Movie Review: Todd Phillips’ Joker Is A Welcome Horror

Warner Brothers

By Pablo Greene

It’s always unfortunate when a movie carries too much buzz and speculation before its world wide premiere. Press, whether good or bad, can cause a whole rift among people who may have “heard” a movie will shock or perhaps even disappoint viewers. Remember The Last Temptation of Christ? Yep. Been there. And yet, I believe film is worth seeing, even when it’s got a bit of a stink around its opening. Todd Phillips, the director of The Hangover, has skillfully delivered a film that sets a new precedent for our era of superhero-obsessed cinema. His Joker, as portrayed by Joaquin Phoenix, manages to take us to new, terrifying depths of the famous comic-book supervillain, while at the same time providing a commentary on capitalism that refuses to stay quiet. And there’s also something that this movie does, that almost no other recent superhero film has managed to do.

Joker functions as a horror film. A sublime, and powerful horror film. And that’s one of the reasons it’s worth seeing.

I sat in the theater watching this morose tale of isolation, violence, disappointment and rage, and just ten minutes into the film, I realized that Todd Phillips was going to take us to the darkest places of the Joker as a character. If you are not familiar with films like Scorsese’s Taxi Driver or John McNaughton’s 1990 film Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, I would suggest streaming them as soon as you can. I also think you should watch season 1 of Mindhunter, and in particular, pay attention to how carefully the evil of real-life serial killer Ed Kemper is told in the Netflix series. It can provide a powerful base of material in which you can appreciate a movie like Joker on its terms as a horror thriller. 

The film has an incredible look, thanks to cinematographer Lawrence Sher. The audio editing delivers chills and also emotional anguish. Every time we hear Arthur’s awkward laugh, we are teetering on the edge of absolute awkwardness, and something else: the agony of being human.

Throughout Joker, Phillips pays homage more than once to Brian DePalma, who also earned his share of controversies throughout his career for creating films that disturbed and left viewers feeling bruised (or offended) after viewing. One of the most notable of these films is Carrie, and it’s no surprise to see references in this film to the very same state of isolation and pathos that is shared by both Carrie White and Arthur Fleck. 

Let me also clear something up. Despite what you may have read in other reviews or on social media, this film is not Scorsese light. Although it does have a few nods to Scorsese’s The King of Comedy and Taxi Driver, Joker is unmistakably post-modern, and a film of the 21st century. It’s also a narrative that functions on its own. This is a movie that’s highly self aware about superhero and comic tropes, and it’s no imitation of former films. I love Scorsese’s movies, and he’s a master of his craft. But Joker has to be watched on its own terms.

Spoilers Ahead

Phillips’ version of the Joker presents us with Arthur Fleck, a comedian suffering from mental illness (which he is aware of), who is struggling to make ends meet while taking care of his mother and putting on his comedy act in a a Gotham that has oppressed the middle and lower classes and become a type of living nightmare. Arthur’s luck goes from bad to worse, as he’s fired from jobs for inappropriate and violent behavior. He dreams simply of being seen, which is heartbreaking to watch. From the very early scenes in the movie we see this line in his diary, and throughout the movie, he is ignored, belittled, and yes, made invisible by co-workers, teens in the street, his boss, and even his own mother. Arthur also learns that he may be the son of Thomas Wayne, millionaire and father to future rubber fetishist Bruce Wayne. Thomas Wayne is portrayed as a Trump figure in this film, promising salvation, but in the end being only interested in his own personal gain.

The violence in this movie builds, and when it arrives, it’s brutal, and set off in a chain reaction. Much criticism has arisen from this loner sensibility as the movie has released. Many critics and social media accounts have suggested that this film only encourages angry loner types to commit angry acts of gun violence, like the ones we see every week in the United States. But I never got this impression from the film. The film is describing a state of mind, not advocating for the behaviors that result from it. Trust me, there’s far more violent TV shows and movies available on Netflix and cinema today that glorify violence by making it cartoony and fun. And yes, one of the franchises that is most guilty of this is the MCU. Once the Avengers films began to release, I was shocked at how easily they brushed off the consequences of killing thousands of people and not addressing the real consequences of those crimes. 

In Joker, I felt like every death in the film left me with an emotional impact, and that’s one of its strengths. As Arthur Fleck becomes more unhinged, I was reminded of Michael Rooker’s performance in Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer. That movie was brutal, unpleasant, and also very, very watchable. I felt like in that film, I was watching a man go deeper into becoming a monster. And I feel the same way about Joker. This is a Joker that is not meant to be some type of anti-hero that we root for. Instead, he is embodied psychosis, and guess what? That pretty much encapsulates what makes the character so sinister and great in the source material of comic books. The psychotic and cruel Joker of Alan Moore’s Killing Joke is here in a new form, played with a very strange vulnerability, and Joaquin Phoenix has managed to bring something fresh to the role while also staying true to the roots of the comics.

