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I'm working on my first straight superhero in, what, 13 years of Heroes Unlimited playing (usually, I play some sort of miscellaneous superpowered being for Rifts or something...), and he's gonna be called the Silver Serpent.

Basically, he's an electrical engineering grad student who took up "heroing" when his research project was stolen. I'm thinking the project may have been to create a room temperature superconductor using an experimental silver compound. He would have been working late, when some thugs (or other such hirelings) who were hired by a corporation that was conducting similar research barge in to steal his work. He tried to fight back, but the thugs, doing what thugs do, overpower him, then force him to drink the latest version of his compound. He recovered (of course!) and discovered he had heightened reflexes and could convert himself into a being of pure silver (and maybe another power or two, still ironing it out).

He calls himself the Silver Serpent, not necessarily due to snakelike qualities, but mostly due to his fluidlike agility (I'm picturing something like a cobra that's ready to strike, and how agile the suckers can be).

I'm trying to think of a decent costume idea, something that wouldn't be idiotic or TOO derivative.

Hmm...if he's solid silver to start with, you probably want to keep the costume simple. And you want to emphasise his agility and cobra-like striking speed...

How about a simple black gi (or 'martial arts pyjamas' if you prefer), but cut off at the elbow and knee, exposing the lower arms/legs ('cause you probably want to show off the intimidating 'being made of silver' thing).
Add a scarlet, stylised belt (in the shape of a serpent, natch) for a dash of colour. Combined, this says "bad-@ss martial arts fighter, but with added weird metal skin - probably should surrender now".

To preserve the secret identity (I'm assuming that when transformed, he looks the same, just silver), add a hood to the gi, with a domino-type mask underneath - kind of like Green Arrow's arrangement in Smallville, with the mask in place of hi-tech shades.

Simple, feasible to cobble together on a modest budget, easy to move in, pretty memorable.

For some odd reason, I immediately started thinking of Batman vs Dracula and Dracula's cloak. The streamers remind me very much of a nest of cobras, could be used to conduct electricity or whatnot, and might also serve as distractions.

It's not so much as a "costume" as it is an accessory.

I immediately think of a hood that extends over the shoulders, done in black, with black boots extending to just above the knee, black gauntlets, and a wide black belt over a tan or silver snakeskin body suit or leotard, depending on how much skin you want to show. You could add a dmoino mask as well, depending on how classic a superhero look you are going for.

If he is calling himself silver serpent, silver should probably be the dominant color. Some kind of hood or hooded mask like the old Bushmaster would probably fit with this idea. If you get gliding, that can factor into the costume as underwebs.
CES

From the ideas that I've read so far, the hood is almost a must IMO - thinking along the lines of the "hood of a cobra"...colors black and red go best with silver...some good ideas already posted