The 50 Best Costumes In Comics

gypped

are

Described as a "kind of Zeus," we love this planet-eating alien Samurai dude with a mondo EPIC headdress/helmet thing. He's got gravitas, power, pomp and pageantry. Plus, not only does homie transcend morality issues, you know, 'cause he's a god, we love that this thing born of the "sentience of the universe" has a peaches-and-cream, ANGLO-ass, lily-white complexion and a "G" on his chest. You know, 'cause he's an alien. Named Galactus. In English.

Michael Cera in a zip-up American Apparel hoodie is what Johnny Come Latelies to the franchise might picture, but Scott Pilgrim's reliably hipsterish getups is what garners this floppy-haired, Ramona-loving, guitar-wielding hopeless romantic a spot on this list. We just know that next to that one pretty killer tailored black suit with the skinny tie is a closet full of vainly archived ironic concert tees and vintage sweaters that would kill on eBay.

If you're going to inherit the powers of a Soul Reaper (a.k.a The Grim Reaper), you're going to need the drama of a billowing kimono with sweatbands and a really, really big sword. The series was intended to be called "Black," so inspired was the creator by the dark drapery but then, um, it was opposite day? A.k.a. who can really know the minds of Japanese manga geniuses?

It's one of Marvel U's greatest tragedies that the man with far-reaching telepathic powers and soaring intellect is confined to a wheelchair. And while many have attempted to revamp Professor X's mobility device from Frank Quitely's Dyson-ball-vacuum-meets-Rascal-Scooter, nothing is cooler than Jim Lee's floating hover-chair. Agile, super-’90s, and a luxurious padded seat with full lumbar support. Rules.

In this DC-published six-issue miniseries, the talk-show-host-turned-cop sports the same cowl, multi-buttoned power bands, and nifty inviso-belt made famous in his OG Hanna-Barbera appearance. Just as black is slimming, the all-white catsuit/boot combo is not only impervious to all elements but makes Thaddeus Bach look imposing and brolic, complete with a cowl-faced mini-me on the sternum that allows for communication.

Years before Blade, Luke Cage, Black Lightning, and the like, there was Black Panther. Wildcat from JSA ain't got nothing on this OG grind-time feline with the militant name—and even though they tried him out in a mouth-revealing cowl and he sported a flashy-for-him cape when he got hitched to Storm, we're all about the very first Fantastic Four version. Looked like he spoke softly and carried a big stick. And no, that isn't a racialist euphemism. Racialist.

Typically when you think vikings, you think fur, helmets, and a sausage-fest on a boat (word to Fred Smoot!). However, with slick robes, hoodies, braided beards, all-plaid everything, and combat boots, the Northlanders' Vikings come across more Assassin's Creed crusader than flagrant savage. We meant that as a good thing...maybe.

He's no Joe Cool, but Charlie Brown's been a pop-culture staple since debuting in 1950. Dude's "powers" might be limited to repelling the opposite sex (who couldn't relate?), but we'll forever love his yellow polo with the trademark black zig-zag. Call it the Batsuit for mediocre failures worldwide.

Rob Zombie x Juggalo x PEDs x distressed jeans x fingerless gloves= the dude you do not want to make eye contact with at your local pub. Look at this guy! Total hair-metal crazy alien who is just WAITING for you to start something. People are gonna grumble that he showed you his ASS in a bikini bottom ONE TIME with what looks like a penis on his arm but this psycho, stylistically, HAS to get props.

The Boy Wonder is probably the most famous sidekick in comics, but good Christ were his short shorts wildly inappropriate (mostly because he was always with a wealthy, lonely, older man in an skintight animal suit)! Finally somebody at DC did the right thing and gave dude pants. Especially since by this time Robin was a total G. Sure those "pants" are green leggings but he also got real boots. And better gloves. This was a HUGE evolution and we were all relieved we didn't have to see flying nekkid manthigh any longer.

Frankenstein needs a mate! We all know that you can't get yourself a mate without looking at least halfway decent, so cue trenchcoat, Balmain-homage marching band vest, and cold-ass killeverybody face to match the vascular killeverybody arms.

