Subversion of clichés was a guiding principle for Stan Lee and his collaborators in fashioning the Marvel Universe, but there was one that fans were not ready to let go of. The arrival of Marvel’s stable of heroes in the early 1960s revolutionized American comics, thanks in part to bucking trends prevalent at other publishers. However, when Stan and company tried doing away with one in particular, fans had strong thoughts.

Speaking in a 1968 interview with Ted White, and later reprinted in 1995 by The Comics Journal, Stan Lee spoke on a variety of topics, including the thought process that led to Fantastic Four #1. Lee mentions “boredom” with clichés in comics at the time, with one clear rule: "all superheroes wore costumes." The team initially avoided costumes, but quickly adopted them. Lee reveals this was due to fan demand, saying:

I think the big policy was to avoid the clichés. For example, on The Fantastic Fours, first cliché was: all superheroes wore costumes. We soon learned that was a mistake because, much as the readers like offbeat things, there are certain basics that we must have, and apparently, superhero fans do demand costumes as we learned in the subsequent mail."

"Costumes were nothing that I ever worried much about, but I see that the rabid fans are tremendously interested in the attire of their superheroes.

Stan Lee Learned: Costumes Are Integral to the Superhero Genre

Every Superhero Costume is a Variant on Superman or Batman

Stan was correct: bright and garish costumes have been a key part of superhero comics since the genre’s inception. Superman, regarded as the starting point for modern superhero comics, set the mold in his first appearance. His bright blue, red and yellow uniform helped distinguish him from other characters appearing in comics at the time, and set a standard for every superhero to follow. A year after Superman’s debut, Batman introduced another, darker archetype for superhero costumes, one that perseveres as much as Superman’s bright colors. Every superhero costume is essentially some variation of these two.

The Flash's first appearance in Showcase #4 is regarded as the starting point for the Silver Age of Comics.

The demand for superheroes ebbed and flowed, and by the mid-1950s, had made a roaring comeback, thanks to the adventures of the Flash. Clad in all red, the Flash seemingly leaped off the pages of Showcase #4, ensuring the trend of bright and colorful costumes would continue into comics’ Silver Age. The Flash’s success inspired a number of other, similarly brightly clad heroes, including Green Lantern, Hawkman and the Atom. Even non-superhero characters, such as the Challengers of the Unknown, featured costumes that would not have been out of place in the Justice League.

Were Readers, Like Stan Lee Suggested, Bored With Superhero Comics?

Fantastic Four Was a Breath of Fresh Air, Blowing the Lid off Fan Expectations

The Silver Age was in full effect when Stan Lee and Jack Kirby sat down to create Fantastic Four #1. By then, by Stan’s estimation, “boredom” had set in among superhero comics readers, and there is some merit to this observation. Not much changed about superheroes between the Golden and Silver Ages. While Silver Age stories were more grounded in science fiction than their predecessors, they still contained minimal characterization and only a loose sense of continuity. The Flash and his friends also still wore the garish costumes that had been a trademark of the Golden Age.

With this in mind, it is easy now to see why Fantastic Four #1 was so revolutionary. The of the Fantastic Four were unlike any other superhero being published at the time. They fought and argued among themselves, and had trouble paying their bills. One team member even had a monstrous appearance—something that was also unheard of then but now taken for granted. Finally, the Fantastic Four did not wear bright uniforms. As a matter of fact, they wore no uniforms at all, instead opting for street clothes.

Fans Loved How Fantastic Four Subverted Comic Book Cliches--Except For One

The Fantastic Four Did Not Get Their Iconic Costumes Until Issue Three

Fans responded well to Fantastic Four #1, and it would go on to usher in the “Marvel Age of Comics.” The radical approach to superheroes that Stan and Jack took resonated with readers. The team’s dynamics spoke to readers bored with two-dimensional heroes who got along and never fought. The Thing’s gruesome appearance helped redefine what a hero could look like. Fans were on board for all of these–except the lack of costumes. While Stan does not give insight into specific criticism in the interview, he does say fans demanded costumes.

By the time of the Fantastic Four’s third issue, the team donned the now famous blue and white uniforms that would become their trademark. Yet even then, the uniforms were nothing fancy: solid blue with white accents. Underneath the surface, however, the Fantastic Four’s costumes were made of “unstable molecules.” These unstable molecules allowed team to use their powers without destroying their uniform. For example, the Human Torch could “flame on” and not burn his outfit and Mister Fantastic could stretch himself without tearing up his uniform.

Marvel's Future Heroes (Almost) All Had Costumes in Their First Appearances

The New Universe Tried Stan's Approach One More Time

More heroes followed in the wake of Fantastic Four #1, and while they too would subvert genre clichés, bright costumes were not going to be one of them. Hank Pym was the next hero to debut, and at first, he too looked as if he would shun uniforms, but was soon in one too. The Hulk also avoided uniforms for most of his career, but subsequent Marvel heroes, such as Thor, the Wasp and Spider-Man were all brightly clad. Apparently, Stan and his artistic collaborators had learned their lesson when it came to superhero uniforms.

Marvel would take one more stab at subverting this cliché in 1986, with the founding of the New Universe imprint. Created to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the modern Marvel Universe, the New Universe attempted to take the same transgressive approach that Stan, Jack and others used in the early 1960s. Its flagship hero, Star Brand, did not wear a uniform, instead going for street clothes much like the Fantastic Four did in their early appearances. Other New Universe heroes by and large avoided this trope as well. On the flip side, fans avoided the New Universe, and it was deemed a failure.

Superhero Costumes Are Going Nowhere

There Is No Definite Answer As to Why Costumes Persist

Costumes have remained constant in superhero comics, even into the Bronze and Modern Ages. Upstart 90s publishers Valiant and Image all had heroes in costumes, although the former tried to take a low-key approach to the trope. Image, on the other hand, went all out with costumes for their heroes. Image mainstays such as Spawn, Shadowhawk and Witchblade feature some form of memorable costume. Even more contemporary heroes, such as Invincible, also feature bright outfits. Comic book fans love their superheroes in costume.

So what is it about bright and colorful costumes that superhero fans find appealing? Why do they continue to persist to this day, when other trends in the genre have come and gone? While there are no right answers to these questions, it remains a sticking point for fans, and one they have thoughts on. Perhaps the love of costumes is rooted in the belief that superhero stories are power fantasies, and colorful outfits reinforce these fantasies? Whatever the case, Stan Lee hilariously learned this lesson when he was helping create modern Marvel Comics.

Source: The Comics Journal