Living Comic Book Legend, Stan Lee, Has Passed Away
On the morning of Novembr 12, 2018, Stan Lee passed away at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California, a family representative told The Hollywood Reporter. He was 95.
Born December 28, 1922, Stan Lee was a real-life superhero, beginning his career in 1939. His revolutionary method of creation, dubbed “The Marvel Method” allowed Lee to transform the comicbook world with character depth that had yet to be seen.
Lee started out as an assistant at Timely Comics (now Marvel) in 1939, filling ink jars for the artists. But in 1941, he co-created his first comic hero, The Destroyer in Mystic Comics #6.
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An Army Veteran, Stan Lee joined the U.S. Army Signal Corp in 1942. He soon reclassified to Playwriter (one of only 9 men given that MOS) in the Training Film Division where he wrote training manuals, slogans, scripts and training films for the military.
Mike Barnes’ beautiful tribute to Lee in The Hollywood Reporter explains that Lee was revolutionary in his tackling of certain issues at the time. He created/co-created some of the most influential comic book characters throughout his life, including the first African super hero, Black Panther (1966) and first African American super hero Falcon (1969).
Lee often made cameo appearances in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and others. A fan favorite appearance is his cameo in Mallrats (1995) where he talks to Brody about love. “Doctor Doom wears body armor to conceal his own mangled form, right. That was me beneath the armor. That was me. The Hulk—a normal guy one minute, a rage of emotions the next. Just like me when I thought about what I had given up.”
Lee’s later years were tumultuous, losing his beloved wife and best friend July 6, 2017 to complications from a stroke. Soon afterward, Lee was a victim of several instances of elder abuse and fraud. In the end, his estate was able to resolve those issues and Stan Lee was back to focusing on what he loved most: the fans.
DC Comics, Marvel Comics noted rival, issued a statement via Twitter.
He changed the way we look at heroes, and modern comics will always bear his indelible mark. His infectious enthusiasm reminded us why we all fell in love with these stories in the first place. Excelsior, Stan.
— DC (@DCComics) November 12, 2018
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Rest in peace, Mr. Lee. You’ve given so much to the comic and geek community—to the world.Stan Lee will surely be missed.
