In the pantheon of comic book creators, no name is better known than Stan Lee. Lee, along with Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, and a variety of other artists, reimagined what the superhero genre could be when they built the Marvel Universe in the 1960s. They added pathos to their characters, placing them in “our” world and giving them more realistic emotions and problems than had been seen on the comics racks. The world Lee and his peers built has stood as the blueprint of superhero comics ever since.
Across his decades of work, Stan Lee was partly responsible for some of the most exciting and beloved fictional heroes of all time. They also built the “Marvel Method,” giving the artists more freedom in the creation of the stories, with Lee being there to help plot and spice up the dialogue for a new generation of readers. And his weekly musings in Stan’s Soapbox gave readers an inside look at not only how comics were made, but how Lee saw the world. But, when it comes down to it, it was the characters who were always at the center of it all, and Lee was there to help shepherd them along.
These titans of the four color page have jumped from the page to the big screen, becoming massive franchises that reach millions of people. But when Lee started this journey all the way back in 1941 with a prose story in Captain America #1, he never could have dreamed that his imagination — and his characters — would capture the world’s attention.
Spider-Man Was The Reader In Hero Form
Created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, Spider-Man may be the perfect superhero. With a suit and mask that covers his entire body, any reader can easily imagine themselves being the one fighting Green Goblin, and Peter Parker’s money and girl troubles made him feel real. Readers could instantly connect with Spider-Man in a way they couldn’t connect to any other hero.
Adding to the power of the character was that, in his early adventures, Spider-Man was just a nerdy high school kid, not unlike the majority of readers. He lived a life not that different from theirs, but with the addition of superpowers. Spider-Man quickly became Marvel’s most recognizable character and, based on how much money Spider-Man: Brand New Day has made at the box office, he isn’t in danger of losing that status any time soon.
Hulk Connected To Children
While originally inspired by Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, the Hulk has become a character unlike any other in comics, and in fiction. Imagined by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, Hulk went through a lot of changes early on, from gray to green, and from transforming at night to changing whenever Bruce Banner became enraged. And those changes helped make the character a huge hit with one specific demographic: children.
The bright green pulled the kids in, but the Hulk’s actions hooked them. Like a child, Hulk can’t really control his emotions and tends to have tantrums. And, like kids, Hulk can’t find the words to properly express what he is feeling (which leads to the tantrums.) Subconsciously, younger fans see a piece of themselves in Marvel’s Green Goliath, and Stan Lee played a major role in making that happen.
The Fantastic Four Is Stan Lee’s Masterpiece
The first Marvel series is also the best work Stan Lee and Jack Kirby ever did together. The Fantastic Four not only announced the new comic publisher with a bang, it set the stage for all that would follow. Lee and Kirby filled the team with inner turmoil and family squabbles, making them feel real, even if they burst into flames, stretched their bodies across city blocks, vanished from human sight, or were a big orange guy made of rocks.
Across 102 issues, Lee and Kirby mixed sci-fi action with soap opera drama and recontextualized what a superhero story could be. The duo did some of their best work in those 8 years, creating a cavalcade of characters and ideas that remains unmatched to this day. And while there are still debates over who is really responsible for the idea of the Fantastic Four, there is no doubting Lee’s role in making the team so iconic.
Silver Surfer Was Stan Lee’s Philosophical Side
First appearing in Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s Fantastic Four #48…
The way Lee wrote Silver Surfer made…
Iron Man Was Stan Lee’s Test
As the story goes — told by …
But Lee wanted to see if he could convince …
Black Panther Broke Barriers
Often credited as …
The character also paid homage …
The X-Men Became A Symbol For Those Unjustly Attacked
Originally an allegory for puberty …
Still there is no denying …
Rick Jones Was The Connection Tissue
While Nick Fury was …
Daredevil Was A Spider-Man Copy Who Went In A Different Direction
Created by Stan Lee …
Stan Lee Had Two Reasons To Create Captain Marvel
Created by Stan Lee …
