safari jacket wonder man

Your Home for Toy News and Action Figure Discussion!

• Hasbro: Marvel Legends Puff Adder Wave Safari Jacket Wonder Man Review

I’ve wanted this figure since 1981, after being exposed to it in the pages of Marvel Two-In-One #78.

Before Marvel Legends, Before the five-inch ToyBiz era, before Secret Wars, in some mythic Marvel Toy Line that existed right after Mego’s line, Wonder Man in his opinion-dividing Safari Jacket would have been in my top ten most wanted figures. To say this has been a looooong time coming is an understatement.

In the aforementioned MTIO comic, Wonder-man was mind controlled by Xemnu the Titan into fighting the Thing. Biff bam pow and so forth. I can’t believe I got Xemnu the Titan before I got Safari Jacket Wonder Man, but it has happened.

When you’ve wanted such a thing for so long, finally having it in hand is a mixture of relief, excitement and, since I’m an occasionally picky bastard, noticing a few things that could be better.

But only a few. Truthfully, having him finally in hand does quite a bit to soothe over any “I want this toy to be absolutely perfect” niggles.

Wonder Man uses quite a bit from the recent jumpsuit body Hasbro made and used for such characters as Dormammu and Red Skull. There’s a new torso and coat parts to sideways shuffle those parts into Wonder Man.

I’ve always been a little worried that the nature of the Safari jacket would kill a lot of the leg poseability, but they avoided much of that issue by giving the jacket a zippered look, and leaving the bottom part of the zipper open. While Simon’s jacket isn’t usually drawn with a zipper—and that unzippered part reminds me of all the times I’ve had a zipper get stuck, which makes my eye twitch—I am grateful that it leaves his leg mobility only slightly degraded instead of fully straitjacketed. He can’t get his legs into full splits and some of his forward motion is killed, but overall, he can still get into some great lunges and so forth.

The lack of any type of ab-crunch or wobble joint is a shame, but again the nature of the jacket and the preservation of the sculpt demanded it. He does have articulation at the waist. It feels like it’s probably a ball joint under there, but he only gets extremely small motion forward and to the side. Like, very small blip blip motion. Therefore, most of the movement is swivel, so he’s not going to be getting into any insane crouches.

The head is a ball joint, and gets a nice range. I would have liked a little more looking up capability for flying, but I won’t be having him fly that much anyway.

I was a little worried about his size after seeing some earlier pictures online. If I’m being extremely technical I would have liked maybe a bit more size to him, both in thickness and height, but he’s definitely not a shrimp. If that new Power Man figure that’s coming out has a good size to him then I’d have liked those legs to be used on Wonder Man, since I like a little less bagginess to his pants.

Wonder Man’s head is great, with a nice cocky grin. The red sunglasses have a decent translucence so you can just make out his eyes underneath.

Wonder Man comes with a pair of fists and a pair of grabby hands. I’ve said over and over that this is my favorite combination of hands for pretty much any type of figure, but especially for the super-strong types. That combo really lends itself to a nice variety of expressive poses.

When I was opening the package I had totally forgotten that he was supposed to come with a pair of blast effects for his hip jets. I left them in one of the little white bags and almost threw them away with the packaging. They are super-tiny, but they have to be to slot into the jets.

Overall this is a huge want of mine that has finally been checked off. Despite the long wait, I’m glad that it came out at this point, because the figure itself is extremely satisfying. It looks great and is fun to play around with. A nearly 42 year wait is over.

Fwoosh your friends!

• Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
• Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
• Click to print (Opens in new window)

You may have missed

Wandering Planet Toys Laurel & Hardy Action Figure Kickstarter Is Now Live

Hasbro: Pulse Con 2024 G.I. Joe Classified Reaction

Hasbro: Pulse Con 2024 Star Wars Black Series Reaction and Press Photos

Hasbro: Pulse Con 2024 Marvel Legends Reaction and Press Photos

Near Complete Set

Marvel legends near complete set.

