Random thoughts: capes

“Why do superheroes wear capes?” is a legitimate but weird question: even though the term “capes” is sometimes used (even in-universe) to refer to superheroes as a whole, all things considered relatively few wear a cape.

And really the question should be “Why do Superman and Batman wear capes?”, because the VAST majority of heroes who wear a cape do so for one of three reasons:
1) Because Superman wears one
2) Because Batman wears one
3) Because they’re a magician archetype

Which leads me to several questions that don’t need answering.
Which heroes fall within which category?
Which superheroes with a cape would still work without it?
Are there exceptions?
Does the rule apply to supervillains?
How much time can I waste trying to answer these questions?

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DC COMICS

Unsurprisingly, there are A LOT of capes.

Superman family
Why a cape: duh
Unsurprisingly since he was the first, most superheroes directly linked to him wears a cape.
Including the dog, the cat, the horse and the monkey.

Would they work without a cape? Mostly yes
Are there exceptions? Most of them at some point
However this has been relaxed a little in recent years: both Superboy from the 90s never wears the cape (unless he’s wearing Superman’s costume for a bit), and Superman’s son sometimes ditches it, as do several minor associates of the Superman family.
The 90s Superboy feels wrong with a cape, but I’m fine if anyone else wears it.

Even Supergirl has a couple of costumes that lack a cape.
While I prefer her to have the cape, it can work.

Power Girl also has a one or two costumes without a cape, but did anyone notice?
There are only two things needed to identify her as Power Girl.

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Batman family
Why a cape: duh
As the other originator of the trend, almost all of Batman’s superhero army allies wear capes.

But not the dog, or at least not originally. Unlike Krypto, Ace The Bat-Hound did not wear a cape in the Silver Age.
If you think he does, that’s probably because modern adaptations that have him teaming up with Krypto give him a cape.

Would they work without a cape?
Are there exceptions?
By far the biggest exception is Nightwing. I think it’s a good choice, both because it makes him less dependent on Batman and it highlights his origins in the circus (better than the Robin suit, honestly).

The other exception that works, in my opinion, is Cassandra Cain. She did wear a traditional cape as Batgirl, but since she’s supposed to be the best martial artist in the world it makes more sense if she’s free to move.

The other exception is Red Hood, who is basically “what if we wrote Batman as the Punisher”.
So since he basically has nothing to do with Batman besides being a resurrected Jason Todd, it’s best if he ditches the cape.
He should also ditch the bat symbol.

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Captain Marvel family
Why a cape: because Superman

Both the classic version (including the bunny) and the modern version.

Would they work without a cape?
I’m not knowledgeable enough on the Marvels to be absolutely sure they’ve ever had a redesign without the cape. But I don’t think any one of them work without one.
Except…

Are there exceptions? Black Adam
Modern comics sometimes give him a cape, but I very much prefer him capeless. After all, he didn’t wear one in his only Golden Age story.

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Other Golden Age heroes
This is where things get interesting.

Doctor Fate and Spectre
Why a cape: magician archetype
Would they work without a cape? No
These are by far the most obvious.
I’m guessing Doctor Fate COULD work without a cape, but it really ties his look together.
And the Spectre without his cape would just be a dead guy in his underwear.

Green Lantern
Why a cape: because Superman AND Batman do
Would he work without a cape? Yes

You might think he has the cape because he has magic powers, but I don’t think that’s it considering how shockingly rare it is for him to just use his punches. So I really think he wears a cape because that’s what superheroes do in the 40s.
Considering his darker cape, however, Batman might be more of an inspiration than Superman.
I don’t mind his look, but I’ve never really accepted the fact that GREEN Lantern has a PURPLE cape. There’s no arguing that he can work without it considering there are LITERALLY thousands of Green Lanterns without one.
(speaking of which, isn’t it weird there isn’t a Green Lantern who has a cape made of energy?)

Hourman, Starman and Atom
Why a cape: because Superman
Would they work without a cape? Probably not

There sure are a lot of capes in the Justice Society. All of these are clearly following Superman.
I don’t think any of them can work without the cape unless they seriously change everything else about their design, because otherwise they would look incredibly generic.

Doctor Mid-Nite
Why a cape: because Batman
Would he work without a cape? No

Aside from the partial exception of Green Lantern, I think he’s the only Golden Age member of the Justice Society who has a cape because of Batman.

