| 1 | %%% |
| 2 | %% |
| 3 | %% This page has been alphabetized. Please add new examples in the correct order. Thanks! |
| 4 | %% |
| 5 | %%% |
| 6 | |
| 7 | [[quoteright:330:[[Film/GIJoeTheRiseOfCobra https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/thebaroness.jpg]]]] |
| 8 | [[caption-width-right:330:Exhibit A: TheBaroness herself.]] |
| 9 | |
| 10 | ->'''Rayna:''' My father used to bring people here.\ |
| 11 | '''Susan:''' Did he also make you dress like a slutty dolphin trainer? |
| 12 | -->-- ''Film/{{Spy}}'' |
| 13 | |
| 14 | During any infiltration or stealth operation, the female lead will wear an impossibly tight catsuit. It's almost always black, may be shiny leather or latex. It's never a camo pattern or even mottled, and it can't have pockets except for a utility belt and/or gun holster. There will often be [[ZipMeUp a single zipper on the front]], which will result in a NavelDeepNeckline when it's unzipped. The suit will frequently be accompanied by [[CombatStilettos ridiculously high heels]]. If you see someone in one of these, there's little she can say to convince you she's not a spy (or a fetishist) outside of [[LatexSpaceSuit a Sci-Fi series]]. |
| 15 | |
| 16 | The writers may try to justify it, saying it's a stealth garment with sensor defeating properties — so she's seductively slathered herself in AppliedPhlebotinum. It could be for freedom of movement (which doesn't make much sense if the outfit is leather). It could be that she just swam up to the facility and can't ditch the wetsuit. In reality, it's to make the inevitable climbing, shimmying, flipping, and belly-crawling through a LaserHallway look [[{{Stripperiffic}} that much more like a lapdance]]. Of course, it might also be a deliberate invocation of DistractedByTheSexy and IHaveBoobsYouMustObey against male guards/suspicious people she might encounter. |
| 17 | |
| 18 | Only shows up in SpyFiction shows that go light on realism. Any action show that puts a female character through [[TheInfiltration an infiltration scene]] will use it. Mostly used with at least a wink these days. |
| 19 | |
| 20 | Often extremely shiny, with vertical lines that accentuate the lady's... assets, against all logic. |
| 21 | |
| 22 | '''Popular variations:''' |
| 23 | * A male character uses one, especially an attractive one. (see MrFanservice) |
| 24 | * It's some [[HighlyVisibleNinja very bright color]]. |
| 25 | * The female spy shows up to the mission in normal, practical clothes, and males around her express disappointment. |
| 26 | |
| 27 | As you may have imagined, this is not something real-life (or realistic fictional) female operatives would wear in the field, though a black turtleneck and cargo pants will pull off a similar look while being much more practical. A variant of this is the tendency of female ninja in {{anime}} and superhero comics to wear excessively {{stripperiffic}} outfits. |
| 28 | |
| 29 | See also SuperheroesWearTights, FormFittingWardrobe, ImpossiblyCoolClothes, SensualSpandex, LatexSpaceSuit. |
| 30 | ---- |
| 31 | !!Examples: |
| 32 | [[foldercontrol]] |
| 33 | |
| 34 | [[folder:Advertising]] |
| 35 | * Ali Larter sports a bright-yellow suit in the Absolut Citron advertisements/short films as her alter-ego Lemon Drop. |
| 36 | * Agent Maiya is seen wearing one in a UK advertisement for [[Advertising/CompareTheMeerkat comparethemarket.com]]. Agent Maiya, it must be pointed out, is a ''meerkat''. |
| 37 | * Advertising/ErinEsurance, the female agent in the pre-2010 Esurance commercials, frequently sported one. |
| 38 | * A series of TV Commercials for Nationwide Insurance feature a leather-catsuited woman (played by actress Jana Kramer) backflipping around a house undoing the damage done, either by a burglary or by a fire. |
| 39 | * Some of Creator/WilliamShatner's "Priceline Negotiator" ads have a girl named "Naomi Pryce" wearing one. |
| 40 | * In the first ad of a T*Mobile ad campaign, their mascot-spokeswoman trades in her girl-next-door pink dress for a pink-and-black motorcycle jumpsuit. Justified in that she's going motorcycle riding (as a metaphor for the company's high-speed wireless network). |
| 41 | [[/folder]] |
| 42 | |
| 43 | [[folder:Anime & Manga]] |
| 44 | * Belldandy from ''Manga/AhMyGoddess'': is [[InnocentFanserviceGirl prone to wearing really tight racing leathers with heart patterns]]. |
| 45 | * Angel of ''Anime/TheBigO'' will occasionally wear one of these. Like almost everything else she wears, it's bright pink. |
| 46 | * The special corps in ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'' wear a variation of these, their leader wears a kimono version (though {{Omake}} shows both her and Yoruichi in more standard ones). |
| 47 | * ''Manga/CatsEye'', anyone? Spy catsuits complete with Xtreme plunging necklines and [[CombatStilettos built-in high heels]], for added stealth obviously. Despite this, this example is a bit more realistic than most -- the catsuits are neither latex nor leather, but lycra, and are similar to what real gymnasts wear. They don them again in the climax of ''Anime/CityHunterShinjukuPrivateEyes'', their first animated appearance since 1985. |
| 48 | ** The same outfits are worn by [[WholesomeCrossdresser Ayumu]], Eucliwood, and Seraphim during a parody of the series in the ''Literature/IsThisAZombie'' OVA. |
| 49 | ** Similar outfits in different colors are worn by the Akudarma Trio ([[FanDisservice Tsubuyakky and Suzukky included]]) in an episode of ''Anime/TimeBokan24''. |
| 50 | ** ''Manga/CityHunter'' from the same author has Kasumi Aso, a walking ShoutOut to ''Cat's Eye'' that of course dons the outfit during heists. In her debut arc Kaori, trying to not be outdone, puts on the same outfit... And they're immediately [[FaceFault floored]] ([[BreakingTheFourthWall alongside the author's assistants]]) when Ryo engages in variation number 1 just to not be left out. |
| 51 | * Used rather bizarrely in ''Manga/DeathNote'', where professional thief Wedy wears a classic '60s style catsuit (built-in high heels and all) while infiltrating a building, for no apparent reason. Possibly justified in that the series artist has admitted basing her on stereotypical female spy archetypes, but it still clashes with the feel of the story. |
| 52 | * ''Anime/DragonBallZ'' -- the spandex worn under space mercenary armor is so tight that not only is musculature still clearly visible, it gives the men BarbieDollAnatomy. |
| 53 | * Celty from ''Literature/{{Durarara}}'' wears a black skintight motorcycle jumpsuit as part of her signature outfit which also includes the famous yellow motorbike helmet. |
| 54 | * In ''Manga/{{Gantz}}'' the male characters also wear skin-tight jumpsuits. It's also worth noting that each outfit is so specifically designed that only the person it was meant for could wear it. |
| 55 | * In ''Anime/GhostInTheShell1995'', Major Kusanagi wears a spy catsuit that really is a stealth device, called thermoptic camouflage. In the movie at least, this technology is used fairly extensively, although she has to be ''nude'' to use it (or rather, a flesh-colored skinsuit. The suit leaves a noticeable neckline where her skin color contrasts with the suit's.) It's somewhat less drastic in other iterations, which look more practical. |
| 56 | ** While the Major's normal combat wear shows more curves than the standard models, it's generally quite practical, and her male squadmates wear active camouflage suits of the same design. The major exception to this is in the ''Stand Alone Complex the 2nd Gig'' episode ''Cash Eye'', which plays with the infiltration and espionage tropes, and repeated references to ''Ocean's Eleven'', and has her wear a catsuit that fits this trope to a tee with little purpose. Perhaps the outfit led the android fetishist CorruptCorporateExecutive to mistake her for a combat android instead of the Major and was different enough that he would not recognize the Major as being the same person when he met her. |
| 57 | *** Although the episode does reference Cat's Eye (see above) with the 'Cash Eye' logo. |
| 58 | * Hayasaka is shown wearing one of these at the beginning of chapter 30 of ''Manga/KaguyaSamaLoveIsWar'' as she sneaks in to the student council room in the middle of the night to swap out Shirogane's coffee with decaf. |
| 59 | * In ''Franchise/LupinIII'', one of [[MsFanservice Fujiko Mine]]'s outfits is a black leather spy catsuit which she frequently [[NavelDeepNeckline doesn't zip up all the way]]. Lupin himself wears this on occasion. One of the most iconic franchise images, Lupin running along the wall with spotlights following him, has the thief with only his face revealed. |
| 60 | * Natsuki Kuga in ''Manga/MyHime'' sports the motorcycle variant. |
| 61 | * ''Anime/SpaceBattleshipYamato'': The Battlesuits used by the women are skintight and colorful. |
| 62 | * The [[NoNameGiven Belladonna Lily Woman]] in ''Anime/{{Noir}}'' wore one. All of her male compatriots wore [[BadassInANiceSuit suits]]. |
| 63 | * The '''''Masked''''' form of Cure Muse in ''Anime/SuitePrettyCure''. |
