Early life
Lee was named Stanley Martin Lieber at birth, but he quickly became known as simply Stan. He found passion in comic books pretty early on, when he was a mere teenager. He took the first steps in the comic world with a job at Marvel Comics (which was called “Timely Comics” back then).
Joining the troops
Lee’s only time off comic books was when he joined the American army. It was during World War II, and he handles communication equipment as well as writing for various projects, from manuals to slogans. When the war was over, Lee went back to his beloved comic books and created his first famous group of superheroes.
Relatability was a priority
The Fantastic Four was the first supergroup Lee created and their popularity was incredible right off the bat. The thing that set them apart from other superheroes at the time was that they were relatable. Other superheroes seemed so perfect and problem-free, and Stan Lee wanted people to be able to relate to his heroes. This is why all his heroes are flawed and have to deal with human troubles too, like feeling jealous or paying the bills.
From beyond the grave
If you’ve ever had the pleasure of watching a Marvel film in the theater in the last few years, you must have noticed the fans cheering at the appearance of an old man with a two-line part. That man is Stan Lee himself, who’s made it a point to have a cameo in each of the films featuring his superheroes. His latest cameos were in the 2019 films “Captain Marvel” and “Avengers: Endgame”. Now, you might ask yourself how it’s possible if he passed away in 2018. Don’t worry, nobody conjured him for filming. His latest cameos were shot in bulk to make it easy for Lee, who was in his 90s back then.