Did Elvis Presley’s Love of Superheroes Inspire His Fashion Choices?
No matter which way you look at it, Elvis Presley changed music history. Heavily influenced by blues rock, Christian gospel, and Southern country, Presley made a sound all his own, and topped off by his good looks, sent the country into a frenzy when he debuted.
Years later, fans still can’t get enough Elvis facts. In the 2022 Baz Luhrmann-directed film, questions about Presley’s childhood and his love for comics were front and center, with young Elvis wearing a lightning bolt necklace similar to a popular superhero at the time.
According to the film, a necklace was Presley’s favorite accessory as a kid
One of the most poignant scenes in the film comes when Presley is just a child and visiting a tent revival service near his hometown of Tupelo, Mississippi. With his friends, Presley stands out by sporting his lightning bolt necklace. In the middle of the worship service, he gets wrapped up in the music, moving back and forth to its rhythm.
The scene is twofold. First, it shows the many different influences that would eventually find their way into Presley’s music. Next, it gives a nod to Presley’s love of comic book characters, specifically, Captain Marvel Jr.
In interviews, Luhrmann regularly describes Presley as the original superhero, so adding accessories like the lightning bolt necklace ties the whole idea together.
Did Captain Marvel Jr. influence his style?
Throughout Presley’s career, his outrageous and often over-the-top style seems like it was influenced by his favorite comic books. His famous pompadour hairstyle and clothing outfitted with capes and collars is similar to Captain Marvel Jr.’s threads. Freddy Freeman, the boy who transforms into Captain Marvel Jr. regularly sports a blue outfit, complete with a lightning bolt and attached cape.
In addition, Presley’s TCB logo and band name, which means “taking care of business,” used a lightning bolt as their emblem. All of this might just be speculation since his TCB motto meant he wanted to “take care of business in a flash,” but it’s hard not to speculate about the influence comics had on The King.
In fact, they were so important to him that you can find part of his collection of Captain Marvel Jr. comics at Graceland today. Marvel Comics didn’t want the love to be one-sided, so they made Captain Marvel Jr. an Elvis fan and in later editions, have Freddy Freeman resembling the “King of Rock and Roll.”
Elvis influenced how men dressed
There’s no doubt about Presley’s influence over rock music, but he also changed the way men dressed.
Consider his embellished bell-bottomed jumpsuits or even his bright blazers with oversized lapels and wide-legged trousers when he first started out. His style helped define his image, but it also spoke to a generation of post-war young men looking to branch out from their own fathers.
In an article with CNN, naysayers claimed his style was “immoral” and “delinquent” which only added to Presley’s influence over the younger generation. As one of the first teen idols, Elvis made it okay for teenagers to want to differentiate themselves from their parents. He did that with his music and his style, making him the most popular singer of his time.
Presley also paved the way for the androgynous glam rockers of the 1970s and 1980s. His outfit choices were often seen as effeminate for the time, but looking back, it seems Elvis was the one ahead of the curve and has his love for comics to thank for his good fashion sense.
