DC Comics has produced some of the most iconic costumes in comic book history and set the tone for all future superhero outfits. From Batman’s cowl to Superman’s logo, DC has no shortage of memorable character costumes and design elements. However, there have also been plenty of superhero costumes that have fallen short. Some try too hard to appeal to a specific audience, while others try and fail to revitalize a character that didn’t need to be changed. With so many characters in the DC Universe undergoing numerous redesigns as they are passed on to new writers and artists, it is no surprise that there are times when poor fashion choices are made.
To say the least, some superhero costumes don’t stand the test of time. These are the laziest, ugliest, and most dated costumes DC artists have ever designed.
10) Raven’s New 52 Costume
DC Comics’ New 52 reboot featured many characters undergoing drastic redesigns, some of which were more successful than others. Raven, however, got the short end of the stick. Her iconic hood was replaced with a bizarre bone helmet, which made her much less expressive. Her suit is covered in what are meant to be feathers but instead look more like deadly spikes. Raven was also given dagger-like talons that made her appear monstrous. For a character whose entire identity is the constant struggle between her human and demon halves, this design leaned far too much into the demon side.
9) Fate’s Costume
During the 1990s, every superhero had to be “dark and edgy,” with costumes featuring pouches, belts, leather, and knives. One of the most egregious examples of this was Jared Stevens, the new Doctor Fate, or “Fate” as he was called. The original Doctor Fate had a mystical helmet and flowing cape that emphasized his magical power. However, the updated Doctor Fate costume turned the iconic Helmet of Fate into a knife and tore up the cape to use as bandages for Fate’s arm. If that all wasn’t enough, the addition of having the character have a damaged eye and arm just made Stevens look like a poor man’s Cable from Marvel Comics.
8) Guy Guardner’s Yellow Ring Outfit
The famous loose cannon of the Green Lantern Corps, Guy Gardner, was always someone who stood out, for better or for worse. After replacing his Green Lantern ring with a Yellow one in the early 90s, Guy Gardner decided that he needed a new superhero identity: Guy Gardner. Aside from the unoriginal name, Guy’s new costume was just a biker outfit with a bland “G” logo on the front. Compared to his iconic Green Lantern Corps uniform, this design was forgettable and totally uninspired. Thankfully, Guy would eventually renounce the Yellow Lantern Ring and return to the role he was made for: a Green Lantern.
7) Cosmic Boy’s 70’s Costume
The Legion of Superheroes members have gone through many redesigns over the years, but Cosmic Boy’s costume from the 70’s is the most bizarre. A very revealing outfit, it looked like a mix between a Speedo and a lace-free bustier that covered only a quarter of his pecks. The artists had decided to replace the purple of Cosmic Boy’s suit with bare skin as part of an overall awkward design. Thankfully, the costume didn’t last long, and Cosmic Boy returned to his iconic black and purple palette.
6) Tim Drake’s “Drake” Costume
In an industry filled with unique and fantastical outfits, the worst thing a superhero can have is a boring costume. Wanting to become an independent hero, Tim Drake abandoned the Robin persona and took on the mononym “Drake.” Aside from his superhero name just being his last name, Tim’s new costume was a boring pile of nothing. Not much can be said about it, as it leaves no lasting impression. Its color palette was brown and yellow, with no recognizable features, making it one of the most forgettable costumes in comic book history.
5) Wonder Woman’s Biker Outfit
There’s nothing about this costume that inspires wonder. In a time when every superhero had costumes made of belts and black leather, some DC writers thought it was a good idea to give Wonder Woman the same makeover. After losing the title of Wonder Woman to another Amazon named Artemis, Diana decided to try out a new outfit. However, it’s so far removed from the original design that Diana looks unrecognizable. Instead of the iconic star-spangled design, it’s an over-revealing with an exposed midriff and biker shorts. This outfit is everything wrong with the 90s era of “modernized” superheroes.
4) Earth-2 Robin’s Batman Costume
On Earth-2, Bruce had retired as Batman, and his son, Dick, took on the mantle, with the worst costume possible. A horrible fusion of the brightly colored Robin suit with the dark Batman suit, Dick created a costume that couldn’t have clashed more if he had tried. Also, if he was taking the identity of Batman, why would he still have an “R” on his suit? In attempting to honor his father’s legacy while still maintaining his own identity, Robin had unintentionally made it so he could never distance himself from his days as Batman’s sidekick.
3) Black Canary’s 80’s Costume
Black Canary is well known for having one of the most iconic yet simple superhero costumes, consisting of fishnets, a bodysuit, and a black jacket. But, in the 1980s, Black Canary donned a blue and black leotard with broad black wings over the shoulders. The overly complicated and impractical design wasn’t reflective of the street-level crimefighter that she was and just came off as tacky. It was so bad that a cover from a later issue showed Black Canary setting the costume on fire. It just goes to show that you shouldn’t fix what isn’t broken.
2) Alan Scott’s Living Lantern Armor
When Alan Scott, the Golden-Age Green Lantern, became paralyzed after a climactic battle, he decided that his condition wasn’t going to stop him from being a hero. Unfortunately, the armor he made to accommodate his paralysis made him look like a literal lantern. The suit was big, clunky, and leaned too much into the “lantern” aesthetic. It looks like he’s wearing a green cardboard box as armor. If the artists wanted to give Alan a suit of armor forged by the Green Lantern Ring, they should have just used his suit from Kingdom Come.
1) Batman’s Rainbow Suit
It should probably go without saying that Batman, the Dark Knight of vengeance, should not have a rainbow-colored suit. Not only that, but along with the rainbow-colored costume, in 1957’s Detective Comics #241, he is supplied an entire closet full of green, yellow, orange, and even pink costumes. When Robin injured his arm while fighting crime, Batman wore a new, brightly colored costume every day until his sidekick recovered. His last costume combined all-previous colors to make a rainbow-colored suit. Batman reasoned that, if he wore costumes so eye-catching, the media would forget about Robin’s accident and focus all their attention on this new rainbow-colored version of the Caped Crusader. While it’s a nice gesture, there had to have been less ridiculous solutions. Either way, a rainbow-colored batsuit is easily the worst costume DC has ever created.
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