In Honor of Stan Lee
I was very saddened yesterday by the news of Stan Lee's death. When I first saw it I thought it was a hoax, but when I looked it up I realized it was true. Stan Lee was a genius, a legend of our time. He and Jack Kirby created an empire that stretched across comics, books, video games, tv shows, movies, and more. His death will be mourned by his family, by Disney and Marvel Entertainment, by the many actors and actresses who have played his creations, and by the millions of fans around the world. Now I want to write something to honor him, and to honor his legacy. Let's first look at some of his amazing creations.
When he and Jack Kirby began working together, their first creation was not a team but a family. A guy on fire, a girl who could turn invisible, a man who could stretch his entire body, and a lovable orange rock. They were the Fantastic Four, You could pretty much say that Marvel Comics began with them.
There was another idea; the idea of a teenage boy who gets bitten by a radioactive spider and develops powers. The result: Peter Parker, A.K.A. Spider-Man.
Magic began to play into Stan's and Jack's comics with the introduction of Dr. Stephen Strange. A former neurosurgeon who studied the mystic arts, he was definitely a valuable addition to Marvel Comics.
Bruce Banner, an incredibly gifted scientist whose exposure to gamma radiation affected his body in a rather unusual way.
Why not a team? thought Lee and Kirby. So the made the X-Men, a group of mutated humans who were outcasts of society. Wolverine, Professor X, Cyclopes, and Jean Grey are some of the better-known X-Men.
There were others as well that came from Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. Daredevil, Black Panther, and others all came from then. But Stan also spent time working with his brother Larry, and from them came 3 characters in particular who have become quite popular heroes in recent years.
Scott Lang, A.K.A. Ant-Man, isn't exactly a large figure in the Marvel Universe (excuse the pun), but he has gained in popularity in the past few years. He uses Pym Particles to shrink his body as well as expand it.
Thor, son of Odin, Protector of the Nine Realms. He wasn't technically Stan Lee's creation, as Thor was a god of war worshiped by the Vikings. Lee just turned him into a superhero, but in my opinion he did a great job of it.
The leader of them all. Billionaire Genius Playboy Tony Stark, who created a suit of armor and called himself Iron Man. He has been there from the beginning, helping form the Avengers, lead them on all their quests, mentoring Spider-Man, and constantly saving the world on his own. He may have some pride issues, but he is the most loved and most famous of all of Stan Lee's characters.
Many actors, such as Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr., owe their careers to Stan Lee. Millions of fans are grateful to him for what he did and what his legacy as left. As I write this, there are untold numbers of Marvel Comics, many video games, more than 50 movies, innumerable books and graphic novels, and many other things. As Nick Fury said, "There was an idea...", and from that idea came so many great characters. I guess what he said in his Spider-Man 3 cameo was true: "You know, I guess one person can make a difference." 'Nuff said.
R.I.P. Stan Lee 1922-2018
And If you wan to go watch his cameos again, here's a video that has all of them.
