• more about #501stlegion
    vader674: I'll have to say that as the husband of one of these gorgeous ISO girls and a 501st Member, I know how hard we work at events and how much we apprecia... more »
    FredicvsMaximvs: I think I need to go helmet shopping! :) more »
    bonniegrrl: If some of you read the entire article on Starwars.com (which clearly most of you didn't) you'd see that the ISO girls are more like RSO girls in the ... more »
    Lauren Graham: Hi I am one of the ISO girls in the photos above and I want to try clear alittle bit on who we are as some people sound like they maybe still confuse ... more »
    bonniegrrl: Thanks for the ISO love, Meredith. more »
    ManchuCandidate: Does this mean that the Empire cloned the Andrews Sisters and Bob Hope? They're more evil than I thought. more »
    ZanipoloLebron: Ww...Prsttts fr mprl Trps...Wh wld hv thght bnch f ntmclly ncmplt G J clns wld hv ndd t? more »
    oldandintheway: It must take great deal of money and time to support this "lifestyle", of volunteeering. Are most of these people independently wealthy?? If they have... more »
    Catherine Schaff-Stump: Hi! Long term cosplayer and costumer here. Managed to get my master costume status in the Costumers Guild two years back. What's happening is that c... more »
    blorp: and yet you all made fun of the real-life-superheroes, who patrolled their streets and donated blood and stuff in costume. The 501st is very cool thou... more »
    Matt Osborne: Hey io9. Can i be a reporter too? I could totally handle doing a report on my local warhammer club. hell they arent even as elitist or obnoxious as th... more »
    Grey_Area: I suspect the members of the 501st are better shots than "real" Stormtroopers. Love the charity aspect of their calling, I guess Imperialisim can be a... more »
    Duneknight: why donnt they dress up as jedi or something good like han solo? why only bad guys? more »
    DangerousDac: I'd Love to Join the 501st, unfortunately I - A) Only own a Trooper Helmet B) Could not fit into a suit. C) Do not own said suit. D) Could not afford ... more »
    Annalee Newitz: I've always loved anime cosplay, and I think the cosplayer above looks almost exactly like the character she is playing. Some of the cosplay outfits I... more »
    Rasselas: In my mind's eye, a Stormtrooper costume will lead to the formal clothing of 2709, as medieval suits of armor and the padded suits of clothes that kni... more »
    J_Frank_Parnell: You know what I'd like to see? A large scale full on battle with these guys against Rebels a-la those Civil War re-enactors at Gettysburg. I might jus... more »
    Mav: I was in london when there was a star wars convention and a whole like... troop of these walked down the street in rank/file. That was pretty damn awe... more »
    Pope John Peeps II: "Performance art?" Continuing the long tradition of people inflating the things they do to make them feel better about themselves. In a related story,... more »
    Belabras: I think these folks to a really impressive job with the costumes, but how come you never see these guys: more »
  • #starwars

    For The Clones: The Empire's Imperial Service Organization

    Even the Empire's hard-fighting Stormtroopers need a little leggy encouragement from time to time. Meet the Empire's version of the USO, the ISO: Imperial Service Organization. More »
  • #costumevscosplay

    What a Stormtrooper Is Made Of

    Over 4,000 people around the world are part of the 501st Legion, a group of costumed stormtroopers who attend conventions and charity events en masse. What inspires them to do it? More »
  • #whystormtroopersarebadforyou

    Are Stormtroopers Making America Safe For Fascists?

    They were the result of cloning a bounty hunter to create a mindless, obedient army beloved by millions... But is there a hidden dark side to the soldiers of the dark side? One blogger feels that there's something very wrong indeed about America's unspoken love of the Stormtrooper. More »