Papier-m'ché isn't very threatening... Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most lackluster, disappointing, and downright cringiest superhero masks to be featured on the big screen.
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00:00Why is your skin green? Why are you glowing? What the hell is with that mask?
00:05Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most lackluster, disappointing,
00:09and downright cringey superhero masks to be featured on the big screen.
00:13Gotham Observatory, Bane. And step on it.
00:20Number 10. Night Owl 2, Watchmen
00:23Zack Snyder's adaptation of the beloved Watchmen graphic novel aimed to bring gritty realism to its heroes.
00:28And while most of the costumes hit their mark, the second incarnation of Night Owl stuck out like a sore thumb.
00:33You think catching him matters? Justice matters.
00:36Yes, it's basically a Batman rip-off, emphasizing a brutish appearance.
00:46This despite the character being known for his technical ability, not his strength.
00:50Sadly, Night Owl 2's mask was simply uninspired, resulting in just more squishy-looking superhero headgear.
00:55Right.
00:59We get that the original wasn't exactly the epitome of cool, but it at least fit the character by, you know, resembling an owl and not a bat.
01:14Number 9. Doctor Doom, Fantastic Four
01:17Doctor Doom is one of Marvel's most iconic villains, but you wouldn't know it from his silver screen appearances.
01:222005's Fantastic Four certainly didn't do him justice.
01:25Call me Doom.
01:27The mask that actor Julian McMahon donned came across as nothing more than a cheap piece of metal with holes.
01:40To say it failed to convey Doom's menacing presence would be a major understatement.
01:44Let's just say it was less Master of Latveria and more Metal Mannequin with Attitude.
01:49And with 2015's Fantastic also majorly dropping the ball in Doom's design,
01:54fans continue to be left longing for a look worthy of Victor Von Doom's grandeur.
01:58Number 8. The Spider-Women, Madame Web
02:01When talking about superhero films that failed on nearly every level, Madame Web will always be in the conversation.
02:06How's your eyesight?
02:08I can see better than I ever have.
02:10Along with ridiculed acting and abysmal writing, you can add underwhelming costumes to the mix, including the low-effort mask designs.
02:16And while the Spider-Women only spend a few minutes on screen in their hero costumes, it's more than enough time to see how unexciting they are.
02:23For one, the masks, or lack thereof, certainly won't do their secret identities any favors.
02:27Masks have always been significant to Spider-Man and his adjacent characters.
02:31Unfortunately, nobody seemed to tell that to the filmmakers of Madame Web.
02:35Number 7. The Spirit, The Spirit
02:37On the heels of Sin City and 300, Frank Miller's The Spirit tried hard for stylistic noir.
02:42She's all I really have.
02:45My only hope.
02:48My only constant.
02:51And even though critics panned the film's narrative elements, they did tip their hat to the unique visual design.
02:56Unfortunately, the titular hero's mask was excluded from that praise.
03:00That's because Denny Colt's domino mask was painfully plain.
03:03With just a pair of black strips across his eyes, they looked as though they could be peeled off by a strong gust of wind.
03:08On the practical front, they did nothing for anonymity.
03:11I'm gonna kill you all kinds of dead.
03:14I had you beat like me.
03:16And with aesthetic appeal out the window, the plain Jane mask left viewers wondering if he maybe got it from a child's craft table.
03:22Bastard.
03:24Number 6. The Phantom, The Phantom
03:27In the mid-90s, Lee Fawkes' comic strip Crime Fighter, The Phantom was given the big screen treatment with actor Billy Zane donning the character's purple attire.
03:34Twenty Phantoms came before me, but no one knew that.
03:39They all thought it was the same Phantom.
03:41In theory, this spandex ensemble should evoke mystery and jungle-savvy swagger.
03:45However, what we got resembled form-fitting pajamas topped with a smooth head covering that concealed his hair and ears.
03:50Paired with a cat mask, the open-faced headgear looked like it came from a Halloween costume store bargain bin, rather than deep within Skull Cave.
