At the age of 95 years old, the original publisher of Marvel comics Stanley Lieberman, otherwise known as Stan Lee, died in the Cedar-Sinai Medical Center of Los Angeles on Tuesday.   

“Life is never complete without its challenges,” Lee said.

Recognized throughout the world, his works included Spider-Man, The Incredible Hulk, the Avengers movie series and Black Panther most recently in March 2018. In his works, he goes against the common belief that superheroes don’t have the problems of a normal person. In Spider-Man, for example, he not only details the life of a college student given powers after being bitten by a spider, but also builds off the struggles he faces in his home and school life.

“The more you read, the better you become as a storyteller,” Lee said.

Although mostly enjoyed by children, Lee’s works have appealed to men and women of all ages since he started writing comic books in the 1960s starting with Spider-Man in 1962, and later published the X-Man series about a group of people with superhuman abilities who fight for equality. Eventually, he became a writer, editor, and publisher at Marvel studios, and began to amaze the world with his creativity. 

Well known for his cameo appearances, Lee’s iconic image will be missed in future Marvel productions. Regardless, the ingeniousness of his works and impact on entertainment will be sustained for many years to come, and he’ll be remembered by his millions of fans around the world.

“Thank you, Stan Lee,” English teacher Benjamin Letkiewicz said in a Facebook post the day of Lee’s death. “You shaped my childhood. You shaped my adulthood. You gave me my heroes. I am who I am because of you… Excelsior!”