Summary
Sincethe Golden Age,Supermanhas been one of the most iconic heroes in pop culture, as well as a symbol of hope in DC Comics. Naturally, he has undergone a great deal of change over the eighty years since his creation, ranging from minor alterations to his symbol to alternate universe designs. In some instances, even his worst enemies have adopted his symbol and sought to claim his mantle for their own.
Few comic book characters boast as recognizable an appearance as the Man of Steel, something so strong that the most drastic of alterations can still be identified with the hero. While some of these designs only surfaced for a brief time, others are the character’s mainstay appearance, and are known the world over. The hero continues to be a beacon of truth and justice, and hisever-changing Superman costume designskeep offering readers a choice for their favorite look.
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10Superman & The Authority
The Showcase for A More Casual Superman Costume
Superman & the Authorityfollows the Man of Steel forming a partnership with the Authority, even allying with his old enemy, Manchester Black. The series follows the team as they recruit new members and go head-to-head with the hero’s oldest enemy, the Ultra-Humanite. The miniseries also paved the way for Phillip Kennedy Johnson’s “Warworld Saga,” which continued the alliance in main continuity.
The version of Superman’s suit inSuperman & the Authoritystrikes a balance between the casual functional look of his younger suit with the Kingdom Come color scheme. Together, these elements present viewers with a matured version of the hero’s appearance at the start of the New 52, presenting them with a seasoned Man of Steel perfect for an Authority team-up. Drawn by Mikel Janin, the costume leaned into the sci-fi side of the hero and helped him blend in with the Authority’s aesthetic.
9The New 52 Superman Armor
The Man Of Steel, But Reimagined
WhenDC rebooted their universefor the New 52, virtually every hero received a makeover, from minor adjustments to major overhauls. Superman’s costume was largely the same, but was altered to be Kryptonian ceremonial armor, rather than the costume made for him by Ma Kent in the post-Crisis continuity.The suit ditches the trunks and gives the Man of Steel a collar, something that transforms the suit made by Ma Kent and turns it into a relic of Krypton.
New 52 Superman’s ceremonial Krpyton costume is a great example of how relatively minor changes can make a big impact on an overall impression that readers get. The suit is somewhat controversial, reminding many readers of an era of both Superman and DC overall that they want to forget, while others loved it.
8Grant Morrison and Rags Morales' Superman
The Most Underrated Superman Costume Change
As the older Superman received his uniform-inspired suit in the main Superman book during the New 52, Grant Morrison and Rags Morales explored a younger Clark Kent in Action Comics. In the early days of his career, this hero had a casual approach to his costume.Instead of the full Kryptonian costume, he wore a blue shirt with his sigil on his chest, a short cape and cargo pants– something any reader could assemble themselves.
The younger Superman look channels his Golden Age origins, back in a time when homemade, casual-style superhero costumes were the norm. Considering that Morrison and Morales were going for a more energetic, youthful Clark Kent, their New 52 redesign started them off on the right foot.
7Lex Luthor’s Own Superman Armor
Luthor Declared Himself Superman – And It Worked
In the aftermath of Kal-El’s apparent death at the end of the New 52, Lex Luthor stepped into his role as Metropolis' new protector – and declared himself Superman.Sporting a redesigned version of his regular mech suit, the billionaire adopted the Man of Steel’s symbol, and actually went to work as a superhero.
Lex Luthor as Superman was short-lived, as the new Superman, plucked from theConvergenceevent, stepped in and humbled his arch-nemesis. While the iconic villain stepping into the Man of Tomorrow’s place was never going to last, it actually stands out as one of the best takes on the classic costume. With mechanized strength to allow him to take on villains, Luthor’s hopeful change was a great look – it’s just a shame he was the one in the role.
6Val-Zod’s Version of Superman
The Earth 2 Superman is Just as Iconic
Val-Zod is the pacifist Superman on Earth-2, where he uses his strength to aid the helpless while avoiding direct conflict. First appearing inEarth 2#19 (Tom Taylor, Nicola Scott & Robson Rocha), the hero is known for his fear of open spaces, introverted personality and intense fear of using any violence. The son of his universe’s General Zod, he was adopted by Jor-El, and sent to Earth with other Kryptonian children. There, he joins other heroes in safeguarding Earth.
