The 501st Legion is an international fan-base organization dedicated to the construction and wearing of screen-accurate replicas of Imperial Stormtrooper armor, Imperial officer uniforms, and other villains and nefarious characters from the Star Wars universe. Members of the 501st Legion often make appearances at casual, promotional, and charitable events, often at the request of Lucasfilm's Fan Relations department. Formed by Albin Johnson and Tom Crews in 1997, the group boasts over 3,900 members in 40 countries as of March 24, 2008, with a 15% female membership.