A cape is an article of
clothing, and can be used
to describe any sleeveless outer garment, such as a
poncho, but usually it
is a long garment that covers only the back half of the
wearer, fastening about the neck of the wearer. They were
common in medieval Europe, and have periodic returns to
fashion, for example in
nineteenth century Europe. They remain in regular use as
rainwear in various military units and police forces, for
example in France and the United Kingdom. Perhaps for this
reason, capes became associated with fascism in Italy during
the 1920s. A gas cape was a voluminous military garment
designed to give rain protection to someone wearing the
bulky gas masks used in twentieth century wars.
Superheroes,
vampires, and the like are often depicted wearing capes,
and they are therefore sometimes adopted by those with superheroic
or vampiric pretensions. Capes also turn up as a plot point
in the animated film The Incredibles. In said movie, certain
varieties of capes have transformative powers, allowing
the wearer to posses superhero-like abilities such as flight.
More notably in the The Incredibles, is a scene in which
the main character lists off characters who died in comical
ways as a result of their wearing
a cape.