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  1. #1
    Ultimate Member Riv86672's Avatar
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    Default Well known Marvel/DC characters w. the least iconic costumes

    Mind you, these characters may have -classic- costumes, but it’s not the same thing.

    For example, Marvel’s Janet Van Dyne made a habit of not having an iconic costume. She’d show up after a long absence in something completely different and fans wouldn’t bat an eye.
    DC’s Black Lightning usually gets a redesign after each hiatus, to no outrage.

    But then you have your Superman and Captain America types. You can -tweak- their costumes, but not too much, and even tweaks usually generate fan response on noticeable scale.

    So, well known characters, least iconic costumes.

  2. #2
    Spectacular Member Kuro no Shinigami's Avatar
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    Superman's least iconic costume is electric blue costume

    Spider-man's least iconic costume is symbiotic costume

    Thor's least iconic costume is bare-chested Thor costume designed by Mike Deodato.

    Iron Man's least iconic costume is Silver Centurion Armour

  3. #3
    Silver Sentinel BeastieRunner's Avatar
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    I would argue Wolverine and Power Man since you hardly see them IN costume fighting crime.
    "Always listen to the crazy scientist with a weird van or armful of blueprints and diagrams." -- Vibranium

  4. #4
    Ultimate Member Riv86672's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Kuro no Shinigami View Post
    Superman's least iconic costume is electric blue costume

    Spider-man's least iconic costume is symbiotic costume

    Thor's least iconic costume is bare-chested Thor costume designed by Mike Deodato.

    Iron Man's least iconic costume is Silver Centurion Armour
    Not really what I was asking, but thanks!

    Quote Originally Posted by BeastieRunner View Post
    I would argue Wolverine and Power Man since you hardly see them IN costume fighting crime.
    Interesting examples.
    The yellow/blue and disco outfits are iconic, but both have switched costumes several times (Wolvie more so) w.out fans going on a roaring rampage of revenge.

  5. #5
    Ultimate Member Gray Lensman's Avatar
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    Most of the X-Men fit here.

    Jean Grey's most iconic seems to be the Phoenix costume, but hasn't worn it since she has been brought back except for a panel or two. She is most often associated with the colors of green and gold, but even that isn't a certainty.

    Wolverine has 2 well known costumes, the blue and yellow one and the black and tan version.

    Cyclops has his 90's outfit, but typically wears a black outfit with a cowl and yellow or gold bits on it. The visor is the most iconic thing he has, and they even tried to not use that when Bendis was writing.

    I'm not sure of any X-Man who has a truly iconic outfit like Superman, Batman, or Captain America.

    Over in the Justice League at DC, most of them have specific costumes that are rarely deviated from very much. Superman, Batman, Flash, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern all tend to tweak the costume more than change it. Out of the "Big Five" Wonder Woman has changed the most, currently sporting something that looks inspired by her ancient Greek origin (which has been accepted much better than her tight pants look). Aquaman had a period with a different costume but he is back to his most well known look again, and the Martian Manhunter would be the one easiest to change, seeing as he is currently wearing a radical redesign from his Silver Age look - and having been retgonned out of the League almost entirely as well (and not a founder anymore either).

    Back to Marvel, the Fantastic Four mostly stays with variations of the original costumes but have had periods where they try to update them now and again, from the stupid 90ish 4-window Sue Storm was put in to the white suits they were in a few years ago - but always seem to drift back to a version of the Kirby drawn costumes eventually.

    And back to DC once again, Robin has a few beats to his look that always stick around - the color scheme doesn't seem to vary much, with the 2 biggest changes being a change from a yellow cape to a black one with a yellow interior, and the change from shorts to pants. The costume looks similar even when the person wearing it changes.
    Last edited by Gray Lensman; 07-06-2020 at 02:17 AM.
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  6. #6
    Boisterously Confused
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    I'd say that the Hulk's iconic look is The Rampaging Green Monster In Ripped Up Britches, and anything deviating from that is less iconic...
    image.jpg
    ...but it tends to be less of an issue for Hulk. Those changes in look for him are usually story powered, and so the fans tend not to lose their marbles over it.

    Ditko gave Dr. Strange a very definitive look, and he tends to always return to it. However, he's had several alternative looks without it being that much of an issue. Interesting to note, though, that his most iconic look was not the original. That came along after quite a long journey of development, culminating with The Ancient One giving him the Cloak of Levitation and Eye of Aggamatto. Before that, his look had been a bit more sedate. For his least iconic, I'd say it's his 1990s look where the cloak is illustrated more like a duster...
    Image.jpg
    ...you can still recognize him as Dr. Strange, but it's a long way from his iconic, vaguely East Asian-inspired look.

