Serious business: Fans get their geek _ and costumes _ on at Comic-Con's cosplay Masquerade

SAN DIEGO — Imagine Marvel's comic book heroes recast as Bollywood characters, a whiny Skeletor teaming up with Loki in attempt to get back at those jerks He-Man and Thor, and "Star Wars" reimagined as a musical complete with a chorus line of Jawa showgirls.

Cosplay enthusiasts gathered Saturday night at Comic-Con to get their geek on, participating in the annual Masquerade meant to celebrate creativity, imagination and costume makings skills of all levels.

Fans, scores in their own multi-colored multiverse of costumes, began lining up hours early for one of the pop-culture celebration's most-anticipated events. They were rewarded with a little bit of everything from the comic book, film, anime and video game worlds.

Some of the 38 contest entries aimed for authenticity, faithfully recreating Batman and Wonder Woman, others for camp. Fans responded to both, laughing and cheering along with a group that morphed the Yugioh card game into a contest between members of the DC and Marvel comic book catalogs, but also applauding imaginative creations with moving parts like "Bat Wolf" and "Knights of Saggitarius" and "Scourge."