MISSOULA – Tributes are continuing to pour in from across the country after Marvel Comics patriarch Stan Lee passed away on Monday at the age of 95.
Lee started his career working for Timely comics in 1939 which eventually became Marvel by the 1960’s.
Since then Lee was a key figure in the creation of Spiderman, The Hulk, The Fantastic Four, and most of the other original Marvel characters.
While Lee might not have been the key person in the creation of the Marvel cinematic universe, he has made his presence known as he has had cameos in almost all of the Marvel movies.
Other comic book publications existed at the time but what set Marvel apart from others was its ability to connect with the public.
We spoke with the manager of the comic and game store Muse Missoula about Lee’s legacy as a “real-life” superhero.
“It’s clicking with people in the sci-fi genre but also clicking with people with genius writing that it’s identifiable. You know, I’m a teenager and I’m changing and the X Men are going through the same things as me,” Jason Benner said.
“I can identify with this but it’s also really cool because there are these amazing super-powered beings that I wish I could, so people would emulate into that a little bit more,” he added.
Benner says that his favorite Marvel character was Lee’s earliest creation Spiderman which is recognized as one of the most popular superheroes worldwide.
Reporting by Connor McCauley for MTN News
