# What are these shoulder things in old DC comics?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-shoulder-things-in-old-dc-comics/834297
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [May 21, 2019, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-shoulder-things-in-old-dc-comics/834297 "2019-05-21T15:35:39Z")
**Posts on this page:** 13
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)
#### Post date: [May 21, 2019, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-shoulder-things-in-old-dc-comics/834297/1 "2019-05-21T15:35:39Z")
Especially prevalent in old Superman titles of the 50s and 60s. Earthmen and aliens both sported them. Do they have an equivalent in the real world? [These things, as worn by Jor-el.](https://d1466nnw0ex81e.cloudfront.net/n_ii/600/4652791.jpg) They had them in the far future, too. [As worn by pink guy on the left.](https://s2982.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/legion-of-super-heroes-10.png)
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### Author:  [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)
#### Post date: [May 21, 2019, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-shoulder-things-in-old-dc-comics/834297/2 "2019-05-21T15:50:06Z")
Cars had fins, why not futuristic clothing?
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### Author:  [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walken_After_Midnight)
#### Post date: [May 21, 2019, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-shoulder-things-in-old-dc-comics/834297/3 "2019-05-21T15:51:37Z")
They kind of resemble the [car tailfins](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Car_tailfin) that were popular in the 1950s and 1960s.
> [@](#):
>
> As jet-powered aircraft, rockets, and space flight entered into public recognition, the automotive tailfin assemblies (including tail lights) were designed to resemble more and more the tailfin and engine sections of contemporary jet fighters and space rockets.
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### Author:  [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)
#### Post date: [May 21, 2019, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-shoulder-things-in-old-dc-comics/834297/4 "2019-05-21T16:03:08Z")
Some of the early versions of iron Man’s armor had [similar shoulder thingies](https://oyster.ignimgs.com/wordpress/stg.ign.com/2019/04/iron-man-mark-2-armor.png).
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### Author:  [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)
#### Post date: [May 21, 2019, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-shoulder-things-in-old-dc-comics/834297/5 "2019-05-21T16:09:03Z")
Pretty sure it’s just standard “space-age” design.
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### Author:  [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walken_After_Midnight)
#### Post date: [May 21, 2019, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-shoulder-things-in-old-dc-comics/834297/6 "2019-05-21T16:21:11Z")
Similar fins may also be seen on the shoulder guards of historical armor, such as the [_retiarius_ gladiator](https://www.dandwiki.com/w/images/thumb/2/2e/Retiarius.jpg/300px-Retiarius.jpg) or on [medieval armor](https://sep.yimg.com/ay/yhst-87491460501412/royal-adversary-18g-pauldron-with-swordbreaker-set-7.gif). The medieval shoulder guards are called pauldrons, although the vertical fins are not standard.
Big shoulders are also a sci-fi trope, such as with [Shoulders of Doom](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ShouldersOfDoom) or [Vertical Mecha Fins](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/VerticalMechaFins), although these are probably a later development.
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### Author:  [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)
#### Post date: [May 21, 2019, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-shoulder-things-in-old-dc-comics/834297/7 "2019-05-21T16:21:57Z")
Those are [spaulders](https://www.google.com/search?q=spaulder&safe=strict&client=firefox-b-1-d&channel=tus&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjS0Zq4g63iAhUVuZ4KHWg_BV0Q_AUIDigB&biw=1680&bih=886#imgrc=ojWj3NbDgB1WNM:). Been around for centuries.
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### Author:  [@Peanuthead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peanuthead)
#### Post date: [May 21, 2019, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-shoulder-things-in-old-dc-comics/834297/8 "2019-05-21T16:30:53Z")
> [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](#):
>
> Do they have an equivalent in the real world?
[Filipinas.](https://www.google.com/search?tbm=isch&q=filipino+formal+dress&chips=q:filipino+formal+dress,g_1:female,online_chips:filipiniana+dress,online_chips:traditional&usg=AI4_-kRyYiLc2x6IFiObT0RFgJdSaWiF0Q&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjgk6CAha3iAhUPVa0KHZC6CrgQ4lYIKygA&biw=1600&bih=767&dpr=1)
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### Author:  [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)
#### Post date: [May 22, 2019, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-shoulder-things-in-old-dc-comics/834297/9 "2019-05-22T03:13:42Z")
On Scottish highland dress, they are called [wings](https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&biw=1920&bih=969&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=1L3kXOHvBrH09APKpo2wCQ&q=scottish+doublet+wing&oq=scottish+doublet+wing&gs_l=img.3...42936.51011..51314...0.0..1.165.4817.37j13......0....1..gws-wiz-img.....0..0i67j0j0i8i30j0i24j0i30.Qdvc4YlzyXw).
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### Author:  [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)
#### Post date: [May 22, 2019, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-shoulder-things-in-old-dc-comics/834297/10 "2019-05-22T04:18:27Z")
> [@Peanuthead](#):
>
> [Filipinas.](https://www.google.com/search?tbm=isch&q=filipino+formal+dress&chips=q:filipino+formal+dress,g_1:female,online_chips:filipiniana+dress,online_chips:traditional&usg=AI4_-kRyYiLc2x6IFiObT0RFgJdSaWiF0Q&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjgk6CAha3iAhUPVa0KHZC6CrgQ4lYIKygA&biw=1600&bih=767&dpr=1)
The dress is called a _terno_ and the sleeves, if you need to refer to them specifically, are called butterfly sleeves. Here’s Pia Wurtzbach, Miss Universe 2015, wearing one: [https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/35/Miss\_Universe\_2015\_Pia\_Wurtzbach\_waves\_to\_the\_Malacanang\_Press.jpg](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/35/Miss_Universe_2015_Pia_Wurtzbach_waves_to_the_Malacanang_Press.jpg)
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### Author:  [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)
#### Post date: [May 22, 2019, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-shoulder-things-in-old-dc-comics/834297/11 "2019-05-22T06:58:19Z")
On a doublet, those would be wings, but they don’t stand straight up like the sciffy examples, since part of their original function was to cover the sleeve point (lacing) eyelets.
On pauldrons, they’re just called “neck guards”. I’ve never encountered a specific historic name for them, though I don’t doubt they existed.
They’re not, historically, a feature of spaulders, which are much simpler shoulder defences than pauldrons.
I think the sciffy examples are more related to doublet wings (and a general Raygun Gothic “fin” aesthetic - ) than armour neck guards, personally.
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### Author:  [@The\_Peyote\_Coyote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Peyote_Coyote)
#### Post date: [May 22, 2019, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-shoulder-things-in-old-dc-comics/834297/12 "2019-05-22T07:27:16Z")
FWIW, the guy in pink is Cosmic Boy, one of the founders of the Legion of Super-Heroes and all-around good guy.
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### Author:  [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)
#### Post date: [May 22, 2019, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-shoulder-things-in-old-dc-comics/834297/13 "2019-05-22T14:58:08Z")
> [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](#):
>
> [These things, as worn by Jor-el.](https://d1466nnw0ex81e.cloudfront.net/n_ii/600/4652791.jpg)
I love the “REAL–NOT IMAGINARY!” banner.