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DC’s Superman has worn a few iconic costumes over the years, though one of his suits always drives a huge fan reaction every time it shows up. The Man of Steel’s “Black Suit,” usually known as his Kryptonian Recovery Suit, recently returnedafter Superman lost some of his incredible abilities during the Absolute Power event.
From its debut during The Death and Return of Superman to alternate versions that appeared during storylines like Superman: Arkham, the Recovery Suit has continued to captivate audiences. It has proved so popular that versions of it have even been seen in animated and live-action adaptations, showcasing the stark beauty of one of Superman’s simplest but most eye-catching costumes.
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10 New Adventures Of Superman Changed the Black Suit
Dean Cain and Teri Hatcher starred as the titular leads of Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman in the ’90s. The TV series followed their romance while loosely adapting the comic adventures of the Man of Steel. The design of the Kryptonian Recovery Suit was adapted to live action for the first time in the third season, though not without a few changes.
Superman adopted his new look in the third season’s two-part finale, as he agreed to return to lead Krypton’s survivors into a new age. The black suit switched the silver metallics for blue reflective material and abandoned the restorative nature of the suit. While it was still visually captivating, it wasn’t quite what fans were used to when Superman donned his black suit. It appeared throughout the four-episode storyline, though he eventually returned to his classic suit in the fourth season.
Batman Beyond introduced a cyberpunk-inspired future of the DC universe, where young Terry McGinnis had taken over as the Batman of the Future. He eventually met some of the other superheroes from that era and a survivor from a former age in a simple but familiar new look.
Superman Beyond wore an all-black suit referencing his Recovery Suit, though it was updated for a new era.
The black bodysuit featured a white “S” shield with a futuristic logo extending down his arms. As with most black versions of Superman’s costume, it symbolizes either a rebirth or a dark turn for the character. Superman Beyond first appeared as a secretive villain but soon returned to his old self. While the suit is nice and fits in well with Batman Beyond‘s universe, it doesn’t evoke quite the same feelings as some of the other variants of Superman’s black suit.
8 Clark Chose A Dark Suit And Trenchcoat For Smallville
The CW’s Smallville series followed the adventures of young Clark Kent as he discovered more about his alien origins and powers and fought to keep his family and friends protected from monster-of-the-week threats.Smallville adapted several comic aspects for the series, though writers famously stayed away from tights and capes for most of the series.
That made it a bit difficult as the show continued, and Clark found himself in larger world-threatening situations that could potentially expose his identity. He opted for a darker look to hide his identity as The Blur following the death of his close friend, Jimmy Olsen. He wore a black shirt with a silver “S” shield and a black trenchcoat. It was a unique take on Superman’s Black Suit that fit the tone of the series, though it ultimately left fans wanting more.
7 Evil Superman Wore A Black Suit In TV’s Elseworlds
Years after Smallville ended, The CW launched a new superhero universe with shows like Arrow and The Flash. These shows would crossover yearly for a new special that loosely adapted a similarly-named comic event. 2018’s Elseworlds event united Arrow and The Flash with Supergirl and also introduced a live-action Batwoman to the Arrowverse.
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The Elseworlds event saw the main heroes’ reality rewritten by the Book of Destiny, possessed by disgruntled psychiatrist John Deegan. Deegan used the book to take over the body of Supergirl’s cousin, Superman. He wore a black version of the Arrowverse Superman costume and took on the assembled heroes, though Deegan was eventually defeated and Superman freed. This evil version of Superman would recover and go on to star in Superman & Lois, though he didn’t wear this version of the black suit again.
6 Kal-El Wore A New Black Suit in Superman: Arkham
As is so often the case, a black-suited Superman frequently spells trouble for the rest of the DC universe unless it’s the Recovery Suit. During the Emperor Jokerevent, reality was twisted by one of Batman’s most disturbing villains using Mr. Mxyzptlk’s stolen magic. The Joker reimagined Superman as a criminal in Arkham, which came with a dark wardrobe change.
