When it comes to one unspoken rule about character design, someMarvelheroes prefer colors usually suited for supervillains. As once explained inFF #12, heroes in the Marvel Universe tend to wear the primary colors of red, blue, and yellow, while villains, more often than not, opt for purple and green.
Sure,Spider-Man and Iron Manopt for the traditional heroic color scheme. But plenty ofheroes like Iron Fistor Polaris like dressing in green. Heck, some likethe Prowler go all the way and have purple in their design, too. Read on to discover10 Marvel heroes who commit the biggest fashion ‘no-no’when it comes to superhero design.
10Iron Fist
First Appearance:Marvel Premiere #15
Danny Rand may have once been the Immortal Weapon of K’un-L’un, but he had an interesting choice of colors with his design. To be fair, much of his appearance veers yellow, both in the accents of his costume and his chest symbol (not to mention his fists). But the biggest oddity of his costume is his stark-green bodysuit.
It’s not the most damning color combination and, admittedly,the yellow does work when Iron Fist’s qi starts flowing. That being said, Rand’s classic costume is a bit of an outlier compared to some of his friends. But at least he had the good sense to stick with the yellow instead of a purple mask or collar.
9Quicksilver
First Appearance:The X-Men #4
Quicksilver is a bitof an interesting case. When he was originally introduced, along with his sister, Scarlet Witch, Pietro Maximoff was shown as a villain. As one would expect, he wore a green bodysuit. Later appearances had him wear a blue bodysuit, aligning with his decision to pursue a more heroic path.
That being said,Quicksilver never fully abandoned the green suit. He still busts it out occasionally, even though he’s left his villainous ways behind. He (as well as Marvel fans) may prefer the blue look, but Quicksilver can’t resist the allure of dressing up in a way that takes him back to his antagonist roots.
8Swordsman
First Appearance:The Avengers #19
Like Quicksilver, Swordsman is an interesting case because he originally debuted as a villain as well. To easily communicate that to fans, Jacques Duquesne wore an outfit that had varying shades of purple (not unlike his rival, Hawkeye). But while Swordsman occasionally went up against various Avengers, he found himself on the right side of the law.
That being said, his transition from villain to hero didn’t affect his costume and he still preferred his more indigo-hued outfit. He remained in that costume all the way until his death, and while a new Swordsman rose to use the identity for evil,Duquesne defied the nature of his purple garband tried to do good.
7Polaris
First Appearance:The X-Men #49
Polaris is a lot like her half-brother Pietro. Not so much in the way of powers, but in the way of their fashion sense at least. Lorna Dane is a mutant hero who adopted the heroic moniker Polaris. Also like her brother, she’s had a few costumes over the years, butPolaris has stuck with her color scheme more closely.
For almost all of her appearances, Polaris has had a green color scheme. Sometimes it’s the most dominant color, other times it just serves as the accent of another costume. But it’s the most consistent color she’s had, and while Polaris has had her struggles over the years, she’s made green look good.
6Gamora
First Appearance:Strange Tales #180
To be fair, Gamora pretty much had no choice but to incorporate green into her look, given that is the color of her skin and hair. But over the years, she’s rocked the look with various different outfits. Sometimes she goes heavy on it, and she’ll wear outfits that match Gamora’s natural appearance.
Other times, Gamora downplays it, opting for neutral colors. But she rarely hides her face or hair and, while she had a tough upbringing, she’s a crusader for good in the Marvel Universe. It might not always be easy being green,but for Gamora, she pulls it off incredibly well.
5Prowler
First Appearance:The Amazing Spider-Man #78
Hobie Brown is one of the few heroes on this list to actually incorporate the traditional green and purple color scheme of supervillains. To be fair, he was originally introduced as an antagonist to Spider-Man before changing his path. But while Brown went down the road of a hero, he kept his (admittedly badass) costume design.
The Prowler has switched up various parts of his look, ditching the costume, for example. But the green and purple are a mainstay of his design and he always pulled them off well. Prowler has arguably one of the best designs thatproves purple and green aren’t just for supervillians.
4Rogue
First Appearance:Avengers Annual #10
Rogue is a bit of a complicated character, but what X-Men hero isn’t? Similar to Iron Fist, Rogue’s had looks that have incorporated just as much of the heroic yellow as it has the villainous green. But every once in a while, she slips and leans more towards emerald-hued costumes.
While it’s not fair to call Rogue a villain, per se, she has had some struggles and made some bad choices. But at the end of the day, Rogue is a hero through and through. For Rogue, green is just a colorshe pulls off really well, rather than an indication as to her morality.
3Mantis
First Appearance:The Avengers #112
Mantis is a curious case. When she was introduced as an ally of the Avengers, Mantis was simply a woman who wore green as part of her gimmick. However, she actually became green-skinned after she was modified when she became the Celestial Madonna. But she never had a villainous bone in her body.
Like Gamora,Mantis sometimes wears green clothing to match her physical features. Other times, the only green featured on her comes from her hair or skin. Regardless, Mantis has been a true hero in the Marvel Universe, so don’t be fooled by the ‘rule’ that only villains in the Marvel Universe wear green or look green.
2Hawkeye
First Appearance:Tales of Suspense #57
As was the case with Swordsman, Hawkeye originally debuted as a villain and once went toe-to-toe with the Avengers. As one would expect, Clint Barton was introduced wearing a largely purple outfit. But while he’s been a hero far longer than he was ever a villain, Hawkeye’s purple duds have become too iconic to ditch.
That’s not to say he’s never ditched his costume (he absolutely has). But Clint’s classic outfit is simply too identifiable for him to part with. Sure, it’s a product of this old design rule. But let’s face it.Purple is absolutely Hawkeye’s color, and it’s hard to imagine him in anything else.
1The Hulk
First Appearance:The Incredible Hulk #1
If there’s one iconic marvel hero that bucks the trend of heroes not using purple and green colors, it’s the Incredible Hulk. The Jade Giant has fought all kinds of evil, unleashing his green fury onto the world, and he usually does it while wearing a pair of purple pants that refuse to rip completely.
To be fair, Hulk does sometimes come off as a threat. But as all Marvel fans know, Hulk is a hero. Sure, green and purple conjure up a lot of villainous imagery. But Bruce Banner’s alter ego is the exception to the rule, and he makes those traditionally ‘evil’ colorsthe colors of justice in the Marvel Universe.