Joker is a really important film for this particular decade we are living in, because it’s trying to point out two very important ideas. One is that the capitalist system is literally eating our planet, and our society alive. In the film we see many citizens reading a newspaper headline that says suggests “Kill the Rich” is a whole new movement. This points out the struggles we are living through. Here in the United States, there is a squeeze of the middle class that has been happening for decades. But more than half of the planet lives in dire poverty, exploited by the upper echelons of society, which includes those of us in the middle class. As an allegory, Joker works in delivering this idea. Secondly, this film takes a stab at deconstructing superheroes, and suggests to us that our obsession with celebrity and the archetype of superheroes may possibly be our own demise. There isn’t a single instance of Batman in this movie, other than Bruce Wayne when he’s a boy. And I was glad to see that. This Joker felt tangible, real, and less of a purple-suited icon that can be slapped on a McDonald’s happy meal. This makes me hopeful for the future. You know that I love my traditional superhero stories, too. There’s nothing wrong with them. But we have a glut of those stories. It’s sometimes just overload. Todd Phillips took some new chances with Joker, and it pays off. He’s carving out a new type of superhero story in a way that is similar to the comic book (and Amazon series) The Boys. All I hope is that producer never, ever make a sequel to this film. It’s fine as a standalone, and I don’t need to see Batman intervene in the future. Enough has been said through Joaquin Phoenix’s performance. 

A Touch of Queerness

This film is definitely not what I would call a queer film, and yet, the scenes where Arthur Fleck discovers his true inner self while wearing the clown makeup are sublime. When Arthur is in his Joker drag, his body language changes, he veers into a very femme type of performance, elegant as the neck of a swan, and absolutely steeped in his own bliss. Many drag queens have spoken and written in the past about their experiences in drag, and how their drag persona helps them reveal a person they feel really exists inside them. For full disclosure, I also performed in drag about 15 years ago for the Neo Futurists in Chicago, and I can attest that my persona and body language changed when I had the clothes and the makeup on. I felt this dynamic watching Joaquin Phoenix’s body literally transform when he was finally accessing his very dangerous inner self as the Joker.

Superhero Fetish Elements?

Unfortunately, I can’t say that this film has any superhero fetish elements that I can speak to. Because Todd Phillips thankfully stayed away from tights and capes in his version of Gotham, we are left with a costume design aesthetic that more closely resembles early 1980’s New York. Denim and polyester suits rule, and wool suits create a worn-out, almost dusty look to the costuming. Because the film is also a horror film, there’s not much emphasis on sexuality, other than Arthur Fleck’s fantasies of romancing his neighbor. Surely, this Joker has a very dangerous and unexplored sexuality, but I didn’t feel that this was a focus for coded arousal of the audience. If you want a sexier joker, I suggest you check out Heath Ledger’s scene in The Dark Knight where he’s in drag as a nurse. That to me was way more fetish-oriented, and in comparison, actually kind of playful and fun.

My Recommendation

This film is perfect for film lovers. You should expect shock, awe, and perhaps even a sense of metaphorical nausea when watching this film. If you are averse to violence, gore and psychological discomfort, sit this one out. It’s definitely worth seeing it on the big screen for its great cinematography and sound editing. This ain’t no Infinity War. And thankfully so.

Q&A: Eye of the Cyclone, godfather of superhero and spandex fetish

Welcome to our Q&A with Eye of the Cyclone, one of the Internet’s longest-running superhero fetish sites.  The Eye of the Cyclone was generating stories and images of superhero, wrestling and spandex fetish from basically the very beginning of the explosion of the world-wide web. Nowadays, the ubiquity of superhero fetish images on sites like Tumblr, Instagram and YouTube mean that it’s a lot easier for superhero fetishists to find community, but EOTC was there first, and for many kinksters, it was one of the first sites that took the fetish seriously. Today we sit down with its creator Neil Page and ask him a few questions. We’ll find out why the site has endured so long, how he selects such hot models, and his predictions about the future of this fetish and community.

Q: Neil, How did you start Eye of the Cyclone? What year was that?

A: The format of the site in its present form started around 2005. Before that, it was still called Eye of the Cyclone, but it was more of a scrapbook of images I had photographed and sourced starting in 1998.

Q: What difficulties did you run into in the early years?

A: When I first started it was difficult finding costumes readily available to use in the stories. So I got used to using base dance unitards and customising them myself, slowly creating my own stable of characters.

Q: Did you have a moment in the site’s history when it started to pick up steam and become more popular? What was the cause for that surge?

A: There was never one time I experienced that. The site slowly gained momentum, hopefully due to more superhero live action images and movies being accepted, and not as a novelty or joke factor.

Q: How do you define superhero fetish for yourself?