    This may be a little more hair-splitting than you had in mind: Silver Age Green Lantern had a specific look for decades, and it was the design for the entire GL Corps (except for the occasional GL with a completely non-humanoid physiology). I think it was after Guy Gardner broke the mold with this biker-vest look that we began to see character-specific variations on the costume, and it's been in some degree of flux ever since. If I have to pick one of those, it's probably the minimalist look they gave John Stewart during the JL toon era...
    image.jpg
    ...of course, DC has since foisted so many GL designs on us, you might be able to argue that there no longer is any iconic GL look.

  7. #7
    Ultimate Member Gray Lensman's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by DrNewGod View Post
    I'd say that the Hulk's iconic look is The Rampaging Green Monster In Ripped Up Britches, and anything deviating from that is less iconic...
    image.jpg
    ...but it tends to be less of an issue for Hulk. Those changes in look for him are usually story powered, and so the fans tend not to lose their marbles over it.

    Ditko gave Dr. Strange a very definitive look, and he tends to always return to it. However, he's had several alternative looks without it being that much of an issue. Interesting to note, though, that his most iconic look was not the original. That came along after quite a long journey of development, culminating with The Ancient One giving him the Cloak of Levitation and Eye of Aggamatto. Before that, his look had been a bit more sedate. For his least iconic, I'd say it's his 1990s look where the cloak is illustrated more like a duster...
    Image.jpg
    ...you can still recognize him as Dr. Strange, but it's a long way from his iconic, vaguely East Asian-inspired look.

    This may be a little more hair-splitting than you had in mind: Silver Age Green Lantern had a specific look for decades, and it was the design for the entire GL Corps (except for the occasional GL with a completely non-humanoid physiology). I think it was after Guy Gardner broke the mold with this biker-vest look that we began to see character-specific variations on the costume, and it's been in some degree of flux ever since. If I have to pick one of those, it's probably the minimalist look they gave John Stewart during the JL toon era...
    image.jpg
    ...of course, DC has since foisted so many GL designs on us, you might be able to argue that there no longer is any iconic GL look.
    I think I want to ask for clarification as to what the OP actually means.

    Well known characters without ANY iconic costume?

    OR

    The least iconic costume a well known character has worn, even of they have an iconic costume? - this one seems iffy, since one can just sift through issues to come up with something worn for only a single arc, or even just a single issue.

    Or is it long running costumes that didn't make it into being iconic?

    Or is it stuff with a near-iconic status that might not get fans up in arms when it gets changed, but the character will almost always return to a variant of after a change in writer or two?
    Dark does not mean deep.

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by Gray Lensman View Post
    I think I want to ask for clarification as to what the OP actually means.

    Well known characters without ANY iconic costume?

    OR

    The least iconic costume a well known character has worn, even of they have an iconic costume? - this one seems iffy, since one can just sift through issues to come up with something worn for only a single arc, or even just a single issue.

    Or is it long running costumes that didn't make it into being iconic?

    Or is it stuff with a near-iconic status that might not get fans up in arms when it gets changed, but the character will almost always return to a variant of after a change in writer or two?
    I will admit to some confusion when offering my opinion. I think my submissions tell the story on what I concluded, but I agree, the OP could be interpreted in several different ways.

  9. #9
    Ultimate Member Riv86672's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by DrNewGod View Post
    I will admit to some confusion when offering my opinion. I think my submissions tell the story on what I concluded, but I agree, the OP could be interpreted in several different ways.
    ^^^You caught what I was pitching.

    Your post was great to read.

  10. #10
    The Spirits of Vengeance K7P5V's Avatar
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    My choice would be...

    Wonder Man



    Out of all those costumes, my Top 2 favorites are the original (1964) & the George Perez re-designed ionic-form (1998).



    Many won't agree, but I always considered both as iconic.

  11. #11
    Ultimate Member Riv86672's Avatar
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    ^^^thats a good choice!
    He’s got several costumes that ppl will rally around, but can change outfits and not cause a riot.

    I was a fan of his original outfit, too. And I believe his second one was also a George Perez design (last one on the right in your pic)?
    The safari jacket look I always thought made him stand out among more traditional costumes in group shots.

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by Riv86672 View Post
    ^^^You caught what I was pitching.

    Your post was great to read.
    That madam-or-sir, is flattering.

  13. #13
    Ultimate Member Riv86672's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by DrNewGod View Post
    That madam-or-sir, is flattering.
    I’m a guy, but as retired NCO, please don’t call me sir!

  14. #14
    Incredible Member Tugger's Avatar
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    I wouldn't say any of his (Cosmic Boy of the Legion of Superheroes) costumes were iconic (despite being mostly pink) but this costume has to rate amongst the worst, both of the Legion or anywhere else.


  15. #15
    Ultimate Member Riv86672's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Tugger View Post
    I wouldn't say any of his (Cosmic Boy of the Legion of Superheroes) costumes were iconic (despite being mostly pink) but this costume has to rate amongst the worst, both of the Legion or anywhere else.

    God what an awful suit!
    He looks like an exotic dancer.

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