When I imagine what a male cougar would look like, a beefy 1970s mustache ranks high on the list, along with a stout midsection and a grandiose sense of self-worth. Luckily, those intuitions were confirmed and expanded on by witnessing the sartorial and sexual magnificence of Superman's arch well-known completely forgotten nemesis, KING Cougar!
I admit, I didn't see the thigh-high leather boots or baby-puke green color scheme. That's novel. To help lower the Gross Old Guy vibe he's putting out, though, he added a pot-belly-restraining super-wide girdle belt. There's no use making it obvious that your most athletic moments come while hurling the remote at the big-screen when your favorite team hits the crapper, after all. Here's a closer look at that beauty:
I love the yellow diamond, a clear "WARNING" sign if ever I've seen one. "LADIES! Do NOT look behind this belt if you want to retain your sanity! You have been warned!" I assume the rose-colored gigantic glasses are to help him see the bright side in hitting on repulsed women thirty years his junior despite all this sartorial splendor.
I can't decide if my favorite bit is the integrated crown over the aforementioned Ringo Star eyewear, or the absolutely ludicrous insignia. Because he's a king, of a cougar. Get it?! Apparently he was worried you might be too dim to appreciate his genius, so helpfully reinforced the whole thing in as glaringly obvious a way as possible. I think the logo cougar felt humiliated while posing for the design, too, from the consternated look on his face.
As much as I rag on the Image Nineties, when you stumble across a vintage character like this and his unique blend of bad fashion, low morals, and Mustache Ride-era facial hair, you appreciate that the ridiculous has always been a part of the genre. And may that never change!
(Image and characters ©DC Comics.)