A:  I have always had a thing for comic book superheroes from a very young age. I knew I saw something different in that other people didn’t. The sight of an anatomically correct fit man in skintight suits got me excited in ways I didn’t understand at the time. Along with my wrestling fetish, I also was inspired and stimulated by the elements of good guy vs. bad guy and a battle in hot tight gear.

Q: What’s the purpose of Eye of the Cyclone?

A: The original purpose was to bring to superheroes into a live action format. Keep in mind that when I first started in around 1998, there were not many images of this kind around, either in the media of web. When Eye of the Cyclone was a free homepage on AOL, the aim was to share my view of my superhero and wrestling fetish. I wanted to see if any other people out there “got it”. Hence the name Eye of the Cyclone (Cyclone was a name I took on as a name in the gay wrestling world). It’s wasn’t until 2005 that I decided to take it to a professional level with the members sections and making it a paid site.

Q: Your site is different than others, because you actually make comic book panels and focus on the fetish aspect of the superheroes and villains. Can you talk a little bit more about that?

A. I always thought the panel and frame-by-frame images were essential for a superhero comic book. I was intrigued on making this live action stills via photography. I have been asked why I don’t do more video, even though I do small video clips. I feel the strength of the site is its photo comic book format. I still try to keep the characters and storylines as interesting, horny and also with humour as much as I can. The essence of a good superhero showdown with the clean cut hero in danger of being defeated and corrupted by and evil and perverted villain.

Q: Are there requests for stories or fetishes that you’ve had to turn down?

A. I love getting requests or suggestions for the site. Many of those I try and include on upcoming photoshoots. I steer clear from extreme fetish requests. That does not have any place in the superhero fetish.

Q: How do you find your models?

A.I used to use a lot of people I met through the gay wrestling world. These days I hire many models from various sources online.

Q: You feature many body types, from lean and athletic to bodybuilder-like, stocky and muscle bear-ish. Can you talk about why?

A: From publishing the site online for many years, I have had many requests for all types of superheroes, from young agile spiderman types to more mature beefy hulks. I try and incorporate as many different types as possible. When I hire a model for a shoot I usually tailor make the hero to suit his build and type.

Q: You used to produce DVDs. Why did you stop? Will you do more video work in the future?

A: I produced on DVD in the past called “Divide and Conquer” the trailer is still around on my youtube channel. The reason why I didn’t follow these up with more, even though we did have a sequel planned, was down to the lack of time and resources to do so. Because the site is updated every week, I didn’t want the main focus, the site, to suffer from this. You never know -- in the future we might get to produce another video, It was great fun to do and an extreme learning curve.

Q: Do you attend events in the UK for superhero fetish? What is the scene like over there?

A: There are no Superhero Fetish events over hero in the UK. I do attend gear fetish events that sometime do have a superhero gear element to them, I always try to gear up as much as possible. The gear fetish scene is building and diversifying from the main ones of leather and rubber, which can only be good news.

Q: What’s been your most popular storyline on EOTC?

A: There have been many stories had their popularity during their published dates. But one that seems to remain a  favourite was the introduction of Supersonic and his battle with the Xtractor.

Q: What predictions can you make about the future of superhero fetish as a recognized kink?

A: I can only hope and wish it grows and is more recognised from new guys on the scene along with experience fetish guys. There is definitely is more of a crossover happening with the guys who are into bondage that now recognise the superhero-in-trouble aspect, long may it grow. Let’s face it -- we all need a superhero in our lives!  

You can find Eye of the Cyclone at eyeofthecyclone.com. They offer free previews and offer paid memberships. You can also find EOTC on Facebook and Twitter.

Spandex, Tights and Cosplay: Superhero-Fetish Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Ever since I began to write and publish my book series How to Kill a Superhero, many people of all walks of life have come to me with their stories. In many cases, those superhero fetish lovers thank me for taking the fetish seriously enough to create a book series, and they are grateful that community is building up, thanks to the Superhero Fetish Meetups I organize. At the same time, I get so many questions from people are curious but don’t know what it’s all about. I love answering these questions. After answering literally hundreds of emails, Tumblr messages and other social media DMs about the fetish that I thought I would put together an FAQ that can evolve organically over time to initiate people into this world of spandex, tights, boots and archetypes of strength and power exchange. I do take it seriously, even when I am being tongue in cheek. Let’s open up the doors of superhero fetish. All are welcome. -- Author Pablo Greene

The Essentials of Superhero Fetish

So what is superhero fetish?

