Chapter 1: Feeling Super
Feeling Super is inspired by the clothing of some of science fiction's most iconic characters. Have you ever felt like you were born with the Force dedicated to a life of honesty, virtue, and courage? Or maybe you had been inspired by Heath Ledger's performance in The Dark Knight? Science fiction is a genre that dominates popular culture, especially film. If you happen to be on social media, you are bound to see a reference of Thanos or baby Yoda appear in some form or fashion. Twelve out of twenty of the top grossing films are science fiction. In fact, Avengers: Endgame and Avatar stand at number one and two respectively. Science fiction is a very unique genre where characters come alive and transcend their storylines. You may not exactly remember the plot of Aliens or Blade, but you will remember the iconic set pieces. The costumes, whether simple shirt and pants or the elaborate design of the Xenomorphs, stand out and are ingrained in the minds of the viewer. This page serves as a reference to some of the most iconic outfits found throughout science fiction films. See if you can guess which icon is being referenced before reading the descriptions.
Joker is a supervillain and one Batman’s strongest enemies. He is described as an antisocial, psychopathic, and cruel criminal. Even though it is not explicitly stated, it is commonly believed that his iconic pale white skin, emerald green hair and bright red lips are a result of him falling into chemical waste. His behavior being similar to a clown and desire to make his crimes more spectacular, correspond to the image of the joker in playing cards. His purple and pinstripe suit add to his character, contrasting its colorfulness to the black combat suit of Batman. Even though it is not purple, the navy blue striped suit reminds us of the role of his colorful suit which adds to his character building throughout the film. The Citipati mask originates from the legend about vengeance for two murdered ascetics. It visually represents the wrath and death of the Joker with one of his iconic features, a bloody and wide mouth.
In the film The Dark Knight, Heath Ledger's Joker wore a nurse uniform to disguise himself in a hospital. The Joker is most likely embodying the nurses he would have seen during his time at Arkham Asylum. Joker used the nurse uniform to horrifically explode a part of the hospital. It is hard to forget the deranged scene as he walks away from the hospital. In this exhibition, we reimagine this uniform as Harley Quinn's. Harley Quinn and the Joker's twisted love story allows us to put Harley Quinn in this role as she is often an accomplice to his offenses. She is the perfect partner in crime and is often a focal point of his schemes.
Blade is a vampire slayer, whose real name is ‘Eric Brooks’. He himself was born as a half-vampire, because when his mother gave birth to him while infected by a vampire. As a day-walker who is immune to typical threats to other vampires such as sunlight, garlic or silver, he is waging a war against all vampires. Along with his long sword on his back, a long leather coat has been his trademark throughout the Blade series. While other vampires are wearing outfits based on the contemporary setting of the film, he mostly wears a bulletproof vest and black long coat. This is ironic and symbolic of Count Dracula, the King Vampire. Blade uses his vampire abilities to wage war against other vampires while paying homage to the original. His long coat enlarges his actions in fights, reminding of his ironic origin as a vampire. The long coat also serves as a heroic homage with the visual connection with the capes of other superheroes.
Ripley is the main character in the Alien series. She is a warrant officer in a spaceship returning to Earth. When the spaceship is stopped by a planetoid, an unknown creature enters the spaceship and kills everyone except Ripley. She fought against it, and survived the creature's onslaught. This creature would be given the name Xenomorph and Ripley battles with them throughout the film series. She fights viciously against them, often using weapons such as a flamethrower. This look is inspired by the outfit worn by Ripley in the poster of the second film, Aliens. The loose white t-shirt and cargo pants serve as her armor. The costume immerses the audience into the horrific atmosphere of the film. It also moves away from heavily sexualizing women like in other genres.
Jedis are guardians helping to protect peace in the Star Wars universe, with their remarkable selflessness, morality, and hope. As guardians of peace, they learn the ways of the Force while preserving its teachings. Their iconic lightsabers should only be used as a last defense since they are not warriors but defenders. Their philosophy, which regards emotions as the root of suffering and irrational decision-making, is well represented by their own symbolic robes. The oversized, long, and hooded robe embodies a monk who is far from secular desires and seeks truth. Jedis are very similar to monks. Young children who are Force sensitive must leave their families and homeworld to begin their training. They are not allowed to start their own families and must preserve the philosophies of a Jedi. This robe can be found on female Jedis across the galaxy.
Chewbacca is a 200-year-old wookiee from the planet Kashyyyk in the Star Wars galaxy. In spite of the animalistic look, wookies are very smart as well as dangerous if you get on their bad side. As a loyal friend and co-pilot of Han Solo, he contributed to the destruction of the Death Star and fought alongside the Rebel Alliance. He can understand English but speaks his native language which sounds like growling to the human ear. The artifact, covering almost the whole body with brown hair and animal skin, reminds us of Chewbacca. It was made of the original owner’s beloved horse after the horse died. The original owner created this garment to remember the horse who was a loyal lifetime companion exactly like Chewbacca.
Poison Ivy is one of Batman’s enemies, who was a botanist of Gotham city. She uses her supernatural powers – poison, control over plants, and pheromones – for environmentalism. The relationship between her and Batman is often described as romantic incorporating pheromonal seduction. Representing her botanical interest and power, her costume is usually a one-piece green suit decorated by the leaves of a poison ivy plant. Her green skin color enhances the poisonous feeling of the character warning people to keep their distance. This artifact is a green evening jacket with botanical patterns all over it. This is a new look for Poison Ivy that does not over sexualize her yet keeps her iconic look.
