Supergirl’s worst costume was created for her movie (who never used it)
Supergirl’s terrible ’80s-inspired costume was so excruciating that the director ended up cutting the costume entirely from his feature film.
DC Super girl is known for being Superman’s cousin, having a hit show on the CW, and having multiple costume changes that rarely, if ever, improve upon his original design. In the comic book industry that thrives on both constant change and nostalgia, Supergirl fans overwhelmingly prefer the latter. But fans were disappointed when Kara Zor-El’s 1984 Super girl feature film bombed at the box office – although it almost includes one of the most hideous costumes in Supergirl’s long history.
1984 Super girl was clearly made to capitalize on the success of the Christopher Reeve Superman film franchise. The two Superman and Superman ii were received positively, but the film bombed at the box office. The plot was absurd, and the vast majority of the runtime is spent with Supergirl fitting in on Earth instead of saving civilians and fighting villains. The failure of this film along with the lukewarm reception of Superman III ultimately led to the franchise’s hiatus for almost a decade (after the incredibly low-budget effort of Superman IV: The Quest for Peace). But despite the poor acting, script, and staging, one element could have been a lot worse: the costume.
Supergirl received a visual update for her movie, which was set to take place in the mid-1980s. This included a red bandana around her head, red shoulder pads that accompanied the classic Superman “S” shield, and a miniskirt. which was potentially the shortest Supergirl had ever worn. The suit was apparently intended to capitalize on the aerobics trend, but ultimately never even passed screen tests; Actor Helen Slater was given a more classic Supergirl costume instead.
Unfortunately, DC Comics had already changed Supergirl’s costume in the books to match the upcoming movie – which would no longer contain the costume. Supergirl’s half-hearted excuse wearing the blindfold in the comics was to remind her of her home; a headband was a “… symbol of citizenship on Krypton! I might be an Earthman now … but that’s still no reason to forget my roots!” DC was now sadly stuck with a costume that was already overdue… and to make matters worse, would no longer remind readers to watch the movie.
Supergirl ended up dying wearing the hideous costume of Crisis on Infinite Earths (although she subsequently fully recovered from death, as comic book heroes are accustomed to doing), cementing the outfit into DC history. Upon her return, Supergirl never wore the “Symbol of Kryptonian Citizenship” again. Independently, Supergirl the costume is almost forgotten – from the movie and the world of DC Comics.
