I need to preface this by saying that usually, a celebrity death is just a piece of entertainment news. A small but interesting kernel of knowledge about the goings on in the world that doesn’t necessarily impact your life. Usually a celebrity death only really means that you won’t get to watch another new movie or the like made by a particular person. This is different.
The news broke today that Stan Lee of Marvel infamy has passed. He was rushed this morning from his Beverly Hills home to the Cedar-Sinai Medical Center but to no avail. As TMZ reported he had been suffering from vision issues and a bout of pneumonia. While the specific cause of death is currently unknown as of the time of this writing, it is believed to be a result of these illnesses and his overall age. He passed at the age of 95.
Starting in 1961 with Jack Kirby, Stan Lee made the magic of Marvel’s first family The Fantastic Four. He went on to create so many memorable heroes such as The Hulk, Spiderman, and the majority of the Avengers.
To many, his work created heroes that taught the youth important lessons about the freedom inherent in the American spirit, the power of comradery, and always choosing what is right. Through his characters, Stan Lee took a thorough anti-establishment stance never allowing Truth and Justice to be perceived through the lens of authority but always through personal morals and valuing the rights and freedoms of the individual above all.
In our world off of the pages, Stan Lee always fought tooth and nail against the censorship of the content of comic books and played a key role throughout his career in the establishment of a market-driven code and slow repeal of the forms of censorship that plagued comics during their golden age.
On a much more personal note, I would be remiss if I didn’t recall the wonder and explosion of curiosity that came from reading his works at an earlier age. Like many reading this, I can recall pouring over the works of his characters, excited to see how they’d come out winning and drawn into the purity of it all. While we knew his passing was coming, it doesn’t help with the sting of it. Here’s to Stan “The Man” Lee. Excelsior!
