Hello, fellow nerds! Have you decided what to wear for Halloween yet? If not, Google has some ideas: as this article reports, searches for Deadpool and Wolverine costumes are among the most popular as we head into Halloween 2024. No word on whether anyone was looking for the “sexy” variety, but with Deadpool involved, one assumes that someone is going to show up in an appropriately colored crop top.
Personally, I am lazy and will probably throw on my Steven Universe T-shirt and regular jeans and call it a costume. (I’ve got curly hair, it totally works, okay.) But superhero costumes are nothing new. As long as there have been superheroes, there have been little kids eager to emulate these distinctively dressed crusaders. This eBay listing, for instance, features a Superman costume from the 1940s that was created as part of the Superman-Tim Club, a promotional catalogue featuring boys’ clothes.
Vintage comic book ads, like this one from 1952’s Ghost Rider #7, show that publishers also tried selling costumes (or costume-adjacent products) directly to the audience.
Nowadays, it is completely normal for both kids and adults to don superhero costumes every October 31 — and, sometimes, on other special occasions. Check out this dude I saw watching the women’s parafencing competition at this year’s Paralympics in France.
This full-grown man showed up to the world’s most prestigious athletic competition in a Michelangelo romper. Respect!
Why, we’ve even taken to dragging our pets into our super-costuming obsession.
So, if you choose to reach for the tights and mask this October, you are following in a long and grand tradition. On the other hand, if you really want to stand out from the crowd, you’ll want to steer clear of the officially licensed stuff from Party City and cobble together your own homemade costume in honor of the most obscure character you can think of. I think Ma Hunkel makes a great starting point!