Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.super-heroes (More info?)
I was looking at what American swimmers will be wearing to the next Olympics
and of course the first thing that occured to me is that it looked exactly like
a superhero costume. There's a reason for that:
Skin-tight Body Stocking: People mock comic book couture for it's
impracticality, but not always justly. Take a look at what a luger, or a speed
skater wears. Anyone who flies faster than the speed of sound may be able to
personally take
that kind of punishment, but if they don't expect to arrive naked, they sure as
hell better wear a skin tight outfit. Even more modestly empowered heros who
only travel at, say 30 or 40 mph are going to notice significant drag if they
don't have
an outfit that, shall we say, will reveal any definciencies in their form in
brutal detail.
Female outfits are another matter. Cleavage is simply not an option for any
woman
with significant flight powers. Your spandex will peel off instantly at speed.
Additionally anyone with remarkable flexibility, had better have a very
stretchy outfit, probably skin tight. People with stretching powers would be
well advised to dress like a professional wrestler, with arms and legs bare so
they can stretch freely.
Colour Schemes: Daredevil dressed in red to sneak around at night. Was that
really the wisest choice? Spider-Man dressed in an even brighter red. And
let's not even talk about Moon Knight or Robin. It may be boring, but let's
face it, basic black is the best choice for those who wish to sneak up on
people in the dark. Even in the daytime, the most practical reason to adopt a
garish 4-colour scheme to your uniform is if you somehow harbour ambitions to
be an entertainer, or to license your image. Spider-Man's costume was of
course the product of his early show biz aspirations but the odds are good that
a real life "spiderman" would have gone to urban camo or basic black quite a
while ago. However, an exception could be called for teams, where they want
identifying colours to avoid friendly fire casualties (probably the _same_
identifying colours however) and characters who wish to declare themselves one
of the good guys by wearing colours of the national flag.
Capes: In Japanese cartoons, the cape is the mark of an aristocratic villain.
Historically, the primary use of capes was to protect your expensive clothing
from getting splashed with mud, blood or other bodily fluids. That's why the
lining is more expensive than the outer material. For a modern day superhero,
capes are rarely useful. They give an opponent a readily grabbed handle to
yank on, increase wind resistance while flying and don't offer much in return.
However,
if you are wearing a body stocking with no belt...a cape does provide a handy
place to stick a pocket. Apart from that, and misguided advice of your image
consultant, the best reason to wear a cape is because the cape itself has
useful powers. If you need it to turn invisible, access hammerspace, or fly,
then it becomes worth bothering with.
Masks: Masks are a highly problematic item in your outfit. They tend to
interfere with your peripheral vision, make people suspicious of you, don't
look all that good unless you black your eyes with makeup, and are less likely
to offer you superpowers. However, they are required for a minimal attempt at
maintaining a secret identity and are used in real life for just that purpose
by people like American vice cops, and Sicilian judges. They don't provide an
impenetrable defense against identify detection of course, but habitually
wearing a mask while working will at least prevent casual identification of the
hero by the public at large
and villains with limited resources.
High Heels: Female comic book heros are depressingly inclined to go the
high-heel route as their artists sacrifice practically for pinup appeal.
This is obviously insane for any woman who can't fly if they expect to fight by
any physical means, doubly so if they are superstrong, since those stilleto
heels will
snap the first time they throw a punch, and punch holes into the ground if they
lift
something heavy. However a flying zapper can wear high heels if she wants to.
It's not like she'll be doing much walking.
I was looking at what American swimmers will be wearing to the next Olympics
and of course the first thing that occured to me is that it looked exactly like
a superhero costume. There's a reason for that:
Skin-tight Body Stocking: People mock comic book couture for it's
impracticality, but not always justly. Take a look at what a luger, or a speed
skater wears. Anyone who flies faster than the speed of sound may be able to
personally take
that kind of punishment, but if they don't expect to arrive naked, they sure as
hell better wear a skin tight outfit. Even more modestly empowered heros who
only travel at, say 30 or 40 mph are going to notice significant drag if they
don't have
an outfit that, shall we say, will reveal any definciencies in their form in
brutal detail.
Female outfits are another matter. Cleavage is simply not an option for any
woman
with significant flight powers. Your spandex will peel off instantly at speed.
Additionally anyone with remarkable flexibility, had better have a very
stretchy outfit, probably skin tight. People with stretching powers would be
well advised to dress like a professional wrestler, with arms and legs bare so
they can stretch freely.
Colour Schemes: Daredevil dressed in red to sneak around at night. Was that
really the wisest choice? Spider-Man dressed in an even brighter red. And
let's not even talk about Moon Knight or Robin. It may be boring, but let's
face it, basic black is the best choice for those who wish to sneak up on
people in the dark. Even in the daytime, the most practical reason to adopt a
garish 4-colour scheme to your uniform is if you somehow harbour ambitions to
be an entertainer, or to license your image. Spider-Man's costume was of
course the product of his early show biz aspirations but the odds are good that
a real life "spiderman" would have gone to urban camo or basic black quite a
while ago. However, an exception could be called for teams, where they want
identifying colours to avoid friendly fire casualties (probably the _same_
identifying colours however) and characters who wish to declare themselves one
of the good guys by wearing colours of the national flag.
Capes: In Japanese cartoons, the cape is the mark of an aristocratic villain.
Historically, the primary use of capes was to protect your expensive clothing
from getting splashed with mud, blood or other bodily fluids. That's why the
lining is more expensive than the outer material. For a modern day superhero,
capes are rarely useful. They give an opponent a readily grabbed handle to
yank on, increase wind resistance while flying and don't offer much in return.
However,
if you are wearing a body stocking with no belt...a cape does provide a handy
place to stick a pocket. Apart from that, and misguided advice of your image
consultant, the best reason to wear a cape is because the cape itself has
useful powers. If you need it to turn invisible, access hammerspace, or fly,
then it becomes worth bothering with.
Masks: Masks are a highly problematic item in your outfit. They tend to
interfere with your peripheral vision, make people suspicious of you, don't
look all that good unless you black your eyes with makeup, and are less likely
to offer you superpowers. However, they are required for a minimal attempt at
maintaining a secret identity and are used in real life for just that purpose
by people like American vice cops, and Sicilian judges. They don't provide an
impenetrable defense against identify detection of course, but habitually
wearing a mask while working will at least prevent casual identification of the
hero by the public at large
and villains with limited resources.
High Heels: Female comic book heros are depressingly inclined to go the
high-heel route as their artists sacrifice practically for pinup appeal.
This is obviously insane for any woman who can't fly if they expect to fight by
any physical means, doubly so if they are superstrong, since those stilleto
heels will
snap the first time they throw a punch, and punch holes into the ground if they
lift
something heavy. However a flying zapper can wear high heels if she wants to.
It's not like she'll be doing much walking.
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