Everything you need to know about superhero capes

Background
Some say clothes make the man. Sounds like a trite phrase with very little in touch with reality. But let's say for costuming's sake the costume makes the character. Well if you follow this logic, then we can presume that the superhero's costume can tell us a lot about their powers, alignment, etc. And a big part of superhero's costumes are capes.

Capes of course have a history long before the age of superheroes. In historical clothing "cape" usually refers to an outergarment worn more for fashion, whereas a "cloak" may have slits for the arms or have a hood and are generally more for protection against the elements (for more cape vs. cloak differences). Depending on the superhero/supervillain, the cape may be purely fashion or function. Fashion-wise, they look fantastic swishing around and in the comics they give the scene dynamic energy, especially if the character is flying through the air. But many comics subsequently try to add some vague function. Batman uses his cape for gliding, and others using their capes for protection, rapier-and-cloak-style combat (a la Zorro or Count of Monte Cristo), and bamboozling their opponents. These days capes are often classed as being too clichéd, so you tend not to see them as much and they are generally more common in characters less "physical" characters, like mental-types, magic-users, and villain masterminds. Admittedly capes not all that practical, due to their tendency of getting caught on things. There's a scene in The Incredibles (2004) that explains this pretty succinctly.

But screw that! The inner child demands that a proper superhero needs a flashy, flowing cape to out-suave everyone else. So if you are considering making a cape for a superhero costume, what are your options?

Types
Traditional
Odds are, when you think of superheroes in capes the very first example that springs to mind is Superman. Truly Superman's cape outlasts many other changes to the costume through comics and movies, and it even has a backstory as the blanket he was wrapped in when he landed on earth as an infant. That's a little weird to think that Superman needs to keep his childhood security blanket around, but I guess it helps that it's pretty impervious to everything. And he's not the only one to sport this very simple accessory. Most of these capes are either attached at to points on the shoulders, or clasped at the neck. This is the case of Batman's cape in the Nolan movies, with the cowl being a separate piece.

Side Cape
This is an interesting variation of cape I've only seen in Thor:Ragnarok, where a smaller cape is hitched to one shoulder and sometimes attached the alternate side's belt. In the very least Thor and Valkyrie feature these capes, but they're likely more common than I think.

Rear of Thor's gladiator cape from Thor: Ragnarok

Hooded
This probably could be called more cloak than cape. The hooded cape is not so much of a stretch of most medieval and/or high fantasy cloaks, and I tend to see them more with villains. One of the classic examples of this is Dr. Doom's green cape.

Books of Doom #6 (artist Pablo Raimondi)

High Collar
These types of capes are definitely out there, but the extra flair of the collar harkens back to traditons of stage magic and circuses. Which is why it's not all that surprising to see the mostly with magic-users. The most widely recognized example I can think of is Dr. Strange's Cloak of Levitation.

The high-collared Cloak of Levitation in Doctor Strange

Making Your Own Cape
I'd write a proper tutorial on making a cape, but really it's so simple that a step-by-step seems a bit unnecessary. Don't get me wrong, I'm going to talk excessively anyway, but I think the most important part is finding the right material and doing so on a budget. Any child can make a cape with a bath towel, but to make it epic what you need is something that drapes well and looks fantastic.

Thrift Stores
Thrift stores are magical. Items are cheap and you never know what you're going to find. Larger organizations like Goodwill and ReStore from Habitat for Humanity are more reliable for having a good stock of bedspreads, blankets, and curtains, but generally you can find a similar section in any thrift store. Consignment stores, since they have to sell items at a profit, are typically more expensive but tend to have higher-quality goods.

Hunt by fabric and feel. Look for mid-weight fabrics with a nice drape to them. Lots of these pieces can be ruled out based on pattern, and narrowed down by color or material. Some of the more striking pieces are brocades, poly-satins, etc. The inventory turns over quite a bit in the larger chain stores, so if you don't find the perfect fabric don't be too discouraged, just come back in a week or two with fresh eyes.

Fabric Stores
The advantage of shopping at a fabric store is that you're going to get a lot more variety. Of course the price also goes up as well, but if you're not in a rush a lot of times all you have to do is wait for the sale. Some can be these pseudo crushed velvets.

In Joann's there is even a section for cosplay fabrics. They look pretty cool but they're pretty expensive and as of yet I haven't seen them on sale.

I'm kind of on the fence about these "metallic fabrics". I don't think they'd drape very well, but they're certainly flashy and might do well for the really crazy Dazzler-types.

For my superhero build, the cape fabric I chose was a brocade. Usually these are pretty expensive as well, but I was lucky enough to find the end-of-bolt in the liquidation sale. It's got good weight and drape, and enough flash to make it remarkable. If going for brocade, try for those with minimal patterns, and in general staying away from the more recognizable "paisley" patterns (that is unless you're theming your superhero so that paisley makes sense).

Probably the best set of fabrics for a simple, flowing cape with one rich color is to go for what I call the "prom fabrics". In JoAnn's it's the "Casa Collection", which are generally the focus of special-occasion clothing for proms, weddings, etc. They're quite beautiful and there's a lot of variety in colors. The fabric is also lighter-weight than brocades, so it moves well.

Of course not all the fabric in the store will make a great cape. I'd advise staying away from the calicos, broad-cloth cottons, gauzes, fleeces, sportswear, denims, linens, quilted fabrics, utility fabrics, upholstery fabrics, and tulles.

There's probably more that can be said about capes, but I'm not sure what that would be. Here's the cape I chose, by the way. But what superhero or supervillain could this cape possible be related to? Mull the mystery as in the following posts we explore the world of superheroes...

Photo Credit
Thor Ragnarok Cape:
https://cdn.instructables.com/FU2/TCW9/J8F63575/FU2TCW9J8F63575.LARGE.jpg?auto=webp&width=504