Summary

• Superman's costume has gone through many changes over the years, reflecting the times and experimental shifts in the character's design.
• Some notable variations include the darker suit in the Kingdom Come storyline and the recovery suit in the Death of Superman storyline.
• The classic Silver Age suit, as seen in Christopher Reeve's portrayal, remains the most iconic and memorable look for Superman.

One of the most difficult things to do in comics is keep characters cool over time, especially when the same character has been around for closing in on ninety years. Superman is one of the most enduring characters in the history of comic books, having first appeared in 1938. In that time, Superman has gone through many changes, physically and mentally.

While many of these changes reflect the times and how audiences perceive superheroes, others were experimental and were quickly reversed. Superman’s costume is one item that feels iconic in its simplicity, but even that has been drastically shifted in a number of ways over the years in different incarnations of the character, which have included some extra weird powers.

Updated on May 13, 2024, by Chris Harkin: The latest huge reveal of David Corenswet's Superman costume for the new DCU has given fans extra incentive to revisit the many past editions of Superman's iconic looks. While it can be difficult to create something new or different, bold artists in comics and films have managed to continually find their own subtle ways to make a mark on the history of this iconic character. With the DCU and other adaptions likely to deliver future iconic looks of their own, this list will continue to be updated as Superman continues to evolve.

10 Red Son

A Terrifying Parallel World

• Used In 2003

The Red Son comic, and subsequent animated film, are from a fascinating but terrifying parallel world in which the pod carrying Superman from Krypton didn't crash-land in America, but in the Soviet Union. The suit, as a result, changed drastically, as Superman was not a Kryptonian superhero but an instrument of the state.

A terrifying idea, the story involving this Superman moved from the 1940s all the way to 2001, showing how the world would have changed in this sort of situation. Involving many other heroes and villains, as well as real-life political figures, Red Son was a fantastic Elseworlds tale and featured an iconic costume.

9 Fleischer Suit

A Classic Household Name Appearance

• Used From 1941-1943

A fascinating part of Superman's history, the Fleischer series of animated films released theatrically were a huge part of what made Superman a household name initially. Early in his existence, this series of 17 films was ahead of its time and is fascinating to revisit.

The suit was similar in some ways to the first suit made for the comics but had some subtle differences. The most striking change was the black background for the suit's logo, which gave a stark contrast to the blue and red of the remainder of this costume. A look that helped create Superman as a household name and face, the Fleischer suit remains a classic part of a somewhat forgotten era.

8 Kingdom Come

A Memorable Dystopian World

• Used In 1996

There have been a lot of takes on alternate and future universes in DC Comics over the years, but few have been as memorable as Kingdom Come. In this story, the Justice League disbanded years ago and many meta-humans fight across the globe in destructive battles. Superman comes back to the fold to try and end a new threat while considering the very nature of superheroes.

Kingdom Come gives Superman a darker suit, in addition to his aged appearance, which fits perfectly with the tone of this wondrous Elseworld tale. The huge red and black logo was the biggest departure from the original look, but the traditional red trunks remained, managing not to look corny in an impressive feat.

7 The First Suit

A Template For Everything To Come

• Used In 1938

Though it is a classic, the suit that Superman first wore when he appeared in Action Comics #1 in 1938 isn’t his very best. This look immediately had some classic features about it, the blue suit with a red cape, boots, and trunks, and the gold belt, remained relatively unchanged in style over the years.

The logo was the real low point that needed fixing from this initial design. Instead of the recognizable large S that stretches across the chest, this design featured a very small S in a tiny upside-down golden triangle that would be greatly changed in later appearances.

6 The Death of Superman

A Dark Shift For A New Age

• Used In 1993

Known as the “Black Suit Superman” design, the Death of Superman storyline is another of the most infamously well-remembered stories featuring the Man of Steel. One of the very few times that Superman has ever actually perished in any media, the Death of Superman storyline resulted in a new design for Superman.

When Superman returned from the grave, the black suit wasn’t actually a stylistic change for him, instead it was a recovery suit that was helping him regain his powers. The pure black with the silver symbol, boots, and wrist cuffs was a magnificent and memorable time for the Man of Steel.

5 Godfall

A Complete Shift For A Lost Time

• Used In 2004

There was a time when Superman was actually living on Krypton with a wife, having completely forgotten about his time on Earth. Or so he thought. In actuality, Superman was trapped in the Bottle City of Kandor, and his amnesia was the result of brainwashing. All of this seems pretty unlikely for a film appearance anytime soon.

During this time, Superman was given a new Kryptonian look, a dark gray suit with red across the arms, and a much smaller S logo. All of this made for a memorable look which made it, along with many Superman variant looks, into the newest Injustice game, filled with terrifying versions of the character.

4 Christopher Reeve

The Most Iconic Film Look

• Used From 1978-1987

The most major and memorable cinematic suit of Superman’s years in action came in Superman: The Movie with Christopher Reeve playing the role. This look is a classic, and though it is remembered as corny today for the trunks and 70s style, this is an iconic look, and Reeve was an incredible casting choice as the Man of Steel.

The Reeve look embodied the 70s, featuring a large logo and a cheaper-looking golden belt, this suit was a great live-action edition of the Silver Age Superman style that was well-known in DC Comics at the time, meaning this is still one of the best costume adaptions in a superhero movie to date.

3 The New 52

A New Age For DC Comics

• Used From 2011-2016

The best modern revamping of a Superman suit in DC Comics has to go to the New 52, which attempted to see what it would look like if Superman lost the red tights. The resulting look was a lot more streamlined, giving the Man of Steel a ferocious, sleek look.

This left almost the entire suit blue, while his cape was still red, and the large Kryptonian symbol for hope on his chest looking a little less brightly colored than in previous editions. With a red belt, the homage was paid to the classic tights look, but this was very much a modern style that looked great.

2 The DCEU Suit

A Darker Appearance And Style

• Used From 2013-2022

Henry Cavill’s version of the Superman suit was an incredible translation to live-action, keeping many of the traditional features while updating the style for a sleek look that darkened many of the colors, which made it fitting for a more brooding world in the DCEU, which was filled with controversial movies.

The darker blue suit made for a great update, while the sweeping cape and boots remained red, keeping the color scheme similar to his original style. The Kryptonian symbol on his chest was also updated, blending in more with the shading on the rest of the suit and helping give Cavill an overall intimidating look as less of a boy scout, despite still being a symbol of hope to the world.

1 The Silver Age Suit

The Ultimate Superman Look

• Used From 1956-1969

The best Superman suit of all time is the iconic Silver Age look which managed to become by far the most iconic look. Between the adaption into Christopher Reeves’ movies as the Man of Steel and the lack of changes made to this version of the costume over the years, the Silver Age Suit is what most fans will think of when they picture Superman.

With the red cape and boots, the red trunks, and the golden belt, in addition to the larger S symbol that was basically unchanged for decades after originally becoming a mainstay of the costume, this version of Superman remains totally iconic.