Introduction to Meta-human Crime Fighting (Open)

[Mister Druce]

"Different Heroes wear different costumes for different reasons, Jason," the teacher replied. "So I can't give you one short answer.

"Before the Citizen Crime Fighting Act was passed in 1937, Heroes wore costumes to conceal their identities. What they were doing wasn't strictly legal and they felt a need to protect themselves from potential prosecution. Even after the Act legitimized their activities, many Heroes found it prudent to continue the practice. If criminal organizations were to learn their real names and details of their private lives, it could put their families and other loved ones at risk. This is as true now as it was then so please take that into consideration.

“Of course what happened is that colorful costumes became the standard for metahuman crime fighters. What began as a protective requirement eventually turned into the customary practice. The costumes are also useful for quickly identifying yourself as a crime fighter. If a citizen sees a man or woman in a cape and mask, they know immediately that something serious and potentially dangerous is about to go down.

“Over the last thirty years or so, this custom has become less prevalent. More and more heroes are forgoing traditional costumes in favor of practical combat garb or even street clothes. There are benefits as well as drawbacks to this. The FBSA has no official policy on the matter.

“Are there other reasons why Heroes continue to wear costumes? Of course there are. As many reasons as there are costumed Heroes. Concealment of identity. Sense of tradition. Personal pride. Vanity. Attention seeking. Marketing ploy. Spandex fetish. You name it. It’s up to the individual and what they wear is their own choice.”