Stan Lee, the creative dynamo who revolutionized the comic book and helped make billions for Hollywood by introducing human frailties in Marvel superheroes such as Spider-Man, died Monday and since the news broke, fans, celebrities and actors have been paying their respects.
Dwayne (The Rock) Johnson took to Instagram with an emotional tribute to Lee.
The former WWE star thanked Lee for his friendship and support, saying “we lost a good one.”
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“We lost a good one. What a man and what a life. Marvel’s original superhero and co-creator of IRON MAN, SPIDER-MAN, THE HULK, X-MEN etc.,” Johnson’s post began.
He continued: “When I first broke into Hollywood, years ago he was so warm and welcoming to me – I’ll never forget it. He gave me very sage advice on navigating a career, that I’ll always carry. What a life he’s lived and how awesome that his imagination and universe creation impacted generations around the world.”
“And for generations to come. Rest in love, my friend. #imagination #stanlee 💫,” he concluded.
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At last year’s Comic Con in Los Angeles, Lee spoke of Johnson saying, “He is one of the best action actors in the business, one of the nicest guys in the business, one of the biggest, strongest guys in the business, and when you see him I want you to remember he was 97 lbs. until I gave him all those instructions and how to build himself up.”
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Lee was declared dead at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles on Monday, according to Kirk Schenck, an attorney for Lee’s daughter, J.C. Lee.
As the top writer at Marvel Comics and later as its publisher, Lee was widely considered the architect of the contemporary comic book. He revived the industry in the 1960s by offering the costumes and action craved by younger readers while insisting on sophisticated plots, college-level dialogue, satire, science fiction, even philosophy.
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Millions responded to the unlikely mix of realistic fantasy, and many of his characters, including Spider-Man, the Hulk and X-Men, went on to become stars of blockbuster films. He won the National Medal of Arts in 2008.
Recent projects Lee helped make possible range from the films Avengers: Infinity War, Black Panther and Guardians of the Galaxy to such TV series as Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D and Daredevil. Lee was recognizable to his fans, having had cameos in many Marvel films and TV projects, often delivering his trademark motto, “Excelsior!”
Lee’s wife and partner in nearly everything, Joan Lee, died on July 6, 2017, leaving a void that made her husband, by then in mental and physical decline, vulnerable to hangers-on who began to surround him. Lawsuits, court fights and an elder abuse investigation all emerged in the fight over who spoke for the elderly Lee.
Lee is survived by his daughter, Joanie, and a younger brother who also worked in comics, Larry Lieber.
—With files from the Associated Press