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If you're like most guys, your underwear is a vehicle for protection, warmth, and privacy. That's about it. These 15 men are here to remind you that it can also transform you into a villain, a sex god, and a superhero if it's worn with style and revealed in the right moment. We're not saying you shouldn't wear pants tomorrow, but maybe it's time to think twice about what's in your underwear drawer?
Marky Mark in a Calvin Klein Ad, 1992
This Herb Ritts–photographed series of Mark Wahlberg in all his badass, Boston-kid glory still stands as one of the most memorable advertising campaigns of all time.
Tom Cruise in Risky Business, 1983
Yuppie adolescent naughtiness will forever be epitomized by Tom Cruise dancing in his underwear to "Old Time Rock and Roll" in his parents’ empty mansion in Risky Business.
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Tupac on stage in Chicago, 1994
The pants-sagging trend of the ’90s was a huge moment for boxers, and no one pulled off the look better than chiseled, tattooed rapper Tupac Shakur.
Malcolm McDowell in A Clockwork Orange, 1971
In Stanley Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange, Malcolm McDowell and his crew wore jockstraps on the outside of their pants. As violent sociopaths do.
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Alexander Skarsgård at the MTV Movie Awards, 2016
Alexander Skarsgård isn't the first person to strip down at an awards show in order to get a little bit of attention, but his classy take on the schtick was memorable.
Michael Keaton in Birdman, 2014
Michael Keaton's wigged-out loop through Times Square in his underwear in Birdman is the panic-attack GIF to end all panic-attack GIFs.
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Sting in Dune, 1984
Sting in his falcon briefs, with his bright-orange hair, is exactly what a guy in an '80s movie—set on another planet 21,000 years in the future—should look like.
Christian Bale in American Psycho, 2000
Perfectly pressed white boxer shorts will always make us think of Patrick Bateman, the investment banker, serial killer, and superfan of Huey Lewis and the News in American Psycho.
Kirk Alyn in Superman, 1948
Lots of superheroes rock their underwear on the outside, but Superman's red briefs, worn over a blue leotard since way back in the ’30s, are by far the most iconic.
Mike Myers in Wayne’s World, 1992
Mike Myers' parody of "Happy Birthday, Mr. President" in Wayne's World, performed while wearing tighty whities and his girlfriend's lacy bra, is teenage-boy humor at its finest.
David Beckham in an H&M Ad, 2012
A commercial for David Beckham's first bodywear collection for H&M debuted during the Superbowl half-time show in 2012. America was forever changed.
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Channing Tatum & Co. in Magic Mike XXL, 2015
There are more underwear scenes in Magic Mike XXL than ones where the actors are clothed. Of the naked moments, the American-flag G-string dance is by far the most ridiculous.
Tim Curry in The Rocky Horror Picture Show, 1975
Tim Curry plays a damn good villain. His performance as murderer/hedonist Dr. Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show, wearing full-on trashy lingerie, was early proof.
Justin Bieber in a Calvin Klein Ad, 2015
Justin Bieber's big, Marky Mark–inspired Calvin Klein ad campaign was met with mixed reviews. We'd venture a guess that a portion of those who hated it were probably just jealous?
Michael J. Fox in Back to the Future, 1985
It wasn't a big, splashy ad campaign, but Marty McFly's purple Calvins in Back to the Future are an icon of the '80s. Along with acid-wash jeans and shoulder pads.
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