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In 1963, with the success of Spider-Man, the Hulk, Thor, Iron Man, and the Fantastic Four, co-creator Stan Lee wanted to create another group of superheroes but did not want to have to explain how they got their powers. In 2004, Lee recalled, "I couldn't have everybody bitten by a radioactive spider or exposed to a gamma ray explosion. And I took the cowardly way out. I said to myself, 'Why don't I just say they're mutants? They are born that way.'"[4]
In a 1987 interview, Kirby said:
The X-Men, I did the natural thing there. What would you do with mutants who were just plain boys and girls and certainly not dangerous? You school them. You develop their skills. So I gave them a teacher, Professor X. Of course, it was the natural thing to do, instead of disorienting or alienating people who were different from us, I made the X-Men part of the human race, which they were. Possibly, radiation, if it is beneficial, may create mutants that'll save us instead of doing us harm. I felt that if we train the mutants our way, they'll help us – and not only help us, but achieve a measure of growth in their own sense. And so, we could all live together.[5]
Lee devised the series title after Marvel publisher Martin Goodman turned down the initial name, "The Mutants," stating that readers would not know what a "mutant" was.[6]
Within the Marvel Universe, the X-Men are widely regarded to have been named after Professor Xavier himself. The original explanation for the name, as provided by Xavier in The X-Men #1 (1963), is that mutants "possess an extra power ... one which ordinary humans do not!! That is why I call my students ... X-Men, for EX-tra power!"[7]
DC Comics's Doom Patrol, which debuted several months before X-Men, was suspected by its creator Arnold Drake and its fans of having had the basic concept copied to a great degree - including a wheel-chair bound leader - by Marvel Comics to create the X-Men. Other fans also speculate that Doom Patrol share similarities with another Marvel superhero team that preceded them, the Fantastic Four.
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It's also noted that many of Lee's superheroes have their origins in [[RadiationInducedSuperpowers radioactivity]] and [[AppliedPhlebotinum toxic waste]]; Spider-Man's radioactive spider-bite, the Hulk's unfortunate dose of gamma radiation, the Fantastic Four catching a wave of cosmic radiation. Whilst that worked at the time, the 1960s being a period where radioactivity was something that was very prominent on the minds of people at the time, these days using radioactivity as a cause of superpowers is a little hard to sell; it's been overused, subject to wide parody and we're all a bit more savvy about the actual effects of radioactivity now than people may have been back then.
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It's also noted that many of Lee's superheroes have their origins in [[RadiationInducedSuperpowers radioactivity]] and [[AppliedPhlebotinum toxic waste]]; Spider-Man's radioactive spider-bite, the Hulk's unfortunate dose of gamma radiation, the Fantastic Four catching a wave of cosmic radiation. Whilst that worked at the time, the 1960s being a period where radioactivity was something that was very prominent on the minds of people at the time, these days using radioactivity as a cause of superpowers is a little hard to sell; it's been overused, subject to wide parody and we're all a bit more savvy about the actual effects of radioactivity now than people may have been back then.
then. The Mutants and the Inhumans were an exception as their powers are part of their genetic code, the latter needing an external catalyst to awaken their power.
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Stan Lee's superhumans are oftem the resort of [[FreakLabAccident some kind of accident]], usually involving science in some way like radiation. Whilst this may be a bit passé these days, it indicates a concern over scientific advancement; not so much that advancement itself was, but how particular advances could be used for good or for evil. In the comics that Stan Lee wrote, people weren't just given superpowers or born with them, as had previously been the standard; the characters tended to be given their powers either through some bizarre (and often ironic) quirk of fate, and / or had to work hard to earn them. This applies to villains as well as heroes; just as Peter Parker received an accidental spider-bite that led to his becoming Spider-Man, his eventual nemesis Otto Octavius was involved in a lab accident that fused mechanical arms to his back and led to his becoming the villainous Doctor Octopus, and so forth. These motifs work to establish the distinction between the hero and the villain.
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Stan Lee's superhumans are oftem often the resort of [[FreakLabAccident some kind of accident]], usually involving science in some way like radiation. Whilst this may be a bit passé these days, it indicates a concern over scientific advancement; not so much that advancement itself was, but how particular advances could be used for good or for evil. In the comics that Stan Lee wrote, people weren't just given superpowers or born with them, as had previously been the standard; the characters tended to be given their powers either through some bizarre (and often ironic) quirk of fate, and / or had to work hard to earn them. This applies to villains as well as heroes; just as Peter Parker received an accidental spider-bite that led to his becoming Spider-Man, his eventual nemesis Otto Octavius was involved in a lab accident that fused mechanical arms to his back and led to his becoming the villainous Doctor Octopus, and so forth. These motifs work to establish the distinction between the hero and the villain.
Lee also used real-world social issues that many minority groups dealt to shape his characters in the X-Men series, the core of the series sparked by the Civil Rights movement in the 60s and built up from similar instances, so [[Main/SociologyTropes]] and [[Main/Prejudice Tropes]] would proceed some themes to consider in shaping a storyline.
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The usual brightly coloured uniforms were present, although CivvieSpandex is also quite common. It's also perhaps worth noting that Lee originally intended for the Fantastic Four, the first heroes he wrote, to just wear everyday civilian clothes, with no 'traditional' super-uniform at all; it was only because he and Kirby couldn't figure out how to effectively pull it off with their superpowers that they put them in the blue jumpsuits made from 'unusual molecules' that they are identified with today. However, just because Stan Lee and Jack Kirby couldn't figure it out doesn't mean you can't...