Superhero fetish is the sexual and erotic attraction to characters and archetypes derived from superheroes in comic books. The fetish also extends to superheroes seen in TV, film, animated cartoons and even video games. People with this fetish may be aroused by the characters, their costumes, their physiques (which have classically been drawn as incredibly athletic and erotic since the early days of comics). Some superhero fetishists also enjoy the power-exchange dynamics of superheroes. In many storylines, superheroes are captured and bound by villains in their battle against crime and wrongdoers, and many people into the fetish have extended their attraction to superheroes and villains into the realm of BDSM and kink. The generalizations above are only generalizations; superhero fetish is very individual to each person, but some patterns do emerge, and those are highlighted in this FAQ.

I didn’t know that people want to dress up as superheroes in an erotic way. Why do they do it?

The reasons people want to dress up in the superhero costumes or “cosplay” are also very individual. For the average person, cosplaying is a very fun activity that they can do at Halloween, cons (like NY Comic Con), or even 5ks and marathons. But for those who have a superhero fetish, the costumes themselves provide a level of erotic stimulation that is very similar to people who fetishize high heels, cop uniforms, women’s lingerie, leathermen uniforms, or business suits. In the case of superhero fetish, the costumes that original artists in the early 20th century drew were inspired often by the tight wool costumes worn by circus strongmen and other athletes. These body hugging articles of clothing showed off all the musculature and erotic appeal of genital areas using bright colors and iconic accessories such as boots, bracelets, capes and belts. As the 20th and 21st century media (especially film and TV) gave us real actors playing the roles of superheroes and villains, costume designers experimented with many new materials that mimicked the costumes from the comics. In those decades, we have seen superhero costume designs explore nylon, spandex and lycra, satin, leather, latex, PVC and even armor and CGI skin (especially in the past twenty years with the rise of more realistic superhero film adaptations). For those who have this fetish, there can be pleasure in dressing up in this gear, but also immense pleasure in seeing other people wear the gear in the flesh. In a sense, wearing superhero gear in a sexual situation is no different than wearing a sexy pair of underwear or lingerie. It enhances the senses, and it also gives a strong suggestion of the nudity underneath. Of course, many superhero costumes are full bodied, and many fetishists enjoy the feeling of full coverage in materials like lycra, rubber, leather. Good examples of these looks can be seen in iconic heroes like Batman, Superman and Spiderman’s classic costumes.

Isn’t it sort of childish to want to play dress up and do roleplay as heroes and villains?

As many sex researchers and writers have noted, foreplay and a lot of aspects of sex depend on mental stimulation in order to arouse the sexual experience. Each person’s fetishes and kinks are individual, and being accepting of other people’s wants and needs can foster a world where people flourish sexually. Therefore, anyone can say that dressing up as Batman and the Riddler is childish, but I would strongly disagree here. The stories that writers and artists crafted in the comic book form in the course of more than a century tap into some of the most vital passions of the human race: power, strength, moral dilemmas, betrayals and also transformation and rebirth. Therefore, to roleplay as a superhero can only help human beings go deeper into these passions, and I believe that it can also help us learn more about ourselves.

A lot of the images of superhero fetish I see on sites like Tumblr involve superheroes in bondage being tortured. Do all superhero fetish people like getting tied up?

This is a misconception about superhero fetish that is worth taking apart. For many people the fetish is just about the characters and their incredibly tight costumes (and often their superpowers too). In fact, many superhero fetishists I have met over the years on the Internet and in person only fetishize those aspects. Their ideal scene is one in which people dress up in the costumes and enjoy touching each other, and maybe end up in a sexual situation. However, there is an additional subset of superhero fetishists who are strongly engaged in the power exchange of the superhero stories. In other words, they get a hardon or they get wet when they see a superhero captured, bound and gagged, and humiliated by a villain. Many fetishists also get turned on by superheroes being hypnotized or being forced to transform. These scenarios tap into aspects of BDSM and power exchange. We get aroused by these fantasies. In the real world, many superhero fetishists set up scenes where mutual consent is set and limits are negotiated, and as a result, they can tie up, gag, gut punch and crush a superhero (or villain), fully engaging with the fetish in a sadomasochistic way. But this is very individual, and it’s better not to make assumptions about people who identify as superhero fetishists. When in doubt, simply ask how their fetish manifests for them individually.

When did this fetish start?

The fetish as a cultural phenomenon could be said to start in the 20th century with the rise of comic books. It’s in this century when the superhero and supervillain figures rise and become a dominant aspect of global culture. Though LGBT and sexual community visibility was so low it was virtually invisible, it’s fair to assume many people in the 20th century developed the fetish for themselves and may have had encounters and fantasies triggered by the pages of the comic books. It’s also likely that many of the writers and artists themselves had a fetish for the very archetypes they were writing about, making the bulges and muscles, as well as the scenes of power exchange in the stories, a  potent brew for themselves, but also for their readers. But as the 60s brought on a sexual revolution, all sorts of marginalized communities began to find a political voice and clear public identity. In my estimation, the internet triggered many superhero fetishists to come out of that fetish closet. For the first time, people with the same erotic urges for superheroes could find each other, share images that aroused them, and even meet in person to live out those fantasies.

