A Tribute To Stan Lee

STORY BY CORIE LYNN

During my senior year of high school, I took an AP Psychology class. This doesn’t matter as much as the fact that in the class seating chart, my teacher sat me with complete strangers.

What had previously been an inconvenience, as my best friend sat on the other side of the room, became a blessing. I quickly discovered that I had several things in common with someone who is now a good friend.

One of these commonalities was an undying love for the Marvel franchise.

While I can’t cite the Marvel series as the sole reason for my newfound friendship (a passion for theatre and shared introversion were equally important), discussing Avengers: Infinity War theories between theories of personality did bring us together.

The two of us now attend different universities, but I will always remember that time as one of the happiest times of my high school career.

In fact, Marvel has always been a source of my fondest memories.

My mom and I go together to see each one and spend the drive home lauding the performances of Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston. I spent afternoons shut in my room, unable to put down Matt Fraction’s Hawkeye comics. My fifth-grade classroom had a replica of Thor’s hammer Mjölnir hanging from a hook on the wall.

With each Marvel movie that premiered, I participated in the game that millions played as they sat in movie theaters across the world: Spot Stan Lee.

Stan Lee’s iconic film cameos make up only a small portion of a career that spanned decades, beginning when he was first hired by Timely Comics as a teenager.

During this time, Lee gave the world hero after hero, story after story, and brought to life the likes of The Fantastic Four, Doctor Strange, and Spider-Man.

Though he was by no means the only talent at Marvel, his work made him synonymous with the company and the world of superheroes.

Lee undoubtedly created a comic universe that spoke to fans through the humanity he gave to his characters and his frank address of real-world issues. In this way, he was able to bring stories of telepaths, gods, and web-slinging teenagers closer to reality than ever before.

Now, the world feels the loss of one of its greatest storytellers.

However, Stan Lee’s stories rooted themselves in popular culture. They have grown beyond his original comics to films, television shows, and artwork making his influence undeniable.

For many people, this has resulted in creative inspiration in countless mediums. For me, this has given me numerous memories and a way to grow closer to those around me.

For Stan Lee, the man who started it all, I am grateful.

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