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The usual brightly coloured colored uniforms were present, although CivvieSpandex is also quite common. It's also perhaps worth noting that Lee originally intended for the Fantastic Four, the first heroes he wrote, to just wear everyday civilian clothes, with no 'traditional' super-uniform at all; it was only because he and Kirby couldn't figure out how to effectively pull it off with their superpowers that they put them in the blue jumpsuits made from 'unusual molecules' that they are identified with today. However, just But because Stan Lee and Jack Kirby couldn't figure it out doesn't mean you can't...
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Two non-Stan Lee works worth noting that utilize and subvert his ideals and themes would be [[Manga/MyHeroAcademia My Hero Academia]] and [[WesternAnimation/MiraculousLadybug Miraculous Ladybug]].
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** [[Manga/MyHeroAcademia My Hero Academia]] and [[WesternAnimation/MiraculousLadybug Miraculous
** The Arrowverse series [[Series/Supergirl2015 Supergirl]] utilizes similar themes to the ''X-Men'' with current social-political issues [immigration and xenophobia] in the late 2010s/2020s during it's fourth season. The show's character Nia Nal combines aspects of ''Spider-Man'' as a Coming of Age hero working for a news company and ''X-Men'' in dealing with prejudiced people, being half-alien and transgendered making such injustices very personal.
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What genres are you going to use. A [[ComingOfAgeStory Coming of Age story]]? Science Fiction? Fantasy?
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Stan Lee's superhumans tended to come about due to [[FreakLabAccident some kind of accident]], usually involving science (and especially radioactivity) in some way. Whilst this may be a bit passé these days, it indicates a concern over scientific advancement; not so much that advancement itself was, but how particular advances could be used for good or for evil. In the comics that Stan Lee wrote, people weren't just given superpowers or born with them, as had previously been the standard; the characters tended to be given their powers either through some bizarre (and often ironic) quirk of fate, and / or had to work hard to earn them. This applies to villains as well as heroes; just as Peter Parker received an accidental spider-bite that led to his becoming Spider-Man, his eventual nemesis Otto Octavius was involved in a lab accident that fused mechanical arms to his back and led to his becoming the villainous Doctor Octopus, and so forth. These motifs work to establish the distinction between the hero and the villain.
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Stan Lee's superhumans tended to come about due to are oftem the resort of [[FreakLabAccident some kind of accident]], usually involving science (and especially radioactivity) in some way.way like radiation. Whilst this may be a bit passé these days, it indicates a concern over scientific advancement; not so much that advancement itself was, but how particular advances could be used for good or for evil. In the comics that Stan Lee wrote, people weren't just given superpowers or born with them, as had previously been the standard; the characters tended to be given their powers either through some bizarre (and often ironic) quirk of fate, and / or had to work hard to earn them. This applies to villains as well as heroes; just as Peter Parker received an accidental spider-bite that led to his becoming Spider-Man, his eventual nemesis Otto Octavius was involved in a lab accident that fused mechanical arms to his back and led to his becoming the villainous Doctor Octopus, and so forth. These motifs work to establish the distinction between the hero and the villain.
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Two non-Stan Lee works worth noting that utilize and subvert his ideals and themes would be [[Manga/MyHeroAcademia My Hero Academia]] and [[WesternAnimation/MiraculousLadybug Miraculous Ladybug]].
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I Love Nuclear Power is dewicked
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It's also noted that many of Lee's superheroes have their origins in [[ILoveNuclearPower radioactivity]] and [[AppliedPhlebotinum toxic waste]]; Spider-Man's radioactive spider-bite, the Hulk's unfortunate dose of gamma radiation, the Fantastic Four catching a wave of cosmic radiation. Whilst that worked at the time, the 1960s being a period where radioactivity was something that was very prominent on the minds of people at the time, these days using radioactivity as a cause of superpowers is a little hard to sell; it's been overused, subject to wide parody and we're all a bit more savvy about the actual effects of radioactivity now than people may have been back then.
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It's also noted that many of Lee's superheroes have their origins in [[ILoveNuclearPower [[RadiationInducedSuperpowers radioactivity]] and [[AppliedPhlebotinum toxic waste]]; Spider-Man's radioactive spider-bite, the Hulk's unfortunate dose of gamma radiation, the Fantastic Four catching a wave of cosmic radiation. Whilst that worked at the time, the 1960s being a period where radioactivity was something that was very prominent on the minds of people at the time, these days using radioactivity as a cause of superpowers is a little hard to sell; it's been overused, subject to wide parody and we're all a bit more savvy about the actual effects of radioactivity now than people may have been back then.
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Updating Link
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[[ShamelessSelfPromoter 'Dashing' Doc Nemesis]] here! So, you wanna write like [[Creator/StanLee Smilin' Stan]] himself huh? Well, there's a reason they call him The Man - this is the man who co-created the [[ComicBook/SpiderMan Amazing Spider-Man]], the Comicbook/FantasticFour, the ComicBook/IncredibleHulk, [[ComicBook/XMen The Uncanny X-Men]] and, well, a fairly large chunk of what we today know as the Creator/MarvelComics Universe. If you really want to write like Stan, you should check out SoYouWantTo/WriteAStory for some general story-telling tips, and SoYouWantTo/WriteASuperheroComic for some genre-specific ideas. Then, pick up that pen, put it to paper, and get that punchy prose pouring!
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[[ShamelessSelfPromoter 'Dashing' Doc Nemesis]] here! So, you wanna write like [[Creator/StanLee Smilin' Stan]] himself huh? Well, there's a reason they call him The Man - this is the man who co-created the [[ComicBook/SpiderMan Amazing Spider-Man]], the Comicbook/FantasticFour, the ComicBook/IncredibleHulk, ComicBook/TheIncredibleHulk, [[ComicBook/XMen The Uncanny X-Men]] and, well, a fairly large chunk of what we today know as the Creator/MarvelComics Universe. If you really want to write like Stan, you should check out SoYouWantTo/WriteAStory for some general story-telling tips, and SoYouWantTo/WriteASuperheroComic for some genre-specific ideas. Then, pick up that pen, put it to paper, and get that punchy prose pouring!