Part Beverly-Hills-Plastic-Surgeon-on-vacation-in-Chicago, part Ukranian terrorist, Sandman (not the shapeshifter/dude made of sand or the Gaiman jump-off) is as dapper as he is menacing. Especially in this genuinely scary homage to the Golden Era version. Whatever is in that leaking gas can, though, seems horrible. Still...nice tie, homie!

Oh, Tin Tin. You're so French. Barbour-car-coat-Saint-James-shirt French! And we love you for it. Sure you look sorta weak amongst these superheroes but you have a dog. Keep up with the preppy steez! We had to add SOMEONE on here that would look good in boat shoes. And that someone is you.

Wilson Fisk isn't what you would call a thin man. He also isn't what you would call a black man despite portrayals in terrible movies that seem to exist in a world where James Gandolfini isn't a working actor who would be the PERFECT casting. Whatever. Whether in velour suits or amorphous yet unmistakably expensive smoking jackets, the Kingpin is not to be toyed with. That cane isn't a crutch, it's a weapon. Kiss the ring.

As comic lovers, we've been blessed with many an incredible Batman, but for sheer sartorial aesthetic, Kelley Jones' version KILLED. Between the unmistakably menacing foot-long spiked ears and the anthropomorphic cape with its own morally ambiguous agenda, no artist made Gotham's Dark Knight look straight-up scarier to good guys and bad guys alike. Props for his manorexic Sandman, too. That shit was ill.

Chris Bachalo masterfully rendered the ragin' cajun, Remy LeBeau, and armed him with kinetic energy, a crazy-looking metal staff, and a wide-lapel belted trench that looks fetching with the articulated torso armor. Not for nothing, your man LeBeau is also on point on the grooming tip. In 1990, when Jim Lee first breathed life into this card sharp, hair with body like that was the TRUTH.

NYC's favorite webcrawler was redesigned by Todd McFarlane, who added thicker, more cable-like web shots while sharpening his eyes (um basically throwing a ton more kohl eyeliner around Parker's eyes but in a RAD way) and contorting Spidey's poses until he resembled the agile dude from Queens that he is. The revamp sold over 2 million copies with a sick set of alternate covers, setting a record-breaking title that stands as the bestseller for the Astoria arachnid.

When vampires were cool and the words "Edward Cullen" didn't constantly vomit out of your girl's mouth, prune-faced, spike-haired, hard-drinking Irish vampire Cassidy ruled the world. Don't let the fun-loving wayfarers fool you, his healing factor rivals Wolverine's and he can survive decapitation. Besides, a denim jacket with the sleeves cut off always looks a little better bloodied.

Oh Smax, he of the breakfast cereal/drug-sounding moniker, with a hot head and a Smurf hue that you can't for a minute BEGIN to front on because he is superpowered and thoroughly bad. And wearing a cutaway, Rick-Owens-Armageddon trench with hulking epaulettes. Scarred for life, the white handprint he bears is a constant reminder of the little girl he failed to save and NOT the Body Glove symbol. Haters.

Uh, techno-organic virus that fuses armor plates to the marrow of Stark's bones??!!! Aaaaaaaaaand motor control through brain impulses?! Helloooo. Artist Adi Granov helped revamp Iron Man's image to the sleek and modern design that we're all now familiar with from the movies but WOW not only is this Extremis version phenotypically bananas, genotypically it's GONZO. Man, science rules.

The beauty of Blue Beetle's costume is in the details. The segmentation at the hinges give great texture and the sheen of the black and blue color scheme jumps off the page. Plus, chicks dig beetle horns and extra torso legs. There was a poll. Chicks are freaks.

The Minutemen are vicious killing machines with slippery agendas and if there's one thing that such assassin types are good at—other than taking lives, of course—it's looking good. The hired guns appear in Vincent Vega/Jules Winnfield-esque outfits when "working" and nobody can deny the timelessness of black suit x black tie x white shirt getups. Especially with white or khaki thrown in for Miami jaunts coupled with slender silhouette ties that are SO J.Lindeberg.

Forget what you heard about angels, because Warren Worthington III a.k.a. Archangel is not that fluffy creature with feathery wings. Well, not anymore. Certainly not now after he got all moody and serious enough to don a blue x magenta suit, which makes him look like a bloodthirsty badass with organic metal wings that will cut ALL OF YOU. So vindicating because though Warren was kind of a little trust fund bitch, you could tell he could FINALLY feel good in his skin.

