Superheroes wearing their underwear on the outside of their costumes may seem like a pretty fucking silly thing to do for characters supposedly infallible and operating on a level making them incapable of judgement errors… or maybe this perfectly demonstrates their elevated state of being by saying “I really couldn’t give a shit what I look like, I’m a bit busy right now saving the world, if you had something important to worry about you wouldn’t care either”… fair point, not that you’d expect anything less from a superhero right?
One story goes that the underwear on the outside thing was inspired by strongmen and circus performers who often wore briefs over their tights, good look to be fair. As comic book artists sought to visually emphasize the strength and athleticism of their heroes, they incorporated this into their designs - sounds legit I guess. Another goes that it's more likely a testament to the absurdity of comic book culture. In an industry built on larger-than-life characters and outlandish scenarios, the sight of spandex-clad figures with briefs on top serves as a reminder of just how far removed from reality these stories are – yeah, maybe. Then the third attempt at an explanation is that this peculiar style choice is nothing more than a marketing gimmick, concocted by publishers to make their characters stand out on crowded comic book stands. What better way to catch the eye of potential buyers than by adorning your hero with an eye-catching pair of brightly-coloured undergarments? Possibly I suppose… but each of these arguments makes the assumption that superheroes aren’t real so fuck that, we’ve applied our prodigious collective intellect to formulating a much more palatable hypothesis.
Being exceptionally gifted in the ways our heroes are allows them to meditate on the unique beauty and design integrity of underwear fit for a superhero, on a level not attainable by mere mortals. This depth of understanding arms them with the conviction to do the right thing, stand and up and be counted, and refuse point blank to cover their underwear with inferior garments - why would you, particularly when you can do exactly what the fuck you like, when you like and as often as you like? Respect.
So in summary, not only do we owe a huge debt of gratitude to the SHC (the superhero community) for taking care of business with The Joker, Lex Luthor, Magneto and co… but also and equally importantly for refusing to be ground down by convention, ignorance and prejudice, standing up for what’s right and having the courage to proudly display their underwear to the world (and any other galaxies or alternate realities they might be doing battle in at the particular moment)… we are forever in your debt.