History MagicPants / ComicBooks

** Also used in ''ComicBook/SheHulk'' comics: magic pants and a magic top, although this was probably to [[UsefulNotes/TheComicsCode escape the censors]].

*** In the early She-Hulk comics, her top was apparently extra-magical. It would tear and get all tattered (but not fall off) when she hulked out... and then [[UpToEleven magically repair itself when she transformed back into Jennifer!]]

* The most obvious example is ''The ComicBook/IncredibleHulk'', who seems to always wind up wearing those purple pants regardless of what Banner was wearing before the transformation:

** In ''Film/TheIncredibleHulk'' film, Bruce Banner is shown buying extremely stretchy pants several sizes too big. Presumably he has quite a collection of belts.

* Justified through an aversion in the Post-Crisis ''ComicBook/CaptainAtom'' series. When Nathaniel Adam transforms into Captain Atom, his clothing disappears, but usually reappears when he transforms back, except for the one time, in issue #8, that he transformed back into Nathaniel Adam involuntarily while unconscious. Then he was naked. The implication is that, without realizing it, Nate was using his matter-creation and manipulation abilities to recreate the clothes he was wearing when he transformed. Some fans have [[AlternateCharacterInterpretation even inferred]] that Nate was recreating his whole body in this manner.

*** In ''Film/ThorRagnarok'', Banner has to make do with a pair of pants that belongs to Tony Stark, which are ''way'' too tight for Banner's liking, and he spends many of his scenes struggling to walk in them, or adjusting the pants in an unseemly way. Despite this, they ''still'' stretch when he transforms into Hulk, subtly poking fun at the concept.

** According to Creator/AlEwing's ''ComicBook/ImmortalHulk'', Bruce started buying these pants long before he ever became the Hulk - in college he bought ten identical suits, which all came with purple pants, in the expectation they'd only become more fashionable.

* In ''ComicBook/{{Uber}}'', the American superhuman Colossus is shot with a tank shell to test his super-durability. The explosion blasts all of his clothes off – except, of course, his pants. Later, the Nazi "human battleship" Siegmund is attacked by dozens of Russian superhumans. The Russians' energy beams rip Siegmund's clothes to shreds and even sever one of his arms, but his pants and boots remain intact. Averted, however, when Sieglinde fights an expendable Panzermensch to prove her powers - his first disruption halo shot completely destroys her clothing, leaving her unharmed but naked.

** The detail around how Pixie wears tops changes by artist (then again her wings change by artist). In ''New X-Men'' it appears she wears shirts with a low back (room for her wings) but in another scene she's wearing a jean jacket (but we never see her from the back). In ''X-Infernus'' we see the back of her costume and the wings are just "there" with no sign of ''how'' she put on the outfit. In ''Uncanny'' she's shown wearing a completely backless shirt when her wings are broken, but she is later shown wearing another low back spaghetti string top like in ''New X-Men''. There is another scene of her in ''Uncanny'' wearing her X-Men Yellows but we never see her from the back so there is no sign how the wings fit there.

-->'''Clint:''' [[http://reyesrobbies.tumblr.com/post/82912742963 We live in a world where Hulk grows ten times his size and his pants stay on. Roll with it.]]

* At least for awhile, if Marvel was going to avert this trope the most common victim would be ComicBook/{{Luke Cage|HeroForHire}}. For some reason, clothing damage became a reoccurring issue for him.

** In the [[Series/TheIncredibleHulk live-action series]], Ferrigno usually wound up wearing the same kind of pants that Bixby had on when he "Hulked Out". This led to amusing scenes in which the transformation would shred shirts, destroy heavy leather work boots, and even, in one case, crack open a motorcycle helmet -- and yet those MagicPants remained intact. One speculates that this was why the Hulk was so ''angry''.

** This even led SelfDemonstrating/{{Deadpool}} to believe there was some sort of power in the Hulk's pants, calling out "HULK PANTS, ACTIVATE!" while being held aloft by the Rhino. But, then again, Deadpool is a CloudCuckoolander.

* ''Franchise/WonderWoman'': Queen Atomia creates a gas which shrinks people down to microscopic size when breathed in and which has no effect on non-living items, unless the items happen to be the clothes said shrunk people were wearing; those shrink down right along with their owners with no explanation beyond it being a Golden Age superhero tale where everyone needed to remain properly clothed.

* In ''Comicbook/{{PS238}},'' the CaptainErsatz Comicbook/JimmyOlsen was turned into a gigantic dragon, but still with [[http://ps238.nodwick.com/comic/09092014/ tattered clothes and a bowtie]]. Then again, he was transformed by the AffablyEvil TricksterGod [[Myth/SlavicMythology Veles]], who presumably thought this was funnier. (Or, since Veles was trying to call out the CaptainErsatz Comicbook/{{Superman}} for a fight, he wanted to keep his friend recognizable.)

* Exaggerated with the Superman villain Repo Man, who shreds all his clothes HulkingOut into a muscle-bound giant but his overalls, apparently made of typical denim material, [[https://babblingsaboutdccomics3.files.wordpress.com/2015/04/act_823_001.png basically just stretch into a thong]].

** Although there is a scene from ''JusticeLeagueEurope'' showing Captain Atom transforming to his superpowered form, and it appears that the clothes were just pushed underneath the silver layer.

* Very, very averted in ''Comicbook/{{Empowered}}''. Of course, [[AuthorAppeal that]] ''[[AuthorAppeal is]]'' [[AuthorAppeal the whole point]].

