Stan Lee, the legendary comic book writer, editor, and creator, died this morning at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, CA, according to THR, who confirmed the news with a family representative. He was 95.

Lee, who had become ill in recent years, was reportedly rushed to the hospital earlier today for an undisclosed medical emergency. The man who was behind the creation of such characters like Spider-Man, the X-Men, Fantastic Four, Hulk, Black Panther, and so much more is survived by his daughter Joan and his younger brother Larry Lieber. His wife of 69 years, Joan, died at 95 in July 2017 after complications from a stroke; their daughter Jan passed away three days after her birth in 1953.

Born on December 28, 1922, Lee was born in Manhattan and grew up the NYC borough’s section of Washington Heights. In 1939, he started to work with Jack Kirby at Timely Comics, which would then evolved into what we know now as Marvel Comics. It would be there that he and Kirby would create and launch the titles featuring the aforementioned superhero. These characters would help be the change in the world that we see today. Some of the most notable heroes like Black Panther would plant the seeds of representation in comics. Not only that, Lee was one of the few writers who dared to address real-world issues in comic books.

All of the work that we see now in comics, the Marvel Cinematic Universe and TV shows, are a testament to Lee’s legacy. Even in the years after he left Marvel Comics, he was the face of the company. That role would continue as he made cameo appearances in many Marvel-related films. But his most significant cameos were in all 20 Marvel Studio films starting from 2008’s Iron Man and leading up to Ant-Man and The Wasp. Furthermore, he cameoed in films like X-Men, Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man, Marc Webb’s The Amazing Spider-Man, and even Deadpool.

Lee’s work would revolutionize pop culture as it went from the pages of a comic book to a giant multimedia company. Although Lee has had his fair share of controversies and disputes, there is no denying the impact that he has made. And that is something we can never forget.

No one has had more of an impact on my career and everything we do at Marvel Studios than Stan Lee. Stan leaves an extraordinary legacy that will outlive us all. Our thoughts are with his daughter, his family, and his millions of fans. #ThankYouStan #Excelsior!

— Kevin Feige (@Kevfeige) November 12, 2018

RIP Stan Lee
December 28, 1922 – November 12, 2018

[Source: THR]