I heard the sad news that Stan Lee died today at the age of 95. For those of you that don’t know about Stan, here is a brief description: “Stan Lee’s name is practically synonymous with the word “superhero.” He co-created many famous superheroes during his time at Marvel Comics: the Incredible Hulk, the Fantastic Four, Thor, Spider-Man, Iron Man and the X-Men, among many others. Stan imbued his characters and stories with an element of psychological realism, making it easy for fans to relate to the characters and their plights.” (Source: What is a superhero? edited by Robin S. Rosenberg and Peter Coogan; Stan Lee wrote a chapter in that book)
According to his New York Times obituary, (https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/12/obituaries/stan-lee-dead.html) Stan is survived by his daughter, Joan Celia Lee (officially known as J.C.) and his younger brother, Larry. His wife of 70 years, Joan, passed away in 2017. My heart goes out to his family. I know the pain of losing someone you love. You are never ready for it. It creates a hole in your heart. Perhaps they will find some solace in the fact that millions of fans are grieving his loss as well; I certainly found myself saddened by the news. This was a man who helped create fictional characters that have made an impression on me. Spider-Man, in particular, is a superhero that I deeply appreciate and very much relate to.
One of the traditions for many years in the Marvel movies is Stan Lee cameos. One cameo scene is particularly memorable: in the film Spider-Man 3, Peter Parker learns the news that Spider-Man is going to receive a key to the city. A man steps up to Peter, and says, “You know, I guess one person can make a difference. ‘Nuff said.” It was Stan Lee himself (he even got to throw in “‘Nuff said” one of his catchphrases). That sentiment expresses what I think is a major part of Stan Lee’s legacy: one person can make a difference.
Kevin
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