Designing a Superhero: Part Two

Welcome back to part two on how to design your own superhero. Last time we looked at how to create your hero's powers and backstory. This time we'll talk about how to design them in the more physical sense, from costume to weaponry. Bring your work from last time as well as a pencil and paper and let's get started.

The Costume

Almost as important as your superhero's name is their costume. This is another thing that will become iconic, so keep that in mind as we go.

First, what sort of costume do they need? A superhero who can fly will need a different costume than one who can shapeshift. Some of them will have only a simple body suit, others may wear armor or just a pair of ripped pants. Most of them will wear something to do with their powers and name.

There also may be technical aspects to consider. If your hero has wings, their costume will need to go around that. If they change size, the costume will have to as well, or else embarrassing situations will occur. My second superhero I created could squeeze through small spaces like an octopus, so his suit had to be able to move with him.

Colors are another thing to think about. Will it be a bright suit, meant to bring hope? Will it be dark to blend into the night, like the hero himself? Are they part of a team that needs matching costumes? If it's a girl, will it be a body suit or something more feminine? My other superhero wore a ninja outfit, to go with her powers and training.

I know it's a lot to consider, but thinking all this out will really help. And don't forget what kind of mask they wear, since they have to protect their identity. It could be a tiny domino mask, or something covers their whole face.

Something I found helpful was looking up reference pictures of other superheroes while designing mine. Simply search Pinterest for superhero costume design and you'll find tons of great ideas. The same thing could work for masks or weapons.

Example: Let's return to Lady Bubble. Since she's a girly character, she'll have a little skirt, but since she can also float around in her bubbles, we'll add leggings for modesty. It will be pink and have gloves, along with a mask that covers most of her face.

Insignia

You may also want to come up with a symbol for your character. Think of Superman's iconic S or Batman's bat signal. Having something to easily identify your superhero can be helpful, even if it never comes into the novel.

Most symbols are either centered around their name or powers. It could be as simple as letter or an easy symbol, customized with their colors or a certain typography. The X-Men have a simple yellow X. My superhero Ink has an I inside a circle.

This is where your sketching materials will come in handy. Play around with drawing your ideas to find what you really like. It doesn't matter if you're a great artist, no one has to see these. But sometimes sketching things out can help you solidify your vision.

Example: So Lady Bubble wears pink and makes bubbles. Her symbol is a simple bubble with a small reflection on the front of her costume and earrings.

Weaponry and Fighting

Different heroes will fight and use weapons due to background and training. Spider-man doesn't use guns, Batman has three million gadgets. A hero trained by a sensei in Japan will fight one way, while an ex street fighter will fight another. Some heroes may use weapons, others only their bare knuckles.

It will all depend on your hero how they fight and with what. Their backstory will probably already give you some idea as to how they learned to be a superhero, and thus their fighting style. My ninja superhero obviously learned a lot of ninjitsu and other martial ares, for example. Don't forget to do some research on the style of fighting you pick so you can portray it properly.

As for weapons, the same thing applies. Some heroes don't need them, like Wolverine, because their superpowers function as such. Others may depend on their trusty magic staff to wield their awesome abilities. Consider what skills your hero already has and if they need a weapon, what sort they would use. Ink is a tech genius, so he has a lot of small gadgets and a trusty robot sidekick.

Example: Lady Bubble may have a background as a scientist, but she liked to take martial arts classes on the weekends. She starts working more on karate once she becomes a superhero. She also has a wand she uses to focus her bubble making power that can double as a club.

Drawing Your Hero

If you're feeling brave, it's time to try drawing your superhero. It doesn't need to be a perfect work of art and no one has to see it. But I find it immensely helpful to draw my superhero in costume to fully cement their look in my head.

You can find all sorts of helpful poses on Pinterest, if you need help with that, along with great ideas for costumes. Just do your best and have fun. Play around with colors and patterns until you get a hero you like.

If you're really not an artistically talented person (which is fine) you can also use an online superhero creator to make your character. I suggest this HeroMachine, which I played around with to create the above image of Lady Bubbles. It's fairly easy to navigate with pretty good results. I can't find the save feature, but you can always screenshot it.

Have you ever created a superhero? Do you enjoy drawing your characters? Do you have any other questions about making a superhero? Tell me in the comments.

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Designing a Superhero: Part One

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