Photo Jay Caboz
Fans in cosplay, or role-playing costumes, invaded Johannesburg, South Africa, for the first ever Comic Con in Africa this weekend.
The popular international comic book, gaming and fantasy convention was held at the Kyalami Grand Prix and International Convention Centre, with tens of thousands of fans stepping through the doors.
We saw creepy villains and majestic heroes galore.
Here were some of our favourites:
A Plus Ultra punch from All Might, from the anime My Hero Academia – Chris Smithard.
Photo Jay Caboz
4-year-old Odirle Ndebele and her super pose.
Odirle Ndebele. Photo Jay Caboz
Frederic Lamarque and Akasha Lilith came all the way from Mauritius to compete in the cosplay competition – and blew our minds.
Frederic Lamarque - Predator. Photo Jay Caboz
Akasha Lilith as Machiko Noguchi from Alien vs Predator. Photo Jay Caboz
An entire class of My Hero Academia anime cosplayers attended.
My Hero Academia anime cosplayers. Photo Jay Caboz
Among them were international cosplay guests Yaya Han and Philip Odango, known as Canvas Cosplay.
I just got to meet not one, but two cosplay idols @yayahan and @canvascosplay. One saved a duckling crossing the Kayalami race track, the other made friends with a lion. Both are heroes.
— Jay Caboz (@JayCaboz) September 14, 2018
-#comicconafrica #sacosplay pic.twitter.com/3438ALI5bk
There was also Khaya Ngulube, who dressed as the creepy villain Stain from My Hero Academia.
Khaya Ngulube Stain from My Hero Academia. Photo Jay Caboz
Schoolboy heroes Shoto Todoroki, Katsuki Bakugo and Izuku Midoriya were represented by these female cosplayers.
Jessica Logie(Yamaki Yama Cosplay) Natasha Biccard (Maoukami Cosplay) and Jessica Lu (LuluHannie Cosplay).
Kirstie Du Plessis came as a truly horrifying Clicker from The Last of Us, an action-adventure survival horror video game.
Kirstie Du Plessis (Puggy Penguin Cosplay) Clicker from The Last of Us. Photo Jay Caboz
She used a Bluetooth speaker to make the creature's distinctive clicking noise and sent people fleeing in terror.
Sporting a full wing suit made and a blood-soaked spear, Kelsey Atkins came as Avacyn from the card game Magic the Gathering.
JinxKittie Cosplay Avacyn from the card game Magic the Gathering. Photo Jay Caboz
If one Pennywise, from the clown horror movie It, wasn't scary enough, try three.
Pennywise by Sebasitan and Lindy Horn Vermaak, with Kelsey Aitkens (front)
The winner of the cosplay competition was Tayla Barter, who wore this Monster Hunter Nergigante cosplay.
Tayla Barter (Kinpatsu cosplay) Monster Hunter Nergigante cosplay. Photo Jay Caboz
Tarryn-Leigh Tong came with needle and thread as The Other Mother from Coraline.
Tarryn-Leigh Tong, The Other Mother in the movie Coraline.
Husband and wife Wynand and Jean Bester came as Hogwarts’ Professor McGonagall and Obelix.
Wynand and Jean Bester. Photo Jay Caboz
Humaira Abdulla, Lyle Sauls, and Sameera Abdulla dressed as Valkyrie, Thor and Gamora from the Marvel Universe.
Humaira Abdulla, Lyle Sauls and Sameera Abdulla. Photo Jay Caboz
Nicholas Neto broke hearts as Zapp Brannigan from Futurama.
Nicholas Neto (Netas Cosplay). Photo Jay Caboz
Nikita Bahadur was Xayah from League of Legends.
Nikita Bahadur
Carrea and Clinton Greeff went "old school" with a timeless classic: Popeye the Sailor and Olive Oyl.
Carrea and Clinton Greeff. Photo Jay Caboz
Justine Edwards got down to some serious web-slinging as Mary Jane Monday from Spider-Man.
Justine Edwards (Justine Kosuplay)
Wonder Woman was also a real hit.
Taz Nobel (Sushibunny Cosplay)
Cosplay teacher Teri Ferreira came as Emma Frost from the X-men.
Teri Ferreira (Toonibug)
The class of young cosplayers she has been teaching were given a heroic welcome on the main stage.
See also: At this Joburg school, the teacher dresses up as Wonder Woman and the kids learn to become heroes
Then there was Raynardt Vos, who took a breather out of the sun to focus on some wind bending as Aang from Avatar: The Last Airbender.
Raynardt Vos
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Also from Business Insider South Africa:
- Two South Africans are in Japan to compete in the world’s largest cosplay competition – where they will transform into a glamorous knight and a sword-wielding princess
- Three business geeks and a 14-year-old farm boy from Caledon will be flying for SA at the world’s first drone-racing champs in China
- Here’s what it looked like when comic book fans dressed as superheroes descended on Cape Town's foreshore for this year's Fancon
