Thursday 6 August 2009

Top Ten Worst Marvel Superhero/Villain Costumes

What makes a bad Superhero/villain costume? That’s a tough question. Because in the world of comic books you’re favorite characters can get away with a lot without looking too silly. Capes for instance, bat ears and even underwear over trousers! But which comic book characters through the years has over stepped the line that little bit too much and committed some series fashion crimes?

Please read on for my opinions on some of the biggest fashion disasters to ever grace the pages of Marvel.
10. Mister Sinister – I kind of have a love hate relationship with this costume. From the tassel type cape and the ridiculously high collar to the cross breed pixie/ kinky thigh high length boots, topped of with a nice big red diamond on the forehead. How very S&M it all is. It’s so bad I can’t help but kinda like it! 9. Power Man- The hero of the New York ghetto didn’t look very “hard” in his original get up. Let’s face it; the rock hard man with skin made of steel wore a girly head band with a yellow blouse and looked more like a dancer from Fame than the street tough hero we all know and love. He has now thankfully updated himself to just a plain black tee and jeans, although I would like him to sport some sort of costume again, just not one as flamboyant as the original.
8. Yellow Jacket – It’s those black wing things. What the hell are they there for? They just look ridiculous. The antennae ears don’t look too cool either.




Joint 7th. Captain Britain/ Union Jack – I stuck these two in together because they are both as bad as each other. They are both rip off’s of Captain America and it seems not much thought was put into the names or the costume designs either. They are so corny, and being British myself, it’s kind of embarrassing that the UK has no really cool superheroes. Who says just because they’re British heroes that they have to have the Union Jack plastered all over them. What a couple of chavs!

6. Captain Wonder – From The Twelve series. Captain Wonder was brought from WWII to the present. Bet he wished he packed some trousers! And what’s with the fin too?


5. Stryfe – Rob Liefeld gets credit for creating this metallic monstrosity. That thing must way a ton. It just looks ridiculous and even beats out Galactus for the worst ever helmet award


4. Citizen V – There have been a few different people under that awfully designed mask, but most have worn a costume resembling the one shown in the above picture. It’s just so tacky, and clichéd with those stars and stripes and the cape, and its not a good cheese ball costume like the Captain America or Superman design, this is just so contrived.

3. Nighthawk –This is just a really bad Hawkman rip off. It looks so naff. Where as Hawkman’s outfit is uber cool, this just looks silly and cheesy. Surely no one takes him seriously.

2. 3-D Man – Red and green together do not make an attractive outfit. Add some crappy symbol on his chest and multiply that by some stupid looking goggles = A god awful costume! Makes me wanna puke when I look at it.

1. Stilt Man – So the lamest Marvel villain ever tops my list. The Inspector Gadget wannabe. Just because you have go go gadget legs does not make you look good or in anyway make you a respectable villain. It’s the worst villain gimmick ever, and the gimmick is all in the costume.

Honorable mention:
Hercules
– Why? Because the womanizing, beer guzzling God of strength wears a skirt. He's cool and all, but he is still wearing a skirt. The gladiator boots are in fashion at the moment though, I do see a lot of girls wearing them. But is he so manly that he actually pulls it off!?
Thanks for reading guys. I'd love to know your thoughts on my list and would love to read your Top 10 Worst Marvel Costumes, so please comment below.
-Hex

6 comments:

  1. I love stilt-man, for the fact that he could never be taken seriously, but #1? NFL Super Pro has got to be all-time in this category.

    I like this list a lot, Hex. Stryfe is a great example of a dated character costume. You can't look at him and not think of the 90's, and all the bad storylines that come with it.

    Captain Wonder? I wonder where his pants went?

    Was 3-D Man an Avenger? I don't know anything about him, but I guess it's better that way.

    The only two disagreements I have with you are Sinester and Union Jack. I think Sinister's color combination make up for his frayed cape look, and Union Jack's costume looks pretty sleek when drawn correctly.

    Great post, Hex. I like the variety your site offers.

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  2. How could you not have Luke Cage in the top 3? What kind of street tough wears a yellow blouse and matching headband? Saying Luke looked like a dancer from Fame had me rolling though. Hysterical!

    Like Kello I've gotta give Sinister some love. I like the frayed cape. Don't ask me why, I just do! I have to say your list is solid Matthew, the only additions I can think of would be Daredevil's original yellow costume, Captain America's armor, Wonder Man is a character who tends to have horrible outfits, and let's not forget Kang.

    Great post. I'll be thinking about other fashion disasters who need to be added.

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  3. You can't blame DD for his originally look...his hyper senses only go so far. Captain America in armor was a dark period indeed.

    I've got one! Guy Gardner: Warrior.

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  4. Hank Pym's generally always had bad costumes. Ant-man was okay but I associate that more with Scott lang. His current Wasp costume may be the only one I actually like!

    As for Captain Britain his costume come MI13 is pretty cool. That and the UK has no cool superheroes? surely you jest! Pete Wisdom, Blade and Black Knight are all awesome (though the Knight is admittedly an American who's just resident to the UK)

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  5. Kello - Like I said stilt man gets top spot becuase his gimmick is weak and its all in his costume. As for NFL Super Pro. I'd never heard of him, but I have to say after a quick look on google, he looks fucking hillarious. I wanna check that book out.!

    3-D Man was recently in Avenger Initiative and played abig roll in secret invasion coz he goggles allowed him to see skrulls.

    And glad you like the post and site!

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  6. - X-Man - some great ones there. Yeah wonder man, who always tries to look cool but fails miserably

    - Flip the page - Pete wisdom is cool actually, well said, and i didnt actually know Blade was English so my bad. Black Knight is one of my smaller favs but like you said he is american so doesnt come under the cool english hero banner.

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