Red Tornado
Why a cape: because everyone else has one
Would she work without a cape? No

As the first in-universe parody superhero, she must have a cape. And considering it’s the source of 90% of her clumsy shenanigans, she would lack most of her gags without it.

Phantom Lady
Why a cape: style

She’s one of the rare examples where the categories don’t apply. Sure she’s a non-powered hero so Batman MIGHT be an influence, but it’s a stretch.
I think they just gave her a cape because it’s stylish.

Would she work without a cape? Most likely
I mean the Fox version basically got away with her wearing almost nothing.

And there is at least one modern version without the cape. Although she doesn’t entirely work as Phantom Lady if she’s wearing too much.

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Beyond the Golden Age
Going to the Silver Age and beyond, aside from the Superman and Batman books there’s a surprising lack of capes. Possibly because they were TOO linked to those two.

Martian Manhunter
Why a cape: because Superman has one
Would he work without a cape? No

J’onn clearly took A LOT of inspiration from Superman. Even though him having a cape doesn’t make a whole lot of sense (it’s part of his body since he shapeshifts it into it)… like the Spectre, without it he would be a guy flying around in his underwear.

Red Tornado
Why a cape: because Vision has one
Would he work without a cape? Not always

You might think he has a cape because his Golden Age predecessor had one, but I really believe it’s because he was rather blatantly trying to replicate Marvel’s favorite synthezoid.
The cape does tie his original look together…

…but his second look is a bit more varied, and I believe this version COULD pull off a capeless design.

Zatanna
Why a cape: magician archetype
Would she work without a cape? She ONLY works without one

She’s one of the most prominent superheroes who don’t wear a traditional costume, but sometimes… most notably the 70s and 80s… she’s given a full costume with a cape.
They’re not bad costumes on their own, but they don’t work for Zatanna. AT ALL.

Mister Miracle and Big Barda
Why a cape: magician archetype (for him)
Would they work without a cape? She would

A few characters from the Fourth World wear a cape, but these two are the only good guys that do.
Mister Miracle is basically a stage magician, so the cape is pretty much essential.
I’m not sure why Big Barda has one, but probably just because Jack Kirby liked the design.
Which IS a good design

She can definitely pull off the capeless look. Even Kirby gave her one, for totally non-fanservice reasons.

Raven
Why a cape: magician archetype
Would she work without a cape? DON’T YOU DARE

Aside from those I’ve already mentioned, Raven is probably the last major DC hero to be introduced with a cape who doesn’t have a link to pre-established characters.
And while you could argue she doesn’t belong in this list since it’s more of a cloak than a cape, it’s impossible to imagine her without it.

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The Legion of Super-Heroes
Unsurprisingly considering they start out as Superboy characters, it’s not unusual to see several Legionnaires wearing a cape.

Always caped: Mon-El, Shadow Lass, Projectra / Sensor Girl
Why a cape: because Superman (Mon-El), Batman (Shadow Lass) or magician archetype (Projectra)
Would they work without a cape? No

If we discount Sensor from the Reboot (which I do because, despite being a great character, she’s Projectra in name only), they always wear a cape.

The one exception that comes to mind is the version from Superboy’s Legion, where Shady ALMOST pulls off the capeless look.

Lightning Lad
Why a cape: because Superman
Would he work without a cape? He works better without

This might be a controversial opinion, but I think his Silver Age costume with a cape looks silly.
There’s something about it that doesn’t really work with the character.
If not a single other version brought back the cape, there has to be a reason.

Saturn Girl
Why a cape: because Giffen
Would she work without a cape? She works better without

She gets a cape in the atrocious redesigns at the end of Volume 3. I maintain that it’s not a bad superhero costume, but it’s a colossal downgrade for her.

Her Threeboot costume, on the other hand, does manage to make the cape work.

Star Boy
Why a cape: because Superman
Would he work without a cape? He works better without

He was literally introduced as a Superboy copy, so of course he has a cape. I believe this is one of the worst Legion costumes, though; it’s soooo generic.

His Cockrum costume is my favorite Legion costume, so any changes to that masterpiece is bound to disappoint him. But the Threeboot version (where he’s black for some reason) is a neat compromise between his original costume and his more traditional one.

Phantom Girl
Why a cape: magician archetype
Would she work without a cape? She works better with one

The cape is essentially there to sell the ghost style.

Nothing wrong with her 70s costume (the pigtails look), but my favorite look is from her Reboot counterpart Apparition. I feel like she got more chances to integrate the cape in her scenes.

