Gallery: The Hard-Core Fanatics Who Make Comic-Con So Great
Ben Rasmussen/WIRED01L-002734edit
__Isabella Romero, 7 (Supergirl), with Jonathan Romero, 3 months; Victor Romero__ Isabella on her ideal super power: "X-ray vision, because then I could see stuff that's in people's bodies—and fly."
Ben Rasmussen/WIRED02L-002764
__Dylan Kenyon (Waldo)__ On being Waldo: "I get to photobomb and nobody gets mad. Every picture I can, I'm flying in the background. Everybody's here to have a good time, and I have yet to get in trouble. They're just like, "Dude, that's awesome!" and they usually ask for a picture just of me."
Ben Rasmussen/WIRED03L-002657
__Andrea and David Alegria__ Andrea on the Alegria family tradition: "It's our fourth Comic-Con. The first time, it was my brother's birthday, and we thought, 'we need to go at least once, we live in Southern California, let's do it!' We got tickets for his birthday, and then we fell in love with the fun, and with the insanity. We thrive on the chaos."
Ben Rasmussen/WIRED04L-002661
__Noah Alegria, 16 (Leonardo) and Hudson Alegria, 10 (Donatello)__ Hudson's parents on why he loves SDCC: (Andrea) "He comes out to play the video games before they're out. He loves to be the first to play."
Ben Rasmussen/WIRED05L-002672
__Travis Alegria (Michaelangelo)__ I grew up with comic books. I gave them to Noah when he came of age—but really, none of us will buy a comic book while we're here. It's the celebrities and the madness that brings us to it. We're all pop-culture nuts, so we like all of it."
Ben Rasmussen/WIRED06L-002689
__Christoff Obst, 20__ On living in San Diego: "I've always had a love for comics —Batman's my favorite. \[When I lived\] on the East Coast, I'd heard of Comic-Con; then I moved out here and was like, sweet, I get to go here now!"
Ben Rasmussen/WIRED07L-002694
__Emily Echevarria, 18 (Pinky Pie)__ On cosplay: "I've never come to a convention without cosplaying before. I like the attention and people taking pictures! But it's also fun to be someone that you're usually not."
Ben Rasmussen/WIRED08L-002714
__Yoni Baker, 33 (Khal Drogo, Kinda)__ On half-accurate cosplay: "It's sort of Khal Drogo-ish. It's a Middle Eastern riding costume, which really fits that character, and then I have a beard, so I sort of went with that."
What’s Worse Than Romance Scams? Adoption Scams
This week in WIRED Book Club, we recap the final chapters of The Yahoo Boys.
Kate Knibbs
Beatbot’s New Pool Robot Cleans Itself (Mostly)
The AquaSense X brings self-cleaning technology to pool robots for the first time, but is it worth nearly twice the price of Beatbot’s flagship cleaner?
Christopher Null
Skylight’s Touchscreen Calendar Got my Whole Family on the Same Page
The Skylight has become the informational and organizational hub of my household. My touchscreen-native kids have also gained more agency over our family activities.
Jaclyn Greenberg
The Samsung Micro RGB R95H Is a Good, Not Great TV
There’s a new fleet of TVs using new mini and micro RBG display tech, and Samsung’s R95H model isn’t as impressive as it should be.
John Brandon
AI Found a Root Bug in Linux That Everyone Missed for 15 Years
Plus: The Pentagon is training amateurs to become part of its hacker army, a Flock license plate reader error led to cops surrounding a car reviewer, and more.
Dell Cameron
We Make Lovely Home-Cooked Meals for Ourselves. Why Not Do the Same for Our Dogs?
More dog owners have begun cooking for their canine companions in recent years. When my own dog fell ill, I became part of this growing group.
Alicia Kennedy
The Best Hiking Boots and Shoes for Any Adventure
From strenuous hikes and serious summits to weekend rambles in the park, these boots help you make the most of your time outdoors.
Chris Haslam
China’s Tianwen-2 Space Probe Has Rendezvoused With Earth’s Quasi-Moon
The probe sent back the first pictures of the asteroid Kamo’oalewa. Next step: landing on the surface and collecting samples to send back to Earth.
Ritsuko Kawai
El Niño Is Already Wreaking Havoc on Pacific Fisheries
As the climate phenomenon sends warm water surging across the eastern Pacific, some parts of the fishing industry are suffering—but other regions are seeing a windfall.
Joseph Winters
Exclusive: How Jay-Z Pulled Off a Surprise-Filled Show During New York’s Wildest Summer
Summer 2026 marks the 30th anniversary of Jay-Z’s debut Reasonable Doubt. To honor it, he put on a massive concert at Yankee Stadium—complete with performances from Beyoncé, Nas, and Alicia Keys.
Angela Watercutter
OpenAI’s Head of Safety Is Leaving the Company
Johannes Heidecke’s departure comes as OpenAI tries to further integrate its research and safety teams.
Maxwell Zeff
Microsoft Reports a Massive 25 Percent Jump in Emissions
Data centers are driving up the company’s use of electricity—and carbon pollution.
Molly Taft