As the years have passed, the costumes worn by female (and some male) superheroes have grown increasingly more skimpy and revealing. It's a trend which began in the 80s and 90s and continues until today and while the vast majority now wear far more conservative outfits, those which show off a lot of flesh remain the favourites of many fans and are still depicted by the majority of comic book artists.
A very, very long list of the type of costumes we're talking about exists but who are the worst offenders and which of their outfits stand the smallest chance of ever being brought to TV or film?
What you'll find here is a look at the eight most revealing and shocking costumes which we don't think will ever be allowed by Marvel to appear in any of their movies not matter the studio. However, while you might think you know which of them are never going to grace a live-action setting, we're confident you'll be surprised by many of our choices and the reasons they'll ultimately be left on the shelf.
8. Moondragon
The daughter of Drax the Destroyer in the comic books, it obviously remains to be seen whether or not we're going to see this character on the big screen somewhere down the line but it's definitely possible. However, when she does appear, here's hoping it's in something a little more practical. After all, it's hard to imagine the stoic Drax approving of an outfit which is essentially a single piece of fabric which is pretty much just napkin-sized.
There's nothing about this costume which would realistically work on the big screen and while many cosplayers have attempted to recreate this over the years, it's not a look which has proved to be appropriate for kids or those who have an issue with using an awful lot of double-sided tape! Since this costume debuted, Moondragon has donned a lot of far less revealing suits and that's probably what we can expect to see in live-action too.
7. Invisible Woman
Sue Storm is widely recognised as the most powerful member of the Fantastic Four but she's a character who has always had to battle sexism. That was particularly the case in her earliest adventures as the Invisible Girl and things took an unexpected turn for her in the 90s when she was decked out in a wholly inappropriate costume. As you can see, she ditched her classic look for a skimpy little number which showed off pretty much all of her body.
Perhaps Sue was just proud to show her body off after giving birth to Franklin Richards but it just feels wrong seeing Sue like this. Thankfully, it was ditched after a short period of time and it's impossible to imagine this ever gracing the big screen. Well, unless Fox is so desperate to resurrect the franchise that they case a stunning actress and put her in an outfit as revealing as this one!
6. Hercules
Hercules is a bona fide badass and a character who should definitely make his debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe sooner rather than later. He'd fit in well in the Thor franchise in what would no doubt be a fun buddy cop style movie for the two ancient heroes but when he does finally appear, you have to hope he'd be decked out in something a heck of a lot more practical than a sash and skirt combo!
While this costume may suit his background, you'd hope that a live-action version of the character would be in something it would be a little easier to take seriously. After all, he's a warrior and his typical comic book appearance really doesn't fit the bill in that respect. He needs some cool armour along the lines of what we see Thor in and will hopefully get it if and when he finally joins this shared universe.
5. Tigra
It's hard to say when and where we could see Tigra on the big screen but when she does eventually make her debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it's fair to say she's probably going to be walking around in more than just a bikini. While comic book artists clearly enjoy showing off her feral nature by putting the hero's cat-like body on display, you don't see Wolverine fighting his enemies in a speedo, so there's really no reason why Tigra should dress like this beyond the fact it looks good!
Tigra is someone who doesn't shy away from action, so leaving her body totally exposed like this seems more than a little silly and while it's unlikely we'll ever see Tigra get a leading role in her own movie, there's just no chance she'll be dressed as ridiculously revealing as this no matter how much fans (and comic book artists) want that to be the case.
4. Shanna The She-Devil
There have been rumblings for years now that we'll see the Savage Land on the big screen, with that scrapped Sinister Six movie being the last comic book adaptation rumoured to make use of the unique setting. Given its links to the X-Men, we have no real idea which studio holds the rights to this location but here's hoping Ka-Zar and Shanna the She-Devil shows up at some point. However, when the latter makes her long overdue big screen debut, it's got to be in something a little less revealing, right?
As you can see, she's basically wearing a tiny bikini and loincloth and that's it. Sure, that's an authentic costume for someone who is essentially a cavewoman but it's not one we're likely to see in live-action due to it arguably being so stereotypical these days. Instead, Marvel will no doubt come up with something that suits her background but isn't quite so skimpy.
3. Black Cat
Black Cat will finally make her big screen debut (not counting The Amazing Spider-Man 2) in Silver & Black, a spinoff revolving around her and Silver Sable. When Felicia Hardy does show up here, there's a very good chance it won't be in a costume quite as impractical as the one worn by her comic book counterpart. While it will no doubt be homaged in some way, the bursting cleavage and skin-tight spandex will no doubt be replaced by something a tad more tactical.
It makes more sense for Black Cat to wear a costume which will actually come in use during her not entirely legal adventures and while there's nothing to say Felicia can't still be portrayed as a powerful and very sexy woman, it doesn't make too much sense that a woman who is constantly shot at by police shows off her chest in such a revealing manner.
2. Scarlet Witch
Elizabeth Olsen plays the Scarlet Witch in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and while Elizabeth Olsen most definitely stuns as the powerful sorceress, there's no way she's being decked out in a corset which shows off all but her midriff. While there's no denying that the actress would look amazing in this, it's better suited to cosplayers who have no issue showing their bodies off on Instagram than an actual member of The Avengers!
Captain America: Civil War paid homage to this look to an extent but it's just a tad too over the top to really work in live-action. Now, there's no denying fans would love to see Olsen wearing the suit above and I get that but there are no legitimate story reasons for making this part of the MCU and if Marvel was going to use this costume on the big screen, it would have happened by now.
1. Emma Frost
Emma Frost has already graced the big screen and while January Jones' performance in X-Men: First Class was torn apart by fans and critics alike, there's no denying that the Mad Men alum looked incredible wearing pretty much next to nothing in the prequel. The actress spent pretty much the entire movie showing off her cleavage in the same way as her comic book counterpart but as the role of women in superhero movies continues to evolve, it's hard to imagine Emma donning something quite as revealing as what you see above when she returns to the big screen.
After all, that's pretty much in the realm of a what you'd expect from an X-Men porn parody and Frost is such a strong and resilient character, it would be a shame to see her once again treated as little more than eye candy. That's not to say she still can't look amazing, of course, but there's just no need at this point to deck her out in the same sort of silly outfits we see in the comics on such a regular basis.
Do you guys agree that these NSFW comic book costumes are unlikely to ever reach the big or small screen or do they deserve a chance? Let us know your thoughts on that in the comments section down below.