In some absolutely devastating news, Stan Lee has passed away at the age of 95.

The Hollywood Reporter first broke the news, with a source confirming to the outlet that Lee died early Monday morning at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

To many, Lee was simply known as The Man. A legend of his field and beyond, his writing, editing and publishing work sees his career viewed as the holy grail of the comic book industry. Simply put, nobody could write ‘em like Stan Lee could write ‘em, and it was his unique imagination that saw him play a part in the creation of so many comic book characters that are now household names across the globe.

Born Stanley Martin Lieber on December 28th, 1922, Lee would first become involved with Timely Comics in 1939. Timely, of course, later going on to be better known as Marvel Comics. During his time, Lee either created or co-created juggernauts such as Spider-Man, Iron Man, Thor, Black Panther, Hulk, Daredevil, the Fantastic Four, Doctor Doom, Doctor Strange, Ant-Man, Silver Surfer, Captain Marvel,  Nick Fury, and the beloved X-Men.

While he was a force of nature on his own, Lee was also famous for teaming up with icons of the industry such as Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, and Bill Everett. And whether as his own creation or working alongside someone, Stan The Man would bring an everyman relatability to his characters and their world – not least in how so many of his creations would call the very real streets of New York home.

One of the first to comment on this tragic news was Captain America actor, Chris Evans:

Simply put, Stan Lee was a rock star of comic books and of pop culture. Not just there for the larger-than-life heroes and villains, Lee was one of those who helped to question the censorship of the Comics Code Authority in the 1970s; doing so in order that real-life issues could be addressed in the comics of the time.

The last several years had been tough on Stan, first with the death of his dear wife Joan in 2017, and then several lawsuits and even an investigation into reports of elder abuse against Lee. But even with his own health dwindling, Stan Lee was continuously introduced to a new generation of fans due to his regular cameo appearances in the Marvel movies of the superhero film boom we’re currently in the midst of.

Stan changed the game and brought an excitement and drama – be it otherworldly or simply on the streets of Queens – to what so many of us hold dear to this day. And for that, we can only be thankful for the memories.

The thoughts of all here at STARBURST go out to the family, friends, and fans of the legendary Stan Lee.

When all is said and done, Stan Lee really was The Man. ‘Nuff said.

Stan Lee

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