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This isn't to say that his heroes are entirely exemplary, however; a key element of Stan's legacy in superhero comics is that he introduced the world to superheroes who possessed personal problems and were fraught with flaws and failings that were as essential to their character make-up as their super-powers, in direct contrast to the paragons who dominated the genre beforehand. For example, ComicBook/SpiderMan initially used his powers for his own personal benefit, not to fight crime; it was only when his flippant refusal to use his powers to stop a robber indirectly led to the murder of his uncle that he accepted a greater responsibility that his powers came with to try and [[TheAtoner atone]]. The trend continues; Comicbook/IronMan was a flippant, cavalier playboy who struggled with alcoholism, the ComicBook/FantasticFour a squabbling, dysfunctional family riddled with as much pettiness and bickering as any, the ComicBook/IncredibleHulk essentially the walking personification of uncontrollable anger management problems, and so on. Several of Lee's heroes are also physically disfigured or challenged, which adds a further level of prejudice; as the most prominent examples, Ben 'The Thing' Grimm is a decent-hearted man trapped in the body of a hideous rocky monster, Bruce Banner turns into the hideous, uncontrollable '[[ComicBook/IncredibleHulk Hulk]]' whenever his anger rages out of control, and [[ComicBook/XMen Professor Charles Xavier]] ('Professor X') is a brilliant {{telepath}} who is physically confined to a wheelchair.
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This isn't to say that his heroes are entirely exemplary, however; a key element of Stan's legacy in superhero comics is that he introduced the world to superheroes who possessed personal problems and were fraught with flaws and failings that were as essential to their character make-up as their super-powers, in direct contrast to the paragons who dominated the genre beforehand. For example, ComicBook/SpiderMan initially used his powers for his own personal benefit, not to fight crime; it was only when his flippant refusal to use his powers to stop a robber indirectly led to the murder of his uncle that he accepted a greater responsibility that his powers came with to try and [[TheAtoner atone]]. The trend continues; Comicbook/IronMan was a flippant, cavalier playboy who struggled with alcoholism, the ComicBook/FantasticFour a squabbling, dysfunctional family riddled with as much pettiness and bickering as any, the ComicBook/IncredibleHulk ComicBook/TheIncredibleHulk essentially the walking personification of uncontrollable anger management problems, and so on. Several of Lee's heroes are also physically disfigured or challenged, which adds a further level of prejudice; as the most prominent examples, Ben 'The Thing' Grimm is a decent-hearted man trapped in the body of a hideous rocky monster, Bruce Banner turns into the hideous, uncontrollable '[[ComicBook/IncredibleHulk '[[ComicBook/TheIncredibleHulk Hulk]]' whenever his anger rages out of control, and [[ComicBook/XMen Professor Charles Xavier]] ('Professor X') is a brilliant {{telepath}} who is physically confined to a wheelchair.
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As mentioned above, ComesGreatResponsibility. AllOfTheOtherReindeer is also an important part of these stories.
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As mentioned above, ComesGreatResponsibility.WithGreatPowerComesGreatResponsibility. AllOfTheOtherReindeer is also an important part of these stories.
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Notice also how Stan Lee tended to give his superhumans [[TheAdjectivalSuperhero a particular adjective]] in order to establish how great they were in the mind of the reader. It's not just Spider-Man, it's the ''Amazing'' Spider-Man (or, if we prefer the alliterative version, the ''Spectacular'' Spider-Man); it's not just the Hulk, it's the ''Incredible'' Hulk; the ''Fantastic'' Four, the ''Uncanny'' X-Men, and so on.
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Notice also how Stan Lee tended to give his superhumans [[TheAdjectivalSuperhero a particular adjective]] in order to establish how great they were in the mind of the reader. It's not just Spider-Man, it's the ''Amazing'' Spider-Man (or, if we prefer the alliterative version, the ''Spectacular'' Spider-Man); it's not just the Hulk, it's the ''Incredible'' Hulk; the ''Fantastic'' Four, the ''Uncanny'' X-Men, and so on. \n Also works for the villains: the ''Sinister'' Six, Doctor ''Doom'', and so forth.
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Stan made his name and did some of his finest work with {{Superhero}}es, and that's what he's most known for. But in particular, he's the man who, even if he didn't actually invent it, actually put into words the basic ethos of the typical Super Hero - the idea that '''With Great Power ComesGreatResponsibility''', and it is the responsibility of those with power to use it in a way that benefits humanity. His superheroes are defined by this code, his [[{{Supervillain}} super-villains]] by their refusal of it.
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Stan made his name and did some of his finest work with {{Superhero}}es, and that's what he's most known for. But in particular, he's the man who, even if he didn't actually invent it, actually put into words the basic ethos of the typical Super Hero - the idea that '''With Great Power ComesGreatResponsibility''', '''WithGreatPowerComesGreatResponsibility''', and it is the responsibility of those with power to use it in a way that benefits humanity. His superheroes are defined by this code, his [[{{Supervillain}} super-villains]] by their refusal of it.
