in memory of stan lee

i got the text at two pm yesterday. my friend, in all caps, texted me that Stan Lee had died earlier that morning. and i almost started crying, at the cash register of the bagel shop i work at. my boss asked me what's wrong, and i told her. she gasped.

i texted my parents and my friends, and we all grieved over the sudden death of someone that has made such an impact on our lives, especially our childhood. my dad grew up reading the same comics that my siblings and i read now. comics were, and are, such a big part of his life, and now ours.

it's so sad to me, because it feels like the death of my childhood. now, that sounds overdramatic (and looks overdramatic as i'm writing this ;), but in a way, it's true. i talked about how much Marvel Comics means to me here (and yes, i'm using the same pics. i'm sorry, i have zero energy + time to take more pics as i've got a spanish exam tomorrow + physics homework -_-).

with geniuses Jack Kirby and Steve Dikto (among many other brilliant artists), Stan Lee created so many incredible characters, both heroes and villains. without him, we would have never known Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, the Avengers, Black Panther, Thor, Dr. Strange, Dr. Doom, Doctor Octopus, Magneto, the X-Men, and many, many more.

part of the reason why Marvel's superheroes were so popular and remain so today is their humanity. Stan Lee said in an interview in 1992 that his goal was to make them feel like "real flesh-and-blood characters with personality", thus giving them fears, insecurities, and humor. he revolutionized the superhero mentality, giving people heroes that were very similar to them.

Stan Lee truly is a superhero. through his imagination, he gave numerous generations heroes to look up to, heroes that exemplified traits that we aspire to have, heroes that served our country and protected the people.

in the words of Chris Evans (from a tweet he posted yesterday):

there will never be another Stan Lee. 

for decades he provided both young and old with adventure, escape, comfort, confidence, inspiration, strength, friendship, and joy. 

he exuded love and kindness and will leave an indelible mark on so, so, so many lives. 

excelsior! 

thank you, Stan Lee. 

thank you for giving me childhood heroes that i still love. thank you for illustrating the classic battle between good and evil. thank you for inspiring me to write my own superhero books. thank you for the MCU, none of which would be possible without your incredible imagination and original characters. thank you for your commitment to providing quality entertainment for children and adults throughout countless decades, by writing hundreds, if not thousands, of comic book issues. 

apologies for the rambling

post, but i really wanted 

to write one in memory of 

Stan Lee. :)

who's your favorite Marvel

superhero? 

mine's a tie between 

Marvel Girl, Bucky Barnes,
and Spider-Man.

<3 <3,

allison riera