Spider-Tracer: Boomerang’s 10 Best Costumes

Hello, and welcome back, Spider-Man fans! It’s good to see you again. As I’m sure plenty of you know, this month marks the return of Tom Holland’s Spider-Man to theaters. Of course, with Spider-Man’s return, we’re going to see some new characters on the big screen for the first time, and among them is Fred Meyers, aka Boomerang! With that in mind, I thought we’d take a look at several costumes he’s worn over the years (keep in mind, I’m only counting main continuity). I’ll be ranking these costumes from worst to best. We’ll begin with his…

 Comeback

Bonding with the symbiote known as Passenger, Boomerang calls himself Comeback in “Web of Venom” #1. While the design is nice, nothing about it really screams Boomerang. It simply looks like a Venom or Spider-Man costume, but definitely not the criminal known as Boomerang.

Outback

Joining a Norman Osborn-corrupted Initiative, Boomerang became a “hero” known as Outback in “Avengers: The Initiative” #28. I know that this costume’s mission was to make Boomerang look like a hero to the public, but, to me, it looks like a take on the Captain Britain costume. Not an awful design, just not something that screams Boomerang to me (again, that was the point, but still).

Purple and Black

This costume is… so, so boring. It’s mostly black, with a purple “v” shape on the chest that’s meant to be a boomerang. This costume looks more like something Hawkeye would wear. And, to be honest, I really don’t like the gigantic, overly designed boomerangs that this costume is associated with. This costume first showed up in the mini-series,”The Amazing Spider-Man Presents: Jackpot”.

Assassins Guild

Fred used this design while working for the Assassins Guild in “X-Force: Sex and Violence” #s 2 and 3, and, yeeeeesh, that helmet… The boomerangs sticking up on the back for easy access aren’t a bad idea; in fact, his modern design utilizes a similar design element, but, alas, any good in this costume design is offset by that horrible, hideous helmet. How’s that for some alliteration, folks? While one boomerang on the head is good, that doesn’t mean two will be even better (especially when on the sides of the head!). But hey, at least you can tell this is Boomerang.

1^st Costume

First appearing in “Tales to Astonish” #81 as an enemy of the Hulk, Boomerang wore… this little number. While this is, in my opinion, a terrible design for Boomerang, thankfully, it doesn’t make him look like someone he’s not. This costume equips Fred with throwing discs that were supposed to help him cash in on his baseball skills (Fred played professionally until he was caught for taking bribes). Unfortunately, it’s not really a look that fits his villainous moniker. The Secret Empire really needed to try harder when they came up with this design. That said, I really hope Boomerang gets to fight the Hulk at some point in “Spider-Man: Brand New Day”, as that was his original adversary, and it would be a great throwback to the comics!

3^rd Costume

In “Tales to Astonish” #87, Fred updates his costume a second time. The throwing discs are moved to the torso and no longer on the sleeves, which are puffy again (as is the torso). Unfortunately, I think the puffy sleeves and torso hold this costume back from having a higher spot; this design was, to me, a step backwards. Fortunately, the headgear is better than the first costume’s design. He’s also returned to the red and white color scheme, which I actually do like, but it’s a costume element absent from Fred’s future costumes.

2^nd Costume

For Fred Myer’s fist costume upgrade, which first showed up in “Tales to Astonish” #86, he got rid of the puffy costume elements, which puts this miles above his first and third costumes. This look still has the throwing discs on the sleeves, of the costume, but hey, at least the puffiness is gone. Purple is a good look for Boomerang, which he added here, and would readopt later on. Also, I think that this helmet is a slightly better design than the first.

WWII

While time traveling with the Thunderbolts, Boomerang wore this number in “Thunderbolts” #164. I think it’s a great look that really fit the time period he and his teammates were in, but in the long run, there are a few designs that were a better fit for Fred.

Modern

Here, in the number two spot, we have Fred’s modern design, which he first began wearing in “Thunderbolts” #157 as part of the Underbolts division of the main Thunderbolts team. Fred kept the Thunderbolts belt logo for quite a long time, even after he left the team, which was a nice throwback to this costume’s roots. The costume incorporates many boomerang shapes into its design, as we can see on its chest, boots, gloves and even visor. I have no doubts that his wearing this during the well-received “Superior Foes of Spider-Man” is why this costume is so fondly remembered. A costume inspired by this version will be what fans see on July 31, 2026 when the film, “Spider-Man: Brand New Day”, premiers, and it’s the look Hasbro used when they first made a Marvel Legends figure of him.

The Purples and Blues

This is the look I picture whenever I think of Boomerang, which first showed up in the pages of “Iron Fist” #13. The boomerangs are in an ornate pattern mostly on the torso for easy grabbing and flinging. There’s also no mistaking who this character is! This was the costume Boomerang wore when he first joined the Sinister Syndicate. It’s also the look he wore when teaming up with the Beetle, Spymaster, Blizzard, and Blacklash in the pages of “The Invincible Iron Man”. Marvel Legends is finally making a figure with Boomerang in this costume to complete both villainous teams, which you can pre-order from Wal*Mart on July 23^rd on their site at 1PM EST. It’s my hope that Boomerang will eventually return to this look one day.

Did your favorite Boomerang costume make the list? Either way, let me know what yours is in the comments section below!