Now in its eighth year, New York Comic Con is a force to be reckoned with, as fans descended upon the Big Apple in the hundreds of thousands from October 10 to October 13 to celebrate their favorite sci-fi, fantasy and comic books. Some, such as this group of 1990s X-Men, take part in what's called "cosplay," masquerading as popular or at times, obscure characters. Click through the gallery for more photos from NYCC:
"X-Files" stars Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny -- here taking a photo of a fan's diorama -- reunited for the show's 20th anniversary.
Two of Batman's archenemies, Poison Ivy and Bane.
Superman's enemies -- a female version of Brainiac and Lex Luthor -- have a little present for him.
The X-Men have formidable foes in Mystique and Sabretooth.
Spider-Man's enemies -- Green Goblin, Hobgoblin and Kingpin, along with sometimes friend Black Cat -- would not be outdone.
"Game of Thrones" star Jerome Flynn, center, met some fans and had a seat on the "Iron Throne."
This fan really captured the look of "X-Men's" Storm, showing off some of her powers.
The Flash (looking more adorable than usual here) poses with Wonder Woman (sometimes referred to as "Mommy").
Even canines get into the action. This dog is cosplaying as Chewbacca from "Star Wars."
Popular Marvel Comics characters Spider-Man and Deadpool pose with their accessories of choice.
Ruby Rinesko joked that early convention attendees might get to "touch Lola," referring to a line about Agent Coulson's car on the hit ABC series "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D."
A big part of Comic Con for many fans is meeting some of their favorite celebrities. Carrina Files, right, was thrilled to meet Felicia Day.
This group of "Sandman"-inspired cosplayers -- Death, Delirium, Destiny and Dream -- had a very special moment meeting "Sandman" colorist Danny Vozzo.
This cosplayer poses as River, as seen on the poster for the "Firefly" movie adaptation "Serenity."
Captain America has grown in popularity with cosplayers since his 2011 movie, and female interpretations of "Cap" are no exception to that.
It just wouldn't be a convention without an appearance from "Harry Potter's" Severus Snape.
The Men in Black were on hand to oversee the proceedings.
Being the most popular scripted series on TV, "The Walking Dead" had a packed panel on Saturday, and even announced two new actors joining the show, Michael Cudlitz and Josh McDermitt.
Oh, those tempting toy booths. This Ghostbuster eyes an item at the Mattel booth.
Deadpool remains a perennial favorite cosplay character -- for both genders.
John Barrowman, star of "Arrow," "Torchwood" and "Doctor Who," was a popular attraction for fans.
A nightmare for "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" fans brought to life.
- Now in its eighth year, tickets for New York Comic Con sell out
- 116,000 fans attended in 2012; this year's attendance should exceed that
- Stars mingle with costume players as big comic book and TV announcements are made
(CNN) -- It was the annual gathering of the geeks in the city that never sleeps.
After an attendance of 116,000 in 2012, New York Comic Con tickets were sold out this year, as crowds lined up to attend panels, meet their favorite sci-fi/fantasy celebrities and comic book creators and show off their latest cosplay (or costume play) creations.
Despite a controversy on the first day of the convention on Thursday -- in which the Con tweeted on behalf of attendees on their own Twitter accounts -- it appeared that the enthusiasm of fans did not let up with long lines over the rest of the weekend. The convention ceased that particular Twitter practice on Friday.
"It's a little more intimate than some of the larger Cons," said veteran convention attendee and iReporter Rene Carson.
"I just got out of a panel for David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson, and it was really easy to get into. With the others [conventions], you can't get into those [kind of panels] without waiting for hours and hours."
Aside from Duchovny and Anderson's 20th anniversary reunion, there were many other big events.
The smash hit TV series "The Walking Dead" announced two new actors joining their cast, Michael Cudlitz (in attendance) and Josh McDermitt, both playing characters from the popular comic book.
A "10th season" of the "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" comic book was confirmed with a new creative team, and a fourth season of MTV's "Teen Wolf" series was announced.
DC Comics talked up their 2014 weekly series, "Batman: Eternal."
And Marvel Comics finally confirmed that it would reprint the classic 1980s series "Miraclemen," alongside announcing new series starring "Silver Surfer," "Punisher" and "Ghost Rider."
But for many fans, "NYCC" is about the costume play and the chance to meet their favorite stars.