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[[ShamelessSelfPromoter 'Dashing' Doc Nemesis]] here! So, you wanna write like [[Creator/StanLee Smilin' Stan]] himself huh? Well, there's a reason they call him The Man - this is the man who co-created the [[Comicbook/SpiderMan Amazing Spider-Man]], the Comicbook/FantasticFour, the ComicBook/IncredibleHulk, [[ComicBook/XMen The Uncanny X-Men]] and, well, a fairly large chunk of what we today know as the Creator/MarvelComics Universe. If you really want to write like Stan, you should check out SoYouWantTo/WriteAStory for some general story-telling tips, and SoYouWantTo/WriteASuperheroComic for some genre-specific ideas. Then, pick up that pen, put it to paper, and get that punchy prose pouring!
to:
[[ShamelessSelfPromoter 'Dashing' Doc Nemesis]] here! So, you wanna write like [[Creator/StanLee Smilin' Stan]] himself huh? Well, there's a reason they call him The Man - this is the man who co-created the [[Comicbook/SpiderMan [[ComicBook/SpiderMan Amazing Spider-Man]], the Comicbook/FantasticFour, the ComicBook/IncredibleHulk, [[ComicBook/XMen The Uncanny X-Men]] and, well, a fairly large chunk of what we today know as the Creator/MarvelComics Universe. If you really want to write like Stan, you should check out SoYouWantTo/WriteAStory for some general story-telling tips, and SoYouWantTo/WriteASuperheroComic for some genre-specific ideas. Then, pick up that pen, put it to paper, and get that punchy prose pouring!
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This isn't to say that his heroes are entirely exemplary, however; a key element of Stan's legacy in superhero comics is that he introduced the world to superheroes who possessed personal problems and were fraught with flaws and failings that were as essential to their character make-up as their super-powers, in direct contrast to the paragons who dominated the genre beforehand. For example, [[{{Spiderman}} Spider-Man]] initially used his powers for his own personal benefit, not to fight crime; it was only when his flippant refusal to use his powers to stop a robber indirectly led to the murder of his uncle that he accepted a greater responsibility that his powers came with to try and [[TheAtoner atone]]. The trend continues; Comicbook/IronMan was a flippant, cavalier playboy who struggled with alcoholism, the ComicBook/FantasticFour a squabbling, dysfunctional family riddled with as much pettiness and bickering as any, the ComicBook/IncredibleHulk essentially the walking personification of uncontrollable anger management problems, and so on. Several of Lee's heroes are also physically disfigured or challenged, which adds a further level of prejudice; as the most prominent examples, Ben 'The Thing' Grimm is a decent-hearted man trapped in the body of a hideous rocky monster, Bruce Banner turns into the hideous, uncontrollable '[[ComicBook/IncredibleHulk Hulk]]' whenever his anger rages out of control, and [[ComicBook/XMen Professor Charles Xavier]] ('Professor X') is a brilliant {{telepath}} who is physically confined to a wheelchair.
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This isn't to say that his heroes are entirely exemplary, however; a key element of Stan's legacy in superhero comics is that he introduced the world to superheroes who possessed personal problems and were fraught with flaws and failings that were as essential to their character make-up as their super-powers, in direct contrast to the paragons who dominated the genre beforehand. For example, [[{{Spiderman}} Spider-Man]] ComicBook/SpiderMan initially used his powers for his own personal benefit, not to fight crime; it was only when his flippant refusal to use his powers to stop a robber indirectly led to the murder of his uncle that he accepted a greater responsibility that his powers came with to try and [[TheAtoner atone]]. The trend continues; Comicbook/IronMan was a flippant, cavalier playboy who struggled with alcoholism, the ComicBook/FantasticFour a squabbling, dysfunctional family riddled with as much pettiness and bickering as any, the ComicBook/IncredibleHulk essentially the walking personification of uncontrollable anger management problems, and so on. Several of Lee's heroes are also physically disfigured or challenged, which adds a further level of prejudice; as the most prominent examples, Ben 'The Thing' Grimm is a decent-hearted man trapped in the body of a hideous rocky monster, Bruce Banner turns into the hideous, uncontrollable '[[ComicBook/IncredibleHulk Hulk]]' whenever his anger rages out of control, and [[ComicBook/XMen Professor Charles Xavier]] ('Professor X') is a brilliant {{telepath}} who is physically confined to a wheelchair.
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Changed line(s) 10,11 (click to see context) from:
This isn't to say that his heroes are entirely exemplary, however; a key element of Stan's legacy in superhero comics is that he introduced the world to superheroes who possessed personal problems and were fraught with flaws and failings that were as essential to their character make-up as their super-powers, in direct contrast to the paragons who dominated the genre beforehand. For example, [[{{Spiderman}} Spider-Man]] initially used his powers for his own personal benefit, not to fight crime; it was only when his flippant refusal to use his powers to stop a robber indirectly led to the murder of his uncle that he accepted a greater responsibility that his powers came with to try and [[TheAtoner atone]]. The trend continues; Comicbook/IronMan was a flippant, cavalier playboy who struggled with alcoholism, the ComicBook/FantasticFour a squabbling, dysfunctional family riddled with as much pettiness and bickering as any. Several of Lee's heroes are also physically disfigured or challenged, which adds a further level of prejudice; as the most prominent examples, Ben 'The Thing' Grimm is a decent-hearted man trapped in the body of a hideous rocky monster, Bruce Banner turns into the hideous, uncontrollable '[[ComicBook/IncredibleHulk Hulk]]' whenever his anger rages out of control, and [[ComicBook/XMen Professor Charles Xavier]] ('Professor X') is a brilliant {{telepath}} who is physically confined to a wheelchair.
