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I think the shoulder pads are there to try and intimidate people, and offer a tiny bit of added protection while doing so. Also Deathlok has shoulder pads/pad as shown in recent uncanny xforce,
As for bringing the pads back i hope not lol
i always imagined Cable in the future running and shooting and taking crazy dive-roles on rocky terrain.... but ive considered it pretty stupid on everyone else. The mans a freaking tank, and it makes sense for him.
and certain armors make sense if you have shoulder mounting accessories or something. or solar panels. Thats healing the world and saving it.
the only other proper use i see is the fear factor. Batman has worn the creepy shoulder spikes from time to time, and you know it works cuz.... well, he's batman.
lol. i have that same Darkhawk issue, and a handful of New Universe comics. wow.
The Giant Boots are (hopefully) never coming back. But i'd love to see more fingerless gloves... and Ray-bans. It always cracked me up when someone showed up to a superhero fight to save the world in $100+ shades. What job do you have that allows you to fight crime and afford expensive glasses that are constantly being broken?
Norm has no idea about good ideas because this idea was great. Also if fashion is cyclical when were shoulder pads before the 80's?
I believe this shoulder pad originates from the military uniform with shoulder pads (The one usually seen on parades).
Dilemma: Go see Thor in 3D today by myself or go se Fast 5 Today with my mates and Thor in 3D on Saturday?
HELP?
Yeah, we must see shoulder pads again. Characters wearing such look way more threatening, and even if Cable is my favorite character I still think there are other heroes/villains who looked badass wearing these. Yeah, like Stryfe. :D Just kidding, there are other too. Mr. Sinister - shoulder pads looks good on him.
ahh, shoulder pads, one of the greater threats to superhero's everywhere. Forget aliens, evil clones and rogue's galleries, these are what will truly test a hero.
Norm is actually right about artists and shoulders, but its not so much they couldn't draw shoulders, its a proportion and anatomy factor, shoulder pads are a short cut of sorts. Its no coincidence that Rob Liefeld was extremely found of designing characters with shoulder pads. Power generally, thats more of a stance, and build thing, shoulder pads add more of a diversity factor, way to distinguish a character ore, allow for more details, and lines, allows more stylization and personalization. Plus a lot of these characters looks, weren't designed to be viewed as should pads, but meant to invoke the look of knights, as in with shoulder plates. Like Iron Man and War Machine, I mean, details, but iron soldered shoulder plates >> shoulder pads. I mean same with action figures and dolls. lol
I think they started appearing in comics because shoulder pads make the hero's shoulders look even broader than they already are and because it was something new and different to draw at the time.
If anyone's to blame for keeping shoulder pads alive for the past 5 years it's World of Warcraft-esque games:
how to design a character in the 90's
At 1:54, I think she was trying to say that women wore shoulder pads during the '80s to appropriate a trait that was often possessed by powerful, impressive men for themselves. There is a mental component to seeing broad shoulders - we connect this with being strong and impressive. In this case, the intimidation factor of having broad shoulders and a large frame could be borrowed in women's dress to compensate for general smaller body size.
I think its definitely an intimidation thing, when someone is challenged or confronted they often square their shoulders to emphasize the fact that they are standing their ground. Shoulder pads would just enhance the effect. Should heroes and villians start wearing them again? NO. I think they look awful, plus we have thinner and better looking materials (kevlar) that offer just as much protection as massive pads.
Oh, and shoulder pads should not come back.
Grated that the main point of having giant shoulder pads is the intimidation factor, shoulder width is one of the clearest indications of physical power and aggressiveness in body language. Aside from that I think that the main reasons to use shoulder pads are:
@Grim:
I would love to see more fingerless gloves again!
Oh and the whole shades thing, as a kid I thought it waqs wicked but as a twenty three year old man I can really see that only the douche bag guys go to fight crime or save the world with shades on... Booster Gold, Jubilee and Jonny Cage I am looking DIRECTLY at you.
" Well damn, I dunnno, TO PROTECT YOUR SHOULDERS????? "plus it looks cool to little kids and sells toys! $$$$
Anime Cyclops with shoulder pads looks pretty bad though. Maybe it's the pads in addition to the cleavage cut (albeit with a shirt underneath) but he looks like a woman. Bad design.
I am pretty sure shoulder pads are protective gear. Whether they are necessary or not, who knows, but the presence of shoulder pads probably serves to make the character look bigger and more intimidating, and/or give off some perception of defensiveness...
Not to defend this almost completely ridiculous fashion choice, but single shoulder pads actually DO serve a purpose: if you're a swordfighter, you'll often put one on your leading arm to protect it from a counter-attack. So yes, sadly, Shatterstar having a single pad is actually sensible.
" @ZagZagovich said:Napoleon Bonaparte: So, how is this practical and not strictly for fashion?" Norm has no idea about good ideas because this idea was great. Also if fashion is cyclical when were shoulder pads before the 80's? "Yeah! Look at military uniforms from every era all over the world. All have shoulder pads. "
" @Babs said:Am I wrong... but did the shoulder thingymabobs not represent something in the military?.... *research needed! on my part* lol" @ZagZagovich said:Napoleon Bonaparte: So, how is this practical and not strictly for fashion?" Norm has no idea about good ideas because this idea was great. Also if fashion is cyclical when were shoulder pads before the 80's? "Yeah! Look at military uniforms from every era all over the world. All have shoulder pads. ""
I love this video, your all just chit chatting about it, I love it! MORE MORE
Shoulder pads, in a stylistic sense, probably originated from the Roman gladiator (which is why the concept of the single shoulder pad exists). Shoulder pads can make a character look intimidating, militant, and just plain cool. That being said, shoulder pads in the 90's, like many other artistic tropes, were blown totally out of proportion.
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