• Real Name: Simon Williams
• AKA: JQ-272712-K (Superhuman Registration Number), Mr. Wonderful, Professor Higgins, Wondy,
• Family: Sanford Williams (father, deceased); Martha Williams (mother); Eric Williams (brother); Vision (mind-duplicate / “brother”)
• Base of Operation: Mobile; formerly Avengers Mansion, Manhattan, New York City, New York; The Mount, Nevada; Rogue’s mind; Raft; Stark Tower, Manhattan, New York City, New York; Avengers Compound, California; Williams Residence, Paterson, New Jersey
• Identity: Public Identity
• Citizenship: American
• Marital Status:  Single
• Occupation: Adventurer, Vigilante; Former agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., industrialist, stuntman, actor
• Education: Advanced degree in electrical engineering
• Gender:  Male
• Height: 6′ 2″ (1.88 m)
• Weight: 380 lbs (172.36 kg)
• Eyes: Red (no irises, entire eyeballs permeated with shifting spots of energy, presumably ionic)
• Hair: Grey (dyed black)
• Unusual Feature:  –
• Origin: Chemical and ionic radiation-induced human mutate. Formerly cyborg when merged with Vision.
• Universe:  Marvel Prime Universe (Earth-616)

Despite what you have have heard, he was not created to steal the name but he was killed off soon after his intro because of it. Introduced in Avengers #9  ( 1964) by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, Simon Williams was the head of a failing business. Wanting to save his family business, he asked his older brother for advice and he was told to embezzle the companies’ funds. Simon agreed but was soon put on trail. He was bailed by Enchantress and brought to Baron Zemo, who used his hatred of business rival Tony Stark to convince Simon to be transformed into Wonder Man. Zemo also placed a failsafe in Simon that he would die if he didn’t aid the Masters of Evil. The Masters then sent Wonder Man to help the Avengers in order to gain their trust, telling the heroic team that he needed his help to prevent him from dying. The Avengers all worked together to try and save Wonder Man but he allowed the Masters to attack the Avengers. Feeling it was wrong to kill people who worked hard to save him, Wonder Man fought and defeated the Masters before succumbing to the effects of Zemo’s experiment. He was believed to have died and was buried. 

However, his body was place in a state of cryogenically preserved. His body was later stolen by Ultron, who used his brain patterns to create Vision’s mind. His body was later taken by his brother, now Grim Reaper, in order to get his revenge against the Avengers and Vision. Grim Reaper would later used voodoo magic to revive his brother but only as a mindless zombie. Frustrated, he sent him to attacked the Avengers but he was quickly defeated. He soon started to regain his mind and would learn that his body had been transformed into a Ionic being. He would remain in the Avengers Mansion and would eventually be invited to join the team. He would suffer from a fear of dying but had help from other members, including striking up a life long friendship with Beast. He would earn the hatred of his brother after being put on trail and striking his brother.

He soon left the Avengers and became a stuntman and actor. When Hawkeye set up the West Coast Avengers, he was invited to join. When Vision was dismantle, Scarlet Witch begged him to share his mind with Vision again, mostly due to his feelings for Wanda but also because he believed that Vision’s mind and his own were 2 separate entities now. After constant victories, Simon became more and more arrogant which resulted in him dying in a explosion from a Kree bomb. His mind would linger in the mortal realm before being revived by Wanda, due to her growing feelings for him. They would become a couple but later broke up. He would later register with the Superhuman registration act and joined the Mighty Avengers, beginning a relationship with Ms Marvel (Danvers). Following Siege, Simon began to believe the reason the world was in the state it was was because of the Avengers and refused to join Cap’s new team. He later formed his own team, the Revengers, and attack the Avengers but the team was defeated. After a talk with Beast, he would later redeem himself by helping to rescue Wasp from the microverse. He joined the Uncanny Avengers as a support staff but was dragged into battle many times. He has since been trying to go about a pacifist role, but more and more often has to fight. 

 Wonder Man has been a mainstay of the Avengers for many year so he has had many figures over the years. He would receive his first figure as part of the Toybiz Legendary Riders series. This would also have a Ionic form variant. He would later receive a new figure as part of the Hasbro’s Captain America’s Abomination wave. He would later receive a figure as part of the 2023 Avengers wave

Safari Jacket

Recommend Figure: Hasbro Marvel Legends the Avengers’ Puff Adder wave – Wonder Man

• Not long after being resurrected and given a costume by Beast, that was destroyed in a battle with Count Nefaria. The next day he showed up in this which he would wear for many years, including the Avengers and West Coast Avengers. He would also return to this as a member of the Mighty Avengers.
• This is one of Wonder Man’s most iconic look and is needed for many teams including the Avengers (particularly the George Perez period where he struck up a lifelong friendship with Beast) as well as the West Coast team and the Mighty Avengers team.

