They came, they saw, they con-quered.

More than 100,000 fans geeked out over superheroes and sneak peeks at some of Hollywood’s most anticipated blockbusters and TV shows at the annual San Diego Comic-Con, but the most memorable moments weren’t limited to the Hall H stage.

From splashy “Aquaman” footage to the first female Doctor Who to Ezra Miller’s reign as our greatest celebrity cosplayer, the best moments from Comic-Con 2018 had fans buzzing at the biggest pop culture event of the year.

Actor Orlando Jones leads SyFy Marching Band down 5th Avenue in the Gaslamp Quarter on the first day of Comic-Con. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)


FULL COVERAGE: Comic-Con 2018 »

Syfy makes noise with a marching band (and a karaoke bus)

Don’t tell Syfy that this year’s Comic-Con was any less vital in the absence of brands like HBO and “Star Wars” — they were all in with a scheduled 10 panels and multiple activations.

Some of these promotions were moving targets with a New Orleans-style second-line brass band led by actor Orlando Jones that swung through music from “Harry Potter” and “Star Wars” down Fifth Avenue in the center of the Gaslamp Quarter. The area is hard enough to navigate during Comic-Con, but that didn’t stop another promotion a few blocks away in a slow-rolling bus that functioned as a network billboard as fans belted out karaoke from the open top.

What did any these have to do with Syfy’s programming, which tilts toward the genre of the network’s name with shows by the Russo Brothers and George R.R. Martin? Only the fans know.


Jodie Whittaker from “Doctor Who” photographed in the L.A. Times Photo and Video Studio at Comic-Con 2018. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

The new ‘Doctor’ is in

“My name is Amelia and I’ve actually been waiting for a girl Doctor for a very long time,” a young fan said during the panel for the venerable British series “Doctor Who,” which will enter a new era this fall as its title character will be portrayed by a woman, Jodie Whittaker, for the first time.

A cheer rippled across Hall H in response to the girl’s statement. “You’ll make me cry,” Whittaker said, and the fan went on to ask whether the Doctor would include more “girl stuff” in the new season.

Whittaker responded that her character — in accordance with some 55 years of on-screen existence — is an alien, and thus neither female or male. Or, as she explained with a grin at an earlier press conference, “I’ve got two hearts, so I can do whatever I want.”


From left to right, Anna Gunn, Aaron Paul with baby Story Annabelle Paul, and Bryan Cranston walk onstage at the “Breaking Bad” 10th anniversary celebration during Comic-Con 2018. (Kevin Winter / Getty Images)

Reunited and it feels so good (to be ‘Bad’)

“Breaking Bad” brought a touch of 2008 to Comic-Con as the show celebrated its 10th anniversary with a Hall H panel on Thursday.

Although there was talk about how Walter White’s signature blue meth was the actual cause of the zombie outbreak in fellow AMC show “The Walking Dead” — “it’s canon,” according to “Walking Dead” creator Robert Kirkman — the favored topic was bringing the cast and characters back together by any means necessary.

One audience member proposed a “Malcolm in the Middle” reboot with Aaron Paul portraying Bryan Cranston’s character’s son (“I would be so down,” Paul said), and another asked about the possibility for a future movie. Cranston, who confirmed that Walter White is indeed dead, dismissed the idea. However, “Breaking Bad” creator Vince Gilligan remained less certain. “I love that question,” he said, as surely a few hopes in the hall took flight. “Anything’s possible.”


People hang out in the Demolition Man Taco Bell 2032 activation space during the first day of the 2018 San Diego Comic-Con International. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)

‘Demolition Man’ and Taco Bell join forces

The biggest and buzziest surprise at this year’s con was born of a marriage made in the future: an immersive collaboration between Warner Bros.’ 1993 cult sci-fi film “Demolition Man” and fast food chain Taco Bell. Re-creating the “only restaurant to survive the franchise wars,” per the Sylvester Stallone-Wesley Snipes film set in 2032, the iconic restaurant scene came to vivid life for lucky fans who stood in line for hours. Inside offered lucky diners cocktails, a four-course meal, robot waiters and yes, the three seashells. The result: Two great geek tastes that tasted great together and raised the bar for the experiential marketing industry that continues to explode into the streets of Comic-Con.

