Abstract:
Much has been written about comic book superheroes and their
cinematic adaptations. They are cultural icons recognised in every
corner of the world and have featured in the childhoods of most
Americans and Australians since the 1930s. Superheroes have also
helped to construct an ideological worldview from the shifting
interactions of politics, history and culture, as well as define a sense
of identity and subjectivity. Yet, for such instantly recognisable
icons, little has been written in terms of superhero dress and the
collective imagination that sartorial practices produce in framing
cultural meanings. Rather than situating male superhero attire in the
field of costume design functionality, this paper sets out to
reposition the discourse of superhero clothing as a vehicle for
understanding constructions of masculinity, identity and nation. By
providing a set of cinematic case studies, this paper also comments
on the impact of nanotechnology in the construction of superhero
attire in producing technoaugmented
ϋber bodies designed to
protect the nation’s future.
