The King of Superheroes Dies: May his Legacy Live on Forever

Yesterday, a small piece of my childhood died. Comic books represented a big part of my childhood and teenage years and I owe so much of that joy and excitement to the ultimate comic book imaginary, Stan Lee. Sadly, Stan Lee passed away yesterday at the age of 95 but his legacy will live on forever in the hearts of comic fans.

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As a kid, I was a huge fan of comic books. Not only did I love to collect them and save them but I was always reading them. I remember the owner of the comic book store where I would spend so many Saturday afternoons telling me that if I wanted the comics to be worth money I should handle them as little as possible. Although I collected them and kept them in nice clean plastic sleeves with a cardboard backing, making money was not what it was all about for me.

I loved Spiderman

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I was into the characters and stories. I loved the superheroes and reading their new adventures every month when the new issues arrived. I would spend hours just sitting in the store and looking at all the new arrivals and reading. The only day that I was able to go to the comic store was on Saturdays and I made the most of it. My parents would drop me off there and pick me up a couple hours later until I was able to catch the bus myself. There were several of us regulars who would do the same thing. It was hilarious the first time I saw Sheldon and the gang hanging out at the comic book shop in an episode of Big Bang Theory because that is exactly what we would do.

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Stan Lee shaped the world of comics to what we see and love today. He was the visionary for so many of the amazing characters and superheroes that we cherish. He was the creator of household superheroes such as Spiderman, The Hulk, Ironman, The Fantastic Four, the Avengers and many more. His development of these superheroes brought the comic book industry back to life at a time when it was slowly dying. This also marked the point when Marvel took a stranglehold on the comic market over the once-dominant DC Comics.

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These iconic Marvel superheroes became so popular that they started creating television shows for these characters. I remember watching the live action Spiderman and Incredible Hulk shows as a kid and thinking just how amazing they were. I still remember Lou Ferrigno running across the screen all painted in green. Of course, there were many cartoons and animated films that were must watch for my generation and they continue today.

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Stan Lee really made the transition into the mainstream when Marvel Studios was created and the blockbuster films started to be created. Although there had been other movies made with Marvel characters, this was the start of something special and Marvel had complete control. It started with Iron Man in 2008 and has spiralled into an epic story spanning several different characters and dozens of movies that are in some way all interconnected. Stan Lee had his fingerprints all over these movies and his face in every single one. The Stan Lee cameo has become just as much of a part of the movies as the storyline itself. We have been seeing Lee pop up in Marvel movies for quite some time and they often provide great humour.

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The comic world lost a true icon yesterday and he will forever live on in the superheroes he created and through the passion of Marvel fans. The Marvel Universe would never have become what it is today without Stan Lee and I wonder if I would be who I am without all those hours of fun sitting in the comic book store. That passion for comics and superheroes has continued into my adult years and is now shared with my kids. They know Stan Lee from his cameos and hearing about his work. I hope that legacy continues and we still get to see Lee's face pop up in future movies somehow.

Farewell to a visionary and comic icon. You will be missed.