However, as a novelist and fiction writer, I believe that it’s mythology that gave us our first superhero fetish. In particular, Greek mythology is probably responsible for our erotic attraction to gods and demigods whose perfectly sculpted bodies played out stories of betrayal, war, rage, and very importantly, many kinds of sex. Other mythologies, including Norse, Celtic, Maya, Aztec, and other mythologies around the world also are responsible for positing the idea of superbeings (aka Gods) who have sexually interesting and arousing phsyiques and powers, and who fall prey to their own lusts, jealousies, joys and fears. Just like heroes in the pantheons of Marvel and DC fall prey to their lusts, jealousies, joys and fears today.

Getting Started with Superhero Fetish

To get started, I recommend using the Internet to find others with this fetish. Some sites that tend to be open to superhero fetish are Recon, Spandex Party, Scruff, Fetlife. If you’re interested in trying on some superhero gear, I also curate a list of Superhero-Friendly Cosplay Vendors. You can also ask me on Twitter at @pablogreene or snapchat at killsuperhero.

Superhero Fetish Community and Resources

What is the Superhero Fetish Meetup?

I organize the Superhero Fetish Meetup at various events, including NY Comic Con, Mid-Atlantic Leather and International Mr. Leather. It’s a way for me to bring superhero fetishists together in a safe space and for people to meet each other. When people come to the meetups, they show up in full cosplay, and they are fun as all hell. There are two ways to get details on upcoming meetups: you can join my newsletter or you can also join the Superhero Fetish Meetup Facebook group I created for this. My meetups skew more toward the BDSM and kink side of superhero fetish, but we welcome everyone. All body types and genders are welcome, and you don’t have to wear fancy cosplay either. I like for these to be as open as possible.

Got more questions for the superhero fetish FAQ? Send us your questions at au@howtokillasuperhero.net and we’ll post the answer here.

Classic Superhero Fetish: Eye of the Cyclone’s Dynolad in 'Power Drain'

First let me say how I found Eye of the Cyclone and how it changed my life. It was the spring of 2010, and I was hanging out on the fetish site spandexguys.com. I had been looking for something new, something fresh, something more suited to me. I was twenty-four years old at the time and suffering from depression. As a result, I was having trouble finding outlets for my fetish. Nothing gave me pleasure, nothing made me happy, and everything was boring.

One day, I saw an ad for a gay superhero comic website called Eye of the Cyclone. I clicked through and landed on it. And it was exactly what I wanted. The previews were perfect and everything I had imagined: hot men in skintight superhero suits ready for action. Villains captured them and put the studs on display,  and then ripped their super suits right off their bodies. On occasion, they would wrestle, pro-style. The wrestling maybe wasn’t interesting to me, but the superheroes were the figures of my dreams.

I had never paid for a site membership before and nervously put in my payment info. That week I had started my summer job, and when I had free time, I spent every hour I could on the site. Back then, my internet connection was dial-up, so it was really slow. It came to me at a rough time in life, and it came to me at the perfect time. All summer long, Eye of the Cyclone was my refuge.

I got to know the characters well. My top five are the original Flex, Supersonic, The Falcon and The Interceptor and the new Power Pecs. Out of my love for superhero fetish and the desire to walk down memory lane, I plan to relive and review some of my favorite past stories from EOTC  by writing about some of my most beloved stories on the site.

Today I want to go back in time to one of the most classic stories on EOTC: The first story I read after getting my membership, featuring Dynolad in Power Drain. Dynolad a superhero born from a freak cycling accident can now harness and contain electric power.

The episode begins with a nude Dynolad, who also goes by the alter ego Rick Adams, regenerating his electrical power within a special chamber. Before he is at full capacity, he is called to duty as the evil Cobra (a favorite villain of mine) begins draining Central City’s power. Most of the action of EOTC takes place in Central City, a hub for supermales. I kinda wanna move there.

The nude hero generates his suit out of thin air and the rest of part one consists of Dynolad dressing himself. This kind of disrobing happens often in EOTC stories. I will never complain about this.

The next six parts involve Dynolad attempting to stop Cobra’s plan both by defeating the machine Cobra has set up to drain the city and by facing Cobra himself. I won’t give spoilers, but will say that we see Dynolad a few more times in other EOTC adventures. For my first outing with EOTC I was quick to learn not to hold onto favorite models or characters too close (especially favorite models), as our good guys tend to see their ends at the conclusion of the story; not always but usually. It brings up an idea that is valued and eroticized in superhero fetish: the defeat of the hero. Much in the same way we love to see a Hollywood star fall or flawed sports hero fail, we like to see good guys stumble. From a narrative standpoint it makes them human, but from a sexual standpoint, I think it makes them more passive and submissive. Someone so strong and powerful is suddenly at the will of others. I could never take on a hero physically or sexually, but at his weakest… Be it bondage or just general loss, even loss of life, to see the hero in failure, is kind of a turn on. Moreover, seeing their once pristine super suits torn to rags and their muscular bodies weakened is the stuff of pure fetish.

