Halloween Costume Guide
Archaeologist by day. Egyptian goddess by accident. The tiara is non-negotiable.
Adrianna Tomaz is an archaeologist working in Khandaq who gains the powers of the goddess Isis after her son Amon uses an ancient amulet. She is played by Sarah Shahi in the 2022 DC film directed by Jaume Collet-Serra (Wikipedia). The film opened to mixed reviews and underperformed at the box office, which matters for recognition: most people who know this character watched the film in theaters or at home shortly after release. By 2026, that pool has narrowed.
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The tiara is what people see first, and if it is sliding or sitting off-center, the rest of the costume suffers for it. Pin it into the wig before you leave home. The collar choker works the same way: it needs to sit high and flat, not halfway down the neck like a regular necklace. If either of those two pieces is off, the build reads as generic Egyptian rather than a specific character. The accessories are doing more work here than the clothing.
There is a scene early in the film where Adrianna translates an ancient inscription and tells her students, calmly, that the person buried beneath them was not a king but a champion. She knows more than everyone around her and does not make a point of it. That is the energy for the evening. Not intimidating, not dramatic. Just someone who knows things and is watching quietly.
Secure the tiara before you leave
A tiara that slides forward looks like it does not belong to the costume. Two bobby pins through the base of the tiara and into the wig cap, crossed at the back, will hold it in place for most of the night. Check it once an hour if the wig is thick. Do not wait until it has already shifted and someone points it out.
Pick one base layer and commit
The guide lists three base layer options and three bottom layer options. That is not a reason to layer all of them. Pick one base and one bottom that work for your venue and temperature. The accessories are the same either way, and they are what make the costume. Overthinking the base layer does not improve recognition.
Group Idea: Khandaq’s Defenders
Excellent group for a crowd that watched the film together. All four characters appear in Black Adam and the visual contrast works: a goddess, an antihero, a wind-powered JSA member, and a sorcerer with a golden helmet. The issue is that Dr. Fate’s helmet is either genuinely impressive or obviously rushed, and there is no middle ground. If someone in the group is not ready to commit to that build, this group reads as three people from Black Adam and someone wearing a hat.
Group Idea: Avatars of Ancient Gods
Might work, but the shared concept needs explanation. Moon Knight channels an Egyptian moon god, Wonder Woman is a demi-goddess from Themyscira, Zeus appears in the MCU, and Isis carries the power of an Egyptian deity. The connection is real but not visible. At a general Halloween party this reads as “four unrelated superhero costumes.” At a comics convention with people who will ask about it, the concept lands. Know your audience before committing.
Group Idea: DC’s Mystical Heroines
Strong group for a DC crowd. Four women from across DC’s roster, each with a distinct visual identity: Egyptian goddess, magician in formal wear, dark sorceress, and a leather-clad sonic fighter. The costumes contrast well and each one is recognizable on its own. Raven and Zatanna have stronger general recognition than Isis at this point, so the group does not collapse if one person gets fewer questions. This works at a comics event and holds up at a general Halloween party too.
Group Idea: The Sarah Shahi Roster
Might work, but only at a party where everyone is a dedicated Sarah Shahi fan. Sameen Shaw from Person of Interest has a following, but Carmen from The L Word and Billie from Sex/Life are niche enough that most people will not make the connection without prompting. The concept is specific in a way that is either very funny or completely invisible depending on who is at the party. I would not build four costumes around this unless the whole group already knows the joke.
This build is more about accessories than clothing. The base layer can be anything fitted and minimal. The jewelry and tiara are where the time goes.
Adrianna is calm and direct. She does not perform confidence because she does not need to. When she is in a dangerous situation, she focuses on the problem rather than reacting to it.
The red gemstone tiara is the most important item. Without it, the costume reads as a generic Egyptian look. Pair it with a collar choker, cuff bracelet, and scale waist belt, then build your base layer from the bandeau bra, criss cross crop top, or strapless bustier. Add the wavy dark wig and braid rope sandals to finish.
Recognition has narrowed since 2022. People who saw Black Adam will know the character, but the film underperformed and has faded from general conversation. The Egyptian goddess look is striking enough to work on its own, even without the character being recognized.
The most quoted line from the film belongs to Adrianna describing Black Adam: “He is not a hero. But he is not a villain.” It captures the film’s central tension in one sentence and is the line most people who saw the film remember her for.
Isis, whose full name in the film is Adrianna Tomaz, is played by Sarah Shahi. Shahi is an American actress previously known for Person of Interest and Sex/Life. Black Adam was released in October 2022 and directed by Jaume Collet-Serra (IMDb).
Three base layer options: bandeau bra, criss cross crop top, and strapless bustier. Three bottom layer options: tennis skirt, waist cincher corset, and lingerie skirt. The accessories are identical across all combinations. Pick based on your venue and how much coverage you want.
No. Without the tiara it is an Egyptian-themed outfit, not an Isis costume. The tiara is the one item that makes the character reference specific.