Advanced artificially intelligent robots quadruple-dipped in precious/semi-precious metals? Smelt like teen spirit! Plus, Dr. William "Will" Magnus, the creator of these sparkly superheroes, was a sartorially inclined super-dandy. Suspenders and tailored shirts, pulled together by Doc's signature accessory—his smoking pipe. Cancer's big for resort season!

Black Bolt's most prominent weapon is his hypersonic voice; one word uttered by this member of the inhuman ruling class can level a city. What floors us, though, is his totally pleats-please (how Issey Miyake!) wings and his SS 10 geometric/Aztec-looking graphic print. Opening Ceremony x Marvel Comics much? Very.

Hunter S. Thompson was the obvious psychological inspiration for this hard-living, hard-loathing journalist, but his style is a hybrid of the '80s: new wave x Miami Vice. Mismatched sunglasses, combat boots, and an unbuttoned sports jacket sans shirt? Fly. Especially when you're on this many hallucinogens.

Is there any debate that this man is THE forefather of the graphic tee movement? Look at him all, "Wear a skull on my chest, I don't need Dapper Dan..." Thank god he wasn't the forefather of the allover print movement. All those skulls would be too busy. Like Damien Hirst circa Played Out busy. And nobody needs that.

Still waters run deep, and trusty sidekicks prefer perfectly tied bow ties and sensible, muted business attire to the whole spandex x latex x cowl x cape rigamarole. Plus, you know those shirts are Gieves and Hawkes. And that sportcoat? 100% cashmere.

Sure, your neurosurgeon don't dress like that but Doctor Strange's golden filigree pattern is a goddamn model of consistency. Stephen Strange has looked the same since the dawn of time. Weird, but same. Also, he has the poppin'est popped collar in comic book history. But don't go getting any ideas—you do, in fact, have to be "Sorcerer Supreme" to pull off a sash like that.

The inspiration for not just one, but two rappers, Doom makes the list both for having a dope, evil-looking metal mask, and for running an efficient sweatshop—green cape, green tank top, black armor: rinse and repeat on Doombots ad infinitum. Evil x Slave Labor FTW.

A silver cloak costume with a cape that constantly seems to take the shape of the moon may be a bit showy—but considering he's the crime-fighting avatar for the ancient Egyptian god of justice, Khonshu, we should probably be glad he's not clad in a skirt or loin cloth. Speaking of cloth, Stephen Platt's iteration of lunar dude's cape was unfreakingbelievable.

Part intelligent black man (a soldier/genius military strategist or a pacifist professor/scientist, depending on the version), part enhanced machine wrapped in a badass metal-mesh bodysuit, Deathlok is so intimidating that white folks don't just cross the street when they see him coming, they cross the damn country. And go to a Tea Party!

Artist Alex Ross took a man who wears a purple suit with green hair, a bow or bolo, and a boutonnière—and made him black and white and fucking crazy. You might find The Joker's outfit funny, but word to him cackling over your corpse, he always gets the last laugh.

Since he first appeared in Swamp Thing #37, this occult detective has devolved from a more formal, pristinely pressed suit-and-trench-coat combo to a grungier gumshoe look replete with wrinkled shirts and loosened ties. Hey, battling demons can be hell on a man's wardrobe.

You don't need much in the way of protection and weaponry to fight turtles, but what about teenage mutant ninja turtles? For that, the leader of Foot clan outfitted himself with bladed metallic Samurai armor. Plus, screw being a hero in a half shell, DIY this look at home with the bitchingest soccer shin guards, football shoulder pads, bike helmet, and SARS mask ever.

War Machine is like that friend who borrows your clothes and makes them look better than you ever did. It's annoying but luckily for Iron Man, he's got something War Machine doesn't: an indefatigable bank account. Why he doesn't just make his own suit sexier than War Machine's monochrome we don't know. Because, maaaaaan, the protruding missile launchers and machine guns, super-fitted-body-plates situation is Bad. Ass.

Joining 50 Cent, Rick Ross, and Capone and Noreaga as dudes who sought fame by using the names of yesteryear's G's, Dick Grayson gave up the hospital-cotton-soft Robin guise to go for something a little more menacing: Batman's Kryptonian alter-ego, Nightwing. The outfit is a vast improvement and the name upgrade is great. Sucks for you, Flamebird.

