Rebel … of LOVE!

Being a fashion rebel sometimes is a good thing. But not in the case of Dark Horse Comics' 1991 character "Rebel":


That's right, dudes, for the cost of just a little flattery, this black-leotard-wearing, mullet-clad, ski-goggle-sporting flamer of love can be yours!

I can't decide if my favorite part of his look is the hair, the abstract white chest pattern, or the skull and cross bones over the stylized heart. Because why have a piratical skull and crossbones when you can have love and crossbones?! I'm trying to imagine a less scary insignia without resorting to bunnies or puppies, but I'm coming up blank.

I particularly love that the logo is repeated on his shins. I guess when you've got a good thing you've got to work it.

Props also to the writer of that second panel, because that is some crunchy dialog right there, folks. Entirely appropriate given his ridiculous getup, of course, but still, the next time some old fart tells you "They don't write 'em like they used to!", feel free to point to this panel as a reason why.

(Image ©1991, Dark Horse Comics, Inc.)

24 Responses to Rebel … of LOVE!

  1. dblade says:

    Is that flesh-colored chest pattern actually a cut out? That would make this even more awesome!

  2. John says:

    That is painful beyond words. And from Dark Horse, no less. Yeesh!

  3. gendonesia says:

    epic hairdo stupid logo (rebel with love?)

  4. Frevoli says:

    what exactly is he rebelling against? barbers?

  5. Jeff Hebert says:

    dblade:
    Is that flesh-colored chest pattern actually a cut out? That would make this even more awesome!

    Totally agreed, that WOULD be awesome! I can’t tell after looking at the two panels for sure, but I can dream.

  6. Jeff Hebert says:

    Frevoli:
    what exactly is he rebelling against? barbers?

    This made me laugh out loud, well done, sir!

  7. NGpm says:

    If it’s a cutout, is he trying to show off that “Mom” tattoo on his chest? If that’s the case, the cutout’s a bit excessive and would require much gaffer’s tape.

    “Dude, check out my bulging pectoral muscles, rippling abs, and my wicked cool tattoo!”

  8. marie says:

    And yet … if this was a woman’s costume… Sigh. Still churn those out.
    But bad costumes are okay as long as shoe is on the other foot, right?

    At least guys don’t have to deal with this anymore. I am seriously tempted to redesign Rebel of love as is with sexy cutouts. Only fair. How do you design love into a costume?

    Cutouts should be sexy. Man or woman. Usually not. Silly.
    Any sexy cutouts that work in Hero costumes? Men not women.

  9. Dionne Jinn says:

    Why I came to think of that chest pattern as a huge arrow pointing down to his… privates? Or have I just lately come across too many pieces of “naughty” art to now see it even in places where it is not?

  10. Trekkie says:

    Wow… that costume really is stupid. Why has he got that tattoo copied onto his shins? Is so that people can see who he is when he’s hovering in front of them and all they can see is his legs?
    But when I first saw it, that cutout on his chest reminded me more of Kyle Rayner’s original costume with that large white segment on the front. Did one inspire the other, I wonder?

  11. headlessgeneral says:

    The logo is not just repeated on his shins, it’s on his forearms too(at least in the first picture.) I bet there is a real big one on his back too.

  12. John says:

    Holy smokes! I just realized Jerry Ordway did that cover! Yikes! Even the great ones gotta eat, y’know?

  13. Myro says:

    Wow, that mullet-tail might surpass Superman as the worst comic book mullet of the 90s.

  14. Jeff Hebert says:

    Myro:
    Wow, that mullet-tail might surpass Superman as the worst comic book mullet of the 90s.

    Hang on now, let’s not forget the stellar work on that front exhibited by Shatterstar. Although I guess with that wrestling mask on it’s hard to tell if that’s really a mullet or not.

  15. BenK22 says:

    Chest cutouts aren’t just for female superheroes (superheroines?). We’ve got to spread the love around…

    OK, wow, I’m all for gender equality in superhero costumes, but this is going a little too far.

  16. Frankie says:

    I think that the logo is on his left shin and right forearm.

    That is such a horrible costume.

  17. FRM says:

    **shudder**

  18. McKnight57 says:

    Trekkie:
    Wow… that costume really is stupid. Why has he got that tattoo copied onto his shins? Is so that people can see who he is when he’s hovering in front of them and all they can see is his legs?
    But when I first saw it, that cutout on his chest reminded me more of Kyle Rayner’s original costume with that large white segment on the front. Did one inspire the other, I wonder?

    This must have inspired the Kyle Rayner costume, since Kyle came into being three years later in 1994.

  19. Dan says:

    Jeff Hebert: Hang on now, let’s not forget the stellar work on that front exhibited by Shatterstar. Although I guess with that wrestling mask on it’s hard to tell if that’s really a mullet or not.

    Oh, it’s a mullet alright. It’s the worst kind too. A Liefeld-Mullet. And I’m firmly in the camp that it’s a cutout on Rebel.

  20. Tarkabarka says:

    Sooo this is intresting…. so intresting….

    I don’t know to cry or laugh.

  21. Myro says:

    Jeff Hebert: Hang on now, let’s not forget the stellar work on that front exhibited by Shatterstar. Although I guess with that wrestling mask on it’s hard to tell if that’s really a mullet or not.

    Damn, how could I forget Shatterstar? Yeah, forget it, Shatterstar is still the king of bad 90s mullet hair, given his ridiculous Liefeldan ponytail and twin side braids.
    As for the cutout debate on his torso, I’d like to think that it is a cutout, on two fronts: 1. A giant cutout in his chest would be bizarre, and therefor make this costume more horrible, and 2. Despite the fact that Rebel is a dude, he still feels his cutout should not go so far as to expose his nipples, and that’s hilarious.

  22. Gero says:

    Anyone else notice the Liefeld-style size mess up? In the first panel, the logo/tattoo takes up almost his entire pec, but in the second, it’s a third of the size and has teleported from the center to the corner…

  23. marie says:

    Yeah. I did it. My rebel of love. And mullet intact. Nuts. Forgot the shades.

    http://img594.imageshack.us/img594/4145/rebelhipster2.jpg

  24. TOOL says:

    If Billy Ray Cirus became a super hero, if you want to call that a super hero that is