In case you haven't already heard the news yesterday, yes true-believers, Stan Lee has died.
The master writer, editor, editor-in-chief, and main ambassador and face for Marvel for so many years died yesterday at the age of 95. It was both a surprise and not a surprise, seeing as how he had been in relatively bad health for awhile now, battling various old age-related illnesses and pneumonia, which is itself a main killer of the elderly.
Social media the world over was and still is, filled with loving tributes and heart-felt wishes and goodbyes to a man who helped make our childhoods that much better by giving us the gift of his stories.
Now yes, over the years it has become in vogue to to throw shade on "The Man", in light of the past and how he was incorrectly solely credited with the creation of the Marvel Universe as we know it, in particular Spider-Man, Thor, The Hulk, The FF, etc.\
Over the years, he both took that credit and/or maintained that he wasn't alone in creating those world-famous heroes. That other talented individuals such as Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko more than contributed in their creation. But not everyone listened, and thus it was just assumed as far as the world was concerned, that Stan Lee, and Stan Lee only, was the true creator and mastermind behind those beloved heroes.
I know in the years preceding his death, Stan would often try to correct that general assumption, and give credit to Ditko and Kirby and others to anyone who'd listen.
What's not in dispute though, is the part Stan himself played in how successful Marvel would eventually become, becoming a giant corporation that rivaled DC (and still does to this very day) and give us so many years and countless hours of entertainment, in all forms of media.
I myself don't have a favorite Stan Lee story, or stand out creation. Much like the Beatles, I love 'em all, and thus really can't pick a particular favorite. Instead, I'll simply say, thank you Stan. Thank you for helping making MY childhood that much brighter and better by helping create the countless adventures and stories of my favorite Marvel heroes. Thank you for being you, for always being the #1 champion and fan of Marvel and your own co-creations for as long a single breath was in your body.
Thank You Stanley Martin Lieber.
Thank You Stan
God Bless you for what you helped give the world and for leaving it a little better than you found it.....
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