Stan Lee, The Legendary Comics Icon Passes Away At 95

Stan Lee

Stan Lee wasn’t just a comics writer, but an inspiration to many who have followed Marvel since its early days. He created a medium of entertainment when movies, animations and TV shows were barely followed as passionately as Marvel’s comics. In the course of his life, he has introduced innumerable fictional characters, that aren’t just evergreen but also act as inspirations and role models for many. The legendary figure who brought our favourite superheroes and villains to life has recently passed away.

The news was made available to the world by Stan Lee’s daughter, Joan Celia Lee, via TMZ. Stan Lee was affected by pneumonia and vision issues among several severe illnesses in recent years. An ambulance hurried to Stan Lee’s Hollywood Hills home yesterday which rushed for Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. But unfortunately, Stan Lee died while he was being conveyed.

Stanley Martin Leiber was born on December 28, 1922, in Washington Heights to Jack Leiber and Celia Leiber. He adapted his passion for adventures, stage shows and magazine-reading at a very early stage. Graduating from DeWitt Clinton High School, Stan Lee joined the WPA Federal Theatre Project and did several stage shows.

Stan Lee joined Marvel (earlier Timely Comics) as a gofer but went on to write a two-page story titled “The Traitor’s Revenge!” for Kirby and Joe Simon’s Captain America No. 3. He began his journey with artist Jack Kirby and created their first hit Fantastic Four in 1961. With Fantastic Four’s commendable success, the duo went on to create many others which include The Incredible Hulk, The Mighty Thor, Iron Man and the X-Men.

Many of his characters are now parts of several TV shows, animation series, big-budget movies and video games. Spider-Man, one of Stan Lee’s well-known creations, recently got its own PS4-exclusive Marvel’s Spider-Man, which I gave a rating of nine. Not just Spider-Man, but many of his characters have appeared in innumerable video games, including Hulk, Iron Man, Captain America and the Fantastic Four.

Stan Lee took good advantage of his popularity and went on to create his own multimedia companies like Stan Lee Media and POW! Entertainment. However, they never reached the masses as Marvel did. In 2017, Stan Lee sued his own company POW! Entertainment for $1 billion alleging fraud. However, the suit was dropped weeks later.

The legendary creator is also infamous for his trickery in the comics creation process. Stan Lee would only write a summary for an issue and the artists had to figure out top-to-bottom. Instead of providing them with a fully-scripted story, he used his “Marvel Method” for creating stories. Despite all hard work by the artists, Stan Lee took most of the credit and even now, we seldom remember the artists’ names but Lee’s.

Stan Lee was a man of passion, dedication and carried a personality, commended by many. His creations will always have a place in our heart and will continue to exist for generations to come.

Rest in peace Stan Lee, 1922-2018.

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