On Monday, November 12th, we lost one the greatest minds who has contributed to the entertainment industry – Stan Lee.  As one of the first creators of heroes such as Captain America, Iron Man, Black Panther, and Spider-Man, Stan has forever changed the lives of millions with his contribution to both the comic and film industries.

Stan Lee was born Stanley Martin Lieber on December 28, 1922 in New York City.  He spent his childhood absorbing creative ideas through books and movies.  Growing up during the Great Depression, his family had experienced financial difficulty.  As a teenager and a young adult, Stan worked small writing jobs on the side of attending school.  He had always been interested in the idea of expressing himself through writing, and made it a reality when he began working at Timely Comics (later to be renamed Marvel Comics) in 1939.  He worked on the Captain America comics as well as many others, rising up in Timely Comics due to his creativity.  He eventually enlisted in the army during WWII, but not even a World War could keep Stan from writing.  He wrote slogans to encourage people to enlist or donate to the war effort, as well as the action in training films.  After the war, he returned to Timely Comics, now called Atlas comics, to find D.C. comics being their main competitor.  Atlas comics needed a new superhero – rather a team of superheroes – to overcome D.C. comics.  With writer Jack Kirby, Stan created some of today’s best known superheroes including Thor, The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man, Spider Man, the X-Men, and Doctor Strange.

Around this time, in the later 1940’s, Stan’s cousin set him up on a blind date with a model.  When he went to the agency to meet her, his later wife Joan Boocock Lee answered the door.  The two were engaged a mere two weeks after dating.  The couple had two daughters.  Joan Celia Lee was born in 1950, and Jan Lee was born in 1953.  Sadly, Jan died three days after birth, leaving Joan Celia to be Stan and Joan’s only living child.  The two were married all of their lives, Joan passing away in July of 2017, over a year before Stan passed on.

Stan truly has left his mark on the world.  The news of his death was surprising, shocking, and hearbreaking to many.  However, there are many people who aren’t fans of the Marvel comics or movies that  heard the news.  Sophomore Krystian Lanza said that she “didn’t even know who he was, but I knew that him passing away was a big deal.”  She was correct, Stan Lee passing away affected countless people.  The actors and actresses as well as many others who have worked at Marvel Studios have posted tributes to Stan on social media outlets instagram and twitter.  They noted their gratitude and admiration of Stan’s legacy; Joe and Anthony Russo, the brothers who have directed the Avengers movies, posted on their twitter, “Thank you for filling our childhoods with such joy. You will be dearly, dearly missed…”  Robert Downey Jr. who plays the infamous Iron Man said that he “owes it all to” Stan on his twitter.  Chris Evans, playing Captain America, posted on his twitter than Stan “provided both young and old with adventure, escape, comfort, confidence, inspiration, strength, friendship and joy,” and that he will leave “an indelible mark on so, so, so many lives.”

Benjamin Frankling is quoted with saying “Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing.”  Stan Lee has accomplished both.  He has participated in writing Marvel comics, as well as built an empire of superheroes that will cease to leave pop culture for decades to come.  His legacy is unforgettable, and Stan has truly left his mark on the world as well as the hearts of many.