This past weekend, pop culture fans from all over descended upon San Diego, CA for Comic-Con, the largest convention in the world dedicated to comic books, genre entertainment, and general geekery.
But don’t get it twisted: Just because many Comic-Con goers self-identify as nerds, that doesn’t mean they can’t be smokin’ hot nerds.
One of the annual conventions great traditions is cosplay, a portmanteau of “costume play”—which is to say, it’s about dressing up as one’s favorite characters from movies, video games, comics, etc… It’s basically drag!
And, lucky us, there are a whole host of superheroes (and other eccentric pop personas) with bulging muscles and revealing wardrobes, meaning the cosplay at Comic-Con can get pretty revealing.
With that in mind, we’ve assembled a collection of photos showcasing the best of the festivities, from skin-tight Spandex to big-time Ken-ergy to a surprisingly hot interpretation of the robot WALL-E (yes, really!).
Click through to see Comic-Con’s most snatched cosplayers that definitely had us sweating underneath our capes.
Ken
Coincidentally, cosplay invaded movie theaters across the country this past weekend, too, with audiences donning their pretty, pink best to see the biggest movie of the year, Barbie. Still, one of the best Kens we spotted—giving Ryan Gosling a run for his money—was this Comic-Con cutie who had the bod and the blades to exude big, big Kenergy.
Wolverine & Storm
For those that like their men a furrier than a smooth plastic doll, you can’t go wrong with Wolverine. Granted, this isn’t the hairiest take on the mutant hero we’ve ever seen, but the guy sure does have the muscles to pull it off—not to mention, he looks great in those distressed denim jeans. What a bub babe!
Roman Gladiator
We’re definitely getting Spartacus from this gladiatorial gun show. It could be the protective arm covering—which was period accurate—or it could be the visible briefs, giving the look a homoerotic vibe that was very apparent on scintillating Starz series
Aquaman, Take 1
It takes some real (fish) guts to cop the style of Jason Momoa’s burly, bearded Aquaman from the DC Universe, but this cosplayer sure has the long locks and the Spandex-stretching muscles to do the Justice League member justice.
Aquaman, Take 2
For a different spin on the aquatic hero, this Comic-Con enthusiast evokes a newer, younger (queerer!) version of the character, Jackson Hyde, a.k.a. Aqualad. But don’t worry, they’ve still got the muscles to fill out the wetsuit.
Indiana Jones
In a group shot of Indiana Jones cosplay, this particular take on Indy turned our “dials of destiny” all the way up to 11. This guy’s got that Harrison Ford smolder down—and we’re ready to grab our whips.
Thor & Thanos
Thor’s always had the biceps of a god, but even he looks small next to the hulking Thanos. Do you think they’ve ever explored each other’s infinity gauntlets?
WALL-E & EVE
On one hand, this is an adorable couples costume idea. On the other hand, *SYSTEM OVERLOAD* who is that gorgeous man, and how is he possibly making us think an animated trash compactor robot is sexy???
The Matrix‘s Morpheus
Nobody—and we truly mean nobody—can pull off small round sunglasses quite like Laurence Fishburn’s Morpheus in The Matrix, but this cosplayer’s really making it work because he truly looks like the spitting image of the esteemed (and handsome) actor.
Silver Surfer
Okay, eerie prosthetic eye coverings and bald cap aside, this dude’s body is out-of-this-world, making him a great fit for intergalactic hero, The Silver Surfer. You could bounce a silver nickel off those abs!
Encanto‘s Luisa
Remember when we said cosplay is like another form of drag? Well, sometimes it is drag, like in the case of this Con attendee who got all dolled up but still had to flex on all of us as Encanto‘s Luisa, the eldest Madrigal sister with superhuman strength. This guy can benchpress our ass any day!
Daddy Cyclops & Wolverine
Do you like your superheroes with a little bit of salt and pepper? Then check out these seasoned festival-goers’ more mature take on the X-Men characters.
The Legend Of Zelda‘s Link
And for all of you out there who would like to play a little Super Smash Bros. with The Legend Of Zelda‘s Twink Link, here’s an elf-like cutie with a plunging neckline and a sweet smile.
Twisted Metal‘s Sweet Tooth
As long as you’re not deathly afraid of clowns (and, our sincere apologies if you are), maybe you wouldn’t mind clowning around with Sweet Tooth from the Twisted Metal video games and upcoming Peacock series? He’s got a delicious dad bod and an obvious thing for bondage gear, so we bet he’d take you for a spin in the clown car.
Guardians Of The Galaxy‘s Groot & Star-Lord
Oh, sure, that’s a very cute and well crafted Groot costume, but we were too distracted by this dashing Star-Lord who’s rocking that red leather jacket and a pretty spot-on helmet (which we’re glad he decided to take off).
Breaking Bad‘s Walter White
Okay, we admit it: We had a thing for bald-headed Bryan Cranston whenever he growled his way through dialogue as “Heisenberg” in Breaking Bad. So maybe that’s why this cosplay is really doing it for us, right on down to the way he looks to be reluctantly enjoying his chocolate-covered treat.
Moana‘s Maui
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s demi-god character was a total snack, but we love this cosplayer for giving us the whole d*mn meal, complete with what appears to be real tattoos. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that he’s stumping for the Screen Actor’s Guild and everyone on strike against the studios and unfair wages in the entertainment industry.
Campy Throwback Batman & Robin
The original Bat Friends with Bat Benefits, Batman and Robin look great as ever in these throwback costumes, calling to mind the 1960s television series with Adam West and Burt Ward. Nothing but respect to Robin, who’s still rocking those tight green briefs after all these years.
jackmister
You know you’re getting old when you don’t know who 90% of these cosplayers are supposed to be. Great costumes, though
Louis
“This year’s Comic-Con was all about Kens and cute guys in Spandex…
…but let’s only show them ONE Ken”
MacAdvisor
There are two Kens in the middle picture of slide 1. The one in pink repeats in slide 2. The fellow in green is also Ken.