Who's the Worst... Costume for Functionality?

Doug: Thanks to everyone who sort of hit around today's topic without landing on it in yesterday's conversation. Today we're not looking for the worst costume -- but the worst costume for all your crime-fighting, swashbuckling, et al. activities. Of note from Tuesday's post were Yellowjacket's "wings" and capes in general. So have at it!

Part Five: Slightly Revealing, or Sinfully Raunchy?

Doug: Happy 2010, fashion-lovers. We're back for the first time this year with another critique of superhero togs -- or in this case, lack thereof!! Today's subject will be that lovely Golden Age object of Dr. Wertham's disgust, Phantom Lady!

Doug: Well, where to start? One of the complaints of Frederic Wertham was that Phantom Lady comics consisted of bondage and images of "headlights" -- see the cover to the right and you be the judge! Blogger Siskoid devoted a post to this subject shortly before the Bronze Age Babies came online; you can check out his musings here.

Doug: But aside from luring young boys into a lascivious existence, let's discuss the practicality of her clothes! Good lord, how does she keep all of that in the right place?? And at the hands of a particularly perverse artist, well...

Karen: Yikes, Doug, who drew that Maxim version to the right? Now that one is waaay over the top!

Karen: It seems strange to me, but I actually like Phantom Lady! I know she's pure sexploitation, and part of me says I should be offended. But maybe it's because she's so blatantly sexual - it just seems more honest somehow. Don't get me wrong though, I'd be pretty uncomfortable with a ten year old kid looking at that extreme bodaciousness.
Karen: Looking at her costumes above, one does wonder how the heck she isn't flopping out of those tiny strips of yellow fabric all the time. My guess would be tape. Seriously. They do it in Hollywood all the time; I know I've read how most of the female guest stars on the original Star Trek were either taped or sewn into their skimpy costumes. Of course, they weren't running around fighting super-villains. But maybe that's part of Phantom Lady's strategy - the guys would be so shell-shocked that she'd be able to blast 'em, no problem!

Karen: Surprisingly, her more recent appearances, circa the Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters series of 2007, gave us a costume that was actually more modest. Take a look: while she retains the plunging neckline, the sides are covered, and she's actually wearing what looks like shorts or hot pants. I like that, especially in this age of gals like Wonder Woman and Ms. Marvel, whose suit bottoms are so high cut that they'd have to get an extreme bikini wax to go out like that!
Karen: She's still quite sexy but she doesn't look absolutely ridiculous. Although I have to say, artist Daniel Acuna's work always makes me think of Heavy Metal, which makes me think "comics porn". But Phantom Lady has always been a sexy character - it's part of her (all of her?) shtick, and I think it works for her. I vote dressed for success!

Doug: I would concur -- racy, no doubt. But it works (even with tape...)!