Recommend Figure:    Toybiz Marvel Legends Legendary Riders Series – Wonder Man

• After leaving the Avengers and trying his hand at acting, Simon updated his costume to be more streamline. This is would become his signature costume that many of his later costumes would be based one. It should be noted that the packs on the side of his belt are actually there to help him fly. (He would be able to fly naturally until he was brought back by Wanda.)
• Honestly this is one of the worse figures of the line mostly due to the proportions of the figure itself. If you have to have it, I would get it for the Avenger and West Coast team. However, while it is a different costume, I would recommend using the Hasbro one below as they are very similar.

Recommend Figure:    Toybiz Marvel Legends Legendary Riders Series – Wonder Man (Variant)

• Wonder Man has died trying to stop a Kree Ionic bomb. However, his mind still wondering the mortal realm. Due to her growing feelings for him, Scarlet Witch used her magic to bring him back to life in a new Iconic form. While he would wear a costume underneath, when ever he used his powers he would turn into this form. 
• For many people this is the form that people think of when they think of Wonder Man and would be a form that he would come back to over the year. It is needed for a Avengers team, particularly the team after they returned from Heroes Return. 
• Yes. The figure is hard to come by nowadays.

Uncanny Avengers

Recommend Figure:    Hasbro Marvel Legends Captain America: Civil War Abomination Wave – Energized Emissaries (Wonder Man)

• After attacking the Avengers and redeeming himself by saving the Wasp, Simon took a more pacifist role. He was invited to join the Uncanny Avengers, but wanted to be more a support staff rather than a team member. However, he would be dragged into battle. He began wearing this costume, which is basically an updated version of his Hollywood costume.
• Out of the three shown, this is the one I recommend getting as it works for many versions of the character. It is needed for an Avengers, Uncanny Avengers, Revengers and more.

Below you will find a gallery of suits that still need to be made. I have included what I think are the possibilities of them being made. Note that these are my personal opinions and not fact. Please let me know if I have missed anything.

Alternates: –

Family: –

Teams: Avengers

Universe: Prime Universe (Earth-616)

Share this:

• Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)

• Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
• Subscribe Subscribed
• Copy shortlink
• Report this content
• View post in Reader
• Manage subscriptions
• Collapse this bar

The Figure In Question

Action figure reviews by ethan wilson.

#3397: Wonder Man

Marvel legends (hasbro).

“Longtime Avenger Simon Williams makes a move out West to join his friends as a founding member of the West-Coast Avengers”

When he was introduced in Avengers #9, Wonder Man was originally intended to only be a one-off character, seeing as he died at the end of his first appearance and all. This was further solidified by DC Comics letting Marvel know that they weren’t really fans of a “Wonder Man” potentially confusing readers of their own “Wonder Woman”. Marvel repurposed much of Wonder Man’s arc with the similarly powered Power Man…and then DC introduced a “Power Girl”, and Marvel decided all bets were off and brought Wonder Man back from the dead. When Simon came back, he held onto his original green outfit for a bit, before getting a George Perez designed update.  That update (dubbed by some fans as one of his worst, though I don’t fall in with them myself) was itself pretty short-lived, and was damaged just a few issues later.  Simon donned what was meant to be civilian garb in the mean time, but the look, which featured a pair of sunglasses and a distinctive red safari jacket, wound up sticking, lasting over seven years.  It’s a rarity on the toy front, but it’s gotten a Minimate, and now, it’s also got a  Marvel Legend .  And, would you look at that?  I’ve made it all the way through this intro without totally going crazy about the fact that THEY TOTALLY MADE A SAFARI JACKET WONDER MAN MARVEL LEGEND AND IT ACTUALLY HAPPENED AND ITS BEEN MADE AND NOW IT HAVE IT AND I’M TOTALLY GONNA REVIEW IT NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!

…sorry, I could only hold that in for so long.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

I’ve been a Wonder Man fan since Busiek and Perez’s Avengers  #2 hit in 1998, and I first asked my dad who the heck this Wonder Man guy was.  Once I figured out who he was, I started reading whatever I could of him, and one of my favorites was his 1986 one-shot, which features him in the Safari Jacket get-up, which quickly became my favorite of his looks.  I’ve honestly been waiting for a good figure of it since then, and it’s been a long wait.  Thankfully, this isn’t just a good figure, it’s a great figure.  Such a great figure.

