DC villains and supervillains are notorious for their over the top antics and, in many cases, for a signature costume. The Riddler’s suit covered in question marks announces his obsession to the world, and Poision Ivy’s green garb fits her plant-based environmental focus in life.
For some villains, the look and function of their costumes go hand in hand. Tactical gear can make or break a battle. When it comes to the villains on this list, though, their costumes aren’t just problematic, in some cases, they’re downright useless.
9 Harley Quinn’s New 52 Costume Was Anything But Tactical
Harley Quinn has had many great costumes, some of which have become iconic, up to and including Margot Robbie’s live-action versions. Among the many sins of the New 52 era, however, was Harley’s ridiculous costume makeover. Harley, it has to be said, looks distinctive in virtually any of her costumes, but this version was over the top, and completely impractical. It’s hard to see how she would be able to fight off the Bat—or move, for that matter—without multiple wardrobe malfunctions in this outfit.
8 Raven’s Evil Costumes Are More Ridiculous Than Intimidating
Raven is a character who veers from superhero to villain, depending on how she’s feeling about her evil parents at the moment. Whenever she turns into a villain or gets possessed by dad Trigon, her costumes are not just impractical, they’re frankly awful. One version includes a feathered cape and high-heeled boots with odd accouterments that run up to her knee that would get in the way of walking and pretty much anything else. Then there was the New 52 costume with a clamshell headpiece and spiky nails.
7 Owlman's Cape Seems Like It Would Get In The Way Of... Everything
Owlman is the nihilistic counterpart to Batman, with an owl's mask rather than a bat's. He appears as a genius supervillain, an enemy of the Justice League, and in Flashpoint (the animated movie), he wants to destroy all life, everywhere. But, it's hard to see how he'd be able to maneuver his way to a seat at the dinner table, let alone develop any of his special weaponry, or fight for that matter, with the bizarre cape he's often pictured sporting.
6 The Designer’s Costume Serves His Fashion Sense And Not Much Else
Elaborately garish, The Designer's costumes are supposed to make some kind of statement about his fashion sense. He does wear camo pants, in his favor, but added boots that would be better suited to a cartoon pirate, along with a cape so long he'd trip over it, sporting a fringed collar that would be hellish to deal with in a breeze.
He also wears a lot of chains that would be easy for an attacker to grab and choke him with. That's not to mention, he's wearing a mask that covers his face.
5 Steppenwolf’s Costume Is About Display, Not Utility
It's probably safe to assume that Steppenwolf, being a New God and alien from Apokolips, can rely on his superhuman strength, endurance, and speed—not to mention immortality—when it comes to any kind of conflict or battle. His costume is more about the pomp and display than tactical advantage. Still, the heavy metal boots, with those weird claw-like shoulder decorations, and the enormous helmet that would add a lot of weight to either side of his head definitely look cumbersome and not much fun to wear.
4 Star Sapphire’s Costume Left Her Too Exposed
Carol Ferris aka Star Sapphire aka Predator may be a JL member now, but she was once a supervillain. As such, her costumes varied, but one version was particularly questionable, and certainly extremely impractical.
Covered virtually everywhere else in a combination of purple and black, the costume leaves her entire midsection from hips to clavicle bare, with a couple of strategic swoops over the chest. The design defies the laws of physics and leaves her core (and vital organs) completely unprotected.
3 Black Manta’s Costume Is Cool, But Not So Great For Swimming
There's no doubt that Black Manta's costume looks menacing and generally awesome. From a supervillain aesthetic point of view, it's definitely a hit. But, in practical terms, making the headpiece wider than it is long—nearly as wide as his shoulders in some versions—would also make it hard for him to swim in a straight line quickly. There's a reason why fish have slim, streamlined, and often pointy heads—aerodynamics. That's the principle that Black Manta's costume completely ignores.
2 Bane’s Venom Tubing Seems Unnecessarily Convoluted
With his brawn, not much of a costume is needed for Bane. There have been a few different iterations of his costume, including a suit like Batman's in one comic, but his truly iconic look involves basic gear and long tubes that deliver the venom to his brain. While their purpose is functional, the way he's connected the long tubes to his wrist cuffs seems insanely fragile, and prone to simply being disconnected by foes. The tubes stick out in a way that's showy, but entirely unnecessary and outright dangerous.
1 Penguin Is Dapper But Not Geared For Action
Penguin is an oddity even in the DC gallery of mostly odd criminals. In modern comics, he’s largely confined to the role of club owner and information broker, and even in his heyday, as someone who’s less than physically imposing, he relied on an army of loyal henchpeople. Certainly, his elaborate and dapper retro costume is eye-catching, with his waistcoat, hat, and monocle, but it is hardly tactical or practical gear for any purposes other than, well, someone who owns a club and wants to look stylish.
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