The Big, Badass Comic-Con Cosplay Gallery

San Diego’s Hell Week was the scene of an avalanche of great cosplay. Here’s 99 examples of the best we saw.

I realize this sounds like complaining about the taste of caviar in front of starving peasants, but I promise, San Diego Comic-Con was a maddening, overstuffed, haphazardly-run nightmare that feels like it’s about to break into three separate, dying conventions at any given moment.

On the other hand, it was also, as always, exactly as awesome as you think. Thousands upon thousands of fans showed up, we saw tons and tons and tons and tons of great stuff, and in defiance of normal expectations it was actually rather packed with actual comics-related content. And as always, the glue that held it all together was the cosplay community.

We’ve already done a ton of cosplay galleries from SDCC, but before we bid a final farewell to it, we’re going to pause to celebrate some of the best cosplay from all four days of the con – we’ve even included a few previews from our coverage of the Masquerade. Of course, we couldn’t narrow it down to a reasonable number, so here are 98 photos. Try not to hurt your eyes.

First, to set the scene, here’s the ginormous Assassin’s Creed Experience setup across the street from the convention hall.

Crummy pics in this gallery by Ross Lincoln. Amazing pics by The Escapist’s Paul Goodman.

And here is our own Andrea Renee bravely traversing the dangers contained with in it.

And even more of Andrea ninja-ing her way through terrifying obstacles. Next up, some cosplay!

Now some cosplay. This might be the funniest mashup costume I saw the whole weekend. But what do we call it? Sheraug? Smerlock? Shaug?

From the Masquerade, held every year on the last night of Comic-Con. Amazing.

These guys – WilsonWillson and Brian Fogarty – were hilarious. Espcially Brian’s religious fundamentalist protestor version of Oberyn Martell.

Pantheon with Nidalee, from League of Legends.

And because we like it so much, here’s another shot.

We included this one in a previous gallery but liked it so much we’re giving it to you again.

Zorg.

Another pic from The Masquerade.

One more from the Masquerade.

Do these Boba Fett mashup costumes very get old? Not when they’re this incredible.

I look at this Aliens cosplay and think HOLY CRAP. Also from the Masquerade.

This here is the inestimable Gogo Incognito. Follow her on Twitter.

You guys wouldn’t believe how humid it was on the last day of Comic-Con. I was wearing shorts and a t shirt and I felt like I was going to die. And this is what this guy was wearing the entire day.

True story: These villains apparently kept forgetting to get pics of themselves in costume during the convention, and so I ended up sending this very poorly composed photo to them. Sorry guys, my photography skills are poor!

Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy.

More BioShock Infinite.

I kept getting bumped trying to take this picture. Apparently everyone wants a piece of this Steampunk family.

She’s a USO girl, but for Hawkeye instead of for The First Avenger.

Here’s a great Twi’lek Padawan. How do I know she’s a Padawan?…

I can’t get enough of this Steampunk Teddy Roosevelt costume.

Another from the Masquerade.

This is the best Dr. Mrs. The Monarch I’ve ever seen.

This isn’t a costume obviously, but it is one of the cooler displays set up.