| 64 | * The pilots in ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'' wear skin-tight plugsuits, the form only interrupted by attached equipment. The suit is actually vacuum-sealed to their body and they're specifically tailored to suit their personal body shape. This of course leads to embarrassment when Shinji gets dressed in a suit designed for a girl. |
| 65 | * Meiko from ''Manga/PrisonSchool'' wears an impossibly tight shiny latex bodysuit that may as well be a [[FormFittingWardrobe second skin as it shows off all of her curves]] along with knee-high stiletto boots. The suit is so tight fitting that at one point she has to shred the entire suit when the gets stuck while [[PottyEmergency she badly needed to use the toilet]]. |
| 66 | * In ''Anime/SonicX'', Rouge has a "stealth" version of her game outfit that's all black in some scenes ([[VideoGame/SonicAdventure2 the [=SA2=] version]] has a good deal of white). It still has the pink heart breastplate (and the pink hearts on her [[CombatStilettos gogo boots]] for that matter) though. |
| 67 | * Sagiri from ''Manga/YuunaAndTheHauntedHotSprings'' wears one in Chapter 14. It is supposed to protect her from spiritual powers but is really there for the fanservice. |
| 68 | [[/folder]] |
| 69 | |
| 70 | [[folder:Comic Books]] |
| 71 | * In ''ComicBook/ArchieComics'', Betty and Veronica wear black catsuits when acting as "[[TeenSuperspy Agents B & V]]". |
| 72 | * ''Franchise/{{Batman}}'': |
| 73 | ** Characters/{{Catwoman|SelinaKyle}}, of course, wears a catsuit. However, this NewerThanTheyThink, as Selina only [[https://bookriot.com/catwoman-costumes/ started wearing a bodysuit]] in [[Series/Batman1966 the sixties TV show]], previously wearing a green or purple dress. |
| 74 | ** This is subverted in ''[[ComicBook/TheBatmanAdventures The Batman & Robin Adventures]]'' #16 (a tie-in comic to the animated series), which introduced Catman as a villain inspired by Catwoman. So much so that he wears Catwoman's rather feminine-looking catsuit, which looks rather comical on a male figure. |
| 75 | ** [[Characters/BatmanTaliaAlGhul Talia Al-Ghul]] is prone to wearing these when she actually fights, DependingOnTheWriter. They also often feature a NavelDeepNeckline or a CleavageWindow. |
| 76 | * British super-spy ComicBook/BlackBishop wears a very tactical version of the standard catsuit, but it's still basically a catsuit. |
| 77 | * The Characters/{{Black Cat|MarvelComics}} also wears catsuits, unsurprisingly, though often with a glorious white fur trim. |
| 78 | %% * The ComicBook/BlackPanther counts as a male example. (And another particularly appropriate one.) %%How is this not just a superhero costume? |
| 79 | * The eponymous heroine's one-piece racing suit in ''ComicBook/{{Chassis}}''. |
| 80 | * Oddly averted in ''ComicBook/CodenameKnockout'' -- though it's a spy parody practically made out of {{fanservice}}, the protagonist almost never wears her catsuit outside of covers. |
| 81 | * Par for the course, Sydney Savage of ''ComicBook/DangerGirl'', wears one. The [[VideoGame/DangerGirl video game]] has her in this attire in each and every stage starring her as well, notably one where she infiltrates a vault in the British Museum and crawls around some laser tripwires. |
| 82 | %% * ''ComicBook/{{Daredevil}}'': [[Characters/MarvelComicsMattMurdock Daredevil]] wore a yellow and red catsuit and, later, the renowned red catsuit. His suit was altered from a catsuit appearance to, quite literally, a "devil suit". %%How is this not just a superhero costume? |
| 83 | * Femme Appeal from the ''ComicBook/DarkwingDuck'' comic wears one. Hardly surprising, considering that she's a furry CaptainErsatz of Emma Peel. |
| 84 | * In Adam Warren's ''ComicBook/{{Empowered}}'' comic, the heroine doesn't just wear a shiny skintight suit, it's a shiny skintight suit of power armor that tears like a wet hanky if she brushes against anything that has a point on it. Of course, his comic is a parody of all the tied-up, mostly naked superdamsels in distress he was drawing for commissions, but ''still''... ''Empowered'' goes well beyond skintight; the power suit is actually a membrane-thin piece of nothing that leaves the wearer effectively naked while fighting crime in public. She can't even wear underwear. The point of ''Empowered'' is to get your humiliation fetish in your ironically-titled supers fantasy. It's also Justified in that the suit's fragility is because of her body-image issues. If she could take pride in her body, the suit would be tougher and thicker. |
| 85 | * In ''ComicBook/{{Femforce}}'', Dragonfly and Jet Girl both wear skintight bodysuits. Dragonfly's is black with a white chest insignia, while Jet Girl's is gold, which limits its usefulness for actual stealth. |
| 86 | * ''Franchise/GIJoe'': TheBaroness wears this as her standard outfit in every incarnation. Scarlett of the Joes does as well, though hers is more of a leotard worn over tights. Also, Scarlett did wear a standard black catsuit with some armored parts in the live-action film. |
| 87 | * Jennifer Mays of ''ComicBook/TheMazeAgency'' wears one whenever she is on a stealth mission. She is not pleased when she learns that [[TheRival her rival]] Ashley Swift has copied the look. |
| 88 | * Jakita Wagner from ''ComicBook/{{Planetary}}'' wears one, likely in homage to Emma Peel. |
| 89 | * The catsuit is the basic uniform for agents in Marvel's spy agency ComicBook/{{SHIELD}}, for men and women (and, as seen in the 1990s miniseries ''ComicBook/NickFury vs. S.H.I.E.L.D.'', even pudgy overweight male administrators). |
| 90 | ** Justified in that said catsuits are resistant to mundane blades (non-adamantium or energy blades, etc.), fireproof, and insulate the wearer from electrical shocks and extremes of heat and cold. They also have radar and infrared absorption capabilities (stealth), depending on the story. |
| 91 | ** S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, such as Agent [[Characters/SHIELDDirectors Sharon Carter]], would also don white S.H.I.E.L.D. tactical catsuits. |
| 92 | ** [[Characters/MarvelComicsHydra Madame Hydra]] and Madame Viper, S.H.I.E.L.D. nemeses, were known for their green/black catsuits. |
| 93 | ** ComicBook/BlackWidow, originally an ComicBook/IronMan[=/=]Daredevil/Avengers/S.H.I.E.L.D.[=/=]ComicBook/SpiderMan nemesis and later a member of ComicBook/TheAvengers and the Champions, wore catsuits from the mid-seventies, often working alongside S.H.I.E.L.D. |
| 94 | ** [[Characters/MarvelComicsCarolDanvers Carol Danvers]], who did espionage work when she was depowered, noted that often, going unnoticed is less important than nobody remembering your face after you leave. Drawing attention to other areas can help with that. |
| 95 | ** [[Characters/MarvelComicsKateBishop Kate Bishop]], the second ComicBook/{{Hawkeye}}, wears a purple catsuit in ''ComicBook/Hawkeye2012''. Creator/MattFraction has stated this was a deliberate ShoutOut to Emma Peel since he writes Kate and Clint with a similar dynamic to that of Steed & Peel. |
| 96 | * Similarly to the ''ComicBook/{{Empowered}}'' example, ArtificialHuman Girl One from ''ComicBook/TopTen'' wears what at first appears to be a full-body catsuit. In reality, she's actually nude -- her creators gave her an aversion to clothing, while at the same time giving her body the ability to hide this fact via built-in full-body tattoo/bodypaint that she can control at will -- she typically looks like she's wearing a full-body purple spandex catsuit with logos and patterns on it. They didn't explain this until several chapters in. |
| 97 | * ''ComicBook/UltimateWolverine'': Magda wears a red one. |
| 98 | * ''ComicBook/WonderWoman1942'': When she lost her powers and operated as "Diana Prince, Wonder Woman", Franchise/WonderWoman sometimes wore a white catsuit (though less often than popularly imagined -- much of the time, she simply wore "normal" all-white outfits including minidresses, pantsuits, etc). |
| 99 | [[/folder]] |
| 100 | |
| 101 | [[folder:Fan Works]] |
| 102 | * ''Fanfic/JadeDragon'': After they end up SharingABody, Fei comments on how form-flattering Viper's catsuit is. Viper responds that it's purely to provide freedom of movement, but Fei isn't buying that. |
| 103 | * ''Webcomic/NaruHinaChronicles Mini-sodes'': Hinata wears one during an undercover mission at some hotel. When the manager finds her like that, he assumes she has "a cat-suit fetish". |
| 104 | * ''Fanfic/TheVioletDemon'': The standard uniform for [[GladiatorGames gladiators]] on Areax includes a black bodysuit infused with nanites which causes it to reshape itself and conform to the body of its wearer, to the point of being skintight and being described of leaving nothing to the imagination. Gaz hates it, describing it as looking like a gimp suit, and is glad that it comes with armor that goes over it and is more covering. |
| 105 | [[/folder]] |
| 106 | |
| 107 | [[folder:Film -- Animated]] |
| 108 | * In ''WesternAnimation/TheAmazingMaurice'', Malicia dresses in a form-fitting black leather outfit when she joins Keith and Maurice to solve the mystery of what is going on in Bad Blintz, much to Keith's confusion. This being [[HeroicWannabe Malicia]], she undoubtedly believes this is the sort of thing a heroine should be wearing when she sets out to solve a mystery. |
