It is with a heavy heart that we bode farewell yesterday to the legendary Stan “The Man” Lee - writer, editor and publisher of Marvel Comics who passed away at the age of 95.
Today, he is widely recognized across generations for the iconic Marvel superheroes he co-created with publisher Martin Goodman – from the X-Men, to Doctor Strange, Black Panther, his breakout hero Captain America, The Fantastic Four, Wolverine and many, many more.
As we say good-bye to an industry great, here are top Stan Lee facts to remember him by.
And so… Excelsior Stan Lee!
1- Excelsior & Stan’s Soapbox
Ever passionate about his craft, Lee first launched his monthly column Stan’s Soapbox in 1967 and used the space to speak directly to his readers about matters close to his heart. He would end his note with what later became his catchphrase Excelsior, a Latin word meaning “ever upward”.
Though we all know of his clever sign off today, here is why Stan Lee chose it:
“I used to have a lot of expressions that I would end my comic book columns with: Hang Loose, Face Front, ‘Nuff Said, and I found that the competition was always imitating them and using them. So, I said I’m going to get one expression that they’re not going to know what it means, and they won’t know how to spell it. And that’s where excelsior came from, and they never did take up on it, thank goodness.” - Stan Lee to iO9 in 2007
2- Stan Lee's Comic Book Cameos
That's right - his cameos started in the world of comic books, before the Marvel Cinematic Universe movie hits.
His very first 2D appearance was in Fantastic Four #10 where we see Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby both debating the plotline. Among the other heroes he had collaborated on with Kirby are: The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man, Thor, Silver Surfer and X-Men.
3- Stan Lee's Last Marvel Movie Cameo
On the topic of cameos, we will be able to see Stan Lee make his signature appearance in a Marvel Cinematic Universe hit one last time when Avengers 4 hits theaters, as the scene is already shot.