This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

The idea behind Salt Lake Comic Con's FanXperience is that fans have a better opportunity to meet their celebrity heroes, since the pop-culture convention is small by design.

That happened, a lot. Tens of thousands of fans lined up and met the men and women who have brought fantastical explorers, fearless survivors and brilliant intellects to life on the screen and on the page. But this year, it went the other way: a larger-than-life personality met his hero, too.

In a private meeting, away from the bustling crowds of the convention, Jeremy Renner reunited with McKenzie Reese, a 2-year-old girl who was diagnosed earlier this month with terminal cancer, and cradled her in his arms. About a year ago, Renner won a smile from the shy girl at another comic convention and later encouraged her in her battle, sending her a message of strength before a surgery in November.

When he knew he would have a chance to see her one last time at FanX, Renner said the day couldn't come soon enough and called McKenzie his superhero.

On Saturday, the Reeses reunited with Renner, who was sweet and won another, "biggest smile" from McKenzie as they talked, her father Michael Reese related in a Facebook post.

While the family chatted with the Avenger, McKenzie asked to get down from her mother's arms "and happily climbed onto Jeremy Renner's lap," Reese wrote. "It was one of the sweetest moments we have enjoyed over the last few declining weeks and we want to say again thank you to the many individuals who helped this happen! This will be a sweet memory we will be able to hold onto and cherish."

After holding the girl a last time, as her mother looked on, Renner tweeted: "Sweet Kenzie, thank you for this afternoon together."

Renner was a headlining guest at the three-day convention, which sported other sci-fi celebrities such as Gillian Anderson, Matt Smith and Danai Gurira. The convention tried to appeal to a broader audience, too, with guests like Kate Beckinsale; former boy-band members Nick Carter, A.J. McLean and Joey Fatone; and Buzz Aldrin, the second man to set foot on the moon.

Aldrin was popular among the stars, too. Men who have played space travelers on television came face-to-face with the real deal, when Sylvester McCoy and Peter Davison (who both played The Doctor on "Doctor Who") snagged a photo with him. George Takei, who played Sulu on the original "Star Trek," also posted a photo on his popular social media accounts of a run-in with Aldrin.

"Buzz walked on the moon 47 years ago, back in 1969. Isn't it time someone set foot on Mars?" Takei wrote. Aldrin agrees: he reiterated his stance at FanX, sporting a t-shirt that said, in no uncertain terms, that humankind should shoot for the red planet.

"Supernatural" actress Erica Carroll dreamed of joining Aldrin's ranks as an astronaut after growing up watching "Star Trek: The Next Generation." Though that dream never came to pass, Carroll did enjoy a wished fulfilled in the halls of the Salt Palace Convention Center.

"I had a super awkward fan girl moment," Carroll tweeted, with a photograph of her posing with Levar Burton, who played Geordi La Forge on her childhood show. Last week, Carroll had told The Salt Lake Tribune that she had hoped to meet him. And when she did, Burton "was very gracious," she added in her tweet.

Though the convention is over, the powers behind FanX have little time to rest. They have three more FanX-branded conventions to organize for later this year, in China, Thailand and the Philippines.

And while those are going on, they have to work on the fourth annual Salt Lake Comic Con, scheduled for this September, as well.

Twitter: @MikeyPanda