Photos: Cosplay highlights of the 2023 San Diego Comic-Con

Cosplayer Jordan Riley dressed as Hawkeye. A-listers are skipping this week's Comic-Con due to a historic Hollywood strike - but while some ticketholders are disappointed, long-standing comic book fans are delighted to have their world-famous event back.

Cosplayer Reyes Castrellon II (R) dressed as Indiana Jones. The giant pop culture gathering in San Diego, California often draws headlines for the thousands of cosplaying fans who camp in line for days to see stars from Tom Cruise to Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.

A cosplayer wears a costume of 'Star Wars' character Han Solo frozen in carbonite. The event, which runs Thursday to Sunday, has ballooned to become North America's largest pop culture gathering, drawing 130,000 annual visitors dressed up as everything from superheroes to space monsters.

A cosplayer dressed as the Scarlet Spider. But its first iteration - the brainchild of an unemployed 36-year-old comic collector and his five teenage acolytes - brought just 100 people to a seedy hotel basement in 1970.

The "Golden State Comic-Con," as it was called, was first designed as a way for fans to connect with each other and meet their heroes - the comic book creators.

A giant convention floor with countless talks, seminars and signings has continued to allow fans to do just that.

Cosplayers Kelsey Hinesley (video game Wonder Woman) and Janelle Hinesley (Astrid from How to Train Your Dragon).

These days, it is normally overshadowed by Comic-Con's famous Hall H auditorium, where massive movie announcements are made to screaming fans.

Attendees spend thousands of dollars on travel, hotels and their Comic-Con passes, which are fiercely competitive to obtain and sold out months ago.

Cosplayers dressed as Scarlet Witch, Gwen Stacy and She-Hulk.

A Deadpool cosplayer looks on during San Diego Comic-Con International in San Diego, California.

A view of a Tamashii Nations Ultraman display on the convention floor.

A cosplayer dressed as a Sentinel.

A cosplayer dressed as Team Titan's Raven.

Groot sits on an attendee's shoulder.