Lee was responsible for co-creating numerous Marvel characters including Spider-Man, The Hulk, X-Men Iron Man, Thor, Daredevil, Captain America, Avengers and the Fantastic Four. Even after leaving Marvel, he retained a title of chairman emeritus for the rest of his life, receiving producing credits and making cameo appearances in various Marvel films.
Lee, born Stanley Lieber, was raised by his immigrant parents and through a family connection, became an assistant at Timely Comics, which would become Marvel. His first writing credit was for Captain America in 1941. After serving in the Army for World War II, he was running the operation for Timely, producing monster stories and romance stories, much to his chagrin. After seeing the success DC Comics was having with characters like Batman, Lee took a chance and convinced his boss to allow him to create a superhero. He also created a new way of producing the comics themselves, allowing the artists to have a plot t work with and draw for and then having the dialogue created afterward.
In 2002, Lee sued Marvel, claiming he had been promised a percentage of the profits from both TV and film productions. In 2005, he reportedly received a $10 million settlement.
Lee received the National Medal of Arts in 2008 and the Producers Guild of America's Vanguard Award in 2012. He was also the subject of a 2010 documentary titled "With Great Power: The Stan Lee Story."
Lee was predeceased by his daughter Jan Lee in 1953, his wife of 69 years, Joan, in 2017 and leaves behind a daughter, Joan Celia Lee.
