Do you remember Thunderhead? Tall? Storm powers?

November 15, 2017 4:12 PM

Why the Movies are So Obsessed with Capes

[obligatory The Incredibles clip]

posted by Mchelly (23 comments total)

But even among less serious superhero offerings, capes are fewer and farther between than they used to be. Look at the Marvel Cinematic Universe, where among a triple-digit roster of characters you’ll find only a few who practice the way of the cape.

I’m trying to think of who in the Marvel Cinematic Universe lost their capes in the transition from comic books, and all that comes to mind are Scarlet Witch and Whiplash. Anybody else?
posted by ejs at 4:30 PM on November 15, 2017

Doctor Strange got to keep his cape, it's even got a personality of its own, adding it to the category of practical capes. Vision's got a cape. Thor has one of course. Most of the heroes who've been brought onscreen in the MCU just never had capes in the first place. Marvel was never as into capes as DC was. DC's two biggest heroes are Superman and Batman, both canonically cape-y. Marvel's biggest was always Spider-Man, and he'd be ridiculous in a cape.
posted by wabbittwax at 4:40 PM on November 15, 2017 [4 favorites]

A big cape that didn't age well
posted by stinkfoot at 4:58 PM on November 15, 2017 [3 favorites]

I see that they mentioned The Cell, but didn't feature any pictures. When you're discussing movie capes, that one really needs to be seen to be believed.
posted by AlonzoMosleyFBI at 5:30 PM on November 15, 2017 [10 favorites]

I believe Gamora sometimes has a cape in the comics.
posted by brundlefly at 5:45 PM on November 15, 2017

Magneto lost the cape for First Class.
posted by praemunire at 6:24 PM on November 15, 2017 [1 favorite]

(But got it back, sadly, for Age of Apocalypse. Though I prefer to think that that was actually Changeling.)
posted by praemunire at 6:30 PM on November 15, 2017

Where do you even get a cape?
posted by borkencode at 6:41 PM on November 15, 2017 [1 favorite]

Magneto lost the cape for First Class.

(But got it back, sadly, for Age of Apocalypse.

It's the male version of women getting put in skimpier costumes when they turn evil.
posted by straight at 8:57 PM on November 15, 2017 [1 favorite]

I don't have a cape. When I feel the need for a majestic billow, I just put on my canvas Western style duster (also works as a foul weather coat) and pray for wind.

Barring that, I try to walk REALLY briskly...
posted by Samizdata at 9:02 PM on November 15, 2017 [1 favorite]

Also, I do NOT try and billow because I think I am the coolest, most important person in the room.

I try and billow because I think it is neat.

and I have watched too many old SF, fantasy and kung fu movies in my life...

Please stop judging me!
posted by Samizdata at 9:28 PM on November 15, 2017 [1 favorite]

I always thought the man with no name's poncho was a pretty good cape that was vaguely functional.
posted by mattamatic at 9:41 PM on November 15, 2017 [1 favorite]

Nic Cage getting out of his car on the tarmac at the beginning of Face/Off has a super-capey slo-mo coattail thing going on.
posted by Mister Moofoo at 10:37 PM on November 15, 2017 [1 favorite]

Capes are cool, but I've spent most of my adult life coveting a Darkman coat.
posted by MrBadExample at 11:12 PM on November 15, 2017

Me, I'm still looking for an explanation of why superheroes who can make shape-changing potions and interdimensional gateways can't come up with a cape with breakaway attachments. (Seriously, is the strongest substance in the universe what their cape pin is made of?)
posted by Halloween Jack at 4:54 AM on November 16, 2017 [2 favorites]

Michael Keaton mentioned in some interview that Batman had to have a special "shorty cape" to wear while he was driving the Batmobile.
posted by lagomorphius at 6:00 AM on November 16, 2017 [1 favorite]

Me, I'm still looking for an explanation of why superheroes who can make shape-changing potions and interdimensional gateways can't come up with a cape with breakaway attachments. (Seriously, is the strongest substance in the universe what their cape pin is made of?)

Some of them do. It's not uncommon to see a scene in a comic of some crime victim wrapped in the hero's cloak as if it were a blanket, meaning they must be removable. There are also several heroes whose capes attach to ornaments at the shoulder rather than wrapping around the neck. In at least a few cases, those ornaments are specifically noted to be snaps.

Beyond that I file it under the same design aesthetic that thinks that stiletto heels are appropriate wear for martial arts fighting, or that gymnastics + extreme low necklines somehow never result in accidental exposure, or that bare midriff body armor makes any sense at all, or, well... I could go on.
posted by Karmakaze at 7:26 AM on November 16, 2017

I've also seen a cartoon of Batman where the "fighting cape" barely came below his butt and the "posing cape" was about 20 feet long.
posted by Halloween Jack at 7:30 AM on November 16, 2017

In the Superman movies Christopher Reeves had like ten different cape sizes for walking, flying, sitting, posing etc
posted by straight at 7:49 AM on November 16, 2017

Yeah, now I can't get a little image out of my head...

Batman getting a more durable Bat-version of what is basically a springloaded window shade thing on his back.

[gets out of Batmobile. His cape is quit short. He reaches back behind himself. *whizzzzzzzzz* Cape is proper length]

Crime fought and beaten.

[Batman returns to the Batmobile. Before he enters, he reaches behind himself again. *whiz* *whiz* taktakataka tak. His cape is now tiny...]
posted by Samizdata at 12:54 PM on November 16, 2017 [5 favorites]

I can't believe I've at long last found a place to complain about robots wearing capes in the "Star Wars" prequels. Robots don't need capes. Capes are a safety issue for robots and should not be allowed. I say this all the time and no one pays attention.
posted by acrasis at 4:34 PM on November 16, 2017 [2 favorites]

I'm sorry, but I just watched a video of the Atlas robot from Boston Dynamics doing a MOTHERFUCKING BACKFLIP! I don't think he would have a problem with a cape. Also, amazing, the evil bastard is freerunning and untethered. *shivers*
posted by Samizdata at 9:30 PM on November 16, 2017 [1 favorite]

so the shot from Funny Face reminded me of my favorite scene from that movie, which I remembered as also being a cape - though turns out it's a scarf. Still scratches that cape itch for me, though.
posted by Mchelly at 9:47 AM on November 17, 2017