Superman’s new Arkham outfit wasn’t quite the Recovery Suit, which is famous as one of the few Superman costumes without a cape. However, the black and silver Kryptonian battle suit still followed the same design ideas as the iconic Black Suit with the addition of a cape. Superman only wore this dark look for the forgettable Emperor Joker storyline, though it helped to identify his new status in Joker’s world.
5 Zack Snyder’s Justice League Brought It To Life
Early promotional material for the theatrical release of Justice League teased Henry Cavill’s potential live-action black suit, which never actually appeared in the 2017 film. This was disappointing because it would have further benefited the adaptation of The Death and Return of Superman. Thankfully, the black suit was restored for the later director’s cut of Zack Sndyer’s Justice League.
The inclusion of the black suit was a great way to separate the theatrical cut and the re-release further while bringing it to the live-action DCEU.
Superman’s black suit from Zack Snyder’s Justice League is actually closer to the Emperor Joker suit than the usual Recovery Suit since it retains the usual cape.The black suit is in the middle position in the ranking because it looked absolutely amazing in live-action, though it didn’t fully capture the spirit of the original costume.
4 Superman: Doomsday Adapted The Recovery Suit
The DC Animated Movie Universe (DCAMU) kicked off in 2007 with the release of Superman: Doomsday, the first animated adaptation of the iconic The Death and Return of Superman storyline. The film still featured an epic showdown between Superman and Doomsday that led to his apparent death, though it veered wildly from there.
A Superman clone created by Lex Luthor returns to brutally protect Metropolis until the real Man of Steel finally returns. He appears in a stylized version of the original recovery suit, complete with additional arm plating. This weakened version of Superman relied on the suit’s restorative properties to help him take down the clone and reclaim his city.
3 Superman Needed The Recovery Suit In Absolute Power
Amanda Waller unleashed a multi-pronged attack on the heroes of the DC universe in 2024’s Absolute Power event. She not only successfully turned public opinion against the Justice League, but she also successfully neutralized their abilities with the assistance of Failsafe and Brainiac Queen. Superman’s powers were greatly reduced, and he was recovering from a gunshot wound.
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Superman once again donned his Kryptonian Recovery Suit to help him absorb extra solar radiation. The suit helps him heal faster and builds up his powers again after they’ve been depleted. The rest of the Justice League members donned similar costumes to help them start a resistance, though only Superman’s came with an added dose of nostalgia that helped sell the event even further.
Following the failed debut of a younger take on the Man of Steel in the New 52 reboot, the Convergence event reintroduced readers to the Post-Crisis versions of Superman and Lois Lane. Their return, along with the introduction of their young son Jon Kent, kicked off a fan-favorite series called Superman: Lois and Clark that brought the classic hero and his family into the new DC universe. While they agreed to stay hidden in their new world, neither Lois nor Clark could keep themselves from helping people.
Lois created a pseudonym for her reporting while Clark returned to a familiar black and silver look. A bearded Superman wore an updated version of the Recovery Suit to help him blend into the shadows while he stayed off the radar. Eventually, this version of Superman replaced the New 52 version, and he returned to his classic red and blue. This particular take on the Recovery Suit again signified the long-awaited return of the one true Superman, even if he didn’t need its restorative powers then.
1 The Recovery Suit Debuted In The Return of Superman
After Superman’s climactic battle and sacrifice against the monstrous Doomsday, four new characters appeared to take his place as the Man of Steel. That made it even more questionable when a fifth one appeared in a black and silver suit, far from Superman’s usual colors. Yet almost everyone instinctively knew he was the real deal, even if his powers needed a boost from the solar suit.
The first appearance of the Recovery Suit is still the best, even though it’s been slightly modernized and updated over the years. The New 52 rebooted The Death and Return of Superman storyline with an armored version of the suit. DCAMU’s two-part animated adaptation finally brought a mostly accurate version of the suit to the small screen, showing its lasting power well past the ’90s.
“}]] Since its debut in the ’90s, Superman’s Black Suit has appeared a few times in the comics, and different versions have also appeared in other mediums. Read More