Carbon Costume

Iwao Oguro, once known by the Pro Hero names O’Clock in Japan and Hyper Quadfist in China, now goes by the moniker Knuckleduster in the My Hero Academia companion manga Vigilantes. Knuckleduster is a Quirkless vigilante.  Even since All for One stole Overclock, Iwao continues his fight justice and protects local neighborhoods by challenging gangs and small-time criminals many Pro Heroes won’t take the time to stop.  Knuckleduster wears fingerless gloves, a green trench coat, and a half-face mask to conceal his identity.

Abner Krill (played by David Dastmalchian), better known by the name Polka-Dot Man, is a metahuman and a member of Task Force X in the movie The Suicide Squad.  Polka-Dot Man is able to create weapons out of multi-colored dots grown from his body as the result of an interdimensional virus.  Along with Peacemaker, Ratcatcher 2, and Bloodsport, Polka-Dot Man seeks to stop Starro the Conqueror.  Polka-Dot Man’s costume is very reminiscent of a vintage pilot, including googles and a skull cap.  To recreate his look, you’ll want to set aside some time to paint polka dots onto a light grey jumpsuit.  It can be difficult to find a grey cap, but a little grey paint can help soften the darker colors more commonly available.

Initially meant as a way to redefine Batman’s origin, the Zero Year comic run has since become a huge crossover event featuring many of the most well-known faces in Gotham. Parts of it were even used to influence the last season of the hit show Gotham and fans still go back to the comic run almost a decade after its release for Snyder and Tynion’s take on the fearsome vigilante.

In this iteration of Batman he often wears a horned cowl, grey suit with a black Batman symbol on his chest, purple gloves, a yellow utility belt, a black utility strap around his thigh, and black boots.

Because the comic run is not as widely known as the movie versions, finding the specific suit can be difficult. The one pictured here is close and includes the cowl, though you will have to request the gloves be left off if you purchase from the linked seller. For cosplayers who can invest a little more, Etsy sellers offer muscle suits that can then be painted and customized more specifically, but they do not come cheap.

With the linked suit, the utility belt is included. However if you go through an Esty seller – as with the suit – there are many who make the utility belts though they charge a great deal more for their craftmanship.

David Harbour may be best known as Jim Hopper but his time in the MCU may replace his Stranger Things role as his most iconic. Alexei – better known as the Red Guardian – serves as a father to Natasha and Yelena when they’re undercover in America. Once back in Russia, however, he finds himself on the wrong side of Dreykov and locked up in a super max prison where his only hope of freedom are the girls he returned to the Red Room decades ago.

The Red Guardian has gone through many iterations in the comics, but in the MCU he has only one look. A pre-made suit provides all of the straps and pouches Alexei has on his suit while a helmet, fake beard, and white suit round out the look.

Florence Pugh is new to the MCU but she hit with a bang as Yelena Belova. Equal parts sassy spy and the younger sister left adrift after her family dissolved, Yelena is another heartbreaking reminder of the effects the Red Room can have.

She wears several looks throughout “Black Widow” but the most iconic – and meaningful – is the white suit and green vest she wears during the film’s climax. Black fingerless gloves, black boots, and a costume pistol round out the look while a blonde wig can be styled into her rounded braid using YouTube tutorials. Of all the pieces to this costume, however, the vest is the most meaningful. It appears again later in the MCU, as a final link to the sister she lost.

Natasha Romanov (Scarlett Johansson) has been the heart of the Avengers for more than ten years. She did her best to bring the team together and make the choices that would do the least damage, even in impossible situations. And in “Black Widow” we see that those traits have been part of her personality. Even as a child she tried to protect Yelena, her only real family.

Natasha has several looks throughout the movie. But her most iconic is the white suit. With her hair in braids, white gloves, and black boots, she is ready to take down the Red Room. A rifle and a pistol don’t hurt either. Neither does the arrow necklace reminding her of Clint.

Ivan Braginsky, also known as Russia, is a main character in Hetalia: Axis Powers. While seemingly kind and innocent, he can be cruel. The other countries are intimidated by him, almost to the point of terrified. Although he doesn’t mean to come off this way. Ironically Russia is terrified of Belarus, who stalks him and wants him to marry her. Not to say he doesn’t do any stalking of his own, as he often follows China in a panda suit.

Iceman is a hero in the Marvel comics in affiliation with the X-Men as well as Spiderman. His real name is Robert Louis Drake. He is a mutant with the powers to manipulate ice by freezing water vapor. He can also turn his body into ice. Iceman is notable for being openly gay in the more recent X-Men comics. Sew the X-Men logo patch onto the sleeve of the leather jacket. You can use the pale blue face paint on your hands or get a pair of light blue gloves. Add accents and ice effects with the white face paint. If you want more special effects makeup, use this tutorial.