Five for Friday: Black leather

Black leather in comics eh? Kinky. So I thought that everyone on this list would be femme fatales. How wrong I was...

FIVE FOR FRIDAY: BLACK LEATHER
In honor of Midnighter, Dominatrix and Cassie Hack showing up on shelves, we honor our five comic book favorites to sport black leather

By Brian Warmoth

Posted November 30, 2007 5:30 PM

No better visual cue exists denote a character’s fall from grace than adorning them with black leather. When Madelyne Pryor became the Goblin Queen and Sue Storm became Malice, their first courses of action were to don the wickedest looking black ensembles possible. Other heroes like Ghost Rider use its inherent badass properties for good, though. This week, Midnighter Vol 1: Killing Machine, Gene Simmons Dominatrix #4 and Hack Slash #6 all land on shelves, so we figured it appropriate to count off our five favorite comic book characters—in no particular order—to sport black leather.

5. Selene (Marvel Comics)
This ancient Black Queen from the Hellfire Club has the hair to match and mess you up if you cross her path. She’s a handy sorceress with mad mental powers who has been worshipped as a goddess on occasion. Not just anyone can pull off the Black Queen outfit and get away with it, but her case, there’s probably no one who’d tell her otherwise if she couldn’t.

4. Ghost Rider (Marvel Comics)
He’s “Easy Rider” meets hellfire and embodies every tortured heart to tear up the American highway system. Ghost Rider wins a special category of best metal ornamentation and as well as a few extra points for use of fire. Ghost Rider pulls off a classic, iconic look, and crank up the effect of his ensemble with everything that could ever make you not want to mess with a dude—an incredibly long chain, a bike kissed by hell—and did we mention he’s on fire?

3. Catwoman (DC Comics)
Selina Kyle’s head-to-toe suit with goggles is one of the best costumes ever conceived—slender and functional, but oh so intimidating. Another of the great black-leathered characters to tote a whip, she’s always embodied the perfect dynamite concoction of bad so good you just can’t help but be charmed by her mystique and panache.

2. Black Cat
Catty characters and black leather seem irrevocably intertwined in comics, and Felicia Hardy couldn’t be more content in her furry costume. Another edgy charmer, Black Cat has wrapped her paws around Peter Parker on occasion and carries two handfuls of claws you definitely don’t want in the back of your neck on a date, despite that those soft-to-the-touch bundles of white fur.

1. Black Canary
Dinah Lance’s blond hair and black leather with gloves and boots make for a knockout ensemble even uptight archer Oliver Queen can’t resist. Dinah knows how to accessorize and has vocal cords to die for. She recently had her wedding with Ollie rained on, but even a shape-shifting villain posing as her fiancé can’t ruin her commitment to fashion!


Who else wears black leather? Well DUH...bikers, of course! Not just the S&M dominatrixes! Tsk tsk. So of course Ghost Rider would be there somewhere!

I would have thought that the Black Cat would be number 1! But that's because I forgot about the fishnet stockings-wearing Black Canary...good call, Wizard. Dinah Lance is definitely number 1!