Yesterday, western world lost their best dreammaker, Stan Lee. Although an ambulance rushed to the Hollywood Hills and picked him to the nearest hospital, the bad news still came out after a few hours: 95-year-old Stan Lee, master of the American comics industry, father of Marvel, left us forever.
Captain America, Iron Man, Spiderman, Black Panthers… Stan Lee created hundreds of famous heroes. His comics have been published in 25 languages in 75 countries with more than 2 billion copies. Most importantly, he has made comics to be upgraded from naive children’s book to adult fairy tale.
People mourn him on Twitter and Instagram and countless fans cried. Someone soon put on a cosplay suit and went to the Hollywood Chinese Theatre to pay tribute to him next to his handprints.
The stars who have played the roles of Stan Lee’s super heroes expressed their condolences and thanked him for everything he brought to them. As Marvel’s competitor and opponent for decades, DC also tweet, saying that Stan Lee changed the American comics.
We don’t have to be too sad for Stan Lee. He is 95 years old and is the only person on this planet who has a universe. His whole life is wonderful and glorious enough.
More importantly, to die earlier may be his own wish. “Don’t cry for me, I am going to see the perfect girl I have loved for 70 years.”
Many people probably don’t know that without the perfect girl, there would be no Marvel universe. In 1947, at the age of 25, he just retired after World War II and returned to New York to continue painting children’s comics. He lived in a poor family, delievered a takeaway, worked as a waiter, and earned his living by painting children’s comics before the war. His cousin introduced him to a blind date. About that date Stan Lee said, “I thought about it. I am poor and have nothing. Fortunately, I am handsome, so I go.”
The girl for the blind date is Betty, who is a model in a hat shop. On that day, Stan Lee went to the arranged place according to the address. What happened next is pretty like a fairy tale:
“When I was young, I was always wondering about the perfect girl in my dreams.”
“The moment I opened the door, I saw her.”
Who knows, this person is not the girl for Stan Lee’s blind date. “Hello, I am Joan, the model of this store. What can I help you?” Stan Lee blurted out: “I fall in love with you.” The two fell in love at first sight. At lunch, Stan Lee proposed to Joan.
In fact, at that time, Stan Lee has already created “Captain America”, but this was only children’s comics back then. Joan was a determined British girl. She didn’t not despise him. Instead and believed that he was very talented. The two married on December 5, 1947, and were very loyal to each other for 70 years.
They lived a very happy life after getting married. At the same time, Stan Lee was getting stuck in a step by step. He loved literature and dreamed of creating great novels, but he had to paint children’s comics every day just in order to earn a living.
American comics of the post-war period was very naive. The images of the superhero were perfect but repeated. They all fight against monsters. “We can express complex humanity in literature and movies, but why the plot of comics is so naive!” Tired Stan Lee was ready to resign and change his career to do writing work. In fact, “Stan Lee” is a pseudonym, and he has always kept his real name for literary creation.
“If Shakespeare and Michelangelo collaborate on drawing comics, no one would say that their work are childish.” At that moment, Joan told him that what really mattered was not the forms, but the meanings of the story: “You don’t want to do it anyway. Before you quit, why not create a comic that you are satisfied with?”
Thus, “Fantastic Four”, regarded as “the greatest comic in the world”, was born. The four heroes in the comics would be jelous , violent, insecure, and finally defeat their opponents together. It is these shortcomings and setbacks that have brought the distance between superheroes and ordinary people closer, and it became so popular. “It’s so true! It’s not the same as the perfect hero in other comics!”
Since then, Stan Lee has entered a career-rising period and has begun to be successful . Even the giant DC, who has always insisted on perfecting children’s comics style, became willing to learn from him. “Spiderman is always worried about not getting a girl, which make readers see that superheroes will have human weaknesses as well” The Los Angeles Times commented that he created superheroes based on “personality” rather than “power.”
However, this is not the end of his reform of comics. Stan Lee began to create new comics not only about Superman fighting monsters, but also add serious issues such as the Cold War. As readers grow up gradually, comics are no longer a child’s joy, and gradually become serious with deeper meaning. The Los Angeles Times commented, “He promoted the revolution of the comics world.”
Stan Lee, earning reputation and money, has become a billionaire, and he lived a happy life with Joan. But he didn’t change his mind. The couple lived together happily, having a martini every night. The reporter asked him how to deal with properties worth hundreds of miliion dollars, he said: “Of course save them in the bank, and give to my wife to spend!”
In the 1990s, Marvel began filming, so Stan Lee began to be a guest actor. Not only being a cameo himeself, he also brought his wife to play together and show his love to Joan, “I have to say that the actress on the set really don’t look good as my wife!”
Until this year, he is the highest-ranking box office actor in the nation’s full-character history. He has participated in 39 movies, and created a total box office of more than 20 billion dollars. “Why should the audience come to see Marvel’s movie? Just to see me!”
Not only did his wife star, but also gave his film a sound. Besides, she was painted as the official character Joanne Lee. “My wife is as beautiful as a fairy in a comic book. It is a loss of comics not drawing her!” Stan Lee said that this is his favorite female character, as for the favorite male character: “Of course it is Iron Man, we are smart and cunning, and marries a beautiful genius wife!”
The marriage of the two lasted for 70 years, and they showed love in public all day, but sometimes they would have quarrel. Once, Joan broke the typewriter that Stan Lee used when creating Spider-Man and Fantastic Four. Stan Lee gave her a hard look, and Joan yelled at him, “What!” Stan Lee said, “What can I do? You are my wife. I am your. Breaking a typewriter is not a big deal.”
Love is so sweet, but it ends someday. In July last year, Stan Lee’s wife died of a stroke at the age of 93. Since then, the portrait of the deceased wife has occupied the table of his house.
After his wife’s passed away, Stan Lee lost his soul and had a hard time. First, a nurse accused him of sexual harassment, and the relationship with the former agent broke. He was also robbed by two men… Over the past year, Stan Lee has repeatedly reported to have health problems, including pneumonia and eyesight problems.
Some media have revealed that Stan Lee’s daughter abuses him, fights and intimidates him every time she wants money. He repeatedly clarified that his daughter treated him well, but almost everyone knew it is a lie. But what can he do? After all, she is the daughter of Joan and himself.
Even a company partnered with a nurse to steal the blood of Stan Lee and sell it. The blood of the 95-year-old man was diluted and made into ink to sign a signature on a comic book. Each comic book was sold at 500 dollars. The absurd thing makes the media feel that the hero is late in life, “Stan Lee is treated like someone r in prison. He needs a superhero!”
However, Stan Lee only wanted to go with his wife. The reporter asked him whether he was afraid of death or not. He said, “No, not at all. I don’t want to live after my family and friends have gone. It’s too tormented.” Yesterday, he finally got rid of the painful physical bondage and went to heaven to see his beloved wife.
In the first paragraph of Marvel’s official obituary, it’s his self description:
“I used to be embarrassed because I was just a comic book writer while other people were building bridges or going on to medical careers. And then I began to realize: entertainment is one of the most important things in people’s lives. Without it, they might go off the deep end. I feel that you’re able to be entertain, you’re doing a good thing.”
“Comics is a fairy tale for adults.” Stan Lee said, “It is my wife who made me create Marvel and become who I am today.”
Thank the two dreamers for creating the beautiful world of Marvel.