| 109 | [[/folder]] |
| 110 | |
| 111 | [[folder:Film -- Live-Action]] |
| 112 | * Worn by the team during the raid on the compound and in the VFormationTeamShot behind the closing credits in ''Film/AngelsRevenge''. |
| 113 | * Creator/AngieHarmon wears an impressive series of impressive catsuits, including the famous red catsuit, in ''Film/AgentCodyBanks''. |
| 114 | * Lorna the titular Angel from ''Film/AngelWithTheIronFists'' wears a black catsuit during an infiltration scene in the Dark Angel's mansion. |
| 115 | * In ''Film/TheArtOfTheSteal'', [[FanDisservice Uncle Paddy]] wears one while dropping through the ceiling of the border station on a rope in what fortunately turns out to be just an ImagineSpot. |
| 116 | * The Kensington ladies and Foxy Cleopatra from ''Film/AustinPowers'', obviously. |
| 117 | * ''Film/TheAvengers1998'': Mrs. Peel and her clone (Creator/UmaThurman) followed her predecessors' examples by wearing lots of skintight catsuits. It was in fact so tight she had to be ''sewn into it'' for every shot! |
| 118 | * ''Film/BatmanReturns'', the first cinematic appearance of Catwoman, naturally has a skintight black catsuit. But it may be justified by two factors: a) Selina Kyle gets pushed out a window, falling several feet into the alley below, and revives by supernatural means so presumably whatever also gave her the ability to suddenly pull off [[SheFu impressive gymnastics]] and survive electrocution allows her plenty of mobility. And b) she's implied to have stitched it together herself as part of her MakeoverMontage, so one can assume she made it possible to move around in. Of course, out of universe, the costume itself was a nightmare to get in and out of, and Creator/MichellePfeiffer couldn't even go to the bathroom while wearing it. |
| 119 | * Kitten wears one of these in one of her many [[FantasySequence fantasy sequences]] in ''Film/BreakfastOnPluto''. |
| 120 | * Ironically subverted in the Creator/HalleBerry ''Film/Catwoman2004'' film. Patience dons a leather catsuit as part of her MakeoverMontage but she abandons it pretty soon and opts for something even more {{Stripperiffic}} -- that does at least look like it offers more mobility. |
| 121 | * Creator/CameronDiaz in ''Film/CharliesAngels2000'' wears an impressive shiny silver catsuit while climbing and jumping off a skyscraper. |
| 122 | * In ''Film/TheDarkKnightRises'', Creator/AnneHathaway's outfit as Characters/{{Catwoman|SelinaKyle}} is a typical example of this, complete with a zipper at the front. Bear in mind, Catwoman was the TropeCodifier. |
| 123 | * In ''Film/DeathRing'', BodyguardBabes Bambi and Thumper wear black catsuits, possibly because their outfits were selected by DepravedBisexual Ms. Ling. |
| 124 | * If there was a point to the movie ''Film/{{Entrapment}}'' beyond showing Creator/CatherineZetaJones in one of these as she slinked through a maze of trip beams, it's not clear. |
| 125 | * Jessica dons a spandex bodysuit when she [[TheHunterBecomesTheHunted begins her fightback]] against the {{Evil Poacher}}s in ''Film/FairGame''. |
| 126 | * Played straight and inverted in the 2008 ''Film/GetSmart'' movie. Agent 99 plays it straight through the laser field wearing a skintight dress. Max then copies her moves halfway through with a near-lampshade look over his shoulder. Which is not helped by the fact that a rat has gotten onto him. |
| 127 | * Both Scarlett and the Baroness from ''Film/GIJoeTheRiseOfCobra'' wear these. |
| 128 | * Gregg and Agostino wear them when breaking into the diamond companyin ''Film/GrandSlam''. |
| 129 | * In ''Film/GunsGirlsAndGambling'', The Blonde is a StatuesqueStunner ProfessionalKiller who spends the entire film in a low-cut black bodysuit and CombatStilettos. |
| 130 | * Black Widow in the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse frequently wears these. In ''Film/IronMan2'', she even once changed out of her dress and into the suit in the back of a moving car. [[DistractedByTheSexy The driver nearly crashed the car]]. ''Film/TheAvengers2012'' also shows S.H.I.E.L.D. in full, showcasing how every other agent dresses. For the most part, it seems everyone wears either this, military fatigues, suit-and-tie/office wear, or something resembling Star Trek suits. |
| 131 | ** ''Film/BlackWidow2021'' establishes the black catsuit as the uniform of all Black Widows. Natasha ditches hers early in the movie after [[Film/CaptainAmericaCivilWar going on the run]] before donning a white version during a mission to a snowy area. During the climax of the movie she and Melina swap suits, putting Melina in white and Natasha back in her signature black. Yelena Belova goes through a similar black-to-white switch but her suits are slightly looser than Natasha's and she wears a tactical vest over her white suit. |
| 132 | * Despite what PopCulturalOsmosis would have you believe, this trope is not as prevalent in the ''Film/JamesBond'' movies as one might imagine. The {{Bond Girl}}s that are spies themselves usually dress appropriately for the occasion, whether it's an evening dress, a disguise, or khakis and sneakers. Jinx in ''Film/DieAnotherDay'' & Wai Lin in ''Film/TomorrowNeverDies'' are the only ones to wear a "proper" spy catsuit. |
| 133 | * In ''Film/JayAndSilentBobStrikeBack'', a quartet of jewel thieves played by Creator/ShannonElizabeth, Creator/ElizaDushku, Creator/AliLarter, and Jennifer Schwalbach Smith (the wife of writer/director Creator/KevinSmith) posing as animal rights activists wear these to steal diamonds while the eponymous heroes are duped into freeing animals from the lab next door as a diversion. Also [[ParodiedTrope parodied]], in that the initial introduction to the suit-clad thieves is them explicitly showing themselves off to the camera with overblown, borderline ridiculous body poses to acknowledge how blatant the creators know the {{Fanservice}} is. |
| 134 | * Naturally, this comes up again in ''Film/JayAndSilentBobReboot'' when the titular protagonists suspect that Milly and her friends, just like Justice and her gang before, are wearing these underneath their clothes and are planning on pulling off a heist. [[spoiler:Shan Yu actually is, provoking an IKnewIt reaction from Jay, because she turns out to be a Russian spy trying to sabotage the production of ''Bluntman v Chronic''.]] |
| 135 | * Uma Thurman briefly wears a catsuit/motorcycle racer suit hybrid in ''Film/KillBill Vol. 1''. This is a direct adaptation of one worn by Creator/BruceLee in ''Film/GameofDeath''. |
| 136 | * Trinity in ''Film/TheMatrix'' trilogy. She regularly wears a skintight black latex suit when operating as one of Morpheus's agents. Given that the Matrix itself is a computer program, presumably can be {{Hand Wave}}d with some programming to make her more mobile in it. |
| 137 | * ''Film/MeanGirls'': The “cat” costume that Gretchen wears to the Halloween party is nothing more than [[SexyWhateverOutfit a low-cut black catsuit and a pair of cat ears]]. As Cady notes, Halloween is the one day a year when girls can get away with dressing like sluts without any criticism, and Gretchen eagerly obliged. |
| 138 | * In movie adaptation ''ComicBook/NickFury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.'', starring Creator/DavidHasselhoff, almost everyone wears a catsuit, including all S.H.I.E.L.D. and HYDRA agents. |
| 139 | * Subverted in the Creator/RogerMoore thriller ''Film/NorthSeaHijack'' (released as "Ffolkes" outside the U.K.), where the eponymous character, upon discovering the wetsuit he will be using to infiltrate the hijacked North Sea oil platform to stop terrorists from blowing it up, snarks, "A wet suit in vermilion. Just what one needs at night." |
| 140 | * ''Film/OnceUponASpy'': Paige Tannehill and Jack Chenault both wear forming fitting bodysuits when they break into Valorium's observatory. It must be said that the outfit looks much better on Mary Louise Weller than it does on Creator/TedDanson. |
| 141 | * OlderThanTheyThink. Josette Andriot wears remarkably form-fitting [[https://dcairns.wordpress.com/2020/07/12/the-sunday-intertitle-spies-in-leotards/ outfits]] in ''Film/{{Protea}}'', a silent French thriller released in 1913. |
| 142 | * Rather cleverly invoked in 1970 British art film ''Film/SecretsOfSex.'' [[ClassyCatBurglar A female cat burglar]] wearing very tight and fanservice-y leather catsuit breaks into a house, deliberately gets caught by its owner, seduces him with her sexy looks, sleeps with him, and then robs his house with him being unable to call the police because if he does, his wife will know he cheated on her with the burglar. |
| 143 | * In ''Film/SpiceWorld'', a producer is trying to work out a film that they can make for the Music/SpiceGirls. One of the pitches is "Spice Force Five" - with the girls as secret agents and naturally all wearing some of these. |
