The lead man in the world of comic creation, Stan Lee, brought his 95years of a lifetime journey to an end, yesterday, November 12, when it was confirmed by Kirk Schenck, an attorney for Lee’s daughter, J.C Lee. He died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.
Born Stanley Martin Lieber in New York in 1922, he adopted the pseudonym Stan Lee to foreground his career until he used his real name for a great American novel he was certain on writing someday to come. “I felt someday I’d be writing the Great American Novel and I didn’t want to use my real name on these silly little comics,” said Lee.
Stepping in the world of fictional superhero characters creation, Lee gave rival headliners like those of DC comics, who were already buzzing the world of comics with their characters; Batman, Superman and the Flash, a chase for the highly rated one. Lee made it a point to create superhero characters with personality, not just power, a change from the ideal archetypes. He also helped invent black superhero characters including Luke Cage, Falcon and Black Panther at the peak of the civil rights movement, which paved the way for black people to also have their own superheroes. “Not to have diversity of different races and nationalities is ridiculous., because the world is diverse. The more we can include everybody, the better it is.” Lee said in an interview with EW in June 2015.
Being one of the front runners in the evolution of Marvel studios and also former president (1972), reigning president of the studio Kevin Feige paid tribute to the late Marvel icon saying, “No one has had more of an impact on my career and everything we do at Marvel studios than Stan Lee. Stan leaves an extraordinary legacy that will outlive us all. Our thoughts are with his daughter, his family and the millions of fans who have been forever touched by Stan’s genius, charisma and heart.”
“Stan Lee was an extraordinary as the characters he created, “Disney chairman and CEO Bob Iger said in a tribute to him. “A superhero in his own right to Marvel fans around the world, Stan had the power to inspire, to entertain and to connect. The scale of is imagination was only exceeded by the size of his heart.”
The late Stan will forever and famously be remembered for his works in Marvel Studio blockbusters, Black Panther, Spider-Man, X-Men, Mighty Thor, Iron Man, Fantastic Four, Incredible Hulk, Daredevil and Ant-Man, which only forms part of the many superhero characters he blessed the world with.
Lee was inducted into the comic book industry’s Will Einser Award Hall of Fame in 1994 and the Jack Kirby Hall of Fame in 1995. He received a National Medal of Arts in 2008. Stan is survived by his daughter J.C Lee and younger brother Larry Lieber, a writer and artist for Marvel.
