Stan Lee Dies At 95
He leaves behind an immeasurable legacy.
Stan Lee, the man who co-created Spider-Man, the X-Men, Fantastic Four, Daredevil and countless other heroes from within the pages of Marvel Comics, passed away this Monday. He was 95 years old.
In a career that would eventually go on to span over 75 years, Lee gave birth to dozens of iconic comic book creations, and provided the defining image of Marvel Comics when - during the 1960s - he formed a legendary partnership with Jack Kirby. Together with Kirby, Steve Ditko, and other figures such as John Romita, Lee helped craft a modern mythos in the Marvel Universe, what many would consider to house the 20th century's most iconic superheroes and villains.
Stan Lee was a lot of things. Inspirational, controversial - a man who was obsessed with exclamation marks to a wonderful degree - but he was also utterly, utterly brilliant. His legacy spans decades and touches millions the world over, but perhaps his most enduring contribution to the comics medium lies not in the characters he created, but the way in which he told their stories. Lee was determined to reflect the world outside all of our windows, and infused most of his tales with social commentary ripped straight from the Cold War zeitgeist, and a character-driven pulse that would permeate throughout the industry in the years following.
Peter Parker, Matt Murdock, the X-Men - all were fantastical, but they were all human as well. That human element carries through to the Marvel of today, displayed not just in comic books, but in film, TV, and several other mediums.
Lee leaves behind an incomparable legacy, and a lasting belief: "a story without a message... is like a man without a soul."
Excelsior.
Please feel free to leave your own tributes to Lee down in the comments below.