It's not at all clear that they actually dress like that. I don't recall many comics which actually showed them slipping out of their slacks and loafers and into their tights in this much detail. Modesty prevails. Cartoon characters do wear tight-fitting garb to show off their musclular build. The strong contrast between colours is done for visual effect, but does not necessairly indicate that the garment is in two parts (i.e., shorts over tights). It could be a one-piece garment using different coloured fabric for the legs and the briefs. Or perhaps the artists were thinking of medieval codpieces at the time. ---------------------------------------- Re "why draw attention to the nether regions"... I am reminded of those Charles Atlas and related muscle-building adverts in comics. He would appear in trunks, showing off his muscular build. Nobody thought that he was half-naked. Instead, they thought you could avoid having sand kicked in your face the next time you went to the beach. Or, at least, that's what the muscles in those ads were intended to mean. Superhero comics were originally targeted to children, not adults. Young children rarely think about "nether regions" unless they are prompted to by adults. They are far more interested in kapows, biffs, and capes that help you fly. Adults, however, do notice such things and subsequently try to read all sorts of meaning into it. Such creates that peculiar rage about a "homosexual agenda" being forced onto children by roaming packs of evil liberals. Poor Tinky-Winky never had a chance as he was condemned to a fairy grave by all those radical-right paragons of virtue. Remember, boys don't wear purses or hold hands like that queer, yellow Sponge-Bob. Their taste runs more to American icons like Superman, who, ironically, was invented and drawn by a Canadian, Joe Shuster, and who wears ... oh no ... those potentially revealing over-underpants! Today, I suppose these same folk would brand those Charles Atlas adverts as part of the queer campaign.

I think it was an easy way to "break up" the uniform on a two-dimensional drawing. A lot of the early readers of these comic strip superheroes where young kids, and it was not cool for men to wear tights.

Probably because in their hurry to save the universe and everything in it, they jump up out of bed, not having time to turn the light on, and therefore not noticing they put their briefs on the outside of the uniform. I think.

They do this so people like you, would ask a question like this. Publicity.

The outside briefs are extra in case someone they save has messed their pants. They have a pair underneath as well.

To keep their jewels safe?

To keep their pantyhose/tights up.

They are just that confident. My question is why are they in tights at all?

That's the pair that stays clean and has thier real name sewn in by thier mother "just in case"

To hide their private parts. Dangling testicles would ruin the image of a super-hero.

Is it only American superheroes?

They can get all the babes easier that way.

Because a thong just wouldn't cut it with the image. Soon, maybe, soon! One never knows with that Hollywood crowd! :-)

Fact from fiction, truth from diction. Because they were pro wrestlers before they figured out it was all fake and decided to use their powers for something real.