>>97521953>Who even started this idea ?Pulp heroes. Specifically, The Shadow.
He wore a cape because the author was partially inspired by Dracula and the Phantom of the Opera, but it actually had practical purposes.
It allowed him to conceal his weapons, appear bigger and more frightening to his enemies and he constantly pulled a trick where an enemy would attack him or grab him only for it to be revealed the enemy had only grabbed his cloak and hat and The Shadow himself was gone. He fought with sleight of hand and the cape was part of that.
The Spider pulled the same trick a few times but he preferred using it to pretend to be a vampire.
And comic book superheroes were just carrying on tradition.
