At the age of 95, Stan Lee, the legendary storyteller responsible for many of the Marvel superheroes who are loved today, passed away early morning on November 12. A great influence in the industry, Lee created some of the most iconic comic characters including Spider-Man, Iron Man, Thor, the Hulk, Black Panther, X-Men, the Fantastic Four, Ant-Man, and Doctor Strange.

Starting his career in 1939, Lee was an assistant at Timely Comics, where he worked as a writer, editor, and illustrator. At the time, DC Comics dominated the comic scene with their larger-than-life superheroes–Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman. Thus in the ‘50s and ‘60s, he was tasked with the creation of a Justice League-like team of heroes who could stand their own in the competitive industry, and the Fantastic Four came to be after Timely was rebranded as Marvel Comics. Following the four, new characters were introduced, sparking a boom in Marvel’s success, which surpassed that of DC’s by 1964. Lee revitalized the business with flawed characters who felt real with their own human struggles and fears. “His stories taught me that even superheroes like Spider-Man and the Incredible Hulk have ego deficiencies and girl problems and do not live in their macho fantasies 24 hours a day,” said Gene Simmons of the rock band Kiss. “Through the honesty of guys like Spider-Man, I learned about the shades of gray in human nature.”

Since then, Lee’s characters have found their way to the big screen with much success following the X-Men franchise and Spider-Man, who became a worldwide icon. In 2009, Walt Disney Company purchased Marvel for 4 million dollars, and from then to the end of his career, Lee remained an active figure, interacting with fans, publishing autobiographies, making cameos, and passionately inspiring people through his work. After nearly 80 years of working with comics, he left behind a lasting legacy that will live on through his heroes and those touched by his creations. “I used to be embarrassed because I was just a comic-book writer while other people were building bridges or going on to medical careers,” Lee said. “And then I began to realize: entertainment is one of the most important things in people’s lives. Without it, they might go off the deep end. I feel that if you’re able to entertain people, you’re doing a good thing.”