Stan Lee, Marvel Comics legend, dies at 95 in Los Angeles

Stan Lee, the legendary comic book writer and editor who co-created Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, and the X-Men, died in Los Angeles at age 95. His official Facebook page posted the word 'Excelsior!' with his birth and death dates (1922–2018). Born Stanley Martin Lieber in 1922, he began working at Timely Comics (later Marvel Comics) in 1941 as a copy assistant, eventually becoming editor-in-chief. Alongside artists Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko, Lee revolutionized American comics by introducing superheroes with personal problems—ordinary people dealing with love, unemployment, and family issues. In 1961, he and Kirby created the Fantastic Four; the following year, with Ditko, he launched Spider-Man. Other iconic characters followed: Thor, Iron Man, the X-Men, and Daredevil. Lee also wrote a science fiction novel, 'The Alien Factor,' and hosted the TV series 'Stan Lee's Superhumans.' He made cameo appearances in nearly every Marvel film and TV show, including 'The Big Bang Theory.' In a Chicago Tribune interview, Lee reflected, 'I thought what I did wasn't that important... but I suppose I realized that entertainment cannot be easily ignored.'