Wonder Woman’s Lasso of Truth or Lariat has it’s own Wikipedia entry.
Superman’s cape famously is something you don’t tug.
Grant Morrison in Action v2 #2 established you certainly don’t mess with it.
But why did the Man of Tomorrow wear a Cape?
Certainly it was very much the fashion of yesterday back in the 1930’s
Superman’s costume origins are no great secret.
[Pic. Alredo Codona and Lillian Leitzel were two of the most famous circus performers in 1930 ]
The costume was influenced by circus performers, strongmen, acrobats and the like.
While capes were certainly seen at the circus, they were usually decorative, and removed once the act proper commenced.
It maybe Siegel and or Shuster just thought a cape was cool, and growing up reading pulp magazines certain heroes wore them, for example Zorro and The Shadow.
But what is often forgotten is Superman’s Cape dates from time before Superman properly flew - an evolutionary process in and of itself.
In Action V1 #13 we learn that Superman’s leaps can be deadly!
The crook distracts Superman by trying to kill him, causing him to miss his landing.
Clearly leaping around requires forethought and considerable acrobatic skill.
It’s impossible to say whether Siegel had thought about this before Superman was first published, or whether the idea evolved, but in Superman Vol 1 #6
We see that Superman used his cape to glide and control the direction of his leaps.
The origin of Superman’s cape at this time was Superman’s genius. Remember this was Siegel’s Superman; he wasn’t the kid who didn’t pay attention in class, and found longitude and latitude complicated.
Basically Superman invented the costume himself.
By the 1950’s with Superboy ( 1945 ) added to the continuity the story changed to Martha Kent making the costume using material from Krypton, Kal-El’s baby blankets. Superboy’s heat vision cutting the thread for her.
However the cloth was first “Indestructible as time itself,.. woven of a strange cloth from his native planet, Krypton” ( Superman #112 ) Later all things from Krypton animate or inanimate were made Super by being on Earth as in 1961’s retelling of the origin in Superman #146
Once Superman gained the power of flight his cape was however more than decorative.
Frequently it’s used to protect normal folks whilst Superman flies them around.
Here is an example from Action #253
In the Silver Age Superman Story from Superman #78 we see two of the indestructible capes qualities, that are related.
Not only can Superman Stretch the cape - massively - it retains it’s indestructible nature. So much so it contains the explosion of six nuclear bombs ( and a Dragon from Krypton - This was the Silver Age )
After 1985 ( mainly ) the Cape and Costume were fashioned entirely by Martha Kent, indeed Clark was stripped of any part in the invention of the suit, and the idea of an alter ego. This was stuff he couldn’t invent himself. Gone was the material from Krypton, the baby had no swaddling clothes, because he was ‘born’ on Earth emerging from his Birthing Matrix - an artificial womb contained in the space ship.
He gained an aura forcefield that protected his skin tight costume, but not his cape.
The consequences of this was the pointless raggedy cape era, where the smallest hint of trouble left the signature red cloak torn to shreds. This necessitated frequent visits home to mom and dad. Begging the question why did he bother with it?
In the New 52 Superman’s cape and costume are once again functionally invulnerable - Grant Morrison has reverted to the earliest alien origin where the material is and of itself highly durable. ( Action V2 #8 ) Kryptonians “dressed in indestructible armour” and were “a mighty race of Super Beings” which harks back to Superman V1 #1
In the New 52 we’ve seen the cape been used to protect once more.
Will we see it stretching to contain explosive nuclear bomb eating space dragons from Krypton - only time will tell.
![hellyeahsupermanandwonderwoman:
Wonder Woman’s Lasso of Truth or Lariat has it’s own Wikipedia entry.
Superman’s cape famously is something you don’t tug.
Grant Morrison in Action v2 #2 established you certainly don’t mess with it.
But why did the Man of Tomorrow wear a Cape?
Certainly it was very much the fashion of yesterday back in the 1930’s
Superman’s costume origins are no great secret.
[Pic. Alredo Codona and Lillian Leitzel were two of the most famous circus performers in 1930 ]
The costume was influenced by circus performers, strongmen, acrobats and the like.
While capes were certainly seen at the circus, they were usually decorative, and removed once the act proper commenced.
It maybe Siegel and or Shuster just thought a cape was cool, and growing up reading pulp magazines certain heroes wore them, for example Zorro and The Shadow.
But what is often forgotten is Superman’s Cape dates from time before Superman properly flew - an evolutionary process in and of itself.
In Action V1 #13 we learn that Superman’s leaps can be deadly!
The crook distracts Superman by trying to kill him, causing him to miss his landing.
Clearly leaping around requires forethought and considerable acrobatic skill.
It’s impossible to say whether Siegel had thought about this before Superman was first published, or whether the idea evolved, but in Superman Vol 1 #6
We see that Superman used his cape to glide and control the direction of his leaps.
The origin of Superman’s cape at this time was Superman’s genius. Remember this was Siegel’s Superman; he wasn’t the kid who didn’t pay attention in class, and found longitude and latitude complicated.
Basically Superman invented the costume himself.
By the 1950’s with Superboy ( 1945 ) added to the continuity the story changed to Martha Kent making the costume using material from Krypton, Kal-El’s baby blankets. Superboy’s heat vision cutting the thread for her.
However the cloth was first “Indestructible as time itself,.. woven of a strange cloth from his native planet, Krypton” ( Superman #112 ) Later all things from Krypton animate or inanimate were made Super by being on Earth as in 1961’s retelling of the origin in Superman #146
Once Superman gained the power of flight his cape was however more than decorative.
Frequently it’s used to protect normal folks whilst Superman flies them around.
Here is an example from Action #253
In the Silver Age Superman Story from Superman #78 we see two of the indestructible capes qualities, that are related.
Not only can Superman Stretch the cape - massively - it retains it’s indestructible nature. So much so it contains the explosion of six nuclear bombs ( and a Dragon from Krypton - This was the Silver Age )
After 1985 ( mainly ) the Cape and Costume were fashioned entirely by Martha Kent, indeed Clark was stripped of any part in the invention of the suit, and the idea of an alter ego. This was stuff he couldn’t invent himself. Gone was the material from Krypton, the baby had no swaddling clothes, because he was ‘born’ on Earth emerging from his Birthing Matrix - an artificial womb contained in the space ship.
He gained an aura forcefield that protected his skin tight costume, but not his cape.
The consequences of this was the pointless raggedy cape era, where the smallest hint of trouble left the signature red cloak torn to shreds. This necessitated frequent visits home to mom and dad. Begging the question why did he bother with it?
In the New 52 Superman’s cape and costume are once again functionally invulnerable - Grant Morrison has reverted to the earliest alien origin where the material is and of itself highly durable. ( Action V2 #8 ) Kryptonians “dressed in indestructible armour” and were “a mighty race of Super Beings” which harks back to Superman V1 #1
In the New 52 we’ve seen the cape been used to protect once more.
Will we see it stretching to contain explosive nuclear bomb eating space dragons from Krypton - only time will tell.](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m4ks1oOWtb1qjzyxso1_1280.jpg)
