Shadowcat – X-Men: Age of Apocalypse

Made for: San Diego Comic Con 2004

Background: I thought this one would be interesting to do after doing her classic blue suit in 2002.

Journal Entries: Read more at my AOA Shadowcat tag

Bodysuit: I bought the bodysuit and replaced the straps with clear ones.

Belt: The belt was made of vinyl, painted silver. It velcros in the back. The “pouches” I made of metal mint boxes – I sanded the paint off and then velcroed them to the belt. The front belt buckle was made of sheet metal, and the “X” symbol I made of black and red tape.

Claws: The claws were the major part of the costume – my dad and I made the arm section out of very heavy cardboard, covered in a thin coat of wood putty and painted silver. The claws were made of styrene, and were glued down into the “chamber” we made on the cardboard section. The gloves that go on under them I made of black spandex.

Accessories: The boots I had already had, and the wig I bought on ebay.

History: I only wore this for about an hour at Comic Con and haven’t worn it since. One day I’ll drag it out and do a photoshoot.

2024 Photoshoot: Well it took me 20 years but I finally got it out for a photoshoot LOL Part of the reason this shoot was SOOO delayed was that when I moved out of my parents’ house in 2008, the claws got left behind in my old closet, along with a bunch of other random stuff. I finally went and cleaned out the closet in 2019 (my mom was so relieved LMAO) and I was finally reunited with the claws. It’s been on the short list for a white backdrop shoot ever since – and I finally got to it this year in 2024. I got everything out and checked over and when I got the suit out I noticed a hole by the seam on the lower part of th legs. I thought that was odd, because I didn’t remember ripping it anything. Thought nothing of it until I went to put it all on… and the suit just completely disintegrated as it stretched. It just tore to rags! WTF! I mean I know it’s been 20 years and elastic disintegrates but that was a really nice dance suit! What a bummer!

So in my best Tim Gunn voice I told my husband we were going to make it work. The white backdrop shots above are my substitute suit – a pair of black leggings and a black tanktop. Hey, the original suit wasn’t accurate either, so who cares if it’s even less accurate as long as it gives the same spirit as the original? LOL I’m just glad to finally have photos of this. I’m probably going to throw the belt away (it’s just vinyl and duct tape!), toss the wig, buckle and belt boxes in my random bits bin to be used for something else and keep the claws cuz dad made them. But AoA Shadowcat is officially retired and gone, but at least she got catalogued first, even if it wasn’t the total original suit!

                       

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