Arch-rivals Sinestro and Green Lantern in a rare team-up moment. Some of you may recognize the distinguished gentleman in the middle.
Previously on Midlife Crisis Crossover: June 10th and 11th, my wife Anne and I attended the 38th annual Superman Celebration in the city of Metropolis, Illinois. In Part One you met two of the headliners, Mehcad Brooks and Twilight’s Peter Facinelli from TV’s Supergirl. In Part Two you met the other guests, including two more famous Jimmy Olsens — Marc McClure from the four Superman films and Michael Landes from TV’s Lois & Clark.
As with any other comics-themed event, there shall always be cosplay. Rather than stagger our super-hero costume photo gallery across a few themed entry, right here is all the costumes fit to print. Most were from DC, but a few other superhumans infiltrated the proceedings from neighboring universes. Fortunately for them the citizens of Metropolis are welcoming to any and all — especially in times like these, when we need heroes now more than ever. All heroes.
(For value-added puzzle fun, see how many Supergirls you can count. If you can spot five or more, consider yourself an honorary CatCo Correspondent!)
SECTION ONE: THE WORLD OF SUPERMAN!
Obviously we ought to have at least one Superman in the lineup, right? This one’s joined by old foe Solomon Grundy, Bane, Bizarro Supergirl, and Ant-Man, sneaking in from another universe, which is just the kind of thing Paul Rudd would do.
Just as we had more than one actor who’s played, so did we have more than one cosplayer with us in Marc McClure’s line as Jimmy Olsen, this one armed with camera and trademark bow tie.
In civilian life, the other Jimmy Olsen is local man Mike Meyer, who made headlines five years ago when some heartless bounder stole a chunk of his large collection of Superman comics and memorabilia. The perp was caught and, in an outpouring of love, fans nationwide sent him Super-donations to replenish his collection. The response was so overwhelming that he ended up donating a lot of it to others in turn. ‘Twas an honor to meet him in person.
Mr. Mxyzptlk sneaking away from the Fifth Dimension for a bit of mischief. Bonus points if you can correctly pronounce all four syllables.
Silver Banshee, a post-Crisis Superman villain who turned up this season on Supergirl.
Much as we’d like to forget Superman IV: The Quest for Peace, we must never forget the Nuclear Man. EVER.
What if baby Kal-El’s rocket landed in the USSR instead of in Kansas? You’d have the star of Mark Millar and Dave Johnson’s Elseworlds saga Superman: Red Son.
SECTION TWO: GOTHAM BY SUNLIGHT!
Batman and Robin emerge from the shadows because no one can resist posing in front of the Superman statue. Flaunting the emergency kryptonite he keeps in his utility belt seems kind of gauche, though.
Friday’s Jimmy Olsen, ace photographer, transformed Saturday into Oswald Cobblepot, the best thing about TV’s Gotham.
Jack Nicholson’s Joker. We’ve got a live one here!
Nearly every cosplay gallery we share has at least one costume we don’t recognize, and would love any labeling assistance we can get from You, The Viewers at Home. “Riddle me this!” says the Riddler, introducing today’s guest strangers. Little help? [UPDATED 6/14/2016, 10:45 p.m. EDT: super-special thanks to Holly at Bloggity Ramblings for recognizing Slenderman when memory failed me. The jury’s still out on Pajama Cowboy.]
SECTION THREE: HEROES OF THE DC MULTIVERSE!
The Flash and Green Lantern John Stewart, your core Justice League members in the house.
From the awesomeness that is The Flash, our man’s flanked by his season-1 Big Bad, the Reverse-Flash, and season 2’s sinister Zoom. Run, Barry, RUN!
Mr. Miracle and Green Arrow, fully accredited JLA members who occasionally suffer the indignity of being mistaken for Hawkeye or Iron Man. Kids clearly learn nothing in school these days.
Also on the old JLA roster: Zatanna! (“Stekcit hpargotua otni nrut, ynnuB!”)
Hawkman on loan from TV’s Legends of Tomorrow, making himself more useful here.
And the animated version of his beloved Hawkgirl.
Fire and Ice from the ’80s Justice League hang out with Stargirl from the Justice Society of America. Fans will notice she’s wielding the Cosmic Staff given to her by Jack Knight, the early-retired Starman.
SHAZAM! is what we have no choice but to call him, because his ex-sobriquet Captain Marvel has been taken by some big movie company or whatever.
Dr. Fate, DC’s own master of the mystic arts. Eagle-eyed viewers of NBC’s Constantine spotted his fabled Helmet of Nabu on a dusty shelf in at least one episode.
Red X, undercover hero from Teen Titans — the original series my son and I really liked, not the current one that’s totally not aimed at either of us.
From the deepest depths of DC’s Who’s Who, it’s the animal-powered hero that men were asked to call…B’wana Beast! My wife thought he was just some dude who had the right idea about how to cope with the 90-degree heat. For once in his career, B’Wana Beast may have been the smartest of us all.
Friday at 5 p.m.: all-ages costume parade! Bonus points to Miss Martian there for thinking outside the box.
SECTION FOUR: HISTORY OF THE DC UNIVERSE!
As mentioned briefly in Part Two, Saturday morning we attended a special presentation in which writer Brian K. Morris taught visitors about the rich, varied, occasionally outlandish history of the DC Comics universe with a little help from some special friends, most of whom are presented below. (Solomon Grundy, seen above, was also among their number.)
“I get to go first…BECAUSE I’M BATMAN!”
Composite Joker features pieces from the character’s multiple multimedia personae.
Wonder Woman! Soon to star in a major motion picture!
Long before Yvonne Craig represented for women’s lib, there was the original Golden Age Bat-Girl! Not making this up!
Supergirl, now at the absolute height of her popularity, partly thanks to those quitters at CBS.
Post-Crisis Lex Luthor, complete with glove to cover the hand afflicted with kryptonite poisoning. That was a thing in my day, y’see.
Super-Harley! Or rather, Harley Quinn trying to disguise herself as Supergirl and hopefully start scoring paychecks from The CW.
SECTION FIVE: NOT NECESSARILY THE DC UNIVERSE!
Another Harley Quinn with her new partner Joy from Pixar’s Inside Out.
Cyclops from the X-Men movies, which begs an interesting question: what would happen if he aimed his ruby quartz rays through a piece of red kryptonite? Your move, fanfic writers.
Gambit, for you ’90s X-fans out there.
Even in a small-town costume gathering hundreds of miles from the nearest major convention center, there’s no escaping Mandatory Deadpool.
French-MaidPool, the Ruffian with Ruffles.
Look out, Supergirl! Jason Voorhees already got to Superman and YOU’RE NEXT!
To be continued!