| 144 | * Parodied, like so many other SpyFiction tropes, in ''Film/{{Spy}}'', which provides the page quote. Susan tells the BigBad Rayna that her skintight dress (the top half of which strongly [[https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMGMwYzk5NWQtNjVhMy00MDI4LWEwMGUtMjFjYTg4M2M2ZjZjXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNjEwNDMwNzI@._V1_.jpg invokes this]]) makes her look like a "slutty dolphin trainer". |
| 145 | * Amanda Benson in ''Film/{{Swindle}}'' wears a catsuit during the final confrontation against Swindell. |
| 146 | * Selene in ''Film/{{Underworld|2003}}'' wears one of these constantly, usually paired with a BadassLongcoat. She's not actually a spy (she's closer to an assassin), but often has to be stealthy -- she is a vampire, after all. The sequel explains her instantaneous Vampire Healing Powers but never mentions the fact that her suit seems to heal itself as well. |
| 147 | * The likely {{Trope Maker|s}} is Irma Vep in the 1915-16 French serial ''Film/LesVampires''. Musidora, the actress who played Irma, had been a circus acrobat and the catsuit is probably derived from her leotard and tights. |
| 148 | * ''Film/XMenFilmSeries'': |
| 149 | ** Both the male and female X-Men wear tight leather suits. The problem of mobility is pointed out in the DVD extra material by Creator/HughJackman as the suits created literal InsurmountableWaistHeightFence situations. |
| 150 | ** Also Lady Deathstrike from the [[Film/X2XMenUnited second film]]. |
| 151 | * Worn by Marianne Faithfull's main character Rebecca in the 1968 British film: ''Film/{{The Girl on a Motorcycle}}''. |
| 152 | [[/folder]] |
| 153 | |
| 154 | [[folder:Literature]] |
| 155 | * ''Literature/TheExecutioner'': A male example is Mack Bolan's blacksuit, worn not only to hide him in the dark but also for its psychological effect. |
| 156 | * Downplayed in the Literature/FederationOfTheHub story "The Searcher". Danestar Gems is an undercover operative who's introduced wearing a "fitted black coverall suit", but since it's part of her cover identity as a communications technician it's less flashy and more practical than a typical catsuit would be. For one thing, it has pockets. |
| 157 | * Creator/RobertWestall's ''Literature/FuturetrackFive'' has Keri's motorcycle leathers. Frequently a zipper away from becoming a NavelDeepNeckline and regularly employed as a means to distract male policemen. So often used, during her career as a Racer, that it gets referred to in-Verse as the Keri Roberts Victory Stretch And Yawn. |
| 158 | * Arya from ''Literature/InheritanceCycle'' wears a black, leather suit. Brings up some serious dissonance, because she's a vegetarian on the basis that she finds killing an animal for food cruel. |
| 159 | * ''Literature/IntoTheLookingGlass'': In ''Vorpal Blade'', Two Gun uses this to describe the skintight suits that [[PoweredArmor Wyvern]] operators have to wear when using their suits. |
| 160 | * M wears one on the cover of ''Literature/{{Lawless}}''. |
| 161 | * Pookie, a Pervect bodyguard from ''Literature/MythAdventures'', wears one of these as her work clothes, along with a short cape. How much this qualifies as FanService depends on whether the reader is into bald, rail-thin women with green scales. |
| 162 | * The Agency, from ''Literature/TheOtherKindofRoommate'', has a unit of Agents known 'as' suits. They specialize in this type of wear, which allows them to [[ChameleonCamouflage blend into plain sight]], and can apparently protect against everything from bullets to wizards. |
| 163 | * Shannon O'Reilly mocks the concept in the ''Literature/RedRoom'' series. Subverted when they are almost immediately killed by ''male'' agents wearing skintight magically enhanced camouflage gear. |
| 164 | * ''Franchise/StarWarsLegends'': |
| 165 | ** {{Lampshade|Hanging}}d in ''Literature/LegacyOfTheForce: Invincible''; [[ActionGirl Jaina Solo]] more-or-less complains about how the suit she stole from a GAG soldier is more suitable for someone trying to draw some attention to themselves: ''...a full size too small, and snug in all the wrong places for a woman trying to avoid attention.'' |
| 166 | ** We also have a straight example in [[ActionMom Mara Jade Skywalker]] — made even more obvious in the Japanese covers for the ''Literature/NewJediOrder'' novels as well as that of ''Sacrifice''. |
| 167 | * Mord-Sith in ''Literature/TheSwordOfTruth''. Skintight leather suits coming in brown, red, or white. At one point Richard sees one naked and notes the only difference is color. |
| 168 | * As pointed out below, these crop up a lot in ''Tabletopgame/Warhammer40000'' fiction. In {{Literature/Eisenhorn}} and Literature/{{Ravenor}} "bodygloves" are popular for both men and women. Inquisitor Amberley Vail wears something a lot like one to fit into and interface with her PoweredArmor, and the sight is enough to distract even Literature/CiaphasCain from the prospect of imminent danger... |
| 169 | * In the sixties, there were several novel series that blended spy fiction and sexploitation, with titles like ''The Miss From S.I.S.'' and ''The Lady From L.U.S.T.'' The covers naturally showed them in spy catsuits (when they weren't just in lingerie), with the cover blurb of the first ''Miss From S.I.S.'' book calling her "the swingingest secret agent that ever changed into something more comfortable than a trenchcoat!" |
| 170 | [[/folder]] |
| 171 | |
| 172 | [[folder:Live-Action TV]] |
| 173 | * ''Series/AgentsOfSHIELD'': In Season 1 and 2, this is largely averted with more practical outfits for most agents, though they ''do'' still achieve the look with Skye/Daisy Johnson wearing a FormFittingWardrobe of skinny jeans and a fitted fleece creating basically the CivvieSpandex version of this trope. After she undergoes her superhero origin, starting with Season 3 she switches to a more traditional spy catsuit, making her the only agent in the show to regularly wear one, though it's somewhat inferred to be in order to benefit her superpowers. The tightness of the suit was lampshaded by her actress Creator/ChloeBennet when the suit was first unveiled, as she tweeted about how much of a wedgie it gave her to wear it. |
| 174 | * Rather persistently averted in ''Series/{{Alias}}'', where any given spy is much more likely to be in nightclub wear. There are also episodes featuring camo Army-style getups, various forms of local ethnic costume, and tourist gear. Somewhat affected anyway in that nearly all these costumes end up being form-fitting and flattering. |
| 175 | * ''Series/TheAvengers1960s'' has the female lead, Emma Peel, and Cathy Gale before her, in this outfit frequently. It didn't [[https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/emma.jpg look so out of place]] in the '60s. She also had a purple one. |
| 176 | ** This was, essentially, the entire point behind the character. Her name alludes to it, even: Emma Peel ==> M. Appeal or Man Appeal. (Her original name was the less subtle 'Mantha Peel, but it was changed perhaps on account of being the unsexiest name in television history) |
| 177 | ** In later Emma Peel seasons, this ended up as a JustifiedTrope. Creator/DianaRigg insisted on switching from the black leather catsuit to a colored jersey version -- just as skintight, but far more practical for gymnastically kicking {{mooks}} in. |
| 178 | ** It worked in the '60s just because it was less {{Stripperiffic}} than modern versions, and looked like something a motorcycle-riding woman would wear. In fact, many male and female bikers wear something similar but more colourful right now. As time went on, catsuits began to shine, reveal, and tighten to the point of asphyxiation. |
| 179 | * The [[https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81TrVt4ZBxL._SL1500_.jpg DVD cover]] for the fourth season of ''Series/TheBigBangTheory'' features Penny in such an outfit. |
| 180 | * On ''Series/{{Castle|2009}}'', in "Undead Again", Rick and his daughter Alexis have been playing a single game of laser tag since she was five. At 18 and about to leave college, she tells him those days are over and she's grown out of it. Castle was already imminently quitting his adventures with Beckett and now realizes that he's losing his daughter as well. When she realizes how much she's hurt him, she later ambushes Castle, rappelling down from the ceiling in a catsuit to zap him. Cackling maniacally, she claims the whole thing was an act intended to catch him off-guard. |
| 181 | * Keira Cameron on ''Series/{{Continuum}}'' has one that was originally gold but plot developments changed it to the standard black in the first season. Unlike most examples, the suit contains a bunch of advanced technology that does give her a great advantage in a fight and the fanservice it provides seems more incidental. When the bad guys get their own catsuit later on they put it on their giant male leader instead of the attractive women on the team. |
| 182 | * ''Series/DoctorWho'': |
| 183 | ** Creator/JeanMarsh, as Sara Kingdom in the First Doctor era, wore an Emma Peel-style catsuit in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS3E4TheDaleksMasterPlan "The Daleks' Master Plan"]]. Her character was actually a bona fide spy, or at least an agent of a paramilitary organization. |
