5 Worst Costumes In Superhero TV Shows, Ranked

Costumes are vital for superhero stories. In the comic book world, these characters engage in adventures while wearing gloriously maximalist outfits covered in colors and personality. But they're not just cool to look at. They can also be exciting glimpses into what makes an individual hero tick as well as the artistic proclivities of whoever is illustrating that comic. Unsurprisingly, translations of these characters into other mediums have often maintained these costumes — sometimes leaving a lot to be desired. Just look at the most disappointing superhero movie costumes for what happens when filmmakers get cold feet over bringing famous outfits to live-action.

Unfortunately, countless television adaptations of these beloved superheroes have also suffered from bad costume choices. Television's budgetary constraints, not to mention some misguided creative principles, have often inspired staggeringly miscalculated superhero costumes. Outfits that once popped off the comic page look drab and forgettable on the small screen. The absolute five worst costumes in superhero TV show history (ranked below from "least worst" to worst) epitomize what happens when bad small screen adaptations happen to good comic book costumes.

All the rich potential of these original outfits were totally lost in these live-action incarnations. At least they're perversely fascinating to examine as artistic boondoggles. Behold (or maybe avert your eyes from) the five worst superhero TV show costumes ever.

As the first "Luke Cage" season reached its conclusion, the vengeful Willis Stryker/Diamondback (Erik LaRay Harvey) had emerged as the program's primary villain. Luke Cage and his half brother were clearly headed towards a major confrontation between good and evil, which meant Stryker had to get all dressed up for the occasion. Thus, Stryker eventually donned a costume reminiscent of what the comic version of Diamondback usually wears. In particular, the yellow and green colors in his outfit (not to mention the lines on his yellow vest) especially evoke this initial incarnation of the character.

Whatever the influences behind this costume, Diamondback's outfit looks absolutely terrible. For starters, the attempts to make it look "realistic" just make him look too busy with endless lines across his external coat. The "Luke Cage" creative team also gave Stryker a helmet with a visor that makes the character look like he got lost on his way to an '80s-themed dance party. Rather than appearing menacing or like the visual culmination of Stryker's character arc, Diamondback simply looks laughable.

It doesn't help that the directors behind "Luke Cage's" last two Season 1 episodes (the only time Stryker wears this outfit) film his costume dismally. The lighting and camera angles in the episodes themselves do no favors to a super-villain outfit that looked poor from the get-go. With this outfit, "Luke Cage" ended its first season with a major whimper.

The 2010s Fox show "Gotham" was a bit of a mess. Whether it was "Gotham's" biggest plot holes or the program's insistence on exploring all corners of Batman's mythos before the crime-fighter even turned 18, questionable elements were pervasive in this production. Such elements especially plagued "Gotham's" attempt at realizing the various outlandish costumes of Batman's most famous villains. Both the show's "gritty" aesthetic and broadcast television budgetary constraints ensured that these outfits often looked terrible. Especially poor, though, was whatever went haywire with Bane's appearance on "Gotham."

For those who couldn't get enough of Joseph Gordon-Levitt's Cobra Commander in "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra," good news: That entire design and color palette was seemingly lifted for "Gotham's" Bane. No longer a massive hulking figure, this Bane (played by Shane West) is normal-sized with a mask that looks more like it's designed to treat sleep apnea rather than strike fear in the hearts of his enemies. The constantly exposed metallic machinery on his chest, meanwhile, also doesn't look quite right. Adding insult to injury, Bane is often draped in what look like camo pants that you could pick up at any Ross Dress for Less.

From the very first look "Gotham" offered of its version of Bane, it was clear this character's costume design was a total misfire. Seeing it in action on the show itself didn't minimize any of these flaws. If only this disastrous version of "Bane" was the sole creative folly "Gotham" engaged in.

The 2017 ABC TV show "Inhumans" is bad. Historically bad. Showrunner Scott Buck and the rest of the creative team delivered just eight episodes that seemed embarrassed by the intrinsically ludicrous "Inhumans" mythos. How else to explain Medusa (Serinda Swan) getting her super-powered hair shaved off right away? Or most of the show taking place on Hawaii rather than the group's Moon-based home of Attilan? The only saving graces of this excruciating exercise are the giant teleporting bulldog Lockjaw and the intermittently amusing baddie Mordis (Bridger Zadina) who looks like sci-fi Leatherface yet talks like Bill Hader.

Otherwise, "Inhumans" was a flop. Its underwhelming facets were epitomized by the costume given to its lead character, Black Bolt (Anson Mount), the king of Attilan whose vocals can cause seismic activity. His "Inhumans" outfit was very different from Black Bolt's costume from "Doctor Stranger 2" that probably shouldn't have been greenlit. For the "Inhumans" show, Black Bolt wears a black leather outfit covered in grey zig-zags. None of the fun accentuations from his comics outfit, like the tuning fork atop his head, the white webbing under his arms, or even the blue coloring he often dons, were utilized.

Instead, Black Bolt rules an alien community wearing an outfit that easily could've been worn by a middle-aged biker on "Weeds" or "Shameless." This disgracefully unimaginative costume was a microcosm of how "Inhumans" always chose the most boring route imaginable.

In last few minutes of the "Gotham" series finale, all the puzzle pieces seemed to finally land into place to make the show's world something resembling the typical Batman status quo. Oswald Cobblepot and Edward Nygma were fully embracing their Penguin and Riddler personas, for instance. Solidifying this reality was the very last image of "Gotham," which involved the camera pulling up to the top of a building to reveal Bruce Wayne (David Mazouz) watching over his city in a Batman costume. The child who sobbed over his parents perishing in the "Gotham" series premiere was no more.

In the years since this suit's fleeting appearance, it's often taken a beating online for looking subpar. One commenter named beastfromtheeast683 on the r/Batman subreddit, for instance, declared it one of the "worst live action Batsuit[s]. Just deeply not aesthetically pleasing...deeply unpleasant to look at." It's not hard to see why such negative assessments have taken root. The costume does look poorly designed, especially the strangely shaped bat insignia on the chest. The overly chunky utility belt and the shrug-worthy grey color scheme make this "Gotham" outfit even worse the more you think about it. Even the way the mask fits on Mazouz's face on-screen just looks off. 

Everything about this "Gotham" costume is the definition of underwhelming. That at least makes it a fitting final object for "Gotham" to linger on before the program finally ended.

Today, showrunner David E. Kelley constantly reaffirms his chops and ability to make hits. In the 2020s, various streamers keep reaping the rewards of shows he's involved in like "The Lincoln Lawyer," "Margo's Got Money Troubles," and "Presumed Innocent," among others. Anything Kelley seems to touch turns to gold. However, his Midas Touch could not get the proposed 2011 TV show "Wonder Woman" past the pilot stage. Starring Adrianne Palicki as the titular lead, this production was aiming to air on NBC and shot a pilot that also starred Pedro Pascal, Cary Elwes, and Elizabeth Hurley.

The entire existence of "Wonder Woman" was dominated by the costume for the titular superhero. Once a publicity picture for the outfit dropped, fans went into an outcry over the cheap-looking materials for the costume that looked like it was purchased from Party City. With even major outlets like The Hollywood Reporter referencing the immense controversy over the costume, Warner Bros. Television sprung into action. Wonder Woman's costume underwent multiple revisions while the pilot episode was being shot, though none of the tweaks quite did the trick. 

Eventually, "Wonder Woman" solidified its place as one of those TV reboots no one wanted by not getting picked up to series. Despite having Kelley shepherding the show, the legacy of "Wonder Woman" largely rests on the discourse surrounding its underwhelming conceit of a superhero costume.