Most Iconic Superhero Costumes

It takes a lot to make a good costume, especially if you're a superhero. From spandex to leather to armor plating, your options are numerous and with so many designs already out there, it's difficult to stand out in the crowd.

There are an enormous amount of superhero costumes out there. They range from good - like Wolverine's tan costume - to bad, as in the case of Metamorpho (great character, but...). However, as far as a costume being iconic, it takes a special combination. It has to be worn by an extremely popular character, no matter how terrific the costume is; sorry, Moon Knight. It also has to be recognizable at a glance, even to those who barely know the character's name.

So who makes the list? Counting down from 5 to 1...

5. The Punisher - Frank Castle, the disturbed vigilante known as the Punisher, isn't among the most kid-friendly heroes out there. But let's face it, when it comes to iconic, recognizable imagery, it's hard to beat that angry-looking skull that's appeared on everything from baseball caps to lunchboxes. Sure, the costume around it can vary, sometimes being a full-on jumpsuit and other times a simple T-shirt, but the skull always remains...unless you're Dolph Lundgren, but we'll ignore that for now.

4. The Flash - The Flash's costume has remained largely unchanged since it was first revamped back in the 1950's, and it's easy to see why. From the lightning bolt insignia to the red spandex and yellow boots, the Flash is just, well...the Flash.

3. Batman - Despite the fact that no live action movie has quite gotten the costume right yet - not even Nolan's two films, though he did at least nail the character - Batman's costume has been recognizable for generations, even with the minor variations in utility belts, horn-length and so on that pop up from time to time.

2. Spider-Man - A surprisingly complicated design, to be sure, but Spider-Man's costume just works, and works well. There's a damn good reason it's frequently touted as one of the all-time great costume designs, despite the fact that it doesn't even really look like a spider. Well, except for those big ol' bug eyes, that is.

1. Superman - Well really, what else could it be? You knew this was the winner before even clicking on this link; everyone, everyone, everyone knows Superman's costume; from the 80-year-old man down the hall to the 6-year-old kids in first grade. It's a classic, an American icon.

...and unchangeable, too. Just suggest to the fans that artists should do away with the "outdated" red briefs, and you'll never hear the end of it.