Thanks to my sponsors at All Time Toys for setting me up with this figure for review.  If you’re looking for toys both old and new, please check out their  website .

Share this:

2 responses.

They screwed up. That jacket has buttons, not a zipper. And his hair should be gray.

Yeah, the earliest depictions of this jacket definitely have the buttons, though it became just a line in the middle of the jacket after a while, and there have definitely been more recent illustrations that made it a zipper. I’d imagine that with all the fights he got into, Simon probably had a few slightly different safari jackets over the years. On the hair front, Simon’s always gone back and forth on his exact shade, but it’s black often enough that I don’t really consider that an error, so much as a personal preference. His figures have always gone with black hair over grey.

Leave a comment Cancel reply

• Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
• Subscribe Subscribed
• Copy shortlink
• Report this content
• View post in Reader
• Manage subscriptions
• Collapse this bar

• Avengers Assemble!

Welcome Guest. Please Login or Register .

• Movies/Animated

Wonder Man's many "costumes"

• AvengersAssemble Podcast
• Avengers Assemble! Web Site Announcements
• Convention/Book/Appearance Announcements
• AVENGERS- THE MOVIE!!
• General Board
• General Board - DC Comics
• Nostalgia board
• "ASSEMBLED!" The Book
• Merchandising
• Classic Avengers
• Uncanny Avengers
• New Avengers
• Secret Avengers
• Avengers Assemble
• Avengers Arena (prev The Initiative / Academy)
• Young Avengers
• Captain America
• Thunderbolts
• Other Avengers-Related Comics
• Other "Big Events"
• Avengers Fan Fictions and Talk
• Civil War / Initiative
• World War Hulk
• Secret Invasion
• Mighty Avengers
• Dark Avengers
• Ms. Marvel and Captain Marvel
• Jarvis Awards for Comics of 2005
• Jarvis Awards for Comics of 2006
• Jarvis Awards for Comics of 2008
• Previous Thread
• Next Thread
• Please make a selection first

• « Prev
• Next »

• Skip to primary navigation
• Skip to main content
• Skip to primary sidebar
• Skip to footer

The Modest Man

Complete this reader survey by Feb 29th for a chance to win a prize. 🎉 ×

What Exactly Is a Men’s Safari Jacket, and How Do You Wear One?

Published on March 22, 2024 by Karlton Miko Tyack · Clothing and Style

Let’s dig into the always practical men’s safari jacket. Whether or not you’re headed into the bush, it may just be your new menswear essential to consider.

Table of Contents

I have a theory about this club we call “ menswear classics .” Almost every garment that’s ever come along in history applies to get into this club. The ones most likely to make it often have two important characteristics.

First, they’ll have originated in the army . This gives them practical street cred and a cool factor that appeals to every man that played with toy soldiers as a boy. Second, they’ll be cosigned by the upper crust or creative class.

Enter the safari jacket for men.

You might be a fashion guy, or you might be a practicalist. Either way, I highly recommend considering a safari jacket for your rotation.

What Is a Safari Jacket?

Also known as a men’s bush jacket, a safari jacket is a lightweight piece of outerwear, often made with poplin or cotton drill. Poplin features a vertical warp (the lengthwise weave) and a horizontal weft (the crosswise weave). Cotton drill has an extra strong diagonal weave.

Basically, a safari jacket is meant to be durable but lightweight. This is because it was worn by European soldiers in the 1800s who were sent to warm environments. They continued to wear this garment well into World War II.

The bush jacket is equipped with epaulets, which are the ornamental strap-and-buttons on the shoulders that many trench coats also have, a belt, a collar, loops for cartridges, chest pockets, and large below pockets.

They’re usually khaki in color or a dusty, earthy green.

Lighter, less tactical versions are often called shackets , a portmanteau of shirt and jacket.

Well-to-do men wore lightweight safari jackets on, you guessed it, safari or during big game hunts. In the 1960s and ‘70s, high fashion designers incorporated the look into collections, adding a luxury undertone.

Who Can Wear a Safari Jacket?

