Remembering Stan Lee

Much to the chagrin of my AP English teacher, I’d have to say that Stan Lee is one of the writers I’ve read the most. Part of that is due to my obsession with Spider-Man comic books at a young age and into my early teens with Marvel reprinted the entire Lee/Steve Ditko run of Amazing Spider-Man in Marvel Tales. And part of that is because Stan Lee wrote a LOT of comic books.

So, I was saddened to hear that Lee passed away yesterday at the age of 95. For some reason, like many of the Marvel characters he created, I just felt like Stan would live forever. And maybe through his creations like Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, and so many other iconic characters he will. And his impact on pop culture is undeniable — and it’s only grown over the last decade as the Marvel Studios movies have become the biggest pop culture events on the planet.

Lee was the face and voice of Marvel for such a long time. And while he hasn’t been actively involved in that role in a long time, it’s still hard to imagine that we won’t get a new story by Stan for one of his iconic creations the next time he or she celebrates a milestone issue count or anniversary. Lee had a fertile imagination and while not every comic he wrote was a classic, he had more hits than misses. Listening to his distinctive voice in interviews, I know he wanted to write the “great American novel.” But maybe with the creation of a pantheon of heroes and villains that will continue on for decades to come, he wrote something greater.

I hope that Avengers 4 was able to film a cameo by Lee before his passing. Even so, it will be sad to know that Marvel Studios movies after a certain point will no longer see Lee making his trademark cameo any longer.

But for all the wonderful stories and memories he gave me, I say thank you to Stan Lee. And may you rest in peace.

As Stan would say, Excelsior!