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This isn't to say that his heroes are entirely exemplary, however; a key element of Stan's legacy in superhero comics is that he introduced the world to superheroes who possessed personal problems and were fraught with flaws and failings that were as essential to their character make-up as their super-powers, in direct contrast to the paragons who dominated the genre beforehand. For example, [[{{Spiderman}} Spider-Man]] initially used his powers for his own personal benefit, not to fight crime; it was only when his flippant refusal to use his powers to stop a robber indirectly led to the murder of his uncle that he accepted a greater responsibility that his powers came with to try and [[TheAtoner atone]]. The trend continues; Comicbook/IronMan was a flippant, cavalier playboy who struggled with alcoholism, the ComicBook/FantasticFour a squabbling, dysfunctional family riddled with as much pettiness and bickering as any.any, the ComicBook/IncredibleHulk essentially the walking personification of uncontrollable anger management problems, and so on. Several of Lee's heroes are also physically disfigured or challenged, which adds a further level of prejudice; as the most prominent examples, Ben 'The Thing' Grimm is a decent-hearted man trapped in the body of a hideous rocky monster, Bruce Banner turns into the hideous, uncontrollable '[[ComicBook/IncredibleHulk Hulk]]' whenever his anger rages out of control, and [[ComicBook/XMen Professor Charles Xavier]] ('Professor X') is a brilliant {{telepath}} who is physically confined to a wheelchair.
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As mentioned above, Stan Lee's writing is full of PurpleProse! And alliterative adjectives! And a high percentage of exclaimations, in order to emit an envelope of energy, excitement and enthusiasm! Stan Lee could pull it off, but it's the kind of thing that kinda grates after a while if it's over-used!
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As mentioned above, Stan Lee's writing is full of PurpleProse! And alliterative adjectives! And a high percentage of exclaimations, exclamations, in order to emit an envelope of energy, excitement and enthusiasm! Stan Lee could pull it off, but it's the kind of thing that kinda grates after a while if it's over-used!
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This applies to villains as well, the best of whom are not mere one-dimensional blackhearts; to take two prominent examples, whilst Dr. Doom is a mad scientist and a tyrant he also possesses a [[EvenEvilHasStandards warped-but-strict code of honour]] which saw him team up with his hated rivals as well as trying to kill them, whilst Magneto, the KnightTemplar villain of X-Men, was a Holocaust survivor who feared what had happened to him under the Nazis happen to his fellow mutants in the present day - in that story's mirroring of the 1960s civil rights struggles he was explicitly intended to parallel Malcolm X, just as Professor X was intended to parallel Martin Luther King. In short, whilst we might not agree or like the villains, we can see where they're coming from.
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This applies to villains as well, the best of whom are not mere one-dimensional blackhearts; to take two prominent examples, whilst Dr. Doom is a mad scientist and a tyrant he also possesses a [[EvenEvilHasStandards warped-but-strict code of honour]] which saw him team up with his hated rivals as well as trying to kill them, whilst Magneto, the KnightTemplar villain of X-Men, was a Holocaust survivor who feared what had happened to him under the Nazis would happen to his fellow mutants in the present day - in that story's mirroring of the 1960s civil rights struggles he was explicitly intended to parallel Malcolm X, just as Professor X was intended to parallel Martin Luther King. In short, whilst we might not agree or like the villains, we can see where they're coming from.
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This isn't to say that his heroes are entirely exemplary, however; a key element of Stan's legacy in superhero comics is that he introduced the world to superheroes who possessed personal problems and were fraught with flaws and failings that were as essential to their character make-up as their super-powers, in direct contrast to the paragons who dominated the genre beforehand. For example, [[{{Spiderman}} Spider-Man]] initially used his powers for his own personal benefit, not to fight crime, and it was only the intense guilt that resulted from the murder of his beloved uncle partially as a result of his flippant refusal to use his powers to stop a robber that led him to accept the responsibility his powers came with and his crusade to fight crime. The trend continues; Comicbook/IronMan was a flippant, cavalier playboy who struggled with alcoholism, the ComicBook/FantasticFour a squabbling, dysfunctional family riddled with as much pettiness and bickering as any. Several of Lee's heroes are also physically disfigured or challenged, which adds a further level of prejudice; as the most prominent examples, Ben 'The Thing' Grimm is a decent-hearted man trapped in the body of a hideous rocky monster, Bruce Banner turns into the hideous, uncontrollable '[[ComicBook/IncredibleHulk Hulk]]' whenever his anger rages out of control, and [[ComicBook/XMen Professor Charles Xavier]] ('Professor X') is a brilliant {{telepath}} who is physically confined to a wheelchair.
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This isn't to say that his heroes are entirely exemplary, however; a key element of Stan's legacy in superhero comics is that he introduced the world to superheroes who possessed personal problems and were fraught with flaws and failings that were as essential to their character make-up as their super-powers, in direct contrast to the paragons who dominated the genre beforehand. For example, [[{{Spiderman}} Spider-Man]] initially used his powers for his own personal benefit, not to fight crime, and crime; it was only the intense guilt that resulted from the murder of his beloved uncle partially as a result of when his flippant refusal to use his powers to stop a robber indirectly led to the murder of his uncle that led him to accept the he accepted a greater responsibility that his powers came with to try and his crusade to fight crime.[[TheAtoner atone]]. The trend continues; Comicbook/IronMan was a flippant, cavalier playboy who struggled with alcoholism, the ComicBook/FantasticFour a squabbling, dysfunctional family riddled with as much pettiness and bickering as any. Several of Lee's heroes are also physically disfigured or challenged, which adds a further level of prejudice; as the most prominent examples, Ben 'The Thing' Grimm is a decent-hearted man trapped in the body of a hideous rocky monster, Bruce Banner turns into the hideous, uncontrollable '[[ComicBook/IncredibleHulk Hulk]]' whenever his anger rages out of control, and [[ComicBook/XMen Professor Charles Xavier]] ('Professor X') is a brilliant {{telepath}} who is physically confined to a wheelchair.