Literally anyone, regardless of your personal style, can incorporate a safari jacket into their rotation. You can even wear them in any dress code outside of highly formal ones.

Here’s why. 

If you love workwear , a safari jacket is perfect for you. The multi-pocket look goes naturally with other utilitarian pieces and basically any style of boot.

And this is regardless of how you incorporate workwear into your look. For example, if you like a vintage rebel aesthetic, a safari jacket can be styled the same way a leather jacket can. It just adds a more practical look rather than an urban one.

For you artsier gents, think about it this way: If you can add combat boots to your fashion-forward, downtown look, safari jackets are equally as fun and simple to incorporate.

It’s funny to think that a garment that can easily be styled with a blue collar chic vibe as well as an artsy sensibility can also work with classic and old money looks too.

But, outside of the army, that’s probably one of the most organic ways to wear a bush jacket. It’s structured and can replace the harder architecture of a suit jacket when a gentleman is off-duty.

And if you’re just a practicalist, a safari jacket is a perfect protective layer during the summer, or whenever it’s chilly but not too cold, or if you need a spring jacket. It can also be worn open or closed, so it’s just an easy addition to your wardrobe.

How to Style Men’s Safari Jackets

First of all, you can just throw a safari jacket over a t-shirt and jeans, and you’ve instantly leveled it up. This also goes for a button-down and chinos.

So, just by virtue of that, it takes zero effort to style a safari jacket.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by 🇫🇷 • PERSONAL SHOPPER (@quentin.menstyle)

They also look great over a suit. They’re light enough that you don’t have to take them off when you’re indoors if you don’t want to. And they add a rugged handsomeness without taking away from the suit’s class.

If you’re wearing a bright suit, say blue with a patterned tie, a khaki safari jacket will ground the look. But it’s also a nod to the fact you’re doing some fun stuff with a formal template.

Also, don’t fear layers and textures. Cable-knit, tweed, and vests will come together beautifully with a bush jacket over it. You’ll look like an English gentleman ready for an outdoor walk or picnic.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by -JC- (@juanimalistic)

You can always modernize your safari jacket by using layers. For a workwear or streetwear approach, wear a zip-up underneath the jacket. Cinch the look with jeans and a beanie .

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Scavini (@scaviniparis)

A good modern, smart casual approach might be going for a turtleneck and slacks. Or a tieless dress shirt with a v-neck vest and slacks. 

Depending on where you’re going, you might finish this outfit off with low-profile white sneakers or leather loafers.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Gustave Uhlig (@gustave_uhlig)

Most safari jackets come in a neutral color. As such, you can have fun with the colors of the rest of your outfit. However, if you really want to wear it classically, stick to earth tones and neutrals.

It won’t be boring because the safari jacket adds architecture and dimension.

Here are some common questions regarding bush jackets!

What Is the Difference Between a Field Jacket and a Safari Jacket?

A field jacket is heavier than a safari jacket. They have a similar exterior, with several pockets and a collar. However, a safari jacket is lightly-woven, usually with cotton, while a field jacket can be made of any heavy performance material and may even have a lining.

Are Safari Jackets in Style?

Safari jackets are classics and always relevant. In the age of old money aesthetic, they’re more popular than usual, but they never look out of touch.

What Are Other Names for a Safari Jacket?

Safari jackets are also called bush jackets and jungle jackets.

Conclusion: Give a Safari Jacket a Shot!

Now you know how universal this essential is!

As a minimalist, I don’t use the term “essential” lightly, either.

These days, they even come in more colors than just army green and khaki. A black safari jacket has a modern vibe, while a navy one is still practical-looking but a touch more unique than the standard.

Have you ever worn a safari jacket? Would you consider one after reading this article? Let us know in the comments! We love hearing from you.

Related Posts

About Karlton Miko Tyack

Karlton Miko Tyack is a freelance writer covering watches, gear, and style. He was born in LA, studied art history in Boston, and is a lover of rugby, football, and optimism. Background: Karlton studied art in Boston while working in local galleries. This led to a career in corporate art consulting, hunting down the perfect pieces for specific brand or business. Transitioning into freelance writing, he moved back to his hometown of Los Angeles, where he managed top accounts with art publisher TASCHEN. His clientele included prominent names in fashion, luxury, and sports. He then moved to NYC to work as a client liaison at Sotheby’s auction house in New York, where he worked with collectors of fine art, as well as watches, wine, and whiskey. A lifelong watch enthusiast, Karlton has worked with quality timepieces of all price points and calibers, vintage and contemporary. Tyack’s watch obsession began when he received an Omega Seamaster for his 15th birthday. Expertise: Through his work in fine art and with Sotheby's auction house, Karlton has developed a deep knowledge of timepieces, whiskey and menswear. He's written for publishers like LA Weekly and Harvard. Here at TMM, Karlton covers watches and men's fashion.

