Anyone can buy a Spider-Man costume off of eBay, but it takes real ingenuity and dedication to nerdiness to put together your own version of iconic heroes, villains, and characters. Comic conventions always allow the best of the best to show off their inventiveness, and today we’re taking a look at some of the best genderswapped cosplays on the web.
I’ve seen genderswapped Joker and Harley combos before, but only in fan art. This is the first time I’ve seen it even attempted in real life, and these two pull it off brilliantly. Do you think he calls her “Ms. J”, or does she call him “Mista Quinn”?
Loveandasandwich put this nerf HERder outfit together for NY Comic Con this year, and I’m massively impressed. I’m especially loving the Chewbackpacca.
This one almost got put in as a Han Solo honorable mention, till I noticed that Princess’s slightly-out-of-canon beard. So Slave Lee gets his own entry! I’d love to see the hairstyles Alderaan’s stylists could come up with for his scruff.
Continuing to prove that genderswapped cosplay isn’t just for girls is this self-described “Manerys” and “Khal Droga” from Psykitten Pow and her friend Steven Meissner. Plot complications arising from the Father of Dragons carrying and giving birth to a stillborn scaly Stallion Who Mounts The World aside, this is AWESOME, and I’m a little upset that I’ll never be able to be the first person to attempt this.
This unbelievable makeup and costume job was done by the talented Meagan Marie and her makeup artist, Hydred, for 2011’s San Diego Comic Con. I’d like to throw not one, but TWO Bonus Nerd Points their way for not only knocking this costume out of the friggin’ park, but for doing it with the iconic Batman: The Animated Series version of Two-Face. She outlines in detail the costume assembly at her website, so I’ll let her walk you through the process.
While a bit outside the traditional bounds of nerdy cosplay, this flipped Tin Tin (Tina Tina? Or does that sound too much like Tuna Tuna?) still kills it! The character is, after all, straight from the funny pages. I have to wonder if the cosplayer cut her hair for the part, or chose the part because of her already short hair. Either way, Bonus Nerd Points for dedication or for recognizing a golden opportunity.
I’ve never once seen Adventure Time, but I’ve seen enough people freak out about it on Reddit and Tumblr to know that Finn, or Fiona, here is absolutely killing this cosplay.
Cosplayer elrincondeharlock puts me in a difficult position. On the one hand, she’s knocking this costume right out of the park, but on the other, Loki has been a female character in comics canon in the past Thor
I can’t show you Loki without also showing you this kick-ass Thor(a! That was easy.) as well, so we’re going to shoehorn this one into #9. Cosplayer Toni Darling is rocking this one, though I have to recommend she finds some more chainmail before taking this armor into combat.
Lastly, one of my favorite all-time genderswapped cosplays, the whole damn Justice League. This group first made an appearance at Wondercon 2011 and have continued to grow their ranks since then, adding a Hunter, Black Canary, Martian Maneater, Power Boy, and more.
The Mary Sue has a good write up on The Gender Bent Justice League, with more pictures and links to read on. They’ve been adding on more members with each Con they attend, and are trying to use their notoriety to make a point about female characters in comics. You’ll notice that everyone’s costumes are as scanty or as modest as the original character’s, regardless of gender, and that’s their point. If gender in superhero storytelling is your bag, I encourage you to read more.
The Marvel fanboy I am at heart can’t let the Justice League go without an appearance from The Avengers. Someone should hook these guys up with the Black Windower up there to help them complete the set.