Val-Zod sports a lighter blue than Clark Kent, trading his red and yellow seal for a silver and red one, replete with a white cape. While not as hopeful or recognizable as that of Kal-El, the hero’s costume is brilliant in its own right, and recently made an overdue entry into the DCU, where he came to the aid of Jon Kent. His suit is more distinctly Kryptonian than his counterpart, earning a more formal, serious appearance than other Supermen.
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5Red Son Superman
America’s Strongest Hero, With a Soviet Spin
Red Son(Mark Millar, Dave Johnson & Andrew Robinson) takes place on an alternate Earth where Kal-El crashed in the Soviet Union, instead of Kansas. After realizing his Kryptonian abilities, the Kremlin turns him into a weapon, making the nuclear arms race almost redundant in the face of god-like power. Replete with President Lex Luthor and a Soviet Batman, the series remains one of the most iconic Elseworlds tales of the DCU.
Red Son Supermantakes the USSR’s hammer and sickle flag and transposes it onto aKingdom Come-inspired suit, one that sells him as a dark champion of communism. Absent the hero’s signature vibrant yellow and sporting a muted blue, the suit reflects the more dour nature of the Soviet Union, while still making him look great.
4Calvin Ellis is What New 52 Superman Should Have Been
The President, as if Being Superman Wasn’t Enough Work
Calvin Ellis is the Superman of Earth-23, where he lives a double life as both President of the United States and defender of the planet. Created by Grant Morrison and J.G. Jones during Final Crisis, the hero is most prominent for his role inMultiversity, where he leads the Justice League Incarnate, a team composed of multiversal heroes. During their own series, he led the JLI against Darkseid in the lead-up toDark Crisis On Infinite Earths(Joshua Williamson & Daniel Sampere).
The Calvin Ellis costumetook some of the elements of the New 52 Superman look and actually made them even better, inverting the colors of the hero’s shield. Still sporting the ceremonial look of his Prime Earth counterpart, Ellis has an almost regal look to his costume, something befitting a presidential hero.
3The Black Superman Suit
One of DC’s Most Iconic Looks, For Good Reason
In the aftermath of Doomsday’s attack on Metropolis, Superman was seemingly killed, only for his body to miraculously disappear following his funeral. When a slew of imposter Supermen tried to take up his mantle, Kal-El returned from the dead, just in time to save his city from the alliance between Cyborg Superman and Mongul. In keeping with the theme of death,he soared back to Metropolis in a black costume, bearing a silver sigil on his chest.
Superman’s black suit didn’t last as long as many readers hoped it would, but that makes sense considering that, while it may look great, it isn’t as hopeful as his traditional colors. Nonetheless, it’s a brilliant look for the hero, and readers love any time it makes a comeback, whether that’s through callbacks or multiversal stories.
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2The Kingdom Come Superman
The Iconic Graphic Novel Unveiled A Fan-Favorite Look For Kal-El
Mark Waid and Alex Ross’Kingdom Cometakes place in a future DCU, where a disillusioned Superman has withdrawn from the world. In his place, a new generation of reckless antiheroes, styled as a commentary on the edgy heroes of the 1990s, place ordinary people at risk from their extreme methods of crime-fighting. When they become too extreme and cause a disaster, the Man of Steel comes out of retirement, reconstitutes the Justice League and attempts to restore order and hope.
Kingdom ComeSuperman featured a redesigned symbol, one inspired by the Max Fleischer cartoon series, with the yellow swapped out for black and an S that seamlessly blends with the shield. From the moment it was first unveiled, readers were taken with it, and this look has since become one of the most treasured in the hero’s history.
1Post-Crisis Superman is Undefeated
The Most Iconic Image ‘Superman’ Brings To Mind, Even To This Day
Superman had largely looked the same between the latter half of the Golden Age and the 1980s but, like all heroes, had undergone various redesigns. This included different sized symbols and gaining a utility belt. In the ’80s, DC received a soft reboot throughCrisis On Infinite Earths(Marv Wolfman & George Perez), which folded the multiverse into a simplified continuity. Shortly after, John Byrne was tasked with reimagining the hero through his Man of Steel run, which altered his origin and gave him his definitive costume.
Thepost-Crisis Superman costume uses everything readers love about the hero, from the bright symbol to keeping the hero’s red trunks(something ditched in the Rebirth era). The 1980s look wasn’t anything revolutionary compared to the hero’s design from before, rather it was an assortment of all the best features of his past designs. When people think of the Man of Steel, this is the suit they have in mind.