03:57Yep, the page-to-screen adaptation squandered the fierce look befitting the ghost who walks.
04:06Number 5. Steel, Steel
04:08I ain't got no problem.
04:15Oh, yes you do.
04:17They say that John Henry Iron's steel is DC's answer to Marvel's Iron Man.
04:21But when you compare the two heroes on the big screen, there's no contest as to who best looks the part.
04:25With basketball legend Shaq depicting the hero inspired by Superman, the character was given a bulky yet somehow flimsy-looking steel helmet mask to wear.
04:35Unfortunately, the awkward face gear just added to the medieval role-playing look of the costume.
04:39And with comic book fans already let down by the suit's lack of S-logo and cape, the non-intimidating metallic mask did nothing to make up for it.
04:49Number 4. Bane, Batman & Robin
04:51When Tom Hardy took on the role of Bat-Batty Bane in Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Rises, the character's signature mask became instantly iconic.
04:58This, thanks to all its unique intricacies.
05:00No one cared who I was till I put on the mask.
05:05Rewind 15 years prior, and the Caped Crusader's ruthless nemesis sported a comically garish mask in Batman & Robin.
05:12Complete with neon tubes and a spiked dog collar, the luchador-esque mask turned the Bat-breaking foe into a muscled-up joke.
05:24Of course, Bane wasn't the only offender, as Robin and Batgirl's masks were also criticized for their poor designs.
05:29However, considering the Bat-family's other odd costume features like butt plates and nipples, we suppose the masks could have been worse.
05:36Number 3. Catwoman, Catwoman
05:38After Michelle Pfeiffer blew everyone away with her portrayal of Catwoman in Batman Returns, audiences were cautious about Halle Berry's attempts to take on the feline anti-heroine.
05:48And, well, they were right to be.
05:49Amidst the movie's universal panning, critics came down hard on the titular character's barely-there costume.
05:54When it comes to the mask, is it just us, or does it more resemble mouse ears rather than those of a feline?
05:59It's also rather bulky when compared to the rest of the minimalist outfit.
06:09We're glad Halle Berry's career appears to have nine lives, because her Catwoman costume, including mask, surely used up a lot of them with all the ridicule.
06:18Number 2. Captain America, Captain America
06:21Long before Chris Evans donned the star-spangled suit, there was another Cap whose rubber mask became legendary, for all the wrong reasons.
06:28His early attempt at bringing the patriotic hero to the big screen decided to deliver a comic-accurate costume.
06:33Unfortunately, he came across as laughably awkward-looking.
06:36Overly rubbery, the cheap-looking mask didn't help matters.
06:48I've been waiting for this moment for a long time.
06:53The flappy wings are one thing, but if you examine it close enough, you'll see that those are actually fake ears attached to the headpiece.
06:59Yeesh.
07:00Poor Steve Rogers, this low-budget affair made Cap look embarrassingly silly, rather than the heroic leader we know him to be.
07:06What are you kidding? I'm not bailing out on Captain America. Let's go.
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07:28Number 1. Green Lantern, Green Lantern
07:36Hal Jordan has likely never been so embarrassed to wear green.
07:39With Ryan Reynolds starring as the power ring-possessing hero, the folks at Warner Bros. opted to make Green Lantern's entire suit a CGI spectacle.
07:47Ah, green!
07:51Wow. I know, right?
07:54Unfortunately for them, it became a heavily mocked eyesore, especially the mask.
07:58It all looked so odd, this thanks to some poor rendering.
08:01Why is your skin green? Why are you glowing? What the hell is with that mask?
08:05Flat and lifeless, the mask floated awkwardly on the front of Reynolds' face, defying logic and physics alike.
08:10Heck, don't take our word for how bad it is. The star himself has repeatedly poked fun at the now-infamous costume faux pas.
08:16And please don't make the super suit green. Or animated.
08:20Did we leave off a mask from a superhero film that had you crying foul?
08:24Share the cinematic atrocities in the comments below.
08:26Shocked and amazed at the wonders of neck of flesh.
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