More Articles by This Author

Join the Club

Never miss a post, plus grab this free guide (instant download). No spam. Ever.

Reader Interactions

Ask me anything cancel reply.

Got questions? Want to share your opinion? Comment below!

Home • Blog  • Resources • Contact  •  Advertise

Privacy Policy & Affiliate Disclosure • Terms & Conditions • Sitemap

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Copyright © 2024 The Modest Man (Registered Trademark)

Safari Pearl is your source on the Palouse for comics, games, costumes, and theatrical make-up. Our selection of comics and graphic novels offer captivating stories for every taste, age, and reading level. We also have a great selection of board games, card games, role-playing games, 40K, and Age of Sigmar. Games are a great entertainment value, they bring people together, and they build brain power. Feel free to try a game or join an event in our store game room. Safari Pearl is also your local, year-round source for costumes, cosplay, and stage make-up. We can supply everything you need for your theatrical production, we'll happily help you plan a theme party, and we love Halloween...

Shop Our Web Store - Browse Our Pokemon And Magic Singles

Calendar Of Events - Safari Pearl Customer Wish List

Send An eGift Card - Check Your Gift Card Balance

Safari Pearl 660 W Pullman Rd Moscow, ID 83843 Monday - Saturday 11:00 am - 7:00 pm Sunday Noon - 5:00 pm 208-882-9499 - [email protected] Map it!

• Скидки дня
• Справка и помощь
• Адрес доставки Идет загрузка... Ошибка: повторите попытку ОК
• Продажи
• Список отслеживания Развернуть список отслеживаемых товаров Идет загрузка... Войдите в систему , чтобы просмотреть свои сведения о пользователе
• Краткий обзор
• Недавно просмотренные
• Ставки/предложения
• Список отслеживания
• История покупок
• Купить опять
• Объявления о товарах
• Сохраненные запросы поиска
• Сохраненные продавцы
• Сообщения
• Развернуть корзину Идет загрузка... Произошла ошибка. Чтобы узнать подробнее, посмотрите корзину.

Oops! Looks like we're having trouble connecting to our server.

Refresh your browser window to try again.

Shop the Latest Sneakers

Best sellers.

• Nike Dunk Low Retro White Black 2021
• Jordan 1 KO Syracuse 2022
• Yeezy Boost 700 V1 Mauve
• Jordan 4 SE Black Canvas
• Jordan 1 Retro Low Fragment Design x Travis Scott

Recent Releases

• Jordan 1 High Retro OG White Team Red
• Jordan 1 High Retro OG Summit White Obsidian
• Jordan 3 Retro x J. Balvin Mid Rio
• Jordan 3 Mid Green Glow
• Jordan 2/3 Low White Black
• Yeezy Slide
• Yeezy Foam RNNR
• New Balance

Related Searches

• ovadia and sons
• africa safari
• rhodesia militaria
• madison expedition jacket
• safari for men
• safari jacket linen
• cordova jacket
• wildlife safari
• africa safari hat
• south africa adidas
• safari shirt
• animals safari
• field jacket orvis

Month of Avengers/X-Men Top Fives - Top Five Worst Wonder Man Costumes

Your changes have been saved

Email is sent

Email has already been sent

Please verify your email address.

You’ve reached your account maximum for followed topics.

Lucasfilm Should Honor This Beloved Star Wars Actor’s Wish

The jojolands chapter 19 review: “glory days, part 1” is an amazing mix of backstory, bullets, & body horror, what is transformers 8: rise of the titans.

All month-long we'll be featuring top five lists about either the Avengers or the X-Men. Here is an archive of all the past top five lists!

Today, based on a suggestion (sort of) by reader Alan S., we have the top five worst Wonder Man costumes.

