Stan Lee's 20 Greatest Marvel Comics Creations
2. The Hulk
Hulk smashes through the competition to take his place as Stan Lee’s second best character.
If there was ever any doubt of his creative genius, a quick glance at the top three especially should dispel those thoughts. In Iron Man, Hulk and the yet to be revealed champion, Stan Lee is responsible for three of the most recognisable characters in any form of media.
Like so much of this list, it’s the nuance that makes Hulk stand out. Characters capable of smashing up walls are dime a dozen in comics; yet Hulk is head and shoulders above them.
Similar to Jean Grey, Hulk is at a constant battle with himself and his powers. As a fairly withdrawn scientist in Bruce Banner mode, Hulk’s uncontrollable nature offers no appeal. The visceral, exciting action we see when the Hulk is let loose is obviously a massive part of what makes him entertaining, but what makes Lee’s character stand out is the flip side.
The internal battle that everyone can relate to. We might not all burst out as an angry green dude when something sets us off, but we all do things we regret. And the best characters are the ones you can connect with.