Widescreen: For many fans, Marvel mastermind Stan Lee was a hero, too
When Stan Lee died Monday at age 95, Marvel Comics lost its ambassador to the world, an exuberant, kindly voice of heroism both real and imaginary.
In the same comic books that brought the exploits of Spider-Man, Iron Man and the Fantastic Four to colorful life, Lee would offer his young readers words of wisdom in a column called "Stan's Soapbox," which ran from 1967 to 1980. The most famous of these, one that often resurfaces online, was written in December 1968 and begins thusly: "Let's lay it right on the line. Bigotry and racism are among the deadliest social ills plaguing the world today."
That was 50 years ago. Some things haven't changed.
In those five decades, the editor-in-chief, then publisher, then chairman, then chairman emeritus of Marvel became a fixture in the pop culture universe. His smiling face would show up at comics conventions across the globe, posing for pictures with fans dressed as his creations. When the Marvel movie boom began with 2000's "X-Men," spotting Lee in on-screen cameos became a yearly cinematic tradition - he was a hot dog vendor dumbfounded by the sight of Sen. Kelly's (Bruce Davison) mutated form washing up on a beach.
The best of those cameos came in 2016's "Captain America: Civil War," a film that saw the Avengers split into two factions led by Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) and Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.). Just before the film's closing moments, Stark is helping his friend and confidant, James Rhodes (Don Cheadle), with physical therapy - he was shot down accidentally by The Vision (Paul Bettany), leaving his back broken. Stark is broken, having learned that Cap knew the truth about his parents' deaths. The Avengers as we knew them in 2012's smash hit are broken.
And who saves us from an utterly depressing finish to this intense turning point for the Marvel movie franchise? Stan Lee, who comes knocking on Tony Stark's door as a FedEx delivery man.
"Are you Tony S-S-STANK?"
The audience laughs, and a smile creeps across Rhodey's face. "Yes, this is Mr. Stank ... thank you for that," he says, echoing the sentiments of theatergoers who just saw an emotionally draining confrontation between Captain America and Iron Man.
Stan Lee was even a hero in other creators' cinematic universes. In "Mallrats," the 1995 raunchfest featuring the Jay and Silent Bob characters from "Clerks" and "Chasing Amy," Lee shows up in the third act to dole out some advice on life and love to Brodie (Jason Lee, no relation). Brodie was a bit distracted, asking about the color of a certain part of The Thing's anatomy. ("I don't know. It's a superhero secret," Stan says.)
"Mallrats" writer/director Kevin Smith on Monday penned a heartfelt eulogy for Lee on Instagram, thanking him "for making me not only the boy I was but also the man I am today." Smith even offered Lee a place to live earlier this year amid claims of elder abuse and money mismanagement that surfaced in The Hollywood Reporter.
As Disney chairman and CEO Bob Iger said in Monday's official statement, "Stan had the power to inspire, to entertain, and to connect." Marvel won't be the same without him.
• Read more of Stan Lee's columns about racism and bigotry in a 2017 article at inverse.com called "5 Times Marvel Legend Stan Lee Took on Racists in Comic Books."