One of the reasons I love Dynolad is that he looks like a english professor I had back in university who I had a major crush on at the time. I ran into him outside of class twice and got all flustered talking to him. I was such a shy dork. But he still remembers me, clearly as well, years later. Another thing I like about Dynolad is that he doesn’t wear a mask. I like it when I can see a superhero’s face, at least some of it. That said, many fans have argued that the good guy needs to win, especially since this is a common trope in the superhero genre. We also like underdogs and heroes fighting for the little guys. These men have powers and use them for good– so why should, or how could they fail? In the case of Dynolad (spoiler alert) it is sacrifice that is his downfall; Dynolad uses his power to conduct electricty to overpower the Cobra’s machine, dying in the process… or so we think. This allows for an interesting second chapter.

Seeing Dynolad’s fit body defeated, his suit torn, is a giant turn on. He’s even strapped to the Cobra’s electricity draining machine, which creates a bondage situation as well. Being bound in spandex and then further bound to a machine is one of my biggest fantasies. Having a spandex clad villain doing this to me is erotic as well; spandex men doing bad things to other spandex clad men until one of them is defeated allows for erotica. Finally the fantasy has come true: the spandex heroes and villains of the comics have come to life. Dynolad makes a great introduction to the world of EOTC and will always be a favorite of mine.

Who is this comic for?

• Fans of spandex and lycra
• Comic fans
• Wrestling aficionados
• Submission fetishists

Duration: Seven chapters make up this story, however length varies. Most are are longer.

• There are hardly any clips on the site. Most stories are photo comics using models in costume.

Cost: 8.90 UKP/ month or 19.60 UKP/3 months

Final word: Recommended

20 Iconic Images of Superhero Fetish

Introduction

Superhero fetish goes way back to the origins of comic books, and these 20 images we curated show just how provocative superhero art and images can be. We took an art history approach to making our brand new gallery. Take a trip with us from the early 20th century through the present, and get ready to sweat under your collar.

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George Reeves in The Adventures of Superman (1952-1958)

Possibly the first live-action superhero, Reeves' turn as Superman was one of the first television images of a superhero on screen beginning in 1952. Although the costumes may look to us in 2015 as too basic wool (especially evident in Ben Affleck's turn as Reeves in the film Hollywoodland (2006)), Reeves nevertheless shows that real muscle provides the basis for any hero. In Hollywoodland  he also portrays the good-natured Boy Scout from the comics and later with the Christopher Reeve films. He’s a far cry from Zack Snyder’s interpretation. The costume may not be the sexiest, but something had to come first and bring our dreams to life.

Adam West and Burt Ward in Batman  (1966-1968) (ABC)

These two played the dynamic duo. In hindsight, and as someone who never saw the series or the film that spun off from it until well into my 20s, I’m 28 now, it is difficult to sexualize the images. That said, the images are quite homoerotic and moreover, the bondage level in this series is quite high. It seems like they get tied up every second episode. The muscles may not have been there (both were quite lean) but the bondage is.

Christopher Reeve in the Superman films (1978-1987) (Warner Brothers)

In 1978 the first Superman film came out; thus the superhero film genre began. I wasn't even born when the first three films came out, so in hindsight the costume feels dated, much like George Reeves’s does. That said, like George, Christopher was all muscle under the suit – no padding –  and the costume was spandex, or at least looked it. Here we see the fantasy of the comic book superhero costume really coming to life. The tag line for the film was "Believe a man can fly", but I think for guys with a superhero fetish, it was also "Believe in the fantasy" or "Believe in the dream". Superman was real, in color, and in many ways more palpable than George Reeve. Christopher Reeve was real.

Val Kilmer in Batman Forever (1995) (Warner Brothers)

I feel kinda bad snubbing Michael Keaton from this list after he was snubbed by the Academy, but I just saw Batman Forever and its real main star: Val Kilmer’s lips. My friend told me for years to rewatch it just for the lips. As if Batman’s rubber suit weren’t the perfect combination of sexy and cool, it’s also kinky and cool. Nicole Kidman’s character alludes to this in the line “Someone’s got a fetish.” We’ve got to look at these crazy, kissable and hypnotic lips! How no one figured out Bruce Wayne and Batman were the same person with that face I’ll never know. It’s in his kiss; Robin might be fun in the bedroom, but those lips! Gotta kiss ‘em!

