Working with a host of artists at Marvel Comics, legendary comic book writer and editor Stan Lee helped populate a vast universe of superheroes that has been captivating readers for nearly six decades.
These are some of his most iconic creations:
FANTASTIC FOUR – 1961
In this photo from files provided by 20th Century Fox, Sue Storm (Jessica Alba) and Reed Richards (Ioan Gruffudd) encounter the Silver Surfer in "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer." (AP Photo/20th Century Fox/Diyah Pera)
On an experimental space mission, four astronauts are suddenly bombarded by cosmic radiation. After crash-landing to earth, they soon discover that they now have incredible superpowers.
Created by Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko, and first appearing in an eponymous comic book in Nov. 1961, the Fantastic Four consists of Mister Fantastic, who can stretch his body into impossible shapes, the aptly-named Invisible Woman, the fiery high-flying Human Torch and the burly rock-fleshed Thing. In addition to comic books, the Fantastic Four have starred in four television series and a slew of films, with the most recent arriving in 2015. The creation of the Fantastic Four also ushered in a new generation of superheroes at Marvel Comics.
“In the beginning Marvel created the Bullpen and the Style,” Lee biblically explained in his 2015 memoir, Amazing Fantastic Incredible. “And the Bullpen was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the Artists. And the Spirit of Marvel said, Let there be The Fantastic Four. And there was The Fantastic Four. And Marvel saw The Fantastic Four. And it was good.”
SPIDER-MAN – 1962
Spider-Man fans dressed as his costume pose with the movie's posters prior to the Japan premiere for the "Spider-Man: Homecoming" in Tokyo, Monday, Aug. 7, 2017. (AP Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi)
Peter Parker was just an awkward and brainy teenager before a bite from a radioactive spider gave him superhuman strength and agility, the power to cling to walls and a precognitive “spider-sense.”
Developed by Lee and Ditko, Spider-Man made his first appearance in the comic book Amazing Fantasy #15 in Aug. 1962. Perhaps Lee’s best-known creation, the web-slinging superhero has since played the starring role in numerous comic book television series as well as a host of films, with the most recent being 2017’s Spider-Man: Homecoming. Spider-Man was also one of the medium’s first teenage superheroes.
“I wanted the character to be a very human guy, someone who makes mistakes, who worries, who gets acne, has trouble with his girlfriend, things like that,” Lee once said in an interview with the Detroit Free Press. “We (made) him an average man who happens to have super powers.”
DOCTOR STRANGE – 1963
British actor Benedict Cumberbatch poses for photographers at a press conference to promote his latest movie "Doctor Strange" in Hong Kong, Thursday, Oct. 13, 2016. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
Doctor Stephen Vincent Strange was an arrogant surgeon before his hands were terribly damaged in a car crash. Travelling the world to find a way to repair them, he eventually becomes a student of mystical and martial arts in the Himalayas. Upon the death of his mentor, Strange is named the planet’s Sorcerer Supreme and given the task to protect the world from supernatural threats.
Initially created by Ditko, who further developed the character with Lee, Doctor Strange made his comic book debut in July 1963’s Strange Tales #110. Bringing spiritual and surreal elements to the superhero world, Doctor Strange has been a Marvel Universe stalwart for decades, appearing in several comic book series, making cameos in numerous Marvel television shows and movies, and most recently being portrayed by actor Benedict Cumberbatch in an eponymous 2015 film.
“College students, minds freshly opened by psychedelic experiences and Eastern mysticism, read Ditko and Lee's Dr. Strange stories with the belief of a recent Hare Krishna convert,” comics historian Mike Benton wrote in his 1991 book Superhero Comics of the Silver Age. “Meaning was everywhere, and readers analyzed the Dr. Strange stories for their relationship to Egyptian myths, Sumerian gods, and Jungian archetypes.”
THE AVENGERS – 1963
Dave Hollis, executive vice president of theatrical exhibition sales and distribution for Walt Disney Studios, talks about the studio's upcoming film "Avengers: Age of Ultron," during the Walt Disney Studios presentation at CinemaCon 2015 at Caesars Palace on Wednesday, April 22, 2015, in Las Vegas. (Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)
Created by Lee and writer-artist Jack Kirby, The Avengers first appeared in an eponymous comic book in Sept. 1963 “to face the threats no single superhero could withstand!”
One of the comic book world’s most enduring superhero teams, its rotating membership has included numerous characters Lee co-created with Kirby, Ditko and others, such as Hulk (who first appeared in May 1962), Thor (Aug. 1962), Iron Man (March 1963), Nick Fury (May 1963) and later, Black Panther (July 1966) -- the comic book world’s first major superhero of African descent.
Appearing in numerous solo and ensemble comic book and television series, as well as films such as 2018’s Avengers: Infinity Wars, the franchise focuses as much on the co-operation and personality clashes of its larger-than-life members as it does with their battles with mighty foes.
X-MEN – 1963
Ellen Page presents a clip from “X-Men: Days of Future Past” on stage at the MTV Movie Awards on Sunday, April 13, 2014, at Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles. (Matt Sayles/Invision)
Led by powerful telepath Professor X, the X-Men are a diverse team of mutant superheroes who find themselves battling human prejudice as much as powerful supervillains.
Created by Lee and Kirby, and first appearing in an eponymous comic book in Sept. 1963, the team has been one of Marvel’s most important franchises for decades and has included a diverse cast of characters (including Lee co-creations like Beast, Cyclops, Iceman and Jean Grey) in numerous comic book and television series and spin-offs, as well as multiple films, such as 2016’s X-Men: Apocalypse.
"I wanted them to be diverse,” Lee explained in a 2013 interview. “The whole underlying principle of the X-Men was to try to be an anti-bigotry story to show there’s good in every person."
DAREDEVIL – 1964
Charlie Cox arrives at "Marvel's Daredevil" on April 2, 2015 in Los Angeles. (Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)
Blinded by a radioactive substance as a child that also heightened his remaining senses, Matt Murdock uses his radar-like powers and fighting skills to battle evil in New York’s crime-riddled Hell’s Kitchen neighbourhood.
Created by Lee and writer-artists Bill Everett with input from Kirby, the superhero made his debut in April 1964 in Daredevil #1. In addition to several comic book and television series, Daredevil has been portrayed by actor Ben Affleck in a 2003 film and Charlie Cox in an ongoing Netlfix series.
“The one thing that worried me about Daredevil -- I wondered if blind people would be offended, because we were exaggerating so much what a blind person can do, and they might have felt that we're making it ridiculous,” Lee said in a 2011 interview. “But I was so pleased -- after the books were published, we started getting letters from charities for blind people… saying, 'We've been reading these stories to the people here and they love them, and they're so pleased you have a super-hero who is sightless.' And, oh boy, that made me feel great!”