Triplicate Girl
Why a cape: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Would she work without a cape? I have no idea why she has it

No, seriously, what’s the point of that cape?

I believe the only other version with a cape is from the Threeboot. She pulls it off way better than the original.

Element Lad
Why a cape: magician archetype
Would he work without a cape? Nothing about this version works, so…

Speaking of the Threeboot, they decided to give Element Lad a cape.
One of the rare Kitson misfires, since this looks atrocious. But then again I didn’t like a single thing about this incarnation of the character.

Thunder
Why a cape: because Captain Marvel has one
Would she work without a cape? No

She’s basically Future Captain Marvel, so of course she doesn’t work without a cape.

The subs: Night Girl and Fire Lad
Why a cape: because Superman
Would they work without a cape? Yes

They both have capeless looks. Night Girl works slightly better with one, but it’s not essential.

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The bad guys
Capes are SO linked to superheroes that the number of supervillains who wear a cape is shockingly short!

Superman villains: Bizarro
Why a cape: because Superman am wear one
Would he work without a cape? Yes (meaning no)

Nothing showcases how capes are meant to be for heroes in the DC Universe like the fact that the only classic Superman “villain” who wears one… is his imperfect copy.

Batman villains: Killer Moth and Ra’s al Ghul
Why a cape: because Batman (Killer Moth) or style (Ra’s)
Would they work without a cape? Only Ra’s al Ghul

The same goes for Batman: the only two major villains with a cape are his most pathetic one and (arguably) his most dangerous one.
Ra’s al Ghul doesn’t ALWAYS wear his cape, and he tends to make that work.
But as “the Batman of crime”, Killer Moth absolutely needs one.

Flash villains: Trickster and Kadabra
Why a cape: magician archetype
Would they work without a cape? Only Trickster

Another clear example: despite the HUGE number of Flash villains, these two are the only ones with a cape. Trickster often ditches it, since he’s more of a conman than a stage magician, but Kadabra simply does not work without it.

Technically Doctor Alchemy wears a cape most of the time, but his alternate personality of Mister Element doesn’t. Which makes it yet another case where he’s influenced by the magician archetype.

Legion villains: Universo, Emerald Empress and Glorith
Why a cape: magician archetypes
Would they work without a cape? Universo and the Empress work better with it. Glorith already doesn’t work.

Have I mentioned yet that GLORITH SUCKS?

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MARVEL
Most definitely because of their importance at DC, it took quite a while for Marvel to have a number of caped heroes.

Thor
Why a cape: because Superman
Would he work without a cape? Yes

Thor was quite blatantly a Superman stand-in for a few of his very early (and very weird) adventures.

Doctor Strange
Why a cape: magician archetype
Would he work without a cape? DON’T YOU EVEN TRY

Do I even have to say anything?

Vision
Why a cape: magician archetype
Would he work without a cape? No

Technically, the Silver Age version wears a cape because the Golden Age one did.
He would have a lot of trouble pulling off the ghost look without it.

Scarlet Witch
Why a cape: magician archetype
Would she work without a cape? Yes, but barely

Is it a coincidence that two of the most prominent Avengers who wear capes got married?
She has had a couple of capeless costumes that work, but the cape does help a lot.

Black Knight
Why a cape: because he’s a knight
Would he work without a cape? Yes

One of the major exceptions to the general rules!

I believe I’m one of the three people who liked his 90s look.
I thought the combination of the helmet with the jacket worked: he’s already a living contradiction (a modern scientist with a cursed magic sword), so the mismatch fits.

Valkyrie
Why a cape: because Thor has one
Would she work without a cape? Yes

After Scarlet Witch, I believe she’s the second Marvel heroine to wear a cape.

Storm
Why a cape: to fly
Would she work without a cape? No

Another exception to the general rules, because her cape was explicitly supposed to help her fly.
She’s had looks that don’t have it, but they don’t tend to last.

Black Panther
Why a cape: because he’s a king
Would he work without a cape? Yes

Continuing the exceptions. Black Panther already had a very short cape in the Silver Age, which was brought back in the 2000s as a full cape.
I think he works better without one, but he does manage to be even more badass with it.

Cloak
Why a cape: HE’S A CAPE
Would he work without a cape? No

Okay perhaps it’s not technically a cape, but I had to include him.
Sometimes it’s not even clear if there’s a body beneath the cloak!

Prowler
Why a cape: because Batman has one
Would he work without a cape? No

The original is more of an anti-hero than a villain, but barely: honestly he was like 90% a legitimate hero. The inspiration was clearly “what if Batman was a black kid with a lot less money”.

