked the new duds. Anyone know who designed them? Seems like it must have been either Don Heck or George Tuska.

I liked most of the invidivual costumes except for Angel's (which I absolutely didn't like) and Beast's (which was neither better or worse than his previous costume IMHO).

[berk]

Interesting. It might have worked better with a better re-design. I love Gene Colan, but the design was frankly ugly as hell. Thankfully it didn't last very long.

I much prefer Doc fairly divorced from the super hero side of things, which is one of the many reasons I dislike Defenders (but that's a whole other subject). But I can understand the reasoning sales wise, even if I dislike the results.

I agree that the Doctor Strange character works better when kept apart from the whole superhero, but I still think the Colan re-design was a pretty cool look - just not for Doctor Strange. Would have been better for some "other-dimensionly" character.

You should try The Defenders, though, or at least the Steve Gerber run. It's true that Doctor Strange wasn't a good fit for even that very much off-the-wall superhero team and that the series would have been better without him (as the character would have been better off without the series), but his presence doesn't spoil the greatness of Gerber's stint on the book.

[destro]

I agree that the Doctor Strange character works better when kept apart from the whole superhero, but I still think the Colan re-design was a pretty cool look - just not for Doctor Strange. Would have been better for some "other-dimensionly" character.

You should try The Defenders, though, or at least the Steve Gerber run. It's true that Doctor Strange wasn't a good fit for even that very much off-the-wall superhero team and that the series would have been better without him (as the character would have been better off without the series), but his presence doesn't spoil the greatness of Gerber's stint on the book.

I think the Doctor Strange redesign might have worked better for one of his villains. . When I 1st saw it I thought that Wong had taken over as Sorcerer Supreme, the facial design has something of an asian look to it.

Oh I have, I've read probably 75% of the Defenders series. I guess you didn't know I am the Classic Comics board's resident Gerber anti-fan. Pretty sure I'm the only one with all the love he gets around here! His stuff just never clicked for me.

[pakehafulla]

Prefer the Captain Marvel redesign over the original green and white, one of the greats IMHO.
Prefer the golden Iron Man armor over all others, even modern (or is that especially over modern) as I feel the "tech" side of those stories has gotten ridiculous. I despise that every theoretical SF tech story is suddenly real-life-as-invented-by-Tony-Stark.
Love the red Falcon over the original costume.
Always liked Namor in the full body black/blue costume, over the sexy trunks anyday.
And lastly, although I dont prefer it, I was impressed that they tried Human Torch in the red outfit for a while.

[icctrombone]

Adam Warlock changed his costume after Starlin took over . He added a cape and got rid of the lightning bolt. I think it worked.

[Phil Maurice]

Adam Warlock changed his costume after Starlin took over . He added a cape and got rid of the lightning bolt. I think it worked.

Yeah, I agree that was a slick look. Hey, you should totally make it your avatar!

[icctrombone]

Yeah, I agree that was a slick look. Hey, you should totally make it your avatar!

lol, The avatar is the third version of that costume. The Starlin modification didn't have black in Strange tales # 180.

[Mormel]

How about the X-Men's change from blue-and-yellow uniforms to individual costumes? I liked the new duds. Anyone know who designed them? Seems like it must have been either Don Heck or George Tuska.

The issue in which those costumes debuted (#39 'The Fateful Finale') was pencilled by Mr. Heck. It's a pity that Masterworks X-Men #4 is the only volume I do not own, as each of those Masterworks volumes contained an insightful foreword by either Stan Lee or Rascally Roy Thomas, often also going into some detail about the reasoning behind costume design.

And I agree with Dizzy on Angel's first individual costume. While I kind of like it, the colours really scream and the suspenders look silly. I'm also not certain about a later re-design that made its debut in a flashback story, the costume he wore when he called himself the 'Avenging Angel'. It was red-purplish with a black streak across the chest and a diagonal halo on the chest. The halo was incidentally the only part of that costume that was integrated in the design of his next costume, the blue-and-white, which would become his most iconic look.

[Simon Garth]

And I agree with Dizzy on Angel's first individual costume. While I kind of like it, the colours really scream and the suspenders look silly.

I'm firmly of the opinion that that costume is one of the worst ever inflicted on a major company character (pre-90s anyway) - a yellow leotard over red tight and red braces - what were they thinking?

I'm also not certain about a later re-design that made its debut in a flashback story, the costume he wore when he called himself the 'Avenging Angel'. It was red-purplish with a black streak across the chest and a diagonal halo on the chest. The halo was incidentally the only part of that costume that was integrated in the design of his next costume, the blue-and-white, which would become his most iconic look.

Agreed - the blue/white/halo suit is the best costume he's ever had.

[Jolly Mon]

I'm firmly of the opinion that that costume is one of the worst ever inflicted on a major company character (pre-90s anyway) - a yellow leotard over red tight and red braces - what were they thinking?



Agreed - the blue/white/halo suit is the best costume he's ever had.

Ironically enough, the blue/white suit was supplied by Magneto in the Savage Land in issue 62 of the original series.

[sevenyearslumber]

Double D's changes were amazing. I do very much so miss Wolvies brown and tan duds....

[Mormel]

Ironically enough, the blue/white suit was supplied by Magneto in the Savage Land in issue 62 of the original series.

It was even part of a scheme by Magneto, as the costume was technologically engineered to sap Warren's energy as seen in later issues of Avengers. The plan involved Magneto having to wear the costume himself, and, er... let's just say he didn't look quite as imposing in it as he did in his original red-and-purple w/ the cape. Especially since he insisted on wearing his Magneto helmet on top of it.