Dean Cain in Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (1993-1997) (ABC)

For most men, Christopher Reeves was their Superman, Dean Cain was mine. And he was perfect. A slightly different image from the one portrayed by the Reeves and in the comics, Cain entered the superhero genre in the 90, post-80’s and post-spandex. Thus the suit he wears is shinny, tight and sexy as hell. Those three factors rank very high for those with a spandex, nylon and superhero fetish. Win.  Cain was all man under that suit, and it showed every week. Moreover, the focus the series had on Clark's relationship with Lois humanized Superman giving us a glimpse into both side of the sexy hero.

Chris O'Donnell in Batman & Robin (1997) (Warner Brothers)

I remember first seeing this rubberized suit and thinking about how cool it was. In hindsight I think Chris O'Donnell's body also had an effect on me as he's kinda my type, but the suit does something different from what Batman's suit does. The muscles, the colour and the fact we see more of his head and his hair (I loved his hair, still do) – his youth even – all combine to make a super sexy image. Going back to the previous movie, his entrance in Batman Forever (1995) features a giant bulge, which makes it even more pornographic but also more homoerotic.

Tobey Maguire in the Spider-Man films (2002-2007) (Columbia/Sony)

As a teenager this image hit me in two ways. First off, it was the physical realization of my childhood; Spider-Man, my favourite character had come to life. Secondly, this was an amazing costume. The Andrew Garfield version from the latest two films  does not hold a candle to this suit. This original under the Sam Raimi regime is flawless, perfect, seamless. There is little to nothing wrong with it; the suit looks like it stepped out of the comics or the cartoon series I used to watch. It seemed real and was exactly what all the fans wanted. Plus Maguire fills out the suit very well. Likely the most perfect costume in the genre.

Ben Affleck in Daredevil (2003) (20th Century Fox)

Until Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice comes out, this is Ben Affleck’s addition to the cannon. I could have added new images of the Netflix series or Ben as George Reeves but Daredevil, while a flawed film, made an important contribution in superhero fetish: Leather. For better or worse, this is when we saw the advent of leather as the substitute for spandex. Yes, it took spandex out of the mix for heroes and now they wear the implausible leather suit. But for me, seeing Ben (my sister is a Matt Damon girl, I’m a Ben Affleck boy) in head-to-toe leather, was eye-opening to me. And it was really hot. Many fans complained about the look of the suit but to me, it gets my engine running!

Chris Evans in Fantastic Four films (2005-2007) (20th Century Fox)

I could do a whole post here because this is possibly my favorite suit on the list. Maguire's Spidey was perfect, but this, THIS… Chris Evans was probably twenty-three when he made this movie; twenty-four when it came out. He’s aged greatly (if you call thirty four old) but he was just a baby when he did Fantastic Four. Young and fit, Evans was the epitome of the perfect, young male jock. Pour that into a spandex bodysuit and you’ve got the sexiest thing ever. And I can’t get over his hair either. His body, junk and ass are on full display and the movie makes no qualms about hiding it: Evans is on full display and looks amazing in every shot. This isn't the best picture but it is my favourite image from both films; he looks so relaxed and comfortable but also cocky and slutty as the same time. The boots, his legs, the fact his legs are spread... yum!

Alan Ritchson in Smallville (2001-2011) (WB Network)

I’m saying it right off the bat: this is my Aquaman. For me the fact a network television show stuck a man in such bright green tights and made it cool, makes it a giant highlight for me. Ritchson rocked those tights, he wore them when they easily could have worn him. He make spandex cool. In another episode he even wore a wetsuit (another fetish of mine).  This is what Aquaman should be. Furthermore, the shoes are sick; I’m looking to get a pair for myself with both cosplay and just general wear. I think those bad boys would look great in the summer. Plus Ritchson is smokin’ hot!

Brandon Routh in Superman Returns (2007) (Warner Brothers)

The costume harkens back to the days of Christopher Reeves; the designers just modernized it. But the image shown here is why it means so much to those with a superhero fetish. Tricked into coming to an island made of krypton, Superman is weakened and unable to fight off Luther or his men. Seeing out hero completely submissive is a huge, HUGE turn on. They drag him through the dirt, beat him in his suit… this is possibly the first time we see the fetish, in its essence, come alive on the big screen in all its savage glory.

Robert Downey Jr. in the IRON MAN films (2008- ) (Paramount/Marvel Films)

The suits are not the reason he’s on the list. It is what is under the suit. And I don’t mean Tony. I mean what Tony puts on before putting on his Iron Man suit. We get brief glimpses in the first film; it caught my interest. It was either spandex or neoprene and both were materials I was familiar with. By the third film he was wearing compression shirts and although we don’t see it I assume compression tights under. Maybe not the hottest on the list, but hot to know that under all that armour, Tony wears spandex.

Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark

I know, I know this is a musical, not a film. Yet the image is burned into my mind. An army of hot, unmasked Spider-Men ready for action. There are many out there, and all of them are hot. Each man looks different beneath the mask and they all look a little different in their respected suit, but as a unified whole, delicious.

Ryan Reynolds in Green Lantern (2011) (Warner Brothers)

Ryan makes it on the list twice from the same film, but for different reasons. People hated Green Lantern, but I actually don’t mind it. For one major reason: Ryan Reynolds seems like an awesome guy. Yes I want to go for beers with him and I know he’d have my back in a fight but he also would be fun to take home to bed. For the first entry we have an image that is pretty much porn, and for me at least, the fantasy I’ve had for as long as I can remember. A guy in his underwear is on a table (in this case he’s floating) waiting to become the hero. The immobilized male is a huge fantasy and here it is on the big screen. We don’t see the immobilized hero enough in cinema, to see this strong, active male so passive, completely unable to move, takes all his power and give it to us, the viewer. But the main reason this image is sexy? Ryan is in his tighty whities!

Ryan Reynolds in Green Lantern  (2011) (Warner Brothers)

Okay, okay, the suit isn’t great. The mask is awful. The choice to make a fully digital suit just backfired. It looks fake, does not look as cool as it should, and it’s just plainly tacky. A lot of the fan art was way better. Filming Ryan in a motion capture suit – that works! Therefore, the idea that a man could awake to have a second skin… a sexy one at that, is so hot. That kind of image is like candy to those with a superhero fetish. The scene featured here is also a great one: funny, but also a turn on that he’s transforming in front of his friend (why can’t I have a friend like Hal?) and frankly once he’s in the suit he’s totally showing off his amazing body, putting it all on display, but also the absolut joy he expels after the transformation is intoxicating. Can’t wait till the Green Lantern corp calls me up and give me a suit of my own. The fantasy of having a spandex second skin has always been a dream. To awake in a Green Lantern suit… can’t wait!

Chris Evans in The Avengers (2012) (Marvel Films)

Yeah. I’ve got a crush. Like a big one. It’s a little much but I don’t care. He’s perfect. It is a hard choice to limit myself to one of the three modern Cap suits. The Winter Soldier suit and the new Avengers suit each bring their own to the table. Yet the classic Avengers suit is not only the closest we’ll get to seeing Captain America in spandex, but even though it isn’t it looks perfect! The colour, the boots, the chest, the hood that he so casually takes off, the shirt he wears under the whole thing, the fact that his body is a perfect upside down triangle and each costume shows off his big chest, slim waist and beautiful ass. Many fans have written and spoken about how Coulson was to be our position within the Avengers team, an outsider and a fan. Coulson is such a fanboy to Cap, he totally has a crush on him. Coulson even helped design the suit. Well done agent, well done.

Man of Steel (2013) Behind the Scenes DVD Featurettes (Warner Brothers)

I could post a lot of pics of Henry Cavill as Superman because I honestly prefer his suit over the classic one. I could also post a lot of images of Michael Shannon from Man of Steel, because for a man not known for being a heartthrob, he looks great in this movie. I could also post a lot of images from the movie featuring the two of them because again, going against the norm, I liked the look of the film. Yet you want some real porn? Look up the behind the scenes photos of these two. The fact they are just in bodysuits without capes helps, and the view of Superman’s foot is a turn on for me. Sure this isn’t a screenshot from a superhero porn flick? These two need to get a room.

Michael Fassbender in X-Men: Days of Future Past (20th Century Fox)

The X-Men films have always used leather (instead of the traditional spandex from the original comics), and it worked. Several films into the franchise, we finally saw some spandex in Days of Future Past. And damn, Fassbender’s got some arms. Look at those biceps! The thirst is real, because not only is he a great actor, but he has arms. Arms in spandex.

Grant Gustin in The Flash (2014- ) (The CW)

People really hated on the super suit from TV’s The Flash when it came out. For me it was the leather design. You can’t run in leather. The Flash’s team explained why the suit has that look in the series. The suit grew on me over time, partly because Grant Gustin is so charismatic. Yet it also helps that The Flash seems to get beaten down by the villain of the week every week. The suit may not get destroyed, but he is in peril and looks awesome doing it. And if you’re into superhero fetish, you know that a hero in peril is hot as fuck.

Aaron Taylor-Johnson as in Age of Ultron (2015) (Marvel Films)

I know Age of Ultron isn’t out yet, so I’m just using an photo from the set; Honestly, I hope they do something with the shoes because they are awful in my shoe fetish opinion; I need something slick, something that mixes material, colour and cut in the perfect combination that I get hard the moment I see them. That said, to draw from activewear, sportswear, both areas where there is a large fetish following (myself included) I’m really impressed with the costume designers for Quicksilver's look in AOU. The pants could be tights; really wish they were, but the top is perfection.