10 Worst Marvel Superhero Costumes Of All Time

Let’s face it, comic books aren’t exactly known for the beauty of their costume design. Born more out of the look of circus strongmen, acrobats, and military uniforms, especially in the beginnings of comics, it was very much a need of function over form. What worked for the character’s chosen persona, what the character needed to do their “job” and the “silhouette”, the cut-out image that represented the hero, were more important than how the costume actually looked or if the colors went together.

By the time of the “Marvel Age of Heroes”, artists paid a bit more attention to how the costumes looked not only standing still but in motion as well, and some truly classic designs were created that have stood for decades. However, for every classic, there were those costumes that were created to match a story element, an artistic whim, or just a crazy idea that made everyone shake their head.

Then came the '90s and a group of artists who completely forgot that they were designing costumes that people had to move, run and fight in. They added elements that might have looked good standing still, but were completely impractical in any sort of battle. It was also the unfortunate time of the incredible shrinking costume for every attractive female character. If there was a female on the team in a Marvel comic, she was either nearly nude or dressed in a beyond-skin-tight costume. Neither states are exactly beneficial in a fight.

Jack of Hearts, real name Jonathan Hart - “Jack” is a nickname - was created by Bill Mantlo and Keith Giffen. He is the son of an Earth scientist and an alien woman from the planet Contraxia. Jack was doused by his father’s “Zero Fluid” and gained superpowers that he has never fully been in control of. When his father was killed, he built a containment suit from pieces of equipment in his dad's lab and based on his old man's love for playing cards - and began calling himself Jack of Hearts.

It is highly possible that this was a case where the writer either had the name “Jack of Hearts” or the artist had a visual in his head and they built a story around that. Jack has the fairly generic powers of strength, flight and concussive blasts, but there is nothing in his powers or origin that screams “playing card” other than his father’s apparent love for them.

It’s also very hard to understand how this outfit can be a containment suit when the face and the hands are completely exposed. Could DC’s The Human Bomb or Negative Man get away with having even an inch of their flesh exposed? Of course not! They’d kill everyone within miles. Maybe Jack should have worried less about the hearts on his boots and more about holding in his deadly energy.