STRUCK FIRST: Lara Lunardi as Samus Aran!

Struck First gives you a first look at a cosplay just as it's been debuted/had its first photoshoot. Cosplayers have been kind enough to let me have a first crack at analyzing the cosplay by providing me with brand new pictures.

For as long as I've followed her work, Lara Lunardi has always had a fondness for the iconic bounty hunter Samus Aran. In fact, my first exposure to Lara was through a sexy bikini version she did of Samus' Zero Suit. Of course that led to her many other variations, from the actual ZSS to the "Justin Bailey" outfit. The full on Varia Suit was one that Lara had been wanting to create for a really long time. I'd be willing to bet it was one of her dream projects. Full stop Lara debuted the Varia Suit early last month and I was certainly blown away by how incredible looks. First thing you'll probably notice are the giant ball like shoulder pieces. Brightly colored orange with some green inserts along inner black lines. There's also the top chest piece done in red with black and green lines. It's safe to say that most of these pieces were constructed with foam for as much light comfort in wearing it in full.

Right underneath the red chest top is the rest of the body covered in gold with the appropriate/correct black lines. In the shots though, this looks to have been done in a shiny type of fabric. With how it folds up in the pic on the left, it definitely doesn't look like armor that's for sure. The legs start with a black part at the top, yellow matching the chest, and then the orange makes a return from the kneecap down. On the sides you can also see small circles with green orbs inside. Yes, they do appear to be glowing so it's possible LED work was also added in. Samus' iconic helmet makes an appearance as a prop in all of the photos.

I am curious if shots were taken with the helmet on or if it was too small for Lara's head XD. One arm is fully encased in the other well known blaster cannon. The blue looks absolutely beautiful as is the rest of the cosplay in terms of the paint job that went into it. The orange however did not last, as Lara went and replaced those colors with a bright metallic shade of purple. And thus the Varia Suit was instantly transformed into the Gravity Suit seen in Super Metroid.

The photos do a phenomenal job in showcasing Lara as Samus in beautiful fashion. The blonde wig she's wearing is pretty dang on point too. I can only imagine the amount of labor and love Lara put into this cosplay. Outfits like this can show who exactly matters to specific cosplayers in terms of favorite characters. I truly hope you all enjoy the photos in this post!

Lara Lunardi is one of the most dedicated females I know in the cosplay world. From cosplay creations to even Feature videos, she's widening her portfolio to market herself more efficiently in the industries she hopes to pursue in. Gaming is definitely one of them! Consider following her on FB if you're not yet, plus I got a link to her professional website too!
https://www.facebook.com/laralunardi/
http://www.laralunardi.com/