More Costumes That Suck

We made fun of them once before, but there were so many more to choose from I couldn't hit them all. There are those heroes who have the greatest fashion sense in the world, and then there are these folks.

With the help of suggestions from readers Groovy Agent and Chris, I'd like to present our follow up on costumes that need work.

Wonder Man
There's a certain cruelty in bring this guy up simply because he's never had a good costume in his entire career.

Simon Williams started out as a villain in this weird green getup with goggles. It didn't last forever and he died soon after his first appearance. Subsequent appearances didn't fare much better for him, giving him a variation on his original suit.

It wasn't until Simon became a real member of the Avengers that he got an honest-to-goodness new look. Unfortunately, he ended up looking more like a porn star than a superhero. The weird jacket and bracelets didn't add to his appeal. Even though this outfit stinks, it's actually the current one he's using again now.

Eventually, Simon moved to a sleeveless, spandex look. This one actually wasn't so bad, especially compared to what he'd used before this. He didn't stick with it forever though, and actually turned into this purple being of pure energy for a while. Somehow that purple version still had the red "W" on his chest though.

The Falcon (the green years)

While the Falcon currently has one of the better costumes out there, he didn't start out that way. He couldn't even fly! Still, Sam Wilson chose the title of "The Falcon" and ran with it.

This suit forever sticks in my mind as the worst time in the character's history. He started as a villain, then decided to become a hero. After pestering Captain America to let him be his sidekick, Wilson literally spent the next two dozen issues of Captain America telling Cap to leave him alone and he didn't want to be his partner! Cap would get into trouble, Sam would help and then tell him again to leave him alone so he could "help the brothers in Harlem". The thing that made it worse was the fact that they didn't want his help and kept telling him to get out! It made the character look like a real bad choice for a partner. Fortunately, Sam changed his look, picked up the ability to fly, and got a better outlook on life.

Hank Pym (the West Coast Avengers years)

While Hank Pym has had his share of costumes over the years, there was this one misstep in an otherwise strong set of choices.

After retiring the Yellowjacket persona because of the negative connotations it brought (he'd turned bad for a while), Hank decided it was time to go with a more casual look. Eventually that look turned into something a little more flashy as he started using his growing and shrinking powers again (all the while avoiding another superhero name).

The headband really didn't get it. The sleeveless look didn't get it. The little black gloves didn't get it. Hank didn't get it. Fortunately, his "red jumpsuit" phase was short-lived and eventually he stepped back into the role of scientist/superhero again in a more subdued manner.

The Blue Beetle (reboot version)

The original Blue Beetle's costume was a little strange with the red fin and all, but nothing can prepare you for this horrible mistake.

Somebody was into just a little too much Manga when they decided it was time for a makeover for Blue Beetle. Looking like a cross between Ultraman, Jet Jaguar, and a Power Ranger, this hero stumbled upon the scene right before Infinite Crisis. Whereas the previous Blue Beetle had been this cool, smart tech wiz who had to rely on athletic skill in his battles, this time they gave us a teenager with armor that does stuff.

This costume could actually be pretty good if it were done a little differently. A few tweaks here and there (and bring back Ted Kord), and this would be a great suit. As it stands now though, it misses the mark big time.

The White Tiger (new version)

The original White Tiger made our list of best costumes. His follow-up did not.

While I can understand the desire to change things up a bit with a reboot, like the Blue Beetle we just mentioned, this was a change that turned out for the worst.

When you're facing a superhero whose costume looks like she's already been in a gang fight and lost, you can't be too scared. I can appreciate wanting to showcase the fact that this White Tiger is a girl and has curves, maybe it wouldn't hurt to lean a little more toward the original?


On a brighter note, this site recently hit 5,000 visitors! Thanks so much to everyone who checks in on us on a regular basis and even drops a comment from time to time. It's fun knowing I'm not the only comic fan out there who thinks a little weird every once in a while.


Next Monday and Thursday, a special two-parter for Thanksgiving week. We're going to take a look at one of Marvel's more offbeat titles that has actually had many of its plots ripped-off for the Hulk, Daredevil, Captain America, Spider-Man, and many others. See you then!