Wonder Man has had basically one decent costume, his original Jack Kirby-designed outfit from #8...

which is not really that good of a costume, but it's not bad and his Bob Hall-designed costume from Avengers #253...

The Hall outfit has basically been THE outfit for Wonder Man, although it has been slightly altered over the years (plus one dramatic alteration that is featured on this list). Currently, he wears a slight variation of that outfit...

5. The Safarai Jacket outfit

By all normal standards, Wonder Man's safari jacket outfit, which debuted in Avengers #167, designed by George Perez, is a bad superhero outfit. However, it is SO out there that it almost sort of works despite itself. It's a freakin' safari jacket! For no reason! That's just kind of awesome. So it only makes the top five because there are only five other outfits on this list.

I also love that no one ever acknowledges Wonder Man's new safari jacket costume. It is just there as if it was always there.

4. Long sleeves and pouches

This Jeff Johnson-designed costume from Wonder Man #25 is pretty much all of the excesses of the 1990s. Why in the world would Wonder Man have a bunch of pouches on his costume?

The infinity belt buckle, though, is an inspired idea.

3. Heroes Reborn

Ian Churchill designed this variation on Wonder Man's original costume for Avengers (Volume 2) #7 and wow, it was not a good idea...

2. The First attempt at combining W and M into a design

In Avengers #161, George Perez became the first artist to try to combine the W with an M to form a sort of symmetrical design. It really did not work...

The outfit only lasted six issues. The last couple issues Wonder Man literally fights shirtless, as his costume is torn during battle.

So when you keep in mind that...

A. The W/M design HAS BEEN TRIED and has been SHOWN NOT TO WORK, it really makes it look worse when Al Milgrom tried it again in West Coast Avengers #12. Not to mention...

B. The Bob Hall design was barely a YEAR old at this point. So why in the world did anyone think there was a need for a new Wonder Man outfit?

1. Second attempt at combining the W and the M into a design

Steve Englehart went meta in West Coast Avengers #24 when the outfit was ditched...

The "new" costume debuted in West Coast Avengers Annual #2, which was pretty much just the Hall costume again...

Okay By Me in America

Vladimir Ivanoff (Robin Williams), the Soviet musician who defects to America in Paul Mazursky's sentimentally satisfying new comedy, Moscow on the Hudson , walks around his new home in wonder, a man who hasn't yet learned what he should be afraid of. To be precise, Vlad doesn't defect to America, he defects to New York, that many-towered Babel where, as this movie has it, virtually no one speaks more than a few words of English. Understanding only fragments of what he sees and hears, Vlad isn't wary the way a native New Yorker would be, so he doesn't think it unusual that his best friend is a black from Alabama, a sort of internal émigré; his girlfriend an Italian; and his lawyer a Cuban who floated to Miami some years ago. In this democratic polyglot community, where foreigners confront ex-foreigners, and accents bounce off one another like bumper cars, even the Immigration Service is run by immigrants. ("Who's your boss?" demands an irate Hispanic gentleman who has been kept waiting. "His name is Ronald Ray -gone," says the lady official, in thickest Jamaican. "Now sit de f--k down!") Vlad fits right in.

In Moscow on the Hudson , all these people surprise us with their kindheartedness. They not only like Vlad, who is easy to like -- a solitary saxophone player in love with American jazz -- they also like one another. Moscow on the Hudson is Paul Mazursky's benevolent neo-melting-pot myth; it's about how Babel's towers reach to heaven. Though some of the movie may strike us as naïve or false, we're pulled along by the sweet dreams of a director with so broad and instinctive a sense of human solidarity.

Halfway through The World According to Garp , I began to think Robin Williams might need weights in his shoes to keep from floating in the air -- he was that insubstantial. But this time Williams is securely grounded; he has a real character to play, and he's extraordinarily touching. Bearded, and hairy as a Russian bear, he's a small, nearly innocuous figure in the Moscow scenes, clutching himself against the cold, grimacing at the sight of a three-hour waiting line for toilet paper. Like many citizens of Eastern Europe, Vlad has developed certain defensive strategies. When Jewish protestors are hauled off in black cars, he looks the other way; at the one-ring circus where he plays in the orchestra, he ritually bribes the K.G.B. agent assigned to keep an eye on the performers. His best friend, Anatoly (Elya Baskin), the circus's star clown, is a maudlin fellow with a woebegone rubber face and flapping arms, a noisy complainer whose indiscreet miseries could get them both in trouble. Vlad hates the Soviet Union, too, but he keeps quiet about it. Williams gives him a small, enigmatic smile -- almost a memory of a smile; he makes him a man in a deep freeze, passively accepting despair.