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One further note; whilst this trope is named for Stan Lee, it is not for us to forget the equally vital contribution of his artist/co-writer collaborators whom he created the characters with, such as Creator/JackKirby and Creator/SteveDitko. In fact, you must remember during Lee's finest period was using the "Marvel" or "Plot first" method: Lee would give a basic outline of a story and the artist is responsible as a co-writer for fleshing out the details in the artwork within the set parameters which can include additional characters and/or suggested dialogue. Afterward, the artwork would be returned to Lee who would rewrite the text to suit the story's needs and his personal writing style. As the best examples of this collaboration, Kirby's art is credited with making books such as the Fantastic Four the most visually creative and distinctive books of the era, and even today the extent of Ditko's role in the creation of Spider-Man is... ''enthusiastically'' debated. In many ways, the classic Marvel era is a useful reminder that it's the quality of the art as well as the quality of the writing that makes a great comic book.
to:
One further note; whilst this trope is named for Stan Lee, it is not for us to forget the equally vital contribution of his artist/co-writer collaborators whom he created the characters with, such as Creator/JackKirby and Creator/SteveDitko. In fact, you must remember during Lee's finest period was using the "Marvel" or "Plot first" method: Lee would give a basic outline of a story and the artist is responsible as a co-writer for fleshing out the details in the artwork within the set parameters which can include additional characters and/or suggested dialogue. artwork. Afterward, the artwork would be returned to Lee who would rewrite write the text to suit dialogues and the story's needs captions and thought bubbles. In essence, the artist is responsible for the layout, scene breakdowns, visual design and battle choreography. For instance, Lee might have asked for a superhero who was a teenager but it would be Ditko who would design how Peter Parker looked, and most importantly his personal writing style. As costume, whether Pete has organic or mechanical web-shooters and also how he would look swinging across the best examples of this collaboration, city. Kirby's art is credited with making books such as the Fantastic Four the most visually creative and distinctive books of the era, and even today the extent of Ditko's role in the creation of Spider-Man is... ''enthusiastically'' debated. debated although Lee claimed in TheSixties that he would at times leave Ditko to plot out the whole story to his heart's content. In many ways, the classic Marvel era is a useful reminder that it's the quality of the art as well as the quality of the writing that makes a great comic book.
book. Or to put it another way, you can't be Stan Lee without someone else wanting to be like Kirby and Ditko. Remember it was Kirby's capacity to draw out an entire issue in a ridiculous amount of time that made it possible for Lee to work and plan multiple titles at once. It always takes longer to draw out a comic than to write one.
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<<|SoYouWantTo/SeeTheIndex|>>
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[[ShamelessSelfPromoter 'Dashing' Doc Nemesis]] here! So, you wanna write like [[Creator/StanLee Smilin' Stan]] himself huh? Well, there's a reason they call him The Man - this is the man who co-created the [[Comicbook/SpiderMan Amazing Spider-Man]], the Comicbook/FantasticFour, ComicBook/TheIncredibleHulk, [[ComicBook/XMen The Uncanny X-Men]] and, well, a fairly large chunk of what we today know as the Creator/MarvelComics Universe. If you really want to write like Stan, you should check out SoYouWantTo/WriteAStory for some general story-telling tips, and SoYouWantTo/WriteASuperheroComic for some genre-specific ideas. Then, pick up that pen, put it to paper, and get that punchy prose pouring!
to:
[[ShamelessSelfPromoter 'Dashing' Doc Nemesis]] here! So, you wanna write like [[Creator/StanLee Smilin' Stan]] himself huh? Well, there's a reason they call him The Man - this is the man who co-created the [[Comicbook/SpiderMan Amazing Spider-Man]], the Comicbook/FantasticFour, ComicBook/TheIncredibleHulk, the ComicBook/IncredibleHulk, [[ComicBook/XMen The Uncanny X-Men]] and, well, a fairly large chunk of what we today know as the Creator/MarvelComics Universe. If you really want to write like Stan, you should check out SoYouWantTo/WriteAStory for some general story-telling tips, and SoYouWantTo/WriteASuperheroComic for some genre-specific ideas. Then, pick up that pen, put it to paper, and get that punchy prose pouring!
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 3,4 (click to see context) from:
[[ShamelessSelfPromoter 'Dashing' Doc Nemesis]] here! So, you wanna write like [[Creator/StanLee Smilin' Stan]] himself huh? Well, there's a reason they call him The Man - this is the man who co-created the [[Comicbook/SpiderMan Amazing Spider-Man]], the Comicbook/FantasticFour, ComicBook/TheIncredibleHulk, [[ComicBook/{{X-Men}} The Uncanny X-Men]] and, well, a fairly large chunk of what we today know as the Creator/MarvelComics Universe. If you really want to write like Stan, you should check out SoYouWantTo/WriteAStory for some general story-telling tips, and SoYouWantTo/WriteASuperheroComic for some genre-specific ideas. Then, pick up that pen, put it to paper, and get that punchy prose pouring!
to:
[[ShamelessSelfPromoter 'Dashing' Doc Nemesis]] here! So, you wanna write like [[Creator/StanLee Smilin' Stan]] himself huh? Well, there's a reason they call him The Man - this is the man who co-created the [[Comicbook/SpiderMan Amazing Spider-Man]], the Comicbook/FantasticFour, ComicBook/TheIncredibleHulk, [[ComicBook/{{X-Men}} [[ComicBook/XMen The Uncanny X-Men]] and, well, a fairly large chunk of what we today know as the Creator/MarvelComics Universe. If you really want to write like Stan, you should check out SoYouWantTo/WriteAStory for some general story-telling tips, and SoYouWantTo/WriteASuperheroComic for some genre-specific ideas. Then, pick up that pen, put it to paper, and get that punchy prose pouring!