When recruited to fight on behalf of the UK in the Great Wars, Falsworth donned an outfit that was meant to strike fear into the hearts of enemies: the Union Jack a.k.a the British Flag. While stylish--deep blues and lively reds with the rich brown utility belt worked well--we can see what may have been frightening about it when Britain was a colonial power. Way less so now.

An icon of patriotism from WWII, of course Captain America would be swaddled in stars and stripes. John Cassaday made Cap's 'fit sick with the addition of chainmail. Good thing, too, 'cause if we had our way, he'd resemble Juelz Santana in the "I Really Mean It" video.

Lex Luthor's insane smarts + an icy cold heart that learns to hate + an intergalactic battle suit in green and pink (hmm...was Luthor an Alpha Kappa Alpha?) = trouble. Built to help Luthor reign supreme on the distant planet of Lexor, the Mega Suit ironically plays a major part in the planet's destruction when it creates a beam of energy that blows up a church. But who cares? Lex almost looks like he has hair in this outfit!

After a crippling accident in space, young Luther Hargreaves gets a body transplant from a giant blue martian gorilla to save his life. The half-man, half-amazing leader of the Umbrella Academy is destined for Halloween costume greatness--everyone knows the sweaty mask is the most annoying part of a gorilla suit. Elephant-face Ganesha's got nothing on this dude.

Who says superheroes need to wear spandex? When Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely relaunched the New X-Men in '01, they threw out the skin-tight, multicolored costumes and gave everyone tough black and yellow leather outfits with boots to match. They might have looked a little like a Fast & The Furious biker gang, but at least that's better than a figure skating team.

The Merc With A Mouth might not be the first Marvel character to rock bright red spandex with a mouthless mask, but he is the first to not look like a web-skeeting American flag gimp. Our favorite wise-ass totes heavy artillery belts and blades strapped to his back. Plus, he sports a buckle with his own face on it, kinda like Ricky Rosé.

No longer a flabby old nerd with bad eyesight, the brolic, badass Doc introduced in Ultimate Spider-Man is definitely getting that octopussy (heh). Black shades hide grisly scars where his eyes used to be, and psychically-controlled metal arms are fused into his green and blue suit. Best of all, Ock's accessory game is unparalleled—the "nanobots" at the end of each arm can morph into anything he wants, from flamethrowers to machine guns.

Nemo is always calm, cool, and collected, and so is his refined military style that reflects his royal Indian pedigree. Draped in the finest linens with ornate gold detailing, his green turban is accented by a simple feather and Nautilus shell, a nod to the name of his submarine.

If you even had a shred of doubt that the Cyclops x Gay Pride Parade aesthetic would work, then shame on you. The red/blue thing promotes gang unity, and the indestructible wristbands add unmistakable panache to an ensemble that might otherwise be mid-season exit on Project Runway. You go, son of Darkseid, WORK!

Nothing makes a psycho more psycho than being filthy and Savile Row. It's like he's juuuust unhinged enough to not not know how to take care of his ascot. Dr. Manhattan? Naked. Comedian? Molesty. Night Owl? PUSSY. Props to you, Walter Kovacs, for being blotchily, anonymously badass.

If you were a CIA agent who got merked by your boss and sent to Hell, only to become an undead and disfigured soldier working for a demon, the least the demon could do is give you a bitchin' costume. Well, he could have made you not disfigured. Or undead. But black, red, spikes, and that cape? Bananas! And don't get us started on those toys that would be made in your likeness. GAMECHANGERS.

It may have only lasted for a single issue (Tales of Suspense #39), but that's some sustainable metallurgy right thurr. We're cool with the red and gold but if he went back to proto-wear and its crazy Plan 9 From Outer Space overtones we'd be as mad as Tony Starks tearing into a delicious flame-broiled, Burger King Whopper sandwich with a refreshing Burger King fountain soda. As in, not mad at all.

This alien symbiote responds to Spidey's thoughts (and at the time it was an MJ x Gwen threeway) and takes him web-swinging at night while he sleeps. OK, it ultimately turns Eddie Brock into Venom but SCREW A SYMBIOTE, YO THAT MURDERED-OUT SUIT IS FRESH. Seriously, anyone disputing this costume's rank should come see us. Because you are HILARIOUS.