I’m watching a series called “The Boys” on Amazon Prime Video. (Yes, I make time to watch television. Sometimes I need to relax. 😉 )
What I suddenly noticed was perhaps odd, but… look at the suits of superheroes. They are dumb. Flashy and fast, perhaps, but… dumb.
The thought that triggered this was: do these people ever pee? (“Use the facilities, bathroom, restroom”, take your pick.)
Someone in such an outfit would have to strip nearly completely to perform such a simple act. This makes entirely no sense to me. Of course, in most films, series and stories, there is no mention of such trivial things as eating, drinking and the normal, natural result of such activities. They don’t seem to exist, but it struck me nonetheless.
Leave that to me and my odd brain.
In this respect I see more value and credibility in the heroes from a book by Nick Alimonos, who are naked to access their powers. Now I am biased towards nudity, that might not be a big surprise, but the idea of nude heroes is more appealing to me. They stand out more, and that is what superheroes usually do, right?
I have yet to encounter a superhero who does things in secret, without being seen or known, dressed in inconspicuous jeans and a t-shirt. Mind you, I’m not entirely up to date in superhero-land, so I could be missing something. Or someone.
I also think it would be more impressive for superheroes to have bullets and such bounce off the skin than off the clothing they wear. Because then the question arises: “It is the skin? Or the clothing?” And more often than not, the answer is: “The clothing.” And why? Imagine a villain emptying several clips of machine-gun-bullets on Superman. They all bounce off and his suit isn’t damaged in the least. Hmmm, hadn’t thought of that one, right? Which also makes me think: where did they get those clothes? They are probably made here on Earth, so they have to be made of some super-kevlar (because normal kevlar will show that it has been shot at).
I vote for nude superheroes.
They would make much more of a visual impact, and it would be a great way to normalise nudity and naturism. At least, that’s what I think.
Hey Paul, I was just coming here to mention the Ilmar (my naturist heroes) when I saw you already did that! So, thanks for the shout-out.
Now a few things: I’ve been watching The Boys too. Not sure how they pee, but I imagine they have some kind of hidden zipper or strap or something.
In the older comics, Superman’s suit seemed invulnerable. This was explained in a few ways: one, the suit was made from fabrics left in his spaceship, and two: his body creates a kind of forcefield. In more recent issues, however, his suit will get ripped up by bullets.
As for my aforementioned naked “superheroes,” Xandr and Thelana, they are not actually SUPER. If you shoot or stab them, they’ll die. The only thing super about them is their grit, determination, and athleticism—about as super as your top Olympic athlete. They go nude mostly for the same reasons you do: they hate the feel of clothes, mostly because they grew up in an environment where clothing was unnecessary. If they derive any advantage by being naked, it is via freedom of movement, the shedding of heat, and a heightened sense of awareness, in the way you might feel a spider web on your skin before spotting it.
BTW, a new prequel novella about Thelana is in the works, “The Feral Girl,” which goes into further detail regarding Ilmarin culture.
Hello Nick,
Thank you for your comment. I’ve read your book, and I still think Xandr and Thelana are ‘superheroes’, especially picturing them in the amazing world you painted.
I had no idea about the backgroundS of Superman’s suit, thanks for that bit of info. Interesting to see how that changed over time. 🙂