Marvel's popular hero Spider-Man recently adopted a newly redesigned suit courtesy of Norman Osborn in Zeb Wells and John Romita Jr.’s run on The Amazing Spider-Man. However, fans didn’t instantly fall in love with the Goblin-inspired spider suit, which could mean that the character will return to his more traditional look sooner rather than later.
Other Marvel heroes have experienced a bit more success with their own redesigns over the years. Characters like Captain Marvel put their own mark on an established legacy while Avengers like Hawkeye streamlined their look with an unforgettable redesign. Even Spider-Man has had a much more successful costume redesign that became a fan-favorite look.
10 Carol Danvers' Captain Marvel Uniform
When Carol Danvers first created the Ms. Marvel identity, it was to honor her friend and mentor, the Kree Captain Mar-Vell. When he died from cancer, other characters used his identity over the years while Danvers tried to find her own role as a hero.
Captain America eventually convinced Danvers to take on the role that was waiting for her all along. She became the new Captain Marvel and started wearing an armored suit that referenced Mar-Vell’s original look. Her costume could also form a Kree helmet when she needed to travel into space. Her redesigned costume has been only slightly modified since she took on the role.
9 Hawkeye's Tactical Suit
Hawkeye has worn a couple of different versions of his costume since he first joined the Avengers. Clint Barton has even used other costumed identities over the years, though he always returned to a version of his original purple masked costume.
Hawkeye thankfully simplified his look after a few years in David Fraction and David Aja’s celebrated run with the character. Barton ditched his usual suit for a black streamlined tactical look that also served him well as a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. His costume featured a minimalist purple arrow logo and no mask which allowed his character to shine through even more during his battles.
8 Wolverine's Tan And Brown Suit
When Wolverine first arrived on the scene, he wore a yellow-and-blue costume with metallic shoulder pads and tiger stripes down the tors. This costume became an iconic look for the character, though he adopted a darker suit in the '80s.
Wolverine's stealthier exploits benefitted from the tan and brown costume he wore on solo missions and briefly with the X-Men. While he returned to his blue-and-yellow costume in the '90s, the X-Men's move to Krakoa inspired him to adopt an updated version of the tan and brown costume that has impressed new readers and old alike.
7 Future Foundation's New Suits
The powerful members of the Fantastic Four wore quite a few different uniforms over the years. However, they experienced a huge change after the loss of Johnny Storm/Human Torch in the Negative Zone. Storm requested that Spider-Man filled his spot on the team in his last will and testament, though the FF decided to retire the Fantastic Four name in honor of the Human Torch.
They relaunched the team as the Future Foundation and adopted advanced new white-and-black suits made of transforming unstable molecules. Spider-Man could instantly switch back to his classic red-and-blue costume while the rest of the team could activate darker stealth modes as well. They returned to their original costumes shortly after the Human Torch returned.
6 Storm's Punk Mohawk Look
Storm is a powerful omega-level mutant and long-time member of the X-Men who has changed her look quite a few times. She temporarily lost her powers in the '80s, though she relied on her skills as a battle-hardened thief. After she spent time with her friend Yukio, Storm cut her hair into a mohawk and adopted a sleeveless leather vest for a good chunk of the decade.
Storm has returned to her mohawk look a few times over the years, further showcasing the success of her punk look. Her most recent return came when she formed a new Brotherhood of Mutants with Magneto on Mars/Arakko. Her mohawk complemented her new harder look, much like it did in the '80s when she went punk.
5 Black Widow's Leather Spy Gear
Natasha Romanoff worked for the KGB as a spy, though her initial costume didn't seem very fitting for an espionage agent. She wore a bodysuit with fishnet stockings and arms, along with a half cape and oversized mask. Her first encounters with Iron Man and Hawkeye branded her as a criminal, though she altered her uniform after she defected.
Black Widow adopted a new leather catsuit and ditched the mask and cape. She wore high-tech bracelets that fired a powerful blast of energy that became known as her "widow's bite." While she wore a few other successful costumes over the years including her grey Avengers suit, her original spy redesign solidified the character's costumed identity.
4 Drax's Reimagined Tattoos
When Drax the Destroyer first appeared, he was a powerful Hulk-like character with a narrow-minded drive to kill Thanos and a bad sense of fashion. He didn’t stand out in a crowd of cosmic heroes and became a bit of a joke even among his fellow Infinity Watch members.
Everything changed after Drax died in battle on Earth. A new body with tattoo-like designs rose from his corpse which was smaller and less powerful but had a much higher intelligence. This new version of Drax would go on to join the Guardians of the Galaxy and inspire the live-action MCU adaptation of the character.
3 Iron Man's Red And Gold Armor
When Tony Stark first donned his iconic Iron Man armor, it was a bulky grey suit constructed from scraps and machine parts while he was imprisoned. It wasn't Iron Man's most powerful suit of armor, but it helped him escape his captors. He coated the armor in a golden metal when he started working with the Avengers, but fans still hadn't seen the best version yet.
Tony Stark completely redesigned his armor to make it more powerful and less bulky. The costume adopted a new red and gold color scheme that would stay with Iron Man through almost every iteration of his armor over the years. Some costumes had a specialized color scheme, but Stark always returned to red and gold over the years.
2 Spider-Man's Black Costume
Peter Parker has definitely worn a few impressive costumes as Spider-Man over the years. However, none have impressed fans quite like Spider-Man's first big redesign during the Secret Wars story. After damaging his regular suit, he started wearing a sleek new black costume that he found on an alien planet.
Spider-Man soon discovered the black suit was an alien symbiote and abandoned it, though the design lived on. Parker has returned to a fabric version of the black suit a few times over the years himself. However, the symbiote went on to bond with other characters like Eddie Brock to become Venom, further highlighting the redesign’s ongoing success.
1 Daredevil's Red Costume
Daredevil recently adopted one of his best costumes as the hooded leader of the Fist alongside Elektra in her own Daredevil suit as the Woman Without Fear. However, the character’s best redesign is still his first, which featured a simple but effective change that stayed with the character for decades.
When Daredevil first appeared, he wore a dark red and yellow costume with a single “D” insignia on the chest. Penciler Wally Wood gave the suit an elegant redesign that simplified aspects of the costume. The now fully red suit added the iconic double “D” logo to the chest as well. Matt Murdock would always return to some version of this redesigned costume as Daredevil.