News

Stan Lee: Tributes flood in for Marvel Comics legend after his death at 95

Stan Lee died on Monday aged 95 (Image: Getty)

STARS from across the world of entertainment have paid tribute to the creator of Marvel Comics, Stan Lee, after his death on Monday aged 95.

Lee co-created some of the most iconic superhero characters of all time – including Spider-Man, Hulk, Fantastic Four, X-Men, Iron Man, Thor and Black Panther – and became an iconic face in his own right through his many cameos in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Ryan Reynolds, who has played Marvel anti-hero Deadpool in two feature films, was one of the first to honor Lee on social media and thanked the comic book legend for "everything".

Damn... RIP Stan. Thanks for everything. pic.twitter.com/TMAaDJSOhh

— Ryan Reynolds (@VancityReynolds) 12 November 2018

Iron Man star Robert Downey Jr and Captain America actor Chris Evans were among the other celebrities who shared touching tributes to Lee.

"I owe it all to you. Rest In Peace Stan..." wrote Downey Jr, who posted an image of the pair on the set of one of the Iron Man blockbusters.

View this post on Instagram

I owe it all to you,,, Rest In Peace Stan... #MCU #Excelsior #legend #rip #stanlee #TeamStark

A post shared by Robert Downey Jr. (@robertdowneyjr) on Nov 12, 2018 at 11:26am PST

Evans wrote: "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!!"

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!!

— Chris Evans (@ChrisEvans) 12 November 2018

DC Comics, Marvel's greatest rival, said the New York native "changed the way we look at heroes, and modern comics will always bear his indelible mark.

"His infectious enthusiasm reminded us why we all fell in love with these stories in the first place. Excelsior, Stan."

He changed the way we look at heroes, and modern comics will always bear his indelible mark. His infectious enthusiasm reminded us why we all fell in love with these stories in the first place. Excelsior, Stan.

— DC (@DCComics) 12 November 2018

Here are some of the ways the Marvel Comics icon is being remembered:

Today, we pause and reflect with great sadness on the passing of Stan Lee: https://t.co/J0cwgdn677 pic.twitter.com/eOBdZAqdZ0

— Marvel Entertainment (@Marvel) 12 November 2018

We’ve lost a creative genius. Stan Lee was a pioneering force in the superhero universe. I’m proud to have been a small part of his legacy and .... to have helped bring one of his characters to life. #StanLee #Wolverine pic.twitter.com/iOdefi7iYz

— Hugh Jackman (@RealHughJackman) 12 November 2018

His contribution to Pop Culture was revolutionary & cannot be overstated. He was everything you hoped he would be & MORE. I loved this man & will never stop missing him. They say you should never meet a childhood idol. They are wrong. #RIPStanTheMan pic.twitter.com/6OKH07ahJg

— Mark Hamill (@HamillHimself) 12 November 2018

Thank you Stan Lee. For your service in protecting our freedom and for your creativity and imagination! You were and will always be a SUPER HERO! pic.twitter.com/d1qpuImyzQ

— Jamie Lee Curtis (@jamieleecurtis) 12 November 2018

View this post on Instagram

How many millions of us are indebted to this guy, none more so than me. The father of Marvel has made so many people so incredibly happy. What a life and what a thing to have achieved. Rest in peace Stan

A post shared by ✌️ (@tomholland2013) on Nov 12, 2018 at 11:54am PST

View this post on Instagram

RIP my friend. Thank you for the incredible adventures your stories took all of us on. My love and support goes out to all your friends and family #stanlee #legend

A post shared by Chris Hemsworth (@chrishemsworth) on Nov 12, 2018 at 6:34pm PST

View this post on Instagram

Sad, sad day. Rest In Power Uncle Stan. You have made the world a better place through the power of modern mythology and your love of this messy business of being human... you let us be extra human... superhuman even. I am deeply honored to have been a small part in the Stan Lee constellation.

A post shared by Mark Ruffalo (@markruffalo) on Nov 12, 2018 at 2:09pm PST

View this post on Instagram

This is how I’ll always see you, @therealstanlee: as our benevolent leader and king, smiling down from your eternal throne on the generations of imaginations you fed and inspired. You were the first creator whose voice I knew before I’d ever actually heard it. You dreamed up some of my favorite modern myths and created characters that instilled in me a moral barometer, teaching me right from wrong and showing me it’s always better to be a hero instead of a villain. Your characters represented us: yes, they had extraordinary, unbelievable abilities, but they were also reflections of a world we knew, where a Spider-Man is really just a boy who wants to help. You showed me how to interact with the audience whenever you stepped onto Stan’s Soapbox to reach out to the readers. You showed me how to advocate for my field beyond the actual art itself whenever you tub thumped for comic books outside of the medium. It was never enough for you to simply make a comic because you were a true salesman at heart. So you not only sold comics, you sold me *on* comics - so much so that I built a life and career around your dreams and ideals. When you did Mallrats with us, you not only made a lifelong fan’s dream come true, you also lent me comic book credibility that I still get to spend today. And whether it was for @comicbookmenamc or @yogahosers, whenever I asked to borrow your heat again, you were always there for me with a smile. Your love story with Joanie and your long, happy marriage always shined as an example of what I wanted for my personal life. I long admired (and emulated) your kindness and patience and sense of humor when dealing with your public. Outside of my parents, you were the one adult who gave me the most useful life skills I still use today. Thank you, Stan, for making me not only the boy I was but also the man I am today. You had great power and you always used it responsibly, fostering billions of dreamers who all know your name - a name written in the stars for all time. You were not just the literary titan of comic books, you were our modern day Mark Twain. I will miss you all my days, my friend and hero. Excelsior forevermore. #KevinSmith #StanLee

A post shared by Kevin Smith (@thatkevinsmith) on Nov 12, 2018 at 12:22pm PST

View this post on Instagram

You made heroes out of women; I am so grateful to have been one of them. Thank you, #StanLee. RIP #Daredevil #Elektra #mostcreativekindestgentleman❤️

A post shared by Jennifer Garner (@jennifer.garner) on Nov 12, 2018 at 2:47pm PST

View this post on Instagram

I was a happy little boy lost in the sanctuary of my Spider-Man comic books, collecting em, savoring each one, the piles of comics stacked high next to my bed. Thank you Stan Lee, what a creative whirlwind, wow. Rest In Peace in the divine. What an honor it was to help bring one of your characters to life with my scratchy little voice. ❤️❤️❤️

A post shared by Flea (@flea333) on Nov 12, 2018 at 11:43am PST