| 184 | ** Creator/WendyPadbury, as Zoe Heriot in the Second Doctor era, wore a sparkly catsuit, most famously in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS6E2TheMindRobber "The Mind Robber"]]. |
| 185 | ** Played with in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS30E15PlanetOfTheDead "Planet of the Dead"]]. Lady Christina de Souza's outfit looks like a catsuit at first glance but is actually a jacket, t-shirt, jeans, and boots. As a result, her outfit is actually more practical and less conspicuous than an actual catsuit would have been. |
| 186 | ** [[Recap/DoctorWhoS31E12ThePandoricaOpens "The Pandorica Opens"]]: While breaking into the Royal Collection, River Song wears a tight black outfit that shows off her cleavage. |
| 187 | * ''Series/HoneyWest'' often wore a bodystocking, predated many catsuits of the '60s, such as Emma Peel of the British Avengers TV series. |
| 188 | * In a ''Series/HowIMetYourMother'' ninth season flashback episode (most were), Robin is shown wearing a purple spy-type cat-suit and being referred to as a spy. Several fans spoofed this being because "Robin Scherbatsky" was a cover identity for S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Maria Hill. |
| 189 | * ''Series/IrmaVep'': Mira wears one as Irma Vep, slinking around in the outfit sensually. Then her ex Laurie has her show it too, as they flirt over how Mira looks wearing this. |
| 190 | * ''Series/{{JAG}}'': In "Straits of Malacca", Mac wears a special forces-style wetsuit when boarding a cargo ship. |
| 191 | * Parker in ''Series/{{Leverage}}'' is fond of these... ''under'' street clothes or bulky harnesses that provide pockets and carabiner loops. |
| 192 | * Wendy Watson in ''Series/TheMiddleman''. Actually, she wears one in the opening credits, but "The Obsolescent Cryogenic Meltdown" is the first episode in which she wore one within the episode. |
| 193 | * Music/EarthaKitt wore one in an episode of ''Series/MissionImpossible'' where she guest-starred as an acrobat-contortionist used by the IMF to crawl through the vents of a foreign embassy. |
| 194 | * In ''Series/{{NCIS}}'', [=McGee=] fantasizes about Kate in a catsuit in one episode. |
| 195 | * Kochanski in the ''Series/RedDwarf'' Season 7, Episode "Ouroboros" (later destroyed in "Duct Soup"). |
| 196 | * ''Series/SabrinaTheTeenageWitch'': |
| 197 | ** "Sabrina the Teenage Writer" - when Sabrina's spy novel comes to life, one of her characters [[PunnyName Vivian Soontodie]] appears in one of these. Libby mistakes her for Valerie[[note]]Sabrina based all the characters on her friends and so they are played by the same actors[[/note]] and mocks her for wearing a catsuit. Vivian kicks her. |
| 198 | ** In one of the novelizations, when her Aunt Vesta insists she'll pick Sabrina's prom dress, Sabrina panics at the thought that she'll be forced to wear one of these. She has a CatapultNightmare involving her nearly dying of asphyxiation while trying to dance in it. |
| 199 | * In ''Series/{{Smallville}}'', [[Characters/SupermanLoisLane Lois Lane]] once wore something like this complete with CombatStilettos while posing as the superheroine "Stiletto". She complained about the suit being uncomfortable and making squeaking sounds when she walked. |
| 200 | * ''Franchise/StarTrek'': |
| 201 | ** Seven of Nine and T'Pol aren't spies but still wear catsuits. {{Handwave}}d for Seven -- her part-Borg physiology required a specialised suit. Incredibly, T'Pol herself explained that her choice of clothing was largely based on her "appreciation for aesthetics". That's right, the MsFanservice StrawVulcan stated ''in-universe'' that she wore a catsuit purely out of vanity. |
| 202 | ** Deanna Troi (also not a spy) also wore them for much of the run of [[Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration TNG]], although she switched to a standard uniform in the sixth season. After this, she's occasionally still seen in the catsuits when off duty. |
| 203 | ** ''[[Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration TNG]]'' had an egregious example in the episode "Legacy". They arrive on a planet that's broken down into gang warfare where they meet Ishara Yar, the sister of [[KilledOffForReal deceased]] crew member Tasha Yar. Ishara is wearing a completely practical outfit given her situation. They beam her aboard and put her in a tight catsuit with matching phaser holster. |
| 204 | * Seen on Gugu Mbatha-Raw in the [[https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/undercovers_9089.jpg promo pics]] for ''Series/{{Undercovers}}''. |
| 205 | * One episode of ''Series/WalkerTexasRanger'' had the rangers break into a vault (for some reason). The relatively minor female ranger does it because "She's the only one that can fit into the stealth suit." |
| 206 | * Series/{{Wonder Woman|1975}} wore one on a couple of rare occasions in which it replaced her regular costume when she needed to go swimming (likely lampshading the fact that her regular costume ''was'' basically a swimsuit). It actually fits the trope name because, in the TV continuity, Diana Prince worked for a spy organization. |
| 207 | [[/folder]] |
| 208 | |
| 209 | [[folder:Music]] |
| 210 | * One of Music/BritneySpears' more {{Iconic Outfit}}s is the bright red catsuit she wore in the music video for [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CduA0TULnow "Oops!... I Did It Again".]] She also wore a black one in the video for [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOZuxwVk7TU "Toxic".]] |
| 211 | * September's backup dancers in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qux6PhqbBBU "Cry for You".]] |
| 212 | * Music/TaylorSwift: |
| 213 | ** In the video for [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcIy9NiNbmo "Bad Blood",]] catsuits are among the many skimpy outfits that she and her co-stars (including Music/EllieGoulding, [[Music/{{Paramore}} Hayley Williams]], Creator/CindyCrawford, and Martha Hunt) wear. Makes sense, since the video was based partly on spy movies. |
| 214 | ** The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIft-t-MQuE "...Ready for It?"]] video, meanwhile, has her in a white bodysuit as an homage to ''Anime/GhostInTheShell1995''. |
| 215 | * The stand-in Emma Peel in Music/{{XTC}}'s [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Da9sc6YDBo "Mayor of Simpleton".]] |
| 216 | [[/folder]] |
| 217 | |
| 218 | [[folder:Pinball]] |
| 219 | * Worn by Vanessa Kensington on the left slingshot bumper of ''Pinball/AustinPowers''. |
| 220 | * Worn by Natasha Romanoff, ''a.k.a.'' the Black Widow, in Creator/SternPinball's ''[[Pinball/IronManStern Iron Man]]'', and prominently featured on the sides of the backbox. |
| 221 | * In ''Pinball/SecretService'', the agents in the Capitol Building shootout are all wearing this. |
| 222 | [[/folder]] |
| 223 | |
| 224 | [[folder:Podcasts]] |
| 225 | * In ''Podcast/{{Jemjammer}}'', Cacophony has a red and black one for stealth missions. It pairs with black two-inch heels (as opposed to higher, glittery ones in her regular apparel). |
| 226 | [[/folder]] |
| 227 | |
| 228 | [[folder:Pro Wrestling]] |
| 229 | * In a more modest example, Wrestling/SashaBanks and Wrestling/AlexaBliss both wore catsuits instead of their usual ring gear to [[https://ftw.usatoday.com/2017/12/wwe-sasha-banks-alexa-bliss-abu-dhabi-ring-gear-bodysuit wrestle a match]] in the UAE. |
| 230 | * The Wrestling/BellaTwins wore sleeveless and backless catsuits around 2011, with cleavage to boot. |
| 231 | * Wrestling/TerriPoch wore an infamous one at ''[=WrestleMania=] XV'' for her match against Sable. She had planned to make her outfit look as if it were painted on, and the result is a massive OldShame for her. |
| 232 | * Speaking of {{Wrestling/Sable}} she was known for her tight leather catsuits too. However, she never wrestled in them. They were just for {{Fanservice}}. |
| 233 | * As to be expected, [[Wrestling/GailKim The Queen of Cats La Felina]] wrestled in a black catsuit. |
| 234 | [[/folder]] |
| 235 | |
| 236 | [[folder:Tabletop Games]] |
| 237 | * Frequent in ''TabletopGame/{{Infinity}}'', but justified in that anyone who's actually stealthy also has [[ChameleonCamouflage active camouflage]]. |
| 238 | * ''TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}}'' has the ''catskin leather'' magic armor, which is described as a "supple suit of jet-black... leather armor" that grants the wearer several cat-themed bonuses (bonus to Acrobatics and Stealth checks, halved falling damage, [[CatsHaveNineLives saving the wearer's life]] at the expense of [[ClothingDamage being destroyed]]). (It's also not actually [[MadeFromRealGirlScouts made of cat skin]]... although it probably could be if a player really wants.) |
| 239 | * Seen occasionally in ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000''. Several Eldar have one, but it's pretty much standard issue for the Officio Assassinorum agents of the Imperium. Some employ chameleonic mimicry abilities, others have no special reason apart from being fetish material. In one of the newer novels, this tendency is repeatedly lampshaded when several characters can't keep their eyes from the girl-assassin brought up by a rather [[KillItWithFire puritanical]] [[ChainsawGood sect]] who would most likely kill them if she had any idea why they looked at her like that... |