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This isn't to say that his heroes are entirely exemplary, however; a key element of Stan's legacy in superhero comics is that he introduced the world to superheroes who possessed personal problems and were fraught with flaws and failings that were as essential to their character make-up as their super-powers, in direct contrast to the paragons who dominated the genre beforehand. For example, [[{{Spiderman}} Spider-Man]] initially used his powers for his own personal benefit, not to fight crime, and it was only the intense guilt that resulted from the murder of his beloved uncle partially as a result of his flippant refusal to use his powers to stop a robber that led him to accept the responsibility his powers came with and his crusade to fight crime. The trend continues; Comicbook/IronMan was a flippant, cavalier playboy who struggled with alcoholism, the ComicBook/FantasticFour a squabbling, dysfunctional family riddled with as much pettiness and bickering as any. Several of Lee's heroes are also physically disfigured or challenged, which adds a further level of prejudice; as the most prominent examples, Ben 'The Thing' Grimm is a decent-hearted man trapped in the body of a hideous rocky monster, Bruce Banner turns into the hideous, uncontrollable '[[ComicBook/IncredibleHulk Hulk]]' whenever his anger rages out of control, and [[ComicBook/{{X-Men}} Professor Charles Xavier]] ('Professor X') is a brilliant {{telepath}} who is physically confined to a wheelchair.
to:
This isn't to say that his heroes are entirely exemplary, however; a key element of Stan's legacy in superhero comics is that he introduced the world to superheroes who possessed personal problems and were fraught with flaws and failings that were as essential to their character make-up as their super-powers, in direct contrast to the paragons who dominated the genre beforehand. For example, [[{{Spiderman}} Spider-Man]] initially used his powers for his own personal benefit, not to fight crime, and it was only the intense guilt that resulted from the murder of his beloved uncle partially as a result of his flippant refusal to use his powers to stop a robber that led him to accept the responsibility his powers came with and his crusade to fight crime. The trend continues; Comicbook/IronMan was a flippant, cavalier playboy who struggled with alcoholism, the ComicBook/FantasticFour a squabbling, dysfunctional family riddled with as much pettiness and bickering as any. Several of Lee's heroes are also physically disfigured or challenged, which adds a further level of prejudice; as the most prominent examples, Ben 'The Thing' Grimm is a decent-hearted man trapped in the body of a hideous rocky monster, Bruce Banner turns into the hideous, uncontrollable '[[ComicBook/IncredibleHulk Hulk]]' whenever his anger rages out of control, and [[ComicBook/{{X-Men}} [[ComicBook/XMen Professor Charles Xavier]] ('Professor X') is a brilliant {{telepath}} who is physically confined to a wheelchair.
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One further note; whilst this trope is named for Stan Lee, it is not for us to forget the equally vital contribution of his artist/co-writer collaborators whom he created the characters with, such as JackKirby and SteveDitko. In fact, you must remember during Lee's finest period was using the "Marvel" or "Plot first" method: Lee would give a basic outline of a story and the artist is responsible as a co-writer for fleshing out the details in the artwork within the set parameters which can include additional characters and/or suggested dialogue. Afterward, the artwork would be returned to Lee who would rewrite the text to suit the story's needs and his personal writing style. As the best examples of this collaboration, Kirby's art is credited with making books such as the Fantastic Four the most visually creative and distinctive books of the era, and even today the extent of Ditko's role in the creation of Spider-Man is... ''enthusiastically'' debated. In many ways, the classic Marvel era is a useful reminder that it's the quality of the art as well as the quality of the writing that makes a great comic book.
to:
One further note; whilst this trope is named for Stan Lee, it is not for us to forget the equally vital contribution of his artist/co-writer collaborators whom he created the characters with, such as JackKirby Creator/JackKirby and SteveDitko.Creator/SteveDitko. In fact, you must remember during Lee's finest period was using the "Marvel" or "Plot first" method: Lee would give a basic outline of a story and the artist is responsible as a co-writer for fleshing out the details in the artwork within the set parameters which can include additional characters and/or suggested dialogue. Afterward, the artwork would be returned to Lee who would rewrite the text to suit the story's needs and his personal writing style. As the best examples of this collaboration, Kirby's art is credited with making books such as the Fantastic Four the most visually creative and distinctive books of the era, and even today the extent of Ditko's role in the creation of Spider-Man is... ''enthusiastically'' debated. In many ways, the classic Marvel era is a useful reminder that it's the quality of the art as well as the quality of the writing that makes a great comic book.
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[[ShamelessSelfPromoter 'Dashing' Doc Nemesis]] here! So, you wanna write like [[StanLee Smilin' Stan]] himself huh? Well, there's a reason they call him The Man - this is the man who co-created the [[Comicbook/SpiderMan Amazing Spider-Man]], the Comicbook/FantasticFour, [[TheHulk The Incredible Hulk]], [[ComicBook/{{X-Men}} The Uncanny X-Men]] and, well, a fairly large chunk of what we today know as the MarvelComics Universe. If you really want to write like Stan, you should check out SoYouWantTo/WriteAStory for some general story-telling tips, and SoYouWantTo/WriteASuperheroComic for some genre-specific ideas. Then, pick up that pen, put it to paper, and get that punchy prose pouring!
to:
[[ShamelessSelfPromoter 'Dashing' Doc Nemesis]] here! So, you wanna write like [[StanLee [[Creator/StanLee Smilin' Stan]] himself huh? Well, there's a reason they call him The Man - this is the man who co-created the [[Comicbook/SpiderMan Amazing Spider-Man]], the Comicbook/FantasticFour, [[TheHulk The Incredible Hulk]], ComicBook/TheIncredibleHulk, [[ComicBook/{{X-Men}} The Uncanny X-Men]] and, well, a fairly large chunk of what we today know as the MarvelComics Creator/MarvelComics Universe. If you really want to write like Stan, you should check out SoYouWantTo/WriteAStory for some general story-telling tips, and SoYouWantTo/WriteASuperheroComic for some genre-specific ideas. Then, pick up that pen, put it to paper, and get that punchy prose pouring!
