HOLLYWOOD, CA — Stan Lee, the unparalleled comic book genius who co-created Marvel Comics, died early Monday morning, according to reports.
The celebrated creator gave the world Spider-Man, Iron Man, the Black Panther, The Incredible Hulk, X-Men, Silver Surfer, Dr. Strange and The Avengers. More than 2 million of Lee’s comic books have been published in 75 nations and in 25 languages. His characters have been featured in 24 animated television series and several live-action movies.
The 95-year-old author had battled a number of illnesses over the last year, most recently a bout of pneumonia, his daughter told TMZ. An ambulance was called to his Hollywood Hills home, and he was later pronounced dead at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.
Lee rose to fame from ignoble beginnings to become the most famous comic author and producer in history. The face of Marvel, Lee is one of the few comic book authors recognizable to mainstream audiences largely because of film roles where he played himself and for his small on-screen parts in the major Marvel movies.
A native of New York, Lee created some of his most memorable characters as fellow New Yorkers. His was a world where Superheros battled with villains for the soul of the city and future of mankind. His characters resonated with audiences around the world largely because they were larger than life heroes who had everyday problems such as a spider-man with a crippling crush and too much schoolwork. Throughout his life, Lee would pride himself for his common touch.
“I seem to be spending my life with ordinary people who are the best people in the world,” Lee said at a 2017 ceremony in which he sank his hands and feet into cement in the forecourt of the TCL Chinese Theatre. “I’ve been the luckiest man in the world because I’ve had friends. And to have the right friends is everything. People you can depend on. People who tell you the truth if you ask for something. I’ve been lucky in that area. And lucky to have a wonderful wife,” he added, referring to his wife of nearly 70 years, Joan, who died July 6, 2017 at age 93.
Born Stanley Martin Lieber on Dec. 28, 1922, he began his career as a lowly assistant in 1930 at Timely Comics, filling ink pens for illustrators, proofreading and running errands. By the time he was 19, he was named interim editor. During World War II, he enlisted in the U.S. Army, where he was installed in the Training Film Division, writing slogans and cartoons. His knack for pithy catchphrases would stay with him throughout his career. Most famously, he’ll always be known for his signature catchphrases, “nuff said” and “true believers.”
His first published work was as a text filler for Captain America No. 3, published in 1941. He wrote under the name Stan Lee, which would later become his legal name, writing in his autobiography that he intended to save his given name for more literary work.
Lee was editor-in-chief of Timely Comics for two decades. He was at the helm as it evolved into Marvel Comics in 1961. In 1972, he became publisher. His tenure oversaw a revolution in the industry, and he was tasked with coming up with new heroes. He preferred the flawed heroes, who suffered from self-doubt, resentment, vanity and ambition. His storylines often tackled challenging topics of the day, weaving social commentary on racism into his storylines.
His first major hit with co-creator Jack Kirby was the Fantastic Four. The two paired up again to create the X-Men. Lee would continue to collaborate with other artists and authors, creating iconic superheroes. In addition to the Hulk and Iron Man, he created Thor and Daredevil.
Throughout his career, Lee remained accessible to his legion of fans. He became a fixture at comic conventions, giving his fans a chance to delve into cherished storylines with the man who created the universe inhabited by super heroes. In a way, he became a hero in his own right, a cult hero, at least, to his legion of comic book fans. In brief film cameos, he played himself, often with a self-deprecating wink.
His fame exploded with the era of superhero blockbusters, turning Marvel from a comic book franchise to a major player in the film industry.
Late in life, Lee suffered personal hardship after the death of his wife. She was his best friend and the love of his life, he said. They were married in December 1947 and they had two children, one of whom died three days after birth in 1953.
Lee told The Hollywood Reporter in 2016 that he met his wife by mistake when a cousin tried to set him up with a hat model named Betty in New York. But when Lee showed up at the hat store, Joan answered the door.
“I took one look at her — and she was the girl I had been drawing all my life,” Lee told THR. “And then I heard the English accent. And I’m a nut for English accents. She said, `May I help you?’ And I took a look at her, and I think I said something crazy like, `I love you.’ I don’t remember exactly. But anyway, I took her to lunch. I never met Betty, the other girl. I think I proposed to (Joan) at lunch.”
Joan, however, was already married at the time, although unhappily. She wound up moving to Reno, and after establishing Nevada residency, she got a divorce, and married Stan Lee an hour later, THR reported.
When his wife died, Lee suffered from a myriad of health and legal issues. In January, his young in-home nurses accused him of sexual harassment. Then In July Lee filed a restraining order against his business partner, alleging the man had been isolating him from family and exercising undue influence over him.
Despite his troubles, Lee continued to work and greet fans, appearing in more than a dozen TV shows and films this year, including Avengers: Infinity War.
As news of his death spread Monday, friends and fans mourned the legend.
“Thank you Stan Lee for making people who feel different realize they are special.,” tweeted actor Seth Rogen.
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Photo: LOS ANGELES, CA – OCTOBER 28: Stan Lee onstage at ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY Presents Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson at Stan Lee’s Los Angeles Comic-Con at Los Angeles Convention Center on October 28, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Rich Polk/Getty Images for Entertainment Weekly). City News Service contributed to this report.