Poll of the Day > what was the actual idea behind capes

(+) Yeah! (+)

really
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in real life or with super heroes? in both cases i'm assuming just cause someone thought they looked good. with batman and a few others though the cape atleast serves a function.

I mean supermans entire classic look was designed just to make him stand out from what I read, down to the red underpants over his pants.
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Because early superheroes were an evolution of the pulp adventure hero, and most of them wore capes, long trenchcoats, and the like.

Batman's cape is basically straight up just Zorro's cape.


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Protection from the elements/weather?
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ParanoidObsessive posted...

Because early superheroes were an evolution of the pulp adventure hero, and most of them wore capes, long trenchcoats, and the like.

Batman's cape is basically straight up just Zorro's cape.

as said batman's cape does atleast have functions. flame proof, acts as a glider, I believe in some iterations its bullet proof when the rest of his outfit isn't
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HellHole_ posted...

really

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObpcGNCU944

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mooreandrew58 posted...

as said batman's cape does at least have functions.

Yeah, but that was all added after the fact, by later writers, to try and justify why he still uses it in spite of it being an incredibly obvious tactical flaw (something multiple comic characters have pointed out over the years).

It's the same logic behind why so many superheroes wear tights that look like underwear on the outside of their clothes (including Batman, originally). It made perfect sense when Superman did it (it was a reference to early 1900s weightlifters and wrestlers, who wore similar tights), and Superman influenced most of the characters that followed, so other characters do it too. But then culture moved on to the point where most people don't get the reference anymore, so Superman's look makes less sense, so newer writers try to come up with new ways to justify it (like it being some kind of Kryptonian style or something), to ultimately having the recent writers be so ashamed of it that they redesigned the entire costume (poorly) to get rid of it.

But nostalgia and decades worth of experience tell us that certain heroes are supposed to look a certain way, so taking their capes away now just makes them look a bit lamer in comparison. So characters like the X-Men or Avengers can get away with more advanced-looking costumes or no capes, but characters like Superman and Batman are likely to have capes pretty much forever.


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ParanoidObsessive posted...

mooreandrew58 posted...

as said batman's cape does at least have functions.

Yeah, but that was all added after the fact, by later writers, to try and justify why he still uses it in spite of it being an incredibly obvious tactical flaw (something multiple comic characters have pointed out over the years).

It's the same logic behind why so many superheroes wear tights that look like underwear on the outside of their clothes (including Batman, originally). It made perfect sense when Superman did it (it was a reference to early 1900s weightlifters and wrestlers, who wore similar tights), and Superman influenced most of the characters that followed, so other characters do it too. But then culture moved on to the point where most people don't get the reference anymore, so Superman's look makes less sense, so newer writers try to come up with new ways to justify it (like it being some kind of Kryptonian style or something), to ultimately having the recent writers be so ashamed of it that they redesigned the entire costume (poorly) to get rid of it.

But nostalgia and decades worth of experience tell us that certain heroes are supposed to look a certain way, so taking their capes away now just makes them look a bit lamer in comparison. So characters like the X-Men or Avengers can get away with more advanced-looking costumes or no capes, but characters like Superman and Batman are likely to have capes pretty much forever.

actually I prefer superman's redesign. even as a kid I hated the underwear thing. and honestly I thought it was the other way around, superhero outfits influencing wrestling outfits.

I read somewhere once that the creators of superman drew some sort of inspiration from the circus for his outfit, but they may have just been talking the color choices.

and no matter how you slice it batman without a cape would just be stupid. it takes away from the "human bat" thing he has going on which he uses to scare people.so even before it had functions thats why he had a cape.
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Capes were an evolution of the cloak, which was a practical clothing item for travelers. A cloak protected its wearer from the weather/elements (as Nightcralwer noted) as well as potentially providing bedding if a traveler needed to sleep outside.

Other than that, PO's explanation is sufficient for the rest. I would also note that capes have *some* practical effect in making a hero look bigger (and thus more intimidating) and concealing their body at times (helping to hide their identity and avoid attacks). Granted, they have *major* drawbacks as Dollar Bill (Watchmen) learned.
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mooreandrew58 posted...

actually I prefer superman's redesign. even as a kid I hated the underwear thing. and honestly I thought it was the other way around, superhero outfits influencing wrestling outfits.

I don't necessarily hate the IDEA of redesigning his outfit, I just hate the look they went with.

Basically, when DC did the New 52 reboot, they hired a lot of the people who were responsible for 90s comics being so absolutely terrible it nearly killed the industry entirely, and they brought all of their old flaws with them.

Even if you want to get rid of Superman's outer pants, you shouldn't turn him into an early-90s Image character in the process.

Which was mostly my same objections to the various Wonder Woman and Power Girl redesigns they've tried over the years to make them less sexualized. The problem isn't what they're doing, the problem is that they keep designing terrible outfits to replace the classic versions.



mooreandrew58 posted...

I read somewhere once that the creators of superman drew some sort of inspiration from the circus for his outfit, but they may have just been talking the color choices.

Circus strongmen. They tended to wear the same sorts of clothes that old-time wrestlers and weightlifters did. It's all the same aesthetic.



mooreandrew58 posted...

and no matter how you slice it batman without a cape would just be stupid. it takes away from the "human bat" thing he has going on which he uses to scare people.so even before it had functions thats why he had a cape.

Yes, but that's still a more modern take on the look of the cape.

Original Batman was basically just Zorro with bat-ears (and Kane's original design looked much, much worse). The idea of "these are my bat wings" evolved over time.


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ParanoidObsessive posted...

I don't necessarily hate the IDEA of redesigning his outfit, I just hate the look they went with.

Yes, it's so painfully generic. And the fact it contains what looks like an unnecessary belt in lieu of the shorts/boxers/jockey doesn't help things.
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They keep your back nice and warm
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