** The detail around how Pixie wears tops changes by artist (then again her wings change by artist). In ''New X-Men'' it appears she wears shirts with a low back (room for her wings) but in another scene she's wearing a jean jacket (but we never see her from the back). In ''X-Infernus'' we see the back of her costume and the wings are just "there" with no sign of ''how'' she put on the outfit. In ''Uncanny'' she's shown wearing a completely backless shirt when her wings are broken, but she is later shown wearing another low back spaghetti string top like in ''New X-Men''. There is another scene of her in ''Uncanny'' wearing her X-Men Yellows but we never see her from the back so there is no sign how the wings fit there.
* ''Franchise/WonderWoman'': Queen Atomia creates a gas which shrinks people down to microscopic size when breathed in and which has no effect on non-living items, unless the items happen to be the clothes said shrunk people were wearing; those shrink down right along with their owners with no explanation beyond it being a Golden Age superhero tale where everyone needed to remain properly clothed.

** The detail around how Pixie wears tops changes by artist (then again her wings change by artist). In ''New X-Men'' it appears she wears shirts with a low back (room for her wings) but in another scene she's wearing a jean jacket (but we never see her from the back). In ''X-Infernus'' we see the back of her costume and the wings are just "there" with no sign of ''how'' she put on the outfit. In ''Uncanny'' she's shown wearing a completely backless shirt when her wings are broken, but she is later shown wearing another low back spaghetti string top like in ''New X-Men''. There is another scene of her in ''Uncanny'' wearing her X-Men Yellows but we never see her from the back so there is no sign how the wings fit there.

** In contrast, the 1980s Incredible Hulk animated series had not only magic pants, but an entire magic ''outfit'' that was virtually the only thing Banner ever wore (with the occasional addition of a lab coat), presumably so that the same StockFootage transformation sequences could be used in every situation. No matter how many times that khaki shirt and red tie were torn off and the patent leather shoes burst apart during transformations (as well as the tearing of the obligatory purple pants, though tinted much closer to red in this version), the bare-chested, barefoot Hulk would always revert to a fully-dressed Bruce Banner.
** One issue of "ComicBook/TheUltimates", an AlternateContinuity version of ComicBook/TheAvengers, plays on this, claiming that the Hulk, who was out of control, "[[MuggedForDisguise murdered a fat guy and stole his pants]]" off screen after he transformed. Much of the time, he's just naked with SceneryCensor.

** In the far future of ''ComicBook/SpiderMan2099'', that universe's Reed Richards' unstable molecule fabric has become available as regular clothes to the general public, but as might be expected, come with a stiff price tag. Due to his new claws ruining his bedsheets, Miguel O'Hara resigns himself to start replacing his wardrobe. His only UMF clothing before that was his Day of the Dead costume, which would become his Spider-Man suit.
** Mostly averted in ''ComicBook/UltimateSpiderMan'' for example, when Mary Jane Watson, Norman and Harry Osborn transform into their goblin forms all of their clothing is ripped apart, leaving them naked when they revert back to normal. Also averted but later played straight with Gwen Stacy, as the first time she became Carnage, her clothing was torn off, but in a later story arc, her clothes remained intact when she reverted back to normal.

* The ComicBook/{{Witchblade}} generally turns its wielder into a battle form covered with sort of Stripperiffic "[[BreastPlate armor]]", but while it ''can'' transform clothes, the exact fate of said clothes and the amount of generated {{Fanservice}} mostly depends on the specific wielder.

** The detail around how Pixie wears tops changes by artist (then again her wings change by artist). In ''New X-Men'' it appears she wears shirts with a low back (room for her wings) but in another scene she's wearing a jean jacket (but we never see her from the back). In ''X-Infernus'' we see the back of her costume and the wings are just "there" with no sign of ''how'' she put on the outfit. In ''Uncanny'' she's shown wearing a completely backless shirt when her wings are broken, but she is later shown wearing another low back spaghetti string top like in ''New X-Men''. There is another scene of her in ''Uncanny'' wearing her X-Men Yellows but we never see her from the back so there is no sign how the wings fit there.
* Exaggerated with the Superman villain Repo Man, who shreds all his clothes HulkingOut into a muscle-bound giant but his overalls, apparently made of typical denim material, [[https://babblingsaboutdccomics3.files.wordpress.com/2015/04/act_823_001.png basically just stretch into a thong]].
* In ''Comicbook/{{PS238}},'' the CaptainErsatz Comicbook/JimmyOlsen was turned into a gigantic dragon, but still with [[http://ps238.nodwick.com/comic/09092014/ tattered clothes and a bowtie]]. Then again, he was transformed by the AffablyEvil TricksterGod [[Myth/SlavicMythology Veles]], who presumably thought this was funnier. (Or, since Veles was trying to call out the CaptainErsatz Comicbook/{{Superman}} for a fight, he wanted to keep his friend recognizable.)

** Dust's transformation may or may not leave her naked, depending on plot. However, she is shown several times to be able to gather her dust form underneath her robes, and thus revert to human while preserving her modesty (undergarments notwithstanding).

* All of the ''Comicbook/FantasticFour'' usually wear a uniform made of "unstable molecules", so Johnny Storm doesn't burn his own clothes when using his powers. However, if he's wearing normal clothing, he ''will'' burn it away, shirt, pants and all. In the [[Film/FantasticFour second movie]], he complains about being asked to leave from Sue and Reed's rooftop wedding to chase the Silver Surfer, because "[he] just bought this tux!" Later, when their powers are swapped, Sue accidentally burns off her own clothing.

*** In ''Film/ThorRagnarok'', Banner has to make due with a pair of pants that belongs to Tony Stark, which are ''way'' to tight for Banner's liking, and he spends many of his scenes struggling to walk in them, or adjusting the pants in an unseemly way. Despite this, they ''still'' stretch when he transforms into Hulk, subtly poking fun at the concept.