| 240 | ** And, of course, there's the Harlequins in their skin-tight acrobat leotard that emits hologram fields. |
| 241 | [[/folder]] |
| 242 | %% |
| 243 | %%[[folder:Theatre]] |
| 244 | %%* Maureen in ''Theatre/{{Rent}}''. |
| 245 | %%[[/folder]] |
| 246 | |
| 247 | [[folder:Video Games]] |
| 248 | * Catwoman in ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamCity'' gets special mention for sporting one of these with the [[NavelDeepNeckline zipper down]], showing off her MostCommonSuperpower [[ExposedToTheElements in sub-zero weather]]. |
| 249 | * ''VideoGame/BrownDustII'': '''Code Name S''' Scheherazade dons a tight black jumpsuit which outlines her decently shapely body and zips down to show she is not [[GoingCommando wearing a bra]]. |
| 250 | * The Spy unit in ''VideoGame/{{Civilization}} 4'' look like this, at least in the later eras. In elder times, she wears a robe and a false beard. |
| 251 | * ''VideoGame/ColdWinter'' has your partner, Kim, wearing a black one as she busts you out a Chinese prison in the first stage. She have a bunch of appearances throughout the game, but she ditches her catsuit after the initial stage and spends her remaining screentime in practical camo gear. |
| 252 | * Jenny sports a tight racing suit in ''VideoGame/DanceDanceRevolution''. |
| 253 | * In ''VideoGame/ADanceWithRogues'', you can purchase a number of different catsuits from [[TheMafia the Family]]'s fences, with the FlavorText actually stating that the Family provides them to operatives for important break-in jobs. This being a D&D-based fantasy setting, the catsuits are actually enchanted to confer numeric bonuses to stealth skills (as well as having a decent defense rating), making them a great alternative to regular clothes and armor. The only downside is that you cannot wear them in public, or [[DevelopersForesight the guards will identify you as a professional burglar on sight]]. While these regular catsuits don't have high heels, some high-level custom ones (like the Assassin's Waistcoat) do--but even then, their huge skill bonuses [[StatisticallySpeaking easily negate the high heels' -2 penalty on Move Silently skill]]. |
| 254 | * ''VideoGame/DeadOrAlive'' also features some catsuits for good measure, both male and female. Apart from Hayabusa's own catsuit (which debuted in this series in ''Ultimate''), the most popular ones are Christie's WHITE catsuit and Kasumi's ninja catsuit in [=DOA5=] (which looks pretty similar to Hayabusa's). Not to forget Tina's infamous LITERAL catsuit. |
| 255 | * Natalya wears one in the last location of ''VideoGame/DestroyAllHumans 2''. Lampshaded in one conversation, wherein Krypto asks her how she managed to fit in it. Her response? "Shoehorns and lubricant." |
| 256 | * ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'': |
| 257 | ** ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIDaggerfall Daggerfall]]'' features form-fitting "Khajit suits" as a clothing item that can be worn under outerwear and actual armor. They do not inherently have stealth bonuses, but it is possible to obtain and make enchanted ones that enhance stealth-related skills or allow the wearer to become invisible. |
| 258 | ** Downplayed by the [[MurderInc Dark]] [[PsychoForHire Brotherhood]] armor in ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIIMorrowind Morrowind]]''[='s=] ''Tribunal'' expansion. It is black and leathery, but it is still a bit bulkier than most examples of the trope. |
| 259 | ** Played straight by the Dark Brotherhood's armor in ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion Oblivion]]'', now called "Shrouded Armor", which takes this appearance on females and a {{Ninja}}-like appearance on males. |
| 260 | ** Shrouded Armor in ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim Skyrim]]'' looks much the same as it does in ''Oblivion'', but adds more red to its color palette. |
| 261 | * While the Film/JamesBond movies, as noted above, avert this trope, the Bond video game ''VideoGame/EverythingOrNothing'' plays it straight with the evil Bond girl Katya Nadanova (voiced by and [[InkSuitActor modeled after]] the supermodel Heidi Klum), who wears a shiny silver catsuit. |
| 262 | * ''Videogame/EvilGenius'' is a videogame in which [[VillainProtagonist you play]] as the eponymous [[BigBad Evil Genius]]. As the videogame is essentially a big parody of spy fiction the agents sent after you from the forces of justice are all very colorful and stereotypical, making this trope inevitable. |
| 263 | * ''VideoGame/{{Fallout}}'': |
| 264 | ** In the ''VideoGame/Fallout3'' DLC ''Operation: Anchorage'', one of the rewards for completing the simulation is the Chinese Stealth Armor, which gives the wearer a permanent [[InvisibilityCloak stealth field]] while sneaking. Although both male and female characters can equip it, the enemies who wear it are all males. Unlike most examples here, the Chinese Stealth Armor is a great asset to an infiltrator, which makes this a justification or subversion, depending on your angle. It is also present in ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'', although without its InvisibilityCloak capability. |
| 265 | ** The main game also has the Leather Armor, although it doesn't affect one's stealth stats, and the Recon Armor. |
| 266 | ** Averted by the Reinforced Leather Armor in ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'', whose male and female versions are equally modest. The Assassin Suit and Stealth Suit Mk II from the add-ons play this trope straight, as well as both increasing the player's Sneak skill, although the latter has [[HighlyVisibleNinja fluorescent white stripes]] giving it away. |
| 267 | ** ''VideoGame/Fallout4'''s Far Harbor DLC has the Marine Wetsuit. |
| 268 | * In ''VideoGame/GingaFukeiDensetsuSapphire'', the protagonists wear cutoff, short-sleeved police jackets over solid-color catsuits. |
| 269 | * ''VideoGame/HalfLife1'''s Black Operations females wore skintight suits. In fact, their breasts jiggled when they walked. It was removed in ''Opposing Force'', an expansion. It's also worth noting that the ''males'' wore skin-tight black, too. |
| 270 | * Agent 47 of ''VideoGame/Hitman2'' usually wears a suit and tie or some kind of low-key civilian outfit befitting his subtlety, but the intro mission Nightcall starts 47 off in an all-black wetsuit with a red zipper on the back instead. |
| 271 | * Unlocking the Intrigue outfit (by levelling all three of the Intrigue category's skills to at least 25) in ''VisualNovel/LongLiveTheQueen'' gives the player the option [[https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/longlivethequeen/images/2/2b/Catsuit.png/revision/latest?cb=20140119133504 to dress Elodie in one of these,]] complete with a [[HighClassGlass monocle.]] |
| 272 | * ''Franchise/MassEffect'': |
| 273 | ** [[FemmeFatale Miranda's]] outfit is initially something of a subversion, as it's actually white, but then later played straight as it's upgraded to black. Miranda's outfit also has a cutout in the front stopping right above her breasts that is not commonly seen on outfits of this type. The second Appearance Pack DLC lets players swap out the catsuit for a far more practical suit of Cerberus armor. |
| 274 | ** [[ClassyCatBurglar Kasumi]] has a similar outfit, but with less FanService. |
| 275 | ** Every Quarian ever wears a skintight bodysuit, though they have [[BizarreAlienBiology a reasonable excuse]]. |
| 276 | ** Seems to be the normal outfit of Asari Commandoes. "Commando leathers" are mentioned a few times in an explicitly fetishistic context. |
| 277 | ** The [[ColdSniper Nemesis]] and [[HighlyVisibleNinja Phantom]] Cerberus troops of ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'' are women dressed in these, in sharp contrast with other Cerberus soldiers who are men in PoweredArmor. |
| 278 | ** Ashley's alternate armor in 3 has some catsuit qualities to it. In the same game, there's Eva Coré, who's kitted out in the same catsuit as Miranda, which can then later be put on [[spoiler:EDI]] for no fathomable reason. |
| 279 | * The Mrrshan spy from the first ''VideoGame/MasterOfOrion'' game. |
| 280 | * In ''VideoGame/{{Mercenaries}} 2: World in Flames''. Jennifer Mui's last unlockable costume is a catsuit with cleavage nearly reaching her navel. She will drop a LampshadeHanging when she puts it on. The male characters get a yellow chicken costume instead. |
| 281 | * Strangely enough, in ''VideoGame/MetalGear'', the Spy Catsuit is the domain of male spies. The female spies get to wear proper camo, suits, [[https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/metalgear/images/a/a8/MerrylMGS4-2.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20080620064715 military uniforms]], or flight suits. The Boss starts out in a proper BDU but switches this for [[https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/metalgear/images/8/8f/E3-2011-metal-gear-solid-3ds-screens-20110607092303840.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20110928083247 a more "space age" type outfit.]] Eva in ''Metal Gear Solid 3'' plays this pretty straight though, complete with the front-zipper cleavage, which features prominently in first-person cutscenes. |
