Marvel Comics creator Stan Lee has died, his family said. He was 95.
Lee, who co-founded the iconic brand, died on Monday following a short illness, his daughter told celebrity news website TMZ.
During his career, Lee created Spider-Man, Black Panther, The Incredible Hulk and Iron Man.
Stars of Marvel universe films, including ‘Iron Man’ star Robert Downey Jr., have paid tribute to the legendary writer.
Lee was born Stanley Martin Lieber in New York City on December 28, 1922, to Romanian-born Jewish immigrants.
An avid comic fan, Lee got his start at a company called Timely Productions in 1939, where he would do menial jobs like refill ink wells and fetch lunch for the staff.
Eventually, Lee moved up to become a text filler for the actual comics, co-creating his first ever hero, The Destroyer.
When then-editor Joe Simon and legendary artist Jack Kirby left Timely in 1941, the publisher Martin Goodman made Stan Lee ― just 19 years old at the time ― editor-in-chief.
Timely would later become Atlas Comics and finally Marvel Comics, which Lee continued running and writing for until 1972, when he took the role of publisher.
Gradually, Lee factored into the day-to-day business less and less, becoming more of the figurehead and ambassador, both roles for which he became best known.
Along with Jack Kirby, who had rejoined the company, Lee helped create superheroes we know so well today, including Spider-Man, Hulk, Thor, the X-Men, the Fantastic Four and Daredevil.
Many of Marvel’s creations have been re-imagined throughout the past fifteen years – becoming blockbuster Hollywood franchises.
While there has always been debate regarding how responsible both Lee and Kirby were in the creation of these iconic, and very lucrative, characters, it is difficult to deny that Lee played a large part in bringing this modern era of realism and grit to the comic book world.
“For years, kids have been asking me what’s the greatest superpower,” Lee told The Hollywood Reporter in 2016. “I always say luck. If you’re lucky, everything works. I’ve been lucky.”
His health caused concern earlier this year when he was rushed to a Los Angeles hospital after experiencing shortness of breath and an irregular heartbeat.
Lee lost his wife of 69 years, Joan B Lee, in July 2017, and is survived by their daughter Joan Celia.
With reporting from Andy McDonald. This breaking news story has been updated throughout.