A new Black Adam cosplay brings back a major detail about the character that was cut for the Rock’s movie. Black Adam has a long history in comics stretching back to the Golden Age, and he recently made the leap into the mainstream with a live-action feature film in 2022, starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. One classic element of the character’s design was cut for the movie, but cosplayer Knightmage100 has brought it back in an epic new shoot.
Knightmage100 unveiled the cosplay in an Instagram post. Over a series of five photos, Knightmage100 brings Black Adam to amazing life. Knightmage100 does not limit himself to one look, instead showcasing Black Adam’s various looks throughout his history. Yet with every different look, Knightmage100 nails the essence of Black Adam. In one photo, for instance, Black Adam is hovering, arms crossed–something he does in the comics.
However, Knightmage100 chooses to bring back a puzzling aspect of Black Adam’s appearance, one lost in recent years, and noticeably absent from the movie: his pointy ears.
Black Adam’s Redemption Took Him to the Top
Black Adam is one of the most unlikely success stories in comics. Initially appearing as a one-off Shazam/Captain Marvel foe during the Golden Age, Black Adam would go on to become one of DC’s biggest villains. During Jerry Ordway’s Power of Shazam series, the character began a drift towards a more ambiguous morality, a plot point picked up by Geoff Johns during his early 2000s JSA run. This was the beginning of Black Adam’s ascent to the top, culminating with a movie starring the Rock. The film bombed critically at the box office. It leaned heavily into Johns’ work on the character, and omitted the pointy ears.
DC has never provided a satisfactory answer as to why Black Adam’s ears are pointed. The ears were part of Black Adam’s original design when he first appeared in 1945, and no explanation was given then either. Fans have circulated their own theories as to why, with the most notable being the pointed ears simply made him look more evil. This curious quirk of Black Adam’s has been overlooked in recent years, with creators opting for a more traditional appearance. Indeed, generations of fans do not know a Black Adam with pointed ears.
Black Adam’s Pointy Ears Need to Make a Comeback
But now, Knightmage100 has resurrected Black Adam’s classic design to stunning effect. He cycles through a variety of Black Adam’s costumes, including classic and modern looks. Each different look is comic’s accurate, incorporating some of Black Adam’s quirks and idiosyncrasies into a jaw-dropping shoot. The Rock’s movie was missing some of these, including the pointed ears. Knightmage100 brings back the pointed ears, and combines them with some of Black Adam’s more modern looks, giving them a further sense of danger and menace.
