The Justice League Needs a Tailor!
With so many reiterations, revamps and elseworld tales, is it any wonder that certain caped crusaders have ended up wearing a few crimes against fashion over the years? We can understand wanting to shake things up from a visual standpoint, but there’s being bold and then there’s being excessive. Guess which category these five fall into…
#5: Penance
Speedball’s energy powers and use of glowing colorful balls kept Robbie Baldwin as one of Marvel’s most lighthearted heroes. When he faces trial for hundreds of deaths in ‘Civil War’ however, his guilt is unshakeable. Baldwin is reborn as Penance, and dons armor with 612 spikes inside it to remind him of all the people he let die. Though the concept was appropriate for his story, the design resembled medieval armor mixed with a BDSM outfit. Deadpool even lampooned how ‘Penance’ was just an attempt to make Speedball seem deep. Speedball’s dramatic character pivot crossed the line by turning a lovable clown into a violent and ugly martyr.
#4: Hair-Metal Thor
As the World Tree was dying, the gods of Asgard were changing to deal with their dramatic circumstances. For a few issues, Thor’s hair got ridiculously long and he spent most of his time completely shirtless. Things got extra over-the-top when he showed up covered in straps, but his mid-rift remained completely exposed. Mjolnir was even put on a chain for a look that screamed heavy-metal meets fantasy. Artist Mike Deodato Jr. ruffled a lot of feathers with this costume, even though it was only on a cover. The codpiece also provided a level of sexuality Thor really didn’t need.
#3: White Queen Emma Frost
Emma Frost has often worn some variation of a crop-top with pants, but she wears far less when she becomes the White Queen. As part of her villainous persona within the Hellfire Club, Frost ditches her usual trousers for underwear of all things. Emma doesn’t need armor with her diamond powers, although a corset certainly isn’t great for flexibility in combat either. One version of her Hellfire Club story actually changed her into a stripper, but that played as justification rather than fixing the issue. As empowering as Frost’s attitude towards sex is in the comics, her get-up was way too over-the-top.
#2: Zatanna’s Thong
For Zatanna’s alternate timeline in the ‘Flashpoint’ event, she joins a magical organization known as the Secret Seven. Between this group and her biker gang, the sorceress shed her usual stage clothes for a thong and a small jacket. Her new affiliations don’t really legitimize the outfit since no one else wore nearly as little as Zatanna. Her normal outfit already featured fishnets, but the thong was a step too far. Zatanna’s low-riding pants are confusing at best, as they don’t hide anything and look like they’d trip her up. For one of DC’s rarely altered characters, Zatanna was a jarringly different person in ‘Flashpoint.’
#1: Invisible Woman’s 4-Kini
Following years of neglect from her husband Reed Richards, Sue Storm decided to gain power back in their marriage through a new costume. Sue designed an outfit that could assert her sexuality, with nonsensical portholes in her suit as well. Although a breast-window would be bad enough, the Invisible Woman made it in the shape of a four. There are also random loose rings of fabric across the outfit. The concept was eventually explained as the result of Malice possessing Sue. After a dozen issues, however, this attempt at an empowering new costume came off as comedic, with Sue ditching it and referring to it as too “flashy.â€Â
Be sure to check out the video below to see our picks for the Top 10 Sexiest Superhero Costumes.
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