Danai Gurira, right, and from left, Robert Kirkman and Angela Kang, hug Andrew Lincoln at a panel for “The Walking Dead” during Comic-Con International on Friday, July 20, 2018, in San Diego. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP) (Richard Shotwell/ Invision/Associated Press)

A family affair for ‘The Walking Dead’

At “The Walking Dead” panel inside Hall H, star Andrew Lincoln confirmed to a chorus of disappointment that this would be his final run as Rick Grimes. “Now hear me out, please,” he went on. “I love this show; it means everything to me — I promise not to cry. I’ve done enough crying on the screen.”


After speaking more about how much “The Walking Dead” and its fans have meant to him, Lincoln paused and asked the crowd, “I’m talking too much, aren’t I?” The fans assured him he was not.

Lincoln wasn’t the only emotional one as costar Norman Reedus pulled the crowd to its feet for a standing ovation for Lincoln, which culminated in a cast group hug. Parting is such sweet sorrow.

Moderator Yvette Nicole Brown, left, with “Halloween” star Jamie Lee Curtis and director David Gordon Green at Universal Pictures’ “Glass” and “Halloween” panels during Comic-Con International 2018. (Kevin Winter / Getty Images)

Tears, no fear, for Jamie Lee Curtis at ‘Halloween’ panel

Universal’s “Halloween” presentation for the upcoming sequel got unexpectedly emotional when one fan stepped up to the microphone during the panel Q&A to tell star Jamie Lee Curtis how her Laurie Strode helped him escape an attacker in real life.


“I’m here today because of the way that you portrayed Laurie Strode,” he said, breaking down in tears before Curtis ran offstage in front of thousands of applauding fans to embrace him. “I’m a victor and not a victim.”

Along with his “Fantastic Beasts” costars Jude Law, Eddie Redmayne and Callum Turner, Ezra Miller is photographed in full costume at the L.A. Times Photo and Video Studio at Comic-Con 2018. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Ezra Miller’s Toadette cosplay wins Comic-Con

Fans in incredible costumes abound each year at Comic-Con, where Storm Troopers, X-Men and a lot of Spideys and Deadpools were spotted strolling the convention halls and Gaslamp streets last week.

While WWE superstar John Cena scored huge nerd points for roaming the con in a bright yellow “Bumblebee” outfit, it was “Fantastic Beasts” star Ezra Miller who — once again — took home the crown as the No. 1 celeb cosplayer of Comic-Con. In 2016, he dressed as Gandalf for his first Hall H panel. Last year, he showed up in a “Fullmetal Alchemist” Edward Elric outfit. This year, Miller worked it in pink and white Toadette cosplay — and wore it all day as he did the press rounds. As the saying goes: Not all heroes wear capes.


The cast of “Aquaman,” from left, director James Wan and actors Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Patrick Wilson, Nicole Kidman, Amber Heard and Jason Momoa pose before an autograph session at 2018 San Diego Comic-Con International. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)

Aquaman passes the Hall H test with flying colors

From “Iron Man” to “Man of Steel,” many a superhero franchise has been launched from the hallowed Hall H stage. This year it was “Aquaman”’s turn to make a splash.

Warner Bros. handily dominated Hall H this year with panels for “Wonder Woman 1984,” “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald,” “Godzilla: King of the Monsters” and more at Comic-Con’s biggest arena, where the studio unspooled innovative visuals on its exclusive wraparound screens and brought interactive light-up bracelets for all 6,500 fans in attendance.

“Aquaman” director James Wan came packing a new trailer for the December blockbuster and treated the hardcore fans to an extended version with even more action and a coveted reveal of Jason Momoa in the iconic Aquaman suit — a special reward for the Comic-Con fans, some of whom had lined up overnight for a first glimpse at the superhero standalone.


Rally for Rose Tico unites ‘Star Wars’ fans

“Star Wars” fans showed up for “Last Jedi” star Kelly Marie Tran, who deleted her social media posts in June after being harassed online by trolls. That meant that the Rose Tico cosplay at this year’s Comic-Con was a particularly meaningful show of support for the actress — even more so Saturday, when Tran fans in “Rose for Hope” T-shirts and a squadron of Tico cosplayers gathered to stage an empowering Rally for Rose on the convention’s busiest day.

