Ah, those outfits. Iron Man's suit, Caps shield and patriotic outfit. In this chapter and the following, we will be discussing how to dress your character, because a person's got to look their best when fighting crime, right?
So, first you need to understand that the costume has got to be functional. Don't give the character a cape and then never have it get the way of something. Or as Edna would say
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When using colors, make sure they are complementary to the feel of the character and their power (if they have one) as well. If your character has a water power, it would be a little strange having them in all red. Also, if your character is a bold and very heroic character, then darker colors wouldn't really work. (PS. Not every character needs to wear all black with a leather jacket!)
Adding that extra touch is always important, whether its accessories your character must always have on or its a color scheme that go through all their outfits. Some common accessories are capes, shades/goggles, belts/utility belts, gauntlets, sashes, etc. Some experimental accessories include scarves/bandanas, designer shades, jewelry, sections of armor, bracelets/armbands, headphones. Do with the information as you will.
So, for all the women hero's here's a huge tip: DO NOT put the hero's in heels. I made that mistake and then I realized how unrealistic it is. I don't care if your character is a gymnast who is amazing at balance etc. just don't do it! Imagine if your story was turned into a movie and an actress had to do stunts in heels. No. Even if it's a story, it's not realistic. They can wear them to a benefit or walking around SHIELD, but when fighting, let them have some boots. They'll thank you later.
Spinning off of this, the hardest thing that I found with a character was giving them the proper fighting tool/style. Some characters fight with their powers, which is completely okay, but when they get caught, don't have them magically fight their way out with something they've never learned before. If your character doesn't have a power, or doesn't use it to fight, then you need to figure out what weapon they would use.
Now, when picking one, a weapon says a lot about a character. For example, a dagger shows that your character is more defensive than offensive while the long sword shows the opposite. Guns are more of the anti-hero or passive character. Cap already has a shield, Thor has the hammer, Clint has his arrows, and Tony has his armor, so try and make it a little more creative. It also depends on your hero's style. If they know martial arts, let them use weapons related to that style.
You want you weapon to be strong enough to actually kill someone, but not too strong that its indestructible. Remember, there are law enforcement in the MCU and other worlds so write a weapon that would help your superhero actually suit up and not just join the police.
~Sylvia Wolfe
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