With the birth of Marvel’s First Family, co-creators Kirby and Lee ushered in the Silver Age. See, Jim Steranko credits the Black Marvel to Stan Lee and Bob Hughes, but Greg Theakston says that Lee's first comic book story was in Captain America Comics #3, cover-dated May 1941. Get instant access to all these and more! Few comics writers have created so many popular and enduring franchises. After this initial success, however, the company was beset by a number of lawsuits and corruption charges. Updates? Stan Lee's Mighty 7 (SLAM 7) is media franchise of a fictional superhero team original published as a Stan Lee Comics line comic book title. Lee, whose cousin Jean was Goodman's wife, was formally hired by Timely editor Joe Simon. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. The first Stan Lee property slated for publication as a comic book in partnership with Archie Comics will be Superhero Kindergarten. Stan Lee of Marvel Comics in 1978. 3.7 out of 5 stars 7. Marvel.com is the source for Marvel comics, digital comics, comic strips, and more featuring Iron Man, Spider-Man, Hulk, X-Men and all your favorite superheroes. By that time he had begun writing comic-book scripts for Timely as Stan Lee, a pseudonym that eventually became his legal name. Corrections? Check out one of Stan's first scripts in comics with "The Origin of Jack Frost"! RARE Signed the late, great STAN LEE (1922-2018) RARE Signed STAN LEE Autograph Marvel STAR WARS Comic 2, PGX VF 8.0, COA not CGC. Lee’s inspiration for Spider-Man came of his desire to depict an adolescent hero who wasn’t relegated to sidekick. Timely, by the 1960s, would evolve into Marvel Comics. X-Men (2000) and Spider-Man (2002) launched blockbuster franchises that earned billions of dollars in box-office revenue worldwide. 99. Lee and Kirby present another Silver Age wonder – the irradiated monster Hulk. Among the hundreds of characters and teams that he helped to create were the Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, the Avengers, and the X-Men. Marvel continued to prosper, and in 1972 Lee became publisher and editorial director of the group. Finding spiders ‘spooky’, Stan and artist Steve Ditko created Marvel’s most globally recognized hero. The Last Word: Stan Lee Stan Lee, one of the most influential writers and publishers in the comic book industry, sat down with The New York Times in 2015 to … Omissions? Lee’s first writing was providing filler text in this Golden Age Captain America story, written by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. In the 1940s and ’50s—during which time the group, later named Atlas, struggled financially—Lee created several comic-book series, including The Witness, The Destroyer, Jack Frost, Whizzer, and Black Marvel. The writer meets his greatest creations in this really fun read! Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. Other Lee creations to receive the Hollywood treatment were Daredevil (2003), Hulk (2003), and Iron Man (2008). Stan Lee, original name Stanley Martin Lieber, (born December 28, 1922, New York, New York, U.S.—died November 12, 2018, Los Angeles, California), American comic book writer best known for his work with Marvel Comics. Lee was often featured in cameo roles in those films, a tradition that continued after Disney purchased Marvel in 2009. One year later Lee and artist Steve Ditko created Spider-Man. Lee and Kirby added another winner to the group when they created The X-Men in 1963. After graduating from high school at age 16, Lieber was hired as an editorial assistant for Timely Comics, and in 1942 he was promoted to editor. Elizabeth "Betty" Ross is a fictional character created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Eventually his role at Marvel became that of chairman emeritus. $6.99 shipping. The Coming of Galactus (Fantastic Four #48 - 50, 1966) For any other pair of creators, a story like … A flood of Marvel films followed the purchase, including those based on Lee-Kirby creations such as Thor (2011), the Avengers (2012), and Ant-Man (2015). The Silver Age & Jack Kirby in Fantastic Four (1961) #1 With the birth of Marvel’s First Family, co-creators Kirby and Lee ushered in the Silver Age. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Stan-Lee, Stan Lee - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). Trouble is, it may not have been written by Stan Lee. The passing of Stan Lee has left a void in the hearts of Marvel fans everywhere. The man responsible for steering the … Partially penciled by Oliver Coipel, this series also explores comics fandom at large. Often cited as one of Lee and Kirby’s greatest collaborations, this story arc marked a brave turn for the Fantastic Four. The meme details Stan Lee's thoughts about digital comics, which he compares to female breasts. Rejecting the notion that super heroics were juvenile, Lee redefined comics by founding a team that struggled with recognizable issues. In November 2002 Lee filed a $10 million lawsuit against Marvel after failing to receive any profits from the first Spider-Man movie, and in 2005 the court ruled in favour of Lee. This is the first SDCC since Lee passed away last year, and his absence will be very much noted. The team begins to unravel after the arrival of The Watcher and Silver Surfer portends the End of Days. Moebius’ otherworldly style appears boundless. Stan Lee, the creator of some of the most famous Marvel comic characters, passed away on November 12, 2018. The series was originally to be titled “The Mutants”, but was changed to the even more cryptic “X-Men” and featured a mostly teenage team. A career in comics begins! Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. It filed for bankruptcy in February 2001. His 1960s superhero creations for Marvel Comics were instrumental in the so-called "Silver Age of Comic Books", a period of artistic advancement and commercial success in mainstream comic books. Take part in Stan ‘The Man’ Lee’s historic legacy! In 1939, a teenage Stan Lee began his career in comics and 75 years later, he is celebrated as the creative tour de force behind Marvel’s Silver Age - the co-creator of beloved characters like Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, Hulk, Thor and the X-Men. Stan Lee (b. December 28, 1922 – d. November 12, 2018) was an American comic book writer, editor and publisher. His published works include Origins of Marvel Comics (1974), Excelsior! Peter Parker makes his Marvel debut! Stan Lee first became involved in comics in 1939, when he was given work as an assistant at what was then Timely Comics. In 2004 Pow Entertainment was established for Lee’s various new characters and franchises. Now, it's important to keep in mind, the Legend first appeared in the comics more than a decade before Lee's death and while the pastiche wasn't particularly kind, like most characters in The Boys universe, it was an extremely tongue-in-cheek take on the Marvel legend.All characters in The Boys were extremely exaggerated, versions of popular superheroes and in the Legend's case, Stan Lee. In 1961 Lee and artist Jack Kirby created The Fantastic Four, about four astronauts who gain superpowers after a cosmic incident. Lee, Kirby, and Ditko adopted a collaborative workflow that came to be known as “the Marvel method.” The technique gave artists significantly more input on story plotting, and it allowed Marvel to produce new content at a dizzying rate. In addition to his work in other media, Lee wrote books on comics and on his own life. In their first year, the FF dealt with the Cold War and bankruptcy! Often credited with transforming the industry forever, the late Stan Lee was an American comic book writer, editor and former president and chairman of Marvel Comics. Stan Lee’s Top 5 Titanic Team-Ups at the Dawn of the Marvel Age of Comics Mike Kelly March 31, 2020 One of the hallmarks of the Marvel Age of Comics, which started with Fantastic Four #1 in late 1961, was superhero team-ups. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Stan Lee, original name Stanley Martin Lieber, (born December 28, 1922, New York, New York, U.S.—died November 12, 2018, Los Angeles, California), American comic book writer best known for his work with Marvel Comics. Although he no longer wrote monthly titles, ‘The Man’ continued his influence as a Publisher and Editor. The series made him and Atlas—now known as Marvel—major forces in the comics world. To try and summarize the comic book career of Stan Lee is almost impossible. Tortured Bruce Banner would resonate deeply with readers, particularly adults.