Using the hashtags #ForceOutHate and #RallyForRose, the moment organized by the Nerds of Color blog visibly rallied around not just Tran but also diverse representation in the “Star Wars” galaxy and beyond. Even “Star Wars” star Mark Hamill tweeted his support.

1 / 111 Robert Soto of Lawndale dressed as Batman. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 2 / 111 Paul Forest of Las Vegas as Spock. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 3 / 111 Sheila Noseworthy as Night Queen. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 4 / 111 Kyle Pacek and Jordan Hoyle of Burbank as Roger Rabbit and Jessica Rabbit. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 5 / 111 Matt Grimminger as Thanos with the makeup done by Walter Welsh. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 6 / 111 Lavinia Ienza of Rome as Christmas Harley Quinn. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 7 / 111 Silvia Robledo of San Diego wears a Day of the Dead costume. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 8 / 111 Sarah McIntosh of Chicago as Courage. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 9 / 111 Ashley Castro of San Diego as Gamora. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 10 / 111 Luis Galvez of Mexico City as the Joker. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 11 / 111 Fae Black of San Diego as the Joker. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 12 / 111 Nikki Aspen of the Inland Empire as Two Face. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 13 / 111 Morgan Fowler of Lake Elsinore is dressed as a clown. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 14 / 111 John Pina of San Diego as Drax. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 15 / 111 Michelle Pina of San Diego as Gamora. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 16 / 111 Sara Demarest of San Diego as Wonder Woman. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 17 / 111 Matthew Fruge of Tucson as the Joker. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 18 / 111 Sarah Franchello of Los Angeles as Widowmaker. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 19 / 111 Natalie Cunningham of Mission Viejo as Punisher. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 20 / 111 Brittany Gorman of Santa Cruz as Darth Maul. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 21 / 111 Amy Spence of Long Beach in her own peeler beads costume. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 22 / 111 Sisters Samantha and Gayle Sherman of Los Angeles as Albino Twins from the Matrix. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 23 / 111 Mark Sherman of San Diego as Neo. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 24 / 111 Lan Alegre of San Diego as Catwoman. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 25 / 111 Guillerma Gonzalez of Sacramento as Iron Man. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 26 / 111 Melissa Tozeski of San Diego as Poison Ivy. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 27 / 111 Scarlet Checkers of San Diego as Catwoman. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 28 / 111 Alejandro Santos of Los Angeles as Batman. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 29 / 111 David Schoeler of Riverside is dressed as Dragpool. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 30 / 111 Mary Sorenson-Schwacher as Cruella de Vil. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 31 / 111 Bernie Bregman of Los Angeles as Rick Flair. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 32 / 111 Alex Waltron of Placentia as Hawk Girl. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 33 / 111 Valor McConnell of Laguna Hills as Nightwing. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 34 / 111 Cheng Chun Wing of Hong Kong as Spider Man. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 35 / 111 Amber Skies of Phoenix as Nebula. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 36 / 111 Sara Moni of Phoenix is dressed as Gamora. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 37 / 111 Jacqueline Geohner of Los Angeles as Witchblade. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 38 / 111 Dan Te of Camarillo as Kobe-Wan. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 39 / 111 Millena Schmidt of Berlin as Spider Man. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 40 / 111 Sylvia Vale of Los Angeles as Hela. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 41 / 111 Stacy Fuqua of Phoenix as Thor. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 42 / 111 Arlo Maginnis of San Diego as She Hulk. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 43 / 111 Lane Giefstad of Los Angeles as Valkyrie. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 44 / 111 Tiffany Kay of Fullerton as McCree from “Overwatch.” (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 45 / 111 Sheila Noseworthy of San Diego dressed as Mystique. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 46 / 111 Brittany Stapleton of Ohio as Poison Ivy. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 47 / 111 Alana Jordan of North Hollywood as a GLOW Harley Quinn. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 48 / 111 Savannah Galvez of Sydney, Australia, as a robotic Catwoman. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 49 / 111 Jordan Quinzon of Upland as the Joker. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 50 / 111 Heather Cottrell of San Diego as Mystique. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 51 / 111 Armondo Abarca of Los Angeles as Batman. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 52 / 111 Sandra Sanchez Culver City as Beetlejuice. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 53 / 111 Zachary Schultz of Orlando as Doc Brown. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 54 / 111 Elma Agatep as Darth Maul. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 55 / 111 Natalie and Anthony Young of Martinez, Calif., as Mary Poppins and Bert. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 56 / 111 Ariane Brandt of San Diego as Taako from Adventure Zone. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 57 / 111 Dalila and Raymond Rodriguez of Los Banos dressed as Jokers. