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Superman‘s “S” is a symbol recognizable around the globe, as iconic as his red, blue and yellow suit itself. Superman was the world’s first comic superhero, and his costume set the tone for superhero costumes for decades. As comics evolved and changed, so too did Superman’s costume.
While nothing beats the classic, Superman has worn many distinct suits in alternate universes like Earth-2 or the Justice Lords world, or different costumes for specific circumstances, like the masked suit worn in Futures End or the t-shirt and jeans worn in DC’s New 52. Some fans love them, others not so much. However, these underrated Superman costumes deserve more attention and recognition for their creativity, uniqueness, or even the slight alterations they made to the Man of Steel’s iconic look.
10 Best Black Suit Superman Appearances, Ranked
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.
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All-Star Superman
Grant Morrison’s All-Star Superman is a terrific character piece. While many Superman stories focus on the action accompanying the Man of Steel’s godlike powers, All-Star Superman delves deep into Clark Kent’s character. The All-Star Superman costume is almost indistinguishable from Superman’s classic costume, with minor adjustments.
The biggest change is Superman’s cape, which is far shorter than usual in All-Star Superman. Thanks in part to the cape’s shortness, this version of Superman looks like a Greek god standing above everyone else, wearing a less functional cape as a symbol of power, like the shorter capes decoratively worn by medieval knights.
The New 52: Futures End
There’s something different about The New 52: Futures End Superman. For starters, this new version of Superman is not Clark Kent. The identity of this Superman was a mystery throughout Futures End, keeping readers guessing. This new Superman donned a unique suit that hasn’t been seen outside the storyline.
No cape, no red trunks, and the noticeable inclusion of a mask to conceal the Man of Steel’s identity, something Clark Kent never wore.
This darker blue suit, with a faceless mask, sharper edges, and red accents running throughout, was designed by modern artists. While this suit would look odd on Clark Kent, it perfectly fits the mysterious Superman of Futures Endand was different for all the right reasons.
8 President Superman Of Earth-23 Shines In His Suit
Final Crisis & Justice League Incarnate
On another Earth, Superman, a.k.a. Calvin Ellis, became President of the United States. This Superman wears a distinct suit that many fans would love to see in a live-action DC film, with Calvin himself in the cape.
While appearing in Final Crisis and then leading the new Justice League Incarnate team across DC’s multiverse, President Superman of Earth-23 still wears a predominantly blue suit with a red cape. However, he also wears yellow cuffs and an “S” shield with reversed red and yellow colors. The added yellow is striking, making President Superman’s costume familiar but distinct.
7 A Dark Superman Wore a New Black Suit
Superman: The Animated Series “Brave New Metropolis”
Many fans look to Superman: The Animated Series as the gold standard for Man of Steel stories, just as many Dark Knight fans look to Batman: The Animated Series for the same. Superman’s regular costume wasn’t much different from his comic suit. However, when Lois Lane traveled to an alternate universe, the animators took the opportunity to design a brand-new Superman costume.
10 Darkest Superman: The Animated Series Episodes, Ranked
Superman: The Animated Series’ darkest episodes are also its strongest stories that ground Superman’s struggles and give the show a mature touch.
The Superman of “Brave New Metropolis,” missing Lois Lane and taking orders from Lex Luthor, wore an all-black costume with a striking new Superman “S” shield. Wearing leather boots and gloves, this Superman looks far more menacing than the Man of Steel beneath, who proves he’s still a hero by sending Lois back to her Earth.
6 Earth 2’s Superman Suit Was a New 52 Wonder
Earth 2
In DC’s New 52, the Earth 2 comic series showcased a new, younger version of the Justice Society. New wonders like Alan Scott’s Green Lantern and Jay Garrick’s Flash replaced the original “Wonders” after the disappearance of Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman.
