Obituary: Marvel Comics co-creator Stan Lee passes away at 95

Stan Lee, an influential player in the rise of Marvel Comics and one of the minds behind many iconic superhero series like Spider-Man and the X-Men, has passed away at the age of 95.

Lee got his start in comics in 1939, first as an assistant and later as a writer. He would go on to serve as the editor-in-chief, and later publisher, of Marvel Comics. Alongside the likes of Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko, Lee created many of the Marvel series that have become pop culture mainstays today, including franchises like Iron Man, Thor, Black Panther, Daredevil, and the Hulk.

Several of his creations have been adapted for other forms of media, with the most notable being the ongoing Marvel Cinematic Universe under Disney-owned Marvel Studios. Even before then, Lee saw many of his creations brought to video games through titles like Ultimate Spider-Man, X-Men Legends, Marvel Ultimate Alliance, and the Marvel vs. Capcom series.

Lee himself appeared in some of those projects, notably providing narration for the PlayStation 1-era games Spider-Man and Spider-Man 2: Enter Electro as well as 2010’s Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions. Most recently, Lee made a cameo in Insomniac Games’ Spider-Man where he plays the role of a cook modeled in his likeness and shares some words of encouragement with the game's leading characters.