The Sentinels have long-been the main antagonistic force of the X-Men franchise, as they are a tool used by different anti-mutant organizations to wipe out mutantkind – which, in most cases, eventually translates to the subsequent extinction of humanity as well. While the Sentinels themselves are deadly enough (as shown in the iconic Days of Future Past storyline), there’s one among them that stands above the rest as the most powerful Sentinel in Marvel Comics history: Nimrod. And now, X-Men’s strongest Sentinel comes to life as a fiery terror in mind-blowing cosplay.

In an Instagram post by cosplay photographer Pat Loika (handle: @patloikaphotoworks), the photographer shares an image of a Nimrod cosplay done by cosplayer Dangermouse556. While the cosplay alone is jaw-dropping as is, it’s the photography and editing done by Pat Loika that really makes it pop.

The images not only feature Nimrod with an appearance that makes it seem as though the Sentinel was pulled straight from the pages of X-Men comics, but the editing done to the photo actually brings the world of X-Men’s darkest futures to real life. Nimrod has seen the extinction of mutants and humans alike in multiple timelines (more recently in nine out of the ten lives lived by Moira in House of X/Powers of X), which – in one way or another – always ends in flames. And now, fans can see that vision of apocalyptic terror come to life.

Terrifyingly Epic Nimrod Cosplay was Nearly Canon in X-Men Continuity

The X-Men Barely Defeated Nimrod in Fall of the House of X #5 by Gerry Duggan, Lucas Werneck, and Stefano Caselli

This cosplay expertly brings to life a version of Nimrod who successfully burned the world beneath his feet, and while there are timelines where that does occur, it nearly became the grim reality of Earth-616’s main continuity. Right now in X-Men canon, the mutants are in their ‘Fall of X’ era, which has seen the decimation of Krakoa and the near-eradication of mutantkind – and Nimrod is to blame for both.

Thankfully, the X-Men were able to destroy Nimrod in Fall of the House of X #5, and with him, the entirety of the anti-mutant organization known as Orchis. That means the X-Men can now focus on rebuilding the life that was almost permanently taken from them, which will be the driving motivation for the team in the upcoming ‘From the Ashes’ era. However, this faint glimmer of hope the X-Men are now clinging to was almost snuffed out completely by Nimrod, which seems to be the tragic outcome depicted in this cosplay.

Nimrod Cosplay Proves the Sentinel Needs to Be the X-Men’s MCU ‘Big Bad’

Not only does this cosplay seemingly depict a future where Nimrod beats the X-Men and reduces the world to smoldering ash, but it does so in real life. By definition, the cosplay is a live-action depiction of the Marvel Comics villain, and if the cosplayer (and photographer/editor) can pull this off so convincingly, so can the MCU. Right now, the X-Men are slowly being introduced in the MCU, and their official in-world inclusion is imminent. That raises the question: who will be the X-Men’s ‘Thanos-level’ threat? Well, this cosplay makes a strong case for Nimrod.

Aside from how this cosplay relates to the current state of X-Men canon in Marvel Comics, or how it may influence what will happen in the MCU, it’s simply absolutely mind-blowing to behold in its own right. The quality of the cosplay mixed with the expertise of the photographer/editor successfully brings X-Men’s most powerful Sentinel of all time to life in truly terrifying fashion.

Source: @patloikaphotoworks/Instagram