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 58 / 111 Discord Addams of Chicago dressed as Cenobite from “Hellraiser.” (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 59 / 111 Christopher Canole of La Jolla as Dude Vader. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 60 / 111 Nikki Skelton of Lancaster, left, and Barbara Glennon of La Mirada dressed as Max and Caroline from “Two Broke Girls.” (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 61 / 111 Danny Deaver of El Centro as Stormtropper. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 62 / 111 Carrie Gomes of San Deigo dressed as Wonder Woman. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 63 / 111 Kiana Gomes of San Diego as Sombra from “Overwatch.” (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 64 / 111 Lucas Spencer of Orange as Pennywise. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 65 / 111 Rabecca Woodruff of Irvine as Wonder Woman. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 66 / 111 Roxi Gasaway of Los Angeles as Ivar the Boneless. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 67 / 111 Shane Curran of San Bernardino as Floki. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 68 / 111 MacKenzie Stetzler as Tina from “Bob’s Burgers.” (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 69 / 111 Alexander Desser of San Diego as Iron Man. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 70 / 111 M Blackburn of Atlanta at as Negasonic Teenage Warhead. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 71 / 111 Destiny Lowe of Pierre, S.D., as Harley Quinn. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 72 / 111 Caleb Lowe of Pierre, S.D., as Hellboy. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 73 / 111 Elijah Garcia of San Diego as Beast Boy. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 74 / 111 Iliana Solorzano of San Diego as Raven. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 75 / 111 Ashton Gable of Anaheim as Daenerys Targaryen from “Game of Thrones.” (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 76 / 111 Allyson Slough of Vista was dressed a puppy. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 77 / 111 Harry and Karen Middleton of Fullerton as the Mad Hatter and Queen of Hearts. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 78 / 111 Avery Auman of Los Angeles as Dark Phoenix. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 79 / 111 Emily Auman of Greensboro, N.C., as Emma Frost. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 80 / 111 Lauren Fellows of Santa Ana as Ahsoka Tano. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 81 / 111 Joshua Bentan of Los Angeles as Obi-Wan Kenobi. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 82 / 111 Ariel Pasual of San Diego as Poison Ivy. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 83 / 111 Aaron Blossom and Conner Bright of Los Angeles as Superman and Lois Lane. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 84 / 111 David Castillo of Los Angeles as a character from “The Purge.” (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 85 / 111 Diana Terranova of West Hollywood as Ghostbusters. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 86 / 111 Nate Guioguio of San Diego as the Joker. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 87 / 111 Michael Cherry of Redlands as the Scarecrow from “Batman.” (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 88 / 111 Brittany Sprawling of San Diego as Gamora. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 89 / 111 Michael Norris of Los Angeles as Deadpool. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 90 / 111 Sarah Rice of San Diego as Dr. Strange. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 91 / 111 Michale Shupe of Azusa as Carl from Up. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 92 / 111 Joseph Crandall of Burbank as Star Lord. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 93 / 111 Manuel Garcia of Imperial Beach as Michael Myers. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 94 / 111 Kaitlyn Gallegos of Vista as a Jawa. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 95 / 111 Eli Garcia of San Diego as Killer Croc. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 96 / 111 James Cherry of Redlands as Darth Trump. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 97 / 111 Leah Sprenger of Vancouver, left, and Jo LoBianco of Ocean Beach, both dressed as Harley Quinn. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 98 / 111 Frances Padua of Vancouver dressed as Kurenai Yuhi. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 99 / 111 Angel Mendoza of San Diego as Iron Patriot. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 100 / 111 Torianna Washalaski of San Diego as the Slime Rancher video game. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 101 / 111 Sean Derbyshire of Florida as Ant-Man. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 102 / 111 Chris Fraley of Jersey City dressed as his own character, Black Man. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 103 / 111 Michael Miller of San Diego as a Shadow Stormtrooper. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 104 / 111 Eiraina Schmolesky of Marietta as a character from “Star Trek.” (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 105 / 111 Alberto Hurtado of Chula Vista as Cupid. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 106 / 111 Tristan Eljin of Temecula as Owen from “Jurassic World.” (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 107 / 111 Savanna Price of San Diego dressed as a clown. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 108 / 111 Krystle Starr of Dallas as Liberty Belle from Glow. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 109 / 111 Amy Blatt and Roger Chagnon of San Diego as Chicken of the Sea and Charlie Tuna. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 110 / 111 Sherman Balakeley of Big Bear as John Coffey from “The Green Mile.” (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 111 / 111 Javon Rogers of Chula Vista as Spider Man. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune)


