20 of the Worst Superhero Costumes

Image via Marvel

10. Hawkeye’s Groovy Miniskirt Experiment

Now, we’re all for gender equality here. Women can wear pants and, though this is still on the cutting edge of fashion and gender politics, it’s only fair that men can wear skirts, too. With that in mind, however, people of any gender should try to put some thought into their look. If you don’t, you may end up in an unfortunate situation like our old friend, Hawkeye.

Many readers undoubtedly know Hawkeye best from either his cinematic appearances (where he has a sensible but unimpressive sleeveless outfit) or his equally unremarkable casual look in the the Fraction/Aja edition of the Hawkeye comics.

But maybe that’s not so bad, considering the outfit worn by Hawkeye/Clint Barton in the aftermath of the Kree/Skrull War. Previously, Barton was Goliath, with a weird, scanty costume all of his own. After he returns to Earth, though, Barton somehow gets involved with a circus. He eventually returns to the Avengers, but not after raiding the circus wardrobe.

Hawkeye’s new costume is perhaps best described as an overalls-style miniskirt, complete with purple fabric and pink detailing. Again, there should be nothing wrong with a man in a skirt or a man who enjoys “feminine” colors, but this was still a dramatic departure for Hawkeye. One does wonder how he fought crime in such a revealing skirt without constantly exposing himself. Fortunately, this costume experiment was short-lived.