Some comedian ebook characters who’ve been round for many years have iconic costumes which have stood the check of time. Some have progressed by a collection of fashionable ensembles to mirror their ever-changing time durations.
And a few, apparently, dress at the hours of darkness.
Right here on Trend Disasters, we’ll showcase these poor slobs who simply can’t appear to get it proper. Right this moment: Cassandra Sandsmark, Marvel Woman!
Cassie first appeared in Marvel Girl v2 #105 (January 1996), the teenage daughter of an archaeologist who was mates with Marvel Girl. When Diana ended up in peril, Cassie “borrowed” some magical artifacts that gave her superpowers so she may combat beside her hero. She ended up so impressing Zeus along with her moxie that he granted her actual powers. (Later it turned out that Zeus was her organic father. Then he was retconned to being her grandfather. As of this writing, it’s unclear which of her origins is the canonical one.)
Right here’s the factor about Cassie: she attire persistently poorly, and I like her for it.
Cassie’s vogue woes are very clearly these of a teenage lady who’s making an attempt actually actually laborious to be cool and has no concept methods to go about it. There’s something inherently relatable and endearing in her sartorial floundering, and so please take all of the teasing I’m about to topic her to as coming from a spot of affection.
But in addition, like…yikes.
Class ID: 1074
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I imply, truthfully, how utterly lovable is that this? Her bike shorts! Her million layers! Her punky little haircut! She has no concept methods to use these winged sandals! It’s not in any method a very good costume, but it surely’s completely what some dorky little Greek mythology nerd would have worn in 1996. Bless.
(Enjoyable reality: as I used to be researching Cassie’s previous costumes, I realized that apparently DC workers on the time she debuted referred to this treasured, awkward baby as “Cassie, the Horse-Confronted Marvel Woman.” Ha! Ha! Comics are a nightmare!)
As soon as Cassie determined to combat crime repeatedly, she realized she wanted one thing to cover her secret id, so she selected…this:
Oh child. My favourite factor about that is how visibly ratty that wig is. Normally comedian ebook wigs are implausibly excellent plot bouffants that even a combat with a supervillain can’t dislodge, however this factor clearly price her $9.99 at Social gathering Metropolis the day after Halloween, and Athena bless her for it.
She ultimately gave up on the wig and went in a extra S Membership 7 path:
The dialogue actually makes this panel, as a result of she’s speaking about her earlier costume and oh, sweetie pie, this isn’t higher. Properly, perhaps a bit of. However not a lot. And but she’s nonetheless so cute!
As Cassie bought extra assured, her look turned extra polished. That is my favourite of her costumes, and solely partially as a result of it’s what she was sporting after I first began studying comics. However the shirt and the hair are fab!
Nevertheless, it does spotlight what I’ve all the time had a difficulty with vis-a-vis Cassie’s superheroic wardrobe, and I’d wish to thank Loki and The Unbeatable Squirrel Woman v2 #43 for a response picture that I think I will probably be utilizing many, many occasions sooner or later:
There are heroes who rock the hell out of civvies, however they’re normally antiheroes or avenue stage varieties. Ex: Misty Knight’s costumes are largely atrocious however her streetwear recreation is flawless, John Constantine ought to by no means put on something however an affordable swimsuit he has clearly slept in, and so forth.
However Cassie is a part of Marvel Girl’s franchise. She’s an offshoot of DC’s Trinity. She must be sporting one thing polished and superheroic wanting, not…denims and leisure put on, even thematically acceptable ones. (Her sometimes-boyfriend Conner Kent equally doesn’t get a go for his eight years of sporting denims and a Superboy T-shirt, by the way in which.) It was effective and even endearing for her to cobble one thing collectively out of no matter she present in her closet again when she was beginning out, however by this level she ought to have an actual costume, not assorted objects from the Marvel Girl part of the Corridor of Justice reward store.
Issues modified when she graduated from Younger Justice to the Teen Titans, however in a deeper sense, they didn’t actually:
Okay, first off from right here till like a 12 months in the past Cassie is waaay extra sexualized, which, she’s nonetheless solely 16, gross, ship the whole comics trade to jail. I don’t completely hate this—I really like the headscarf and though I simply complained about sexualizing teenagers, I additionally purchase that the crop prime is a selection that an invulnerable teen lady would make in 2003. (It’s not the crop prime, it’s the more and more creepy artwork. She wore crop tops a-plenty in YJ and it didn’t matter as a result of she was nonetheless handled like a child. However at the very least she’s not horse-faced anymore, amirite fellas? P.S. GO TO JAIL.)
However why don’t the pants match? Oh proper, as a result of they’re simply random pink denims and never a part of a legit costume, and Loki and I are side-eyeing them (and the careless afterthoughts which might be the belt and the boots) laborious.
I like this tank prime! I’d put on this tank prime (if I might be assured that it was solely cloth with no bizarre steel cups)! It’s nonetheless not a superhero costume.
I don’t even know what I’m right here.
…Oh nice Hera, I simply observed the heels.
This look was recognized amongst followers as “the Christmas sweater.” My essential query is: how does she transfer her arms? The gold is clearly laborious steel.
Once more, I purchase that a teen would put on a crop prime. Most likely not with a swimsuit of armor, although.
As lackluster as all of those seems to be had been, we had been nonetheless within the post-Disaster period and thus like little infants who had no concept what awaited us. That’s, till the New 52 launched:
Yeah. A TUBE TOP. I imply, I suppose I’ve been put in my place, as a result of there’s nothing remotely streetwear a few…sparkly tube prime with hooked up pants worn three sizes too small, plus gold robosleeve? I imply, the minute she inhales the entire thing goes to roll all the way down to her waist, which I suppose is meant to be a part of the attraction, if you happen to’re gross. (SHE’S STILL SIXTEEN.) Word: this cowl (by Kenneth Rocafort) truly induced some controversy on the time, when former DC editor Janelle Asselin referred to as it out and bought barraged with on-line harassment for doing so.
Oh, additionally, this costume had a hood. Don’t ask me what it’s hooked up to.
Typically the costume become “silent armor” which was nonetheless tight sufficient to allow you to see Cassie’s stomach button by no matter it was made from:
After a number of years of absence from comics, Cassie not too long ago returned within the present Younger Justice collection, which seems to be retconning away not solely the New 52 historical past of its lineup, however massive chunks of canon from 2003–2011. Cassie specifically seems to be a lot youthful than she has shortly, and is again to “no matter vaguely goes with a Marvel Girl shirt” as an aesthetic:
YJ has been incomprehensible for over a 12 months at this level, however I’m simply so charmed to see Cassie again in a horrible costume that’s horrible as a result of she’s a child who has no concept what she’s doing and never as a result of somebody is getting off on it. Bless this mess.
Bonus: Right here’s Cassie’s look from the Younger Justice cartoon, which clearly took its inspiration from her final pre-Titans ensemble:
I’d not put on this to combat crime in however I’d completely put on it to Soul Cycle. In order that’s one thing?
With Cassie again in common month-to-month appearances, I’d like to see her don one thing a bit extra…thought-about, however truthfully? If she needs to maintain up the thrift retailer look, I received’t be mad at it.
…Nonetheless gonna make enjoyable of it, although. Sorry, Cassie. I do it out of affection.
Beforehand on this collection:
Roy Harper
Man Gardner
Elektra
Energy Woman
Hawkeye
Zatanna