| 282 | ** The character designer for ''Metal Gear Solid'' admitted that Snake and Raiden's outfits, particularly Raiden's, were inspired by looking at bondage gear, probably an admission that it was an intended fetish. On the character art, he draws an arrow to Raiden's buttocks, [[MrFanservice explicitly pointing out where his underwear lines can be seen through his clothes]] -- it's subtly visible on the in-game model itself. |
| 283 | ** ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid4GunsOfThePatriots'' has the Beauty and the Beast Corps. Every last one of whom are wearing a full spandex (actually nanotech) bodysuit covering what appears to be a complete neck-to-toe '''see-through''' latex catsuit. What's even more notable was that this wasn't even intended at first. Originally, they were supposed to be stark naked, but they had to edit it to catsuits because it would have given ''Metal Gear Solid 4'' an Adult Only rating. |
| 284 | * ''Franchise/{{Metroid}}'''s Samus Aran has been wearing a bright blue catsuit dubbed the Zero Suit underneath her [[PoweredArmor Power Suit]] ever since ''VideoGame/MetroidZeroMission''. This being ''Metroid'', however, you only actually get to play as her in it in three games (one of them the aforementioned ''Zero Mission'', while VideoGame/MetroidOtherM gives it combat wedges despite a footnote from a prior appearance saying not to), though her look in the Zero Suit is a regular at the ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' games nowadays. |
| 285 | * In the original ''VideoGame/NinjaGaiden'' games, protagonist Ryu Hayabusa wears a traditional blue ninja outfit with no sleeves. The Xbox series changed this to a black outfit that is more in line with the trope (consisting of a tight-fitting synthetic bodysuit that wouldn't be out of place being worn by a modern espionage agent like [[VideoGame/SplinterCell Sam Fisher]] but retaining some trappings of the profession, such as ''tabi'') and given the title of "the Legendary Black Falcon". |
| 286 | * Cate Archer in ''VideoGame/NoOneLivesForever'' wears one of these on occasion, probably as an homage to Emma Peel, as the game is an irreverent take on Sixties spy fiction. |
| 287 | * ''VideoGame/{{Overwatch}}'': |
| 288 | ** As befitting her image as a FemmeFatale, Widowmaker rocks a skin-tight catsuit. |
| 289 | ** When not in her mech, [=D.Va=] wears a skin-tight suit evocative of many {{Super Robot|Genre}} outfits. |
| 290 | * Joanna Dark in ''VideoGame/PerfectDark'' and ''VideoGame/PerfectDarkZero''. |
| 291 | * ''Franchise/{{Persona}}'': |
| 292 | ** Mitsuru from ''VideoGame/Persona4Arena'' onward wears one underneath her [[PrettyInMink white fur]] [[BadassLongcoat coat]]. |
| 293 | ** ''VideoGame/Persona5'': Ann Takamaki wears a bright red skin-tight latex catsuit when engaging in PhantomThief activities. This is actually an InvokedTrope InUniverse, as the outfit manifests as a portrayal of the Persona user's personal image of rebellion (so the main character is a GentlemanThief, the uptight student council president gets biker gear, and so on), and for Ann, [[SoBeautifulItsACurse whose sex appeal has often made her a victim]], that's alluring FemmeFatale villainesses who use their looks as a weapon. One might think that it only makes her highly visible, restricts her movements (not helped by coming with [[CombatStilettos thigh-high boots with high heels]]), and provides no real physical protection while fighting Shadows, but A) It looks really cool, so who cares?, and B) Given that her catsuit is literally supernatural in origin, it might not quite have those problems to begin with. |
| 294 | * Both ''Videogame/PlanetSide 1'' and the sequel have infiltrators of both genders don a latex-like form-fitting suit that [[InvisibilityCloak allows them to cloak]]. The color schemes in the original game are subdued versions of the player's empire colors (red, blue, or purple) with heavy usage of dark grays, but the sequel goes all out and gives them [[TechnicolorNinjas brightly colored chest plates]] in the player's faction color. |
| 295 | * In ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil5'', [[spoiler:Jill Valentine]] sports a dark purple one while under Wesker's control. Even after she's free from Wesker's control, she still wears it when aiding Josh Stone in the ''Desperate Escape'' DLC due to not having time to change into anything else. She has subsequently appeared in it in ''Film/ResidentEvilAfterlife'' and ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom3''. |
| 296 | * The [[{{Ninja}} kunoichi]] [[MsFanservice Kasuga]] from ''VideoGame/SengokuBasara'' wears an especially {{stripperiffic}} black catsuit complete with some impressive NavelDeepNeckline. |
| 297 | * In ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'', Rouge the Bat has a tight suit complete with a [[ChainmailBikini heart breastplate]] and a sleeve covering her tail. Her outfit in ''VideoGame/SonicHeroes'' also qualifies. |
| 298 | * In ''VideoGame/SplinterCell'', the main character, a guy, wears a skintight black rubber suit. He often wears standard BDU pants on it, though. He is, after all, meant to be sneaking around silently, and often needs to fit through small spaces or perform acrobatic feats which would be made difficult with standard fatigues. Fisher also wears flak jackets and other types of body armor [[http://www.the-nextlevel.com/features/events/pandora-tomorrow-world-premiere/sam-fisher.jpg over the spysuit.]] |
| 299 | * The Ghosts in ''Franchise/StarCraft'' got the [[http://images.wikia.com/starcraft/images/7/71/Ghost_SC-G_Cncpt1.jpg Hostile Environment Suit]], which is designed to act like a wetsuit while being undetectable by thermal sensors. It also supports [[InvisibilityCloak Personal Cloaking]]. |
| 300 | * ''VideoGame/StreetFighterIV'': C. Viper, a CIA DoubleAgent wears a black catsuit with a [[SexyBacklessOutfit heart-shaped cutout]] in the back as one of her alternate outfits. |
| 301 | * The Abyss Ranger alternate costume set in ''VideoGame/TalesOfTheAbyss'' dresses everyone in the party up in these. They sort of look like sexy Power Rangers. Except Anise. She just looks awesome. |
| 302 | * Quite a lot of the outfits for Nina Williams from ''Franchise/{{Tekken}}'' are spy catsuits, given that she's an assassin. |
| 303 | * Emma wears one in the visual novel ''VisualNovel/TogainuNoChi'', although it's hidden beneath her long red coat when she first appears. |
| 304 | * A few of the ''Franchise/TombRaider'' games have Lara in a catsuit. |
| 305 | * Immorta from ''VideoGame/TheWonderful101'' sports one with a heart-shaped breastplate. |
| 306 | [[/folder]] |
| 307 | |
| 308 | [[folder:Web Animation]] |
| 309 | * Natasha wears a high-tech black one when she goes into action as a secret agent in ''WebAnimation/PrincessNatasha''. |
| 310 | * ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'': In "Dance Dance Infiltration", Cinder dons a very tight, cleavage-revealing catsuit to break into the communication tower. Her plan seems to have been to [[DistractedByTheSexy distract the guards with her provocative outfit]] and not to actually be even remotely stealthy. The addition of [[CombatStilettos high-heeled boots]] helps, though she's not as hindered by them as Ruby Rose (who fought to try and stop her while still in her dance outfit). |
| 311 | [[/folder]] |
| 312 | |
| 313 | [[folder:Webcomics]] |
| 314 | * ''Webcomic/AxeCop'' wears a catsuit on night missions... [[http://axecop.com/comic/ask-axe-cop-67/ To actually pretend being a cat.]] |
| 315 | * ''Webcomic/BoundAdventures'' takes place in a dominatrix-themed world, and this outfit is worn more often than even corsets. |
| 316 | * ''Webcomic/ByTheBook'': Orc rogue Kazu's outfit. |
| 317 | * ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'': Trelawney Thorpe, an English spy, rips off her elaborate full-length dress to reveal a far more practical green catsuit underneath. |
| 318 | * ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'' uses the second type of subversion during the ''Painted Black'' arc, where three female characters are put into brightly-colored catsuits for an infiltration/rescue mission. This is only clear in the colored strips, though, not the standard black-and-white artwork. Justified for Grace at least by being Uryuom worker suits, which are [[MySuitIsAlsoSuper designed to facilitate shapeshifting]]. |
| 319 | * Averted in ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'': While Haley inexplicably dons black leather in her role as sneaky leader of the Azure City Resistance, it actually is LESS revealing than her normal day-to-day outfit. |
| 320 | * Thae of ''Webcomic/OverlordAcademy'' is wearing one of these in her first appearance. |
| 321 | * Kestrel dons a black vinyl catsuit...in her fantasy in the toy store in an early ''Webcomic/QueenOfWands'' strip. |
