In comic books, a costume can mean everything. For superheroes, it serves as their symbol in fighting evil and sometimes provides them with the anonymity they need to protect their private lives and families. For supervillains, a costume typically serves the same purpose as a ski mask for a regular bank robber. It hides their identity when committing a crime. But when supervillains are apprehended by the heroes and go into custody, their identities become known. What is the point in trying to hide who they are when everyone will already know?
== TEASER ==
In a lot of cases, a villains costume is meant to instill fear in their victims. That could be why Hobgoblin is still using his outfit. But when a lesser villain is constantly getting nabbed by the heroes, you would think they'd try to keep a lower profile. There have been stories where a villain has been skulking around only to get grabbed before they can even commit a crime. If a costumed criminal like the walks into a bank in costume, everyone will know what their intentions are. To deal with this, some villains will even try wearing a trench coat over their costume to make it to the front of the bank teller's line. That doesn't always work since their legs and footwear still show and can be a give-away.
I do like the visual of heroes and villains wearing costumes. I think it's come to the point where a costume just isn't practical for the smaller villains. If they have been arrested a few times, their best bet for a costume would be to dress as a normal civilian. Unless they're someone like Vulture, it should be all about subtly. If a villain wants to be successful, they have to stop trying to have a flashy look to act as their trademark. All it's doing is asking for someone to bust them and take them to prison.
Is the day of the costume for villains over or should they wear their outfits with pride?
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