The Most Dreadful Superhero Costume of All Time: Billy Zane Takes the Crown

Article Summary

The quality of superhero costumes can significantly impact the success of a film. Unfortunately, The Phantom holds the unfortunate title of having the most poorly designed superhero costume in history.

The Phantom's costume failed to impress in the comics due to its dull and unimaginative design, along with the absence of gloves for a character known for being elusive, resulting in an unimpressive and ineffective appearance.

In the movie adaptation, the filmmakers painstakingly recreated The Phantom's costume with unwavering accuracy, albeit at the expense of comfort.

In the current era of superhero movie fatigue, many are longing for a break from the constant flow of comic-based epics. It's easy to overlook the journey that led us to the cinematic landscape we find ourselves in today, particularly when it comes to superhero costumes. While not all costumes can reach the level of artistry seen in Alexandra Byrne's work on films like The Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy, they play a crucial role in capturing fans' attention and promoting the movie. When discussing the contenders for the worst superhero costumes, which can have a significant impact on the overall quality of the film, the competition is fierce, regardless of personal preferences. Surprisingly, none of the lowest-rated superhero movies from the 2020s come close to making the list (regardless of what one may think of those films, their costumes are generally well-executed). Looking further back, while Ryan Reynolds' CGI suit in Green Lantern (2011) received its fair share of criticism, its design was somewhat decent. On the other hand, the costumes in the early X-Men movies disregarded comic book accuracy and lacked character, though they were passable in appearance.

However, if we truly want to delve into the depths of awful superhero costumes, we must turn our attention to the 1990s. While there are exceptions, a few comic book movies from the '90s stood out with their excellent costumes, such as The Crow, The Mask, Blade, and Batman Returns. Nevertheless, there are some truly remarkable disasters in this era as well. Shaquille O'Neal's Steel costume is so lacking that it could easily be renamed "Rubber" or "Styrofoam." Countless criticisms have been levied against Batman and Robin's bat-nipples and codpieces, and the initial attempt at depicting Captain America's iconic suit in 1990 fell embarrassingly short, failing to surpass the skills of even a novice cosplayer. However, amidst all these contenders, only one can claim the title of the worst superhero costume ever created, and that dubious honor belongs to The Phantom.

Paramount Image

In the movie titled "The Phantom," our protagonist, who is the descendant of a lineage of African superheroes, embarks on a journey to the lively city of New York. His mission is to prevent a wealthy criminal mastermind from acquiring three mystical skulls that hold the key to unprecedented power.

The Phantom Is the First Comic Superhero Ever Created

The movie was released on June 6, 1996 and was directed by Simon Wincer. It features a star-studded cast including Billy Zane, Kristy Swanson, Treat Williams, Catherine Zeta-Jones, James Remar, and Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa. The film is rated PG and has a runtime of 100 minutes. While the main genre is action, it also incorporates elements of adventure and comedy. The writers of the movie are Lee Falk and Jeffrey Boam. The tagline of the film is "The Ghost Who Walks. The Man Who Cannot Die."

Image via Paramount

Not that Phantom though. The year 1996 saw the release of The Phantom, which is actually based on the comic strips that first appeared way back in 1936, created by Lee Falk. This comic book superhero holds the distinction of being the very first of its kind. Blending elements of superhero, pulp mystery, and thrilling lost world adventures, the story primarily revolves around the 21st generation of a masked crime fighter in a fictional African jungle. What's truly remarkable is that this franchise has managed to endure all these years and remains incredibly popular, especially in my home country of Australia, a fact that has always puzzled me.

The Phantom's Superhero Costume Didn't Even Work in the Comics

is like a proto-Batman, but with a problematic white savior theme. The movie, along with The Shadow and The Rocketeer, came out around the same time but failed to achieve initial success. Now, these films have become cult classics at best. Among the three, The Phantom has the worst costume. The Shadow's costume is hard to criticize and The Rocketeer's looks genuinely excellent, but The Phantom's costume fails on multiple levels.

