Listen HereBy: Dylan Frazier
Monday the beloved Stan Lee passed away at the age of 95. Lee was responsible for the creation of the iconic superhero characters Spider-Man, the X-Men, Thor, Iron Man, Black Panther and the Fantastic Four.
You may also know Lee from the cameos he had in every Marvel movie since X-Men came out. His stories were those that brought the smiles to the faces of old and young people alike.
I am fully aware that superheroes aren’t for everyone and that’s okay. But to me, Stan Lee was one of the biggest parts of my childhood. When I was growing up, Spider-Man was my favorite superhero, he still is, and that is because he was just a dorky kid who happened to have superpowers.
He used his powers for good and didn’t abuse it in anyway. And when the 2002 rendition of the Spider-Man movie came out, I was so excited to see him on the big screen.
I became obsessed with Spider-Man after the movie came out. I never was much of a reader growing up, but I could not stop reading Spider-Man comic books.
I think the reason I loved Spider-Man so much was that Peter Parker was more than just a kid who can sling webs from his wrists. Peter was a kid that cared about everyone more than himself and I idolized him for that. That was the beauty of Spider-Man, was that he truly cared about each and every person. They showed me that how you act is what makes you a hero, not having powers. Without Stan Lee, there is no Spider-Man and the lessons I learned from Spider-Man.
I can’t talk about Stan Lee without talking about his cameos, I mean that’s what a decent amount of people knew him for. For being a man born almost 100 years ago, he always got the biggest reaction out of everyone in the theater.
People of all ages would look forward to the few seconds that an old man would appear on the screen. I think that in itself shows what kind of man he was. Without Stan Lee, there are no Avengers movies so even though some may not like the comic books, just remember he is the reason there are so many great movies. So, when you see him in the next Marvel movie doing his cameo, remember that there will be a day where there will be no more Stan Lee cameos. It just won’t be the same with him not being in the movies anymore.
But he was much more than just a guy in all the Marvel movies or the guy who wrote all the comic books.
He was a man that brought joy, excitement, and hope to the older and younger generations. The world won’t be the same without Stan Lee, but I know the Lee would want us to keep going because that’s what he always did. He provided so many stories for us and times that many will cherish for the rest of their lives.
We will never have another Stan Lee, so if you love his work remember that and appreciate it. And as he always said, Excelsior!