Superman later returned in a red and black suit that belongs in edgy ’90s comics, but the red, blue and yellow costume he wore in the first issue of Earth 2 was fantastic. Superman suits don’t need to reinvent the wheel. Sometimes, the slightest change is all artists need to craft a distinct and equally memorable costume. Earth-2 Superman has a large red belt with red cuffs and a Superman emblem connected to his cape; familiar but new.
5 Lord Superman & The Justice Lords Matched Their Fits
Justice League “A Better World” & Justice League Unlimited “Divided We Fall”
Lord Superman debuted alongside the rest of the Justice Lords in the Justice League animated series. The Justice Lords are alternate versions of the Justice League who became tyrants on their Earth. Originally wearing Superman’s classic red, blue and yellow suit, Lord Superman chose a uniformed costume that matched the Justice Lords’ styles.
Lord Superman to you.
The Lord Superman suit is predominantly black and blue, with a white cape that connects to the new white and red Superman “S” and white rings around his forearms. This Superman suit was unlike anything fans had seen before, and Lord Superman has since appeared in Multiversity and Batman Beyond 2.0.
4 Val-Zod Made The Superman Costume His Own
Earth 2: Society
Clark Kent wasn’t the only Superman in the Earth 2 comic book series. After the original Superman disappeared alongside Batman and Wonder Woman during the invasion of Darkseid and Apokolips, Val-Zod, a brand-new Superman for the series, debuted as the new Man of Steel. Ditching the traditional red, blue and yellow, Val-Zod’s Superman wore a light blue suit accented with white and silver.
The white cape was visually unique, and the silver Superman “S” and cuffs made Val-Zod’s costume look more like armor. Val-Zod was one of the main characters of the sequel series, Earth 2: Society, but he deserves a place within Superman’s family in modern DC comics.
3 Superman In Jeans and a T-Shirt
Action Comics (New 52)
The New reinvented all of DC’s heroes and villains, and Jim Lee himself designed many of the Justice League’s new suits. Jim Lee designed Superman’s suit in the Superman and Justice League comics. In Grant Morrison’s Action Comics, readers saw a young, inexperienced Superman don a costume for the first time in this universe.
Superman and Jimmy Olsen’s Friendship, Explained
From Jack Kirby’s innovations to the modern age of DC Comics, Superman and Jimmy Olsen have always been best pals.
Instead of the iconic Superman suit, young Clark Kent wore jeans, a t-shirt bearing the classic Superman “S,” and a red cape. At first glance, he had all the foundations of a Superman suit, albeit a cobbled-together, street-level version. The low-budget suit really worked for a young Superman in a new universe, making sense in the context of the New 52 and attracting new readers and fans.
2 Superman Still Looks Great With His Mullet
Return of Superman
The ’90s were interesting for Marvel and DC. While Spider-Man experienced one of his worst story arcs in the Clone Saga, Batman and Superman enjoyed memorable comic events like “Knightfall” and “Death of Superman.” Following Superman’s triumphant return to the land of the living, Clark Kent sported the iconic mullet.
Though the rest of Superman’s costume didn’t change, the mullet was a staple of ’90s Superman. It was a breath of fresh air to see Superman with a longer hairstyle. The Man of Steel usually wears shorter, cleaner hairstyles, but there’s something humanizing about seeing him with longer, messier hair. DC should definitely consider restoring the mullet, if not longer hair for Superman in general.
1 Superman Wore Kryptonian Armor In The New 52
Superman (Vol. 3) & Justice League (Vol. 2)
While the younger Superman of Action Comics wore the t-shirt and jeans, street-level Superman look, the Man of Steel in the main Superman series wore a brand-new costume designed by legendary artsist Jim Lee. Like all the other Justice Leaguers, Superman’s new suit was modified and updated for modern comics.
Gone were the red trunks, replaced by more detail in the costume and a tight collar that made the New 52 Superman suit look more alien and, by design, something actually from Krypton. Love it or hate it, the New 52 Superman armor is unique and something an alien may actually wear. It looks like it’s made of Kryptonian fabrics rather than cotton stitched together by Martha Kent, but it died along with the New 52 Superman.
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