1 / 20 Aquaman’s Jason Momoa, who plays the titular hero, makes a playful face during an autograph signing. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 2 / 20 Thomas Napper, cosplaying as the Amazing Spiderman, leaps off a railing. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 3 / 20 People take pictures together at Marvel’s #GroupHug pop-up on the third day of the 2018 San Diego Comic-Con International. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 4 / 20 Nick Phillips of San Diego holds a sign while people wait in line for panels in the Indigo Ball Room. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 5 / 20 Kathrynn Cobbs of Los Angeles points to group member Dalton Ross in the interrogation room in the Amazon Prime Jack Ryan activation event. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 6 / 20 A participant in the Amazon Prime Jack Ryan activation ducks to avoid enemy combatants in a VR simulation. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 7 / 20 Sheila Marler cosplaying as steampunk Catwoman and David Marler cosplaying as Captain Time walk down Fifth Avenue in San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 8 / 20 A capacity crowd packs the 2018 Comic-Con exhibition hall floor. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 9 / 20 Brandon Isaacson, 35, of Alameda poses for pictures as “McThor,” a combination of Marvel’s Thor and McDonald’s Ronald McDonald, outside of Hall H. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 10 / 20 A group makes their way through the Castle Rock activation event. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 11 / 20 James Lavelle, cosplaying as the Future Foundation costume Spider-Man, walks down a hallway inside a DC Universe activation site. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 12 / 20 Austen Bue, 11, from San Diego sends a text message to space, at the Hsitory Channel’s “Project Blue Book” activation site. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 13 / 20 Lauren Quan, 18, fo San Diego, and Caroline Duong, 18, of San Diego are pulled back by a hydraulic system at Marvel’s Cloak and Dagger activation event. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 14 / 20 Angel Mendoza of San Diego walks down 5th Street with an American flag on the first day of the 2018 San Diego Comic-Con International. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 15 / 20 Lee Joyner demonstrates a sculpting technique at the Cinema Makeup School booth in Hall H during the first day of the 2018 San Diego Comic-Con International. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 16 / 20 A squad of costumed Spider-Man fans — (alphabetically) Brandon Buisan, Paul Buisan, Kate Friedo, Nona Golan, Jacob Lavelle, James Lavelle and Milan Lavelle — poses for pictures outside of the DC experience area on the first day of the 2018 San Diego Comic-Con International. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 17 / 20 People dressed with the Court of Owls masks from DC Comic’s Batman at work in a maze building. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 18 / 20 At left, Tim Walker, 26, of San Diego, and Julia Homitano, 27, of San Diego, take a selfie with zombies while waiting in line at “The Walking Dead” booth. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 19 / 20 Tyler Lokum, 8, of Los Angeles offers his lollipop to a Mega Construx of the Pokemon Blastoise at the Mega Construx booth during a preview of the 2018 San Diego Comic-Con International. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 20 / 20 Fans raise their cell phones to take video of an animatronic performance at the Deadpool booth. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)

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