| 322 | * In ''Webcomic/ScaryGoRound'', Fallon Young, sexy (but bungling) international superspy, usually wears a catsuit, as other characters have been known to note admiringly. |
| 323 | * When Zoe from ''Webcomic/SluggyFreelance'' tries spying on the cloner nerds, she dons one of these suits, seemingly because that's just what you do when you spy. [[http://www.sluggy.com/daily.php?date=050627 It doesn't keep her from getting found out]] but it does have [[http://www.sluggy.com/daily.php?date=050628 other]] [[http://www.sluggy.com/daily.php?date=050630 uses]]. |
| 324 | -->'''Bill:''' Oh no, Phil! I left this Project Mindswarm dossier out on the floor!\ |
| 325 | '''Phil:''' Gee, Bill! I hope nobody spies on it!\ |
| 326 | '''Zoe:''' ''I am not putting on my spy clothes!'' |
| 327 | * In the Future Developments arc of ''Webcomic/{{SSDD}}'' Tessa wears a [[http://www.poisonedminds.com/d/20020408.html dark grey catsuit]] that's implied to provide some protection (though an Inlay's bullet penetrates it easily), and as she's putting it on she complains about how tight it is and that Dr. Cook only designed it so he could see her tits when she wore it. |
| 328 | * In the highly NSFW ''Tales of Gnosis College'', Ashley Madder wears one of these (explicitly modeled on the ''maillot de soie'' worn by Irma Vep in ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Les_Vampires Les Vampires]]'') to infiltrate Professor Corwin's laboratory. |
| 329 | [[/folder]] |
| 330 | |
| 331 | [[folder:Web Original]] |
| 332 | * Deconstructed in [[http://www.cracked.com/article_18591_the-5-most-impractical-aspects-superhero-costumes_p2.html this]] ''Website/{{Cracked}}'' article, co-written by a professional cosplayer who knows first-hand how impractical they actually are (no storage space, material doesn't breathe, etc.) |
| 333 | * [[GentlemanThief Jeremy Archer]] from ''Literature/ShadowOfTheTemplar'' wears one while he's "working". [[MrFanservice It's slick material and skintight]]. While [[FBIAgent Simon]] doesn't approve of Jeremy's job, he ''does'' [[DatingCatwoman approve of the catsuit]]. |
| 334 | * Reach of the ''Literature/WhateleyUniverse'' wears one by the end of her introductory story. It's built by a deviser so it has all kinds of utility, even increasing her natural superpowers. She eventually gets [[LesYay her girlfriend Spark]] (the inventor) in one too. |
| 335 | * A ''WIRED'' [[https://youtu.be/mUqeBMP8nEg?t=1562 video]] has Jonna Mendez, a former CIA Chief of Disguise, discusses and dismisses the notion of a spy catsuit, saying that a CIA operative would not be caught dead in one of them. |
| 336 | [[/folder]] |
| 337 | |
| 338 | [[folder:Western Animation]] |
| 339 | * ''WesternAnimation/AeonFlux'' wore an even less practical outfit on her missions. [[https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Aeon%20Flux.jpg It must be seen to be disbelieved.]] Turns out all Monicans wear this. |
| 340 | * The catsuits on ''WesternAnimation/TheAmazingSpiez'' has some parts that are black, but the rest of the suit is brightly coloured. They also include shoulder and knee pads, unlike their predecessors. |
| 341 | * Talia al Ghul's outfit of choice in ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries''. Also Characters/{{Catwoman|SelinaKyle}}'s preferred outfit. |
| 342 | * Catwoman in ''WesternAnimation/TheBatman'' wears a black leather one. Oddly, Joker of all people seems to wear one under his tux. |
| 343 | * In the ''Dial M For Monkey'' shorts on ''[[WesternAnimation/DextersLaboratory Dexter's Laboratory]]'', the eponymous Monkey's Emma Peel-ish sidekick/[[{{Squick}} love interest]] Agent Honeydew wore one of these. |
| 344 | * Viper from ''WesternAnimation/JackieChanAdventures''. Even if she's a [[InsistentTerminology ex-super thief]], she still wears it. |
| 345 | * ''WesternAnimation/KimPossible'': |
| 346 | ** Notably for a show about an ActionGirl, this trope is used very sparingly with the main character. Kim's usual mission wear is more practical, although in the early seasons, it bares her midriff. A "Stealth Suit" is introduced in the second season but is only used once. Also, the overweight GadgeteerGenius Wade wears [[FanDisservice one of his own]]. |
| 347 | ** A [[ClothesMakeTheSuperman "battle suit"]] is also introduced in the SeriesFauxnale [[WesternAnimation/KimPossibleMovieSoTheDrama movie]], but [[HoldingBackThePhlebotinum it was retired]] in the PostScriptSeason because it was too much of a GameBreaker. Her [[RelationshipUpgrade best friend-turned-boyfriend]] Ron also wears it once, but he's slim and [[TheCutie cute enough]] that it doesn't veer into FanDisservice territory. The same cannot be said for [[MadScientist Professor Dementor]] and her cousin Larry, who also puts the suit on. |
| 348 | ** Her DarkActionGirl nemesis Shego plays this trope straight. |
| 349 | * ''WesternAnimation/KaBlam'': In ''Life with Loopy'', Loopy's mom wears a blue one in the short "Secret Agent Mom". |
| 350 | * Dr. Wakeman wears one in an episode of ''WesternAnimation/MyLifeAsATeenageRobot''. Its skintight nature is meant more for laughs than for fanservice, as it emphasizes her rear more than anything else; she needs to take off the mask in order for her to be recognizable. |
| 351 | * ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'': |
| 352 | ** "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS2E16ReadItAndWeep Read It and Weep]]" sees Rainbow Dash wearing one when trying to [[ItMakesSenseInContext sneak back into the Ponyville Hospital in order to retrieve a Daring Do book]]. Since her ''rainbow-colored'' tail is ''not'' covered by the suit, she ends up being {{highly visible|Ninja}}, and hilarity ensues... |
| 353 | ** In "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS2E20ItsAboutTime It's About Time]]", Twilight, Pinkie, and Spike each don into one in order to sneak into the Canterlot Archives. |
| 354 | ** Pinkie dons one again at the beginning of "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS3E1TheCrystalEmpirePart1 The Crystal Empire – Part 1]]", with ''VideoGame/SplinterCell''-style NightVisionGoggles. |
| 355 | ** Fluttershy dons her own spysuit (fan-named dangerous mission suit) in "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS3E5MagicDuel Magic Duel]]". [[RuleOfCute Hers comes with bunny ears]]. |
| 356 | * ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb'': Candace, Stacy, and Jenny wear them in "[[Recap/PhineasAndFerbPhineasAndFerbBusters Phineas and Ferb-Busters!]]". |
| 357 | * Standard day-to-day wear for Agent K in ''WesternAnimation/TheReplacements''. |
| 358 | * ''WesternAnimation/SabrinaTheAnimatedSeries'' had an episode that parodied the spy genre, where Sabrina accidentally casts a spell that makes them live out Harvey's favourite spy movie. She ends up in a black bodysuit that appears to be a ShoutOut to Emma Peel of ''The Avengers'' - although thankfully the more practical variant mentioned above since Sabrina is only twelve in this version. It can of course be hand waved as part of the spell (since Harvey's umbrella can magically deflect ice lollies fired out of a gun). |
| 359 | * The Daughters of Aku from ''WesternAnimation/SamuraiJack'' wear skintight black bodysuits when hunting for Jack... [[spoiler:or so it appears; it's actually a layer of soot and ash that had been burned into their skin since childhood, and it takes Ashi a full night and scrubbing with a rock to clean it off as part of her GoodCostumeSwitch.]] |
| 360 | * ''WesternAnimation/ScoobyDooMysteryIncorporated'': Angel Dynamite wears when she breaks into Destroido in "Menace of the Manticore". Later, Velma and Marcie wear matching suits while trying to steal Baba Yaga's hut. |
| 361 | * ''WesternAnimation/TotallySpies'': |
| 362 | ** The uniform worn by the three teenage girl spies is a shiny plastic catsuit. The stealth part of the trope is usually subverted, as each suit is of a unique bright color (Sam wears green, Alex wears yellow, and Clover wears red). At other times, the suits can change appearance to look like more ordinary clothing, subverting the skintight aspect of the trope. And yes, they come with [[CombatStilettos high heels]]. |
| 363 | ** In one episode, one of their gadgets is a "literal" catsuit, a skintight black suit with cat ears on the hood. It was specifically designed to give the wearer the nimbleness of a cat. |
| 364 | * The usual outfit of Kitty from ''WesternAnimation/TUFFPuppy''. Bonus points since she's, y'know, a cat. |
| 365 | * Molotov Cocktease from ''WesternAnimation/TheVentureBros'' Subversion No. 3 is played in the 3rd Season finale when she shows up to help Brock and the Venture family while wearing her "off-duty" getup. |
| 366 | * Hailey and Bonnie wear these in the obscure Nickelodeon shorts, ''Weird Answer Kommand'', befitting WAK's status as a "secret" government organization. |
| 367 | * The [[WesternAnimation/WinxClub Winx]] don these in ''WesternAnimation/WorldOfWinx''. |
| 368 | [[/folder]] |
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/context.php
FollowingContext Main / SpyCatsuit
Go To
- Show Spoilers
- Night Vision
- Sticky Header
- Wide Load