Moon Knight
Why a cape: guess
Would he work without a cape? Yes

Speaking of Batman analogues! Up until the 2010s I would’ve said that he couldn’t work without a cape, and then he got an alternate personality with a badass suit.

Adam Warlock
Why a cape: magician archetype
Would he work without a cape? No

Conceptually, there’s nothing saying he CAN’T work without a cape. It’s just that whenever they gave him a look that doesn’t have it, generally it sucks.

Quasar
Why a cape: because Superman
Would he work without a cape? No

Technically speaking he debuts with a cape because the 50s Marvel Boy had one, and that was blatantly inspired by Superman.
Considering that Star Boy’s is my favorite Legion costume, you’re not surprised that the Greg Capullo Quasar costume with the stars inside the cape is the definitive look for the character for me.

His post-Annihilation costume is also badass, though.

Superman equivalents: Gladiator, Hyperion and Sentry
Why a cape: because Superman
Would they work without a cape? No

Unsurprisingly, the three explicit Marvel equivalents to Superman all have capes.
All three would be too generic without one anyway.

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MARVEL VILLAINS

You would expect that, since Marvel heroes are not as identified with capes as the DC ones, that we’d have more caped villains. Shockingly it’s not that many, with a couple of important exceptions.

Doctor Doom
Why a cape: magician archetype
Would he work without a cape? No

He rivals Batman in how to impose his presence by the cape’s look only.

Magneto
Why a cape: mostly stage presence
Would he work without a cape? No

It should tell you something that the top two villains of Marvel wear capes. Magneto HAS ditched it a few times, and it never works.
I feel like Kirby gave him a cape because he was so operatic, but it might also have been… because Doctor Doom has one

Hela
Why a cape: magician archetype
Would she work without a cape? No

Several Thor characters have capes, but Hela is the only one identified with it. Almost as much as you identify her with whatever her headgear is supposed to be.

Mandarin
Why a cape: because it looks awful
Would he work without a cape? He works only without a cape

The uncontested champion of bad supervillain costumes.

Mephisto
Why a cape: classic Devil representation
Would he work without a cape? Kind of

His classic look wouldn’t work, but he’s assumed other less humanoid forms that don’t need the cape.

Nefaria
Why a cape: theatrics (at first) and because Superman has one (later)
Would he work without a cape? Yes

He debuts with an old time cape, trading it for a more traditional one when he literally gives himself Superman powers.

Graviton
Why a cape: because he wants to be Magneto
Would he work without a cape? Yes

I still believe he has the potential to be one of the best Marvel supervillains, if only they gave him an interesting personality.
He could probably make it without the cape. Or the goatee.

Mysterio
Why a cape: magician archetype
Would he work without a cape? No

His theatrics wouldn’t work NEARLY as well without the cape!

Hood
Why a cape: magician archetype
Would he work without a cape? He’d need another name

Bendis tried WAY TOO HARD to make him one of the top players, and he’s been overused to the point of absurdity. But he does pull off that hooded cape.

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HONORABLE MENTIONS

Obviously the concept of capes is too huge to include everybody outside of DC and Marvel, but there are two guys I have to mention.

Spawn
Why a cape: because it’s cool
Would he work without a cape? There’s more to him than the cape?

Every character sporting a cape in the 90s did so because of Batman AND Spawn.

Saitama
Why a cape: because he’s (also) a Superman parody
Would he work without a cape? No

If I’m not giving a comprehensive analysis of all superheroes with capes in Western comics, I’m even less inclined to extend this to other genres… but I have to make an exception for the webcomic turned manga turned anime “One Punch Man”.
Because the in-universe superhero name of its protagonist Saitama is “Caped Baldy”.
I can totally see that name in the Silver Age.

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In conclusion, I also have to address the resistance to give superheroes capes.
They range in how legitimate they are, but it’s hard to argue that they can definitely look old-fashioned. And sometimes they don’t make much sense in-universe… if you’re a hand-to-hand fighter it gets in the way, and it can definitely be dangerous if you fly.

I am kind of impressed that I managed to resist making an Incredibles reference for so long.

That scene might have an illustrious inspiration from Watchmen, where in the text extras there’s an explicit reason for why heroes shouldn’t wear capes.

Which might possibly have been a reference to the time Captain America, who took the identity of Nomad for a while, designed a costume with a cape… with embarrassing results.

Maybe that’s why Marvel has less capes.