Stan Lee did not create the Marvel Universe alone. But it is completely fair to say that without him, in collaboration with top artistic talents like Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko, Marvel as we know it would not exist. The result of their efforts is more than 60 years of high adventure, groundbreaking heroes and villains, and one of the biggest cinematic and television forces of all time. The Fantastic Four. The Hulk. Thor. Spider-Man. The X-Men. Lee was there from the beginning and at the center of it all. The beloved icon would have turned 100 on December 28, 2022. Here is his origin story, as well as the histories of the iconic characters that he helped give to the world.
CELEBRATING STAN LEE • The beloved Marvel comic book icon would have turned 100 on Dec. 28, 2022. His memory and the universe he co-created continue to thrive.
THE MODERN MYTHMAKER • A teenaged Stanley Lieber started working on comic books with no idea that he would later help transform the entire industry as Stan Lee
FANTASTIC VOYAGE • The Fantastic Four laid the foundation for the entire Marvel Universe
MONSTER MASH-UP • The Hulk combined elements from several classic creatures to produce an unlikely hero had his “lovable monster”
HAMMER OF THE GOD • A figure from Norse mythology inspired Thor, one of Marvel’s mightiest heroes
AN EVER-WIDENING WEB • With Spider-Man, Stan Lee and Steve Ditko created the hero that redefined Marvel superhero he co-created at Marvel in 1962.
HIGH-TECH HERO • Real-world events and a famous business tycoon inspired the creation of Iron Man
STRANGE MAGIC • After Spider-Man, Stan Lee and Steve Ditko conjured a master of the mystic arts: Doctor Strange
MOST EXCEPTIONAL • With the X-Men, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby co-created one of Marvel’s most influential properties
WAKANDA’S FINEST • Stan Lee and Jack Kirby broke barriers with the Black Panther
ALL IN THE FAMILY • When Stan Lee returned to comic writing for the first time in years, it was to introduce a new character: the She-Hulk
UNIVERSE BUILDERS • Lee did not write or create these popular Marvel heroes—and antiheroes—but he did have an influence on them
A 100th Birthday Salute to Stan Lee
PHOTO CREDITS