Using Soviet-émigré actors here and in Munich (which doubled for Moscow), Mazursky creates an intensely Russian atmosphere of silent paranoia and strangled exuberance. Vlad's family, with whom he lives in a standard, cramped Moscow high rise, are all professional entertainers, including Vlad's grandfather (Alexander Beniaminov), an enraged, disappointed old man whose half-cracked tirades against the state are always causing a scandal. Williams speaks Russian along with the others, and he's convincing enough, though the native Russians have a guttural sound he can't match. In a great moment, Vlad sings a forbidden Duke Ellington song he calls "Take A Train," and the whole family joins in with shouts and cries but completely off the beat. I don't know if Paul Mazursky could dramatize a scientist's or writer's hunger for intellectual liberty, but his understanding of an entertainer's need for freedom is instinctive -- the need is inseparable from the expressivity.

Mazursky's touch in these Russian scenes is astringent and rueful; the American stuff is much broader. The circus troupe, in New York on a tour, stops at Bloomingdale's, and the Russians become hysterical at the sight of the ground-floor glitz -- designer jeans, lingerie, and sunglasses -- a joke that turns a little sour, I think, on reflection. Anatoly chickens out, but Vlad, taking advantage of the pandemonium, swallows down his nausea and fear, and defects. It turns out he's abandoned a one-ring circus for a three-ring circus. Capitalism offers Vlad a riot of superfluity. In a hotel, he sniffs at the scented toilet paper like an ecstatic bloodhound; later, faced with innumerable brands of coffee to choose from in a supermarket, he faints from indecision.

Mazursky and his collaborator on the screenplay, Leon Capetanos, prepared for the movie by interviewing émigrés, and long sections of the screenplay have the feeling of strung-together anecdotes. Many of the jokey anecdotes are very good, but I wish the filmmakers had sent Vlad reeling through American society in the course of a story and had then folded their satirical observations into it. The way it is now, the movie feels randomly inclusive and jerry-rigged. Vlad is made to race from one job to another; the black security guard (Cleavant Derricks) who protected him from the K.G.B. when he defected at Bloomingdale's becomes his best friend, a friendship that's made the occasion for some liberalizing (pleasant to hear, but not really to the point) about the condition of blacks in America; he falls in love with Lucia (Maria Conchita Alonso), a Bloomingdale's salesgirl, and though Miss Alonso, a pop-singing star in Venezuela, is a lovely performer, her role is conceived as something of an object lesson. Along with dozens of weeping émigrés of every color and nationality, Lucia takes the oath of citizenship; the sequence raised a lump in my throat, but it also smacks of American self-congratulation.

In a word, Moscow on the Hudson should have been tougher. Scenes of affection and reconciliation come almost too easily to Mazursky, who is so eager to find the humanity in everyone that he sometimes flattens people out. (Evil and malice, after all, are human qualities too.) I find it hard to believe, for instance, that Vlad and his friends, each from a different immigrant group, would go dancing and hang out together. Isn't it more likely that each of the new arrivals would stick with his own tribe? Alas, the movie's family-of-man spirit feels like a crock. To achieve it, Mazursky willfully ignores some of the obvious divisions, such as the tribalization of commerce. It might have been funny, for instance, if Vlad had tried to open a produce stand or a coffee shop and had run into some indignant Koreans or Greeks. If Mazursky had confronted some of this, the movie's "I love America" sentiments would have earned our respect as well as our affection.

Yet Robin Williams's performance holds up. His Vlad comes alive in New York; the city's buzzing disorder makes him gregarious, hopeful, and ready to connect. And though Williams gives a performance of immense sweetness, he's not pulled down by the movie's sentimental tone. When Vlad gets the chance to play the sax with one of his favorite black jazz players, he doesn't make out too well. He's not good enough, and maybe he'll never be good enough. America the bountiful can't solve all his problems. What it can do is give him the opportunity to enjoy life. For a man who has always embraced misery, it's an immeasurable gift.

Related pages

• Moscow on the Hudson Main Page
• Review ::: Okay By Me in America