A threat from all-American superheroes Superman, Wonder Woman and Batman to boycott emergency incidents in Virginia has forced politicians in the southern US state to ditch their planned ban on clothing which reveals the wearer’s underwear. The so-called ‘Droopy Drawers’ proposal had already passed the state’s Lower House, but Senators quickly buried the Bill when the superheroes threatened to strike because they could face $50 fines for their outfits.

The Bill was designed to penalise people who wore their pants too low, exposing their underpants, boxer shorts or G-strings in a “lewd or indecent manner”.

But superheroes said the Bill discriminated against their long-held practice of wearing their underwear on the outside of their clothes.

About 25 superheroes — also including the Fantastic Four — picketed outside the parliamentary building, carrying signs reading, “Proud to wear my underwear on the outside” and “Fashion freedom for freedom fighters”.

“I’m here to fight for truth, justice and the American way,” Superman said. “The only American way I know is to wear my underwear outside my super-suit. You can’t take away that right.

“Besides, my super powers wouldn’t be nearly as effective if I had to wear my clothes the other way around. Wearing my underpants on the outside gives ‘my boys’ the freedom they need so that I can leap tall buildings in a single bound.

“And when you’re having to change really quickly in a phone booth, it’s just an awful lot easier to stick your underpants on over your tights.”

Wonder Woman said she had had pressure groups trying to change her fashion sense before but vowed never to bow to the pressure.

“First the feminists wanted me to burn my bra. You try running around saving the city without a bra — I can tell you, it hurts. Besides, the bouncing is really hard to animate — and too distracting for the male viewers,” she said.

“And now Virginia wants us to just throw in our entire superhero history and wear our underwear on the inside. It ain’t gonna happen. Just imagine the chafing we’d have to put up with.

“When you’re hanging off a bridge screaming for help with some evil bastard stepping on your fingertips, you don’t want me stopping to scratch and pull my underpants out of my bum, let me tell you.”

Batman was on side with his fellow superheroes, shyly admitting that changing his outfit to meet the proposed law could have seen him face a problem few men have to deal with.

“These spandex suits are pretty damn tight, you know,” he said. If I wear my underwear beneath my Batsuit, it’s not gonna be a good look — haven’t these people heard of visible panty line!

“The other advantage, of course, is that if the Penguin really gets me scared and I have an accident, at least my underwear is still clean.”