Image via Paramount

The movie's costume fails to hit the mark because the comic's costume falls flat from the beginning. Purple is undeniably a challenging color for a superhero outfit. Marvel's Hawkeye is among the rare heroes who successfully pull it off, despite the fact that it has unfairly been labeled as a "girl's color." This stereotype, although nonsensical, undoubtedly contributes to its infrequent use. A purple superhero suit wouldn't be such a big issue unless you're primarily operating in the jungle and your entire persona revolves around being "The Ghost Who Walks," as is the case with The Phantom. Ghosts and phantoms tend to evade detection, so an intensely vibrant purple suit like Grimace's would have the opposite effect.

The Phantom's Costume Was Replicated for the Movie With Uncomfortable Accuracy

There's simply not much to it. It's purple and quite dull. Moreover, it's peculiar how the character chooses to wear a mask and cowl without gloves to conceal his fingerprints. Despite this, it should be acceptable. After all, this character has been around for over 80 years now. Every superhero who has such a long lifespan usually has their costumes modified, whether slightly or significantly, as time goes on. However, The Phantom is an exception as his appearance has remained entirely unchanged since 1936.

The Phantom's Costume Was Replicated for the Movie With Uncomfortable Accuracy

Image via Paramount

When it came time to bring The Phantom to life on the big screen, they made sure to replicate the costume with utmost accuracy. It was like taking it straight off the comic book page. However, this posed a problem. Superhero costumes often undergo changes when transitioning from page to screen, as fashion design and comic illustration are distinct disciplines. The result is often that the costume looks worse on screen, especially for older heroes. Some costumes manage to strike the perfect balance. For example, Deadpool and Spider-Man's costumes translate well without major alterations, while Batman's costume usually undergoes significant changes to fit the tone of each film. Unfortunately, Billy Zane's portrayal of The Phantom didn't benefit from such luck.

The only differences are that the shade of purple is slightly less vibrant, transforming him from a slender Grimace to a human-like plum figure, and he no longer wears the striped underwear on the outside (though that seems like a minor concern). In addition, the suit has been decorated with "tribal" patterns, which is akin to a Caucasian person getting tribal tattoos. Moreover, the outfit does not accentuate muscles like it does in the illustrations, giving it the illusion of a scuba wetsuit or one of those morphsuits purchased online as a prank. Frankly, it appears silly, making Zane look more foolish than he did in the movie Titanic. This is particularly strange considering the other costumes, which blend well with the Indiana Jones-esque adventure aesthetic, making The Phantom's attire appear even more inadequate in comparison.

The chances of seeing another screen adaptation of The Phantom are doubtful. The antiquated aspects of the story, coupled with the unmodified representation of the "white man's burden," prevent it from becoming a true superhero classic. Previous attempts at rebooting the character, such as the forgotten 2009 miniseries on Syfy, have not brought any notable success. Is there a way to bring The Phantom into the modern spotlight? After all, being the first costumed crime fighter in comic history, he deserves greater recognition. Is it possible to strike a balance between appeasing the existing fandom and attracting a new audience? That remains uncertain. However, one thing is clear: improving the costume would be a good starting point.

The Phantom is available for streaming exclusively on Max in the U.S.

Editor's P/S

As a Gen Z netizen, I have mixed feelings about the Phantom's superhero costume. On the one hand, I can appreciate the faithfulness to the original comic book design. The filmmakers clearly put a lot of effort into recreating the character's iconic look, from the purple bodysuit to the flowing cape. On the other hand, I can't help but feel that the costume looks a bit dated and silly by today's standards. The bright colors and exaggerated proportions make it look more like a Halloween costume than a serious superhero outfit.

Overall, I think the Phantom's costume is a bit of a mixed bag. It's faithful to the source material, but it also looks a bit outdated. I'm not sure if I would call it the worst superhero costume of all time, but it's definitely not one of the best.