Comic-Con 2011: Cirque du Soleil acrobats make like Spider-Man

July 22, 2011 | 10:12 a.m.

Cirque du Soleil presents a scene from "Kà" near Comic-Con. (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

With all the caped crusaders prowling around downtown San Diego on Thursday night, Comic-Con audiences finally saw some heroes who could actually fly, as two Cirque du Soleil acrobats performed a fight scene from their Las Vegas MGM Grand show, “Kà,” on a 90-foot facade of Petco Park. Suspended by winches affixed to the baseball-stadium wall, the performers climbed, swooped and battled on the vertical stage like bedazzled Spider-men. As dramatic, percussive music cut through the city night sounds of freight trains and shouting pedicab drivers, comic-book-style images projected on the ballpark wall told the story of two imperial twins pitted against an enemy warrior tribe.

A mellow crowd had gathered for the free event, sprawling on the asphalt curb in front of the Omni Hotel and Nobu sushi restaurant. The performance lasted less than 10 minutes, drawing a disappointed sigh from the audience when it ended. But this being Comic-Con weekend, there were immediately other distractions — a futuristic car from the “Total Recall” reboot had just arrived in front of Nobu, and former L.A. Laker Rick Fox had paused outside the restaurant to pose for photos with fans.

“Who is that?” a purple-haired girl wondered aloud. “The guy from ‘Dancing With the Stars,’ ” her friend said. (Fox did appear on “DWTS.”). Purple hair shrugged, and they headed for the shuttle buses.

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