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
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This isn't to say that his heroes are entirely exemplary, however; a key element of Stan's legacy in superhero comics is that he introduced the world to superheroes who possessed personal problems and were fraught with flaws and failings that were as essential to their character make-up as their super-powers, in direct contrast to the paragons who dominated the genre beforehand. For example, [[{{Spiderman}} Spider-Man]] initially used his powers for his own personal benefit, not to fight crime, and it was only the intense guilt that resulted from the murder of his beloved uncle partially as a result of his flippant refusal to use his powers to stop a robber that led him to accept the responsibility his powers came with and his crusade to fight crime. The trend continues; Comicbook/IronMan was a flippant, cavalier playboy who struggled with alcoholism, the ComicBook/FantasticFour a squabbling, dysfunctional family riddled with as much pettiness and bickering as any. Several of Lee's heroes are also physically disfigured or challenged, which adds a further level of prejudice; as the most prominent examples, Ben 'The Thing' Grimm is a decent-hearted man trapped in the body of a hideous rocky monster, Bruce Banner turns into the hideous, uncontrollable '[[ComicBook/IncredibleHulk Hulk]]' whenever his anger rages out of control, and [[ComicBook/{{X-Men}} Professor Charles Xaiver]] (or 'Professor X') is a brilliant {{telepath}} who is physically confined to a wheelchair.
to:
This isn't to say that his heroes are entirely exemplary, however; a key element of Stan's legacy in superhero comics is that he introduced the world to superheroes who possessed personal problems and were fraught with flaws and failings that were as essential to their character make-up as their super-powers, in direct contrast to the paragons who dominated the genre beforehand. For example, [[{{Spiderman}} Spider-Man]] initially used his powers for his own personal benefit, not to fight crime, and it was only the intense guilt that resulted from the murder of his beloved uncle partially as a result of his flippant refusal to use his powers to stop a robber that led him to accept the responsibility his powers came with and his crusade to fight crime. The trend continues; Comicbook/IronMan was a flippant, cavalier playboy who struggled with alcoholism, the ComicBook/FantasticFour a squabbling, dysfunctional family riddled with as much pettiness and bickering as any. Several of Lee's heroes are also physically disfigured or challenged, which adds a further level of prejudice; as the most prominent examples, Ben 'The Thing' Grimm is a decent-hearted man trapped in the body of a hideous rocky monster, Bruce Banner turns into the hideous, uncontrollable '[[ComicBook/IncredibleHulk Hulk]]' whenever his anger rages out of control, and [[ComicBook/{{X-Men}} Professor Charles Xaiver]] (or 'Professor Xavier]] ('Professor X') is a brilliant {{telepath}} who is physically confined to a wheelchair.
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One further note; whilst this trope is named for Stan Lee, it is not for us to forget the equally vital contribution of his artist/co-writer collaborators whom he created the characters with, such as JackKirby and SteveDitko. In fact, you must remember during Lee's finest period was using the "Marvel" or "Plot first" method: Lee would give a basic outline of a story and the artist is responsible for fleshing out the details in the artwork within the set parameters which can include additional characters and/or suggested dialogue. Afterward, the artwork would be returned to Lee who would rewrite the text to suit the story's needs and his personal writing style. As the best examples of this collaboration, Kirby's art is credited with making books such as the Fantastic Four the most visually creative and distinctive books of the era, and even today the extent of Ditko's role in the creation of Spider-Man is... ''enthusiastically'' debated. In many ways, the classic Marvel era is a useful reminder that it's the quality of the art as well as the quality of the writing that makes a great comic book.
to:
One further note; whilst this trope is named for Stan Lee, it is not for us to forget the equally vital contribution of his artist/co-writer collaborators whom he created the characters with, such as JackKirby and SteveDitko. In fact, you must remember during Lee's finest period was using the "Marvel" or "Plot first" method: Lee would give a basic outline of a story and the artist is responsible as a co-writer for fleshing out the details in the artwork within the set parameters which can include additional characters and/or suggested dialogue. Afterward, the artwork would be returned to Lee who would rewrite the text to suit the story's needs and his personal writing style. As the best examples of this collaboration, Kirby's art is credited with making books such as the Fantastic Four the most visually creative and distinctive books of the era, and even today the extent of Ditko's role in the creation of Spider-Man is... ''enthusiastically'' debated. In many ways, the classic Marvel era is a useful reminder that it's the quality of the art as well as the quality of the writing that makes a great comic book.
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These personal problems extended to the world the superheroes lived in, which was riddled with AllOfTheOtherReindeer syndrome; not only were his stories set primarily in the RealLife metropolis of New York City (as opposed to the made-up locales that {{Superman}} and {{Batman}} inhabited), but in his world superheroes were more often as not regarded with suspicion and fear than the awe that previous superheroes had received. Spider-Man was widely mocked and reviled by the public, and the X-Men suffered from FantasticRacism due to their naturally occurring mutations (which, not uncoincidentally, allowed Lee and his collaborators to examine and parallel the very real racial strife that existed in 1960s America). Even the more publicly 'acceptable' heroes such as the Fantastic Four remained at the mercy of the court of public opinion.
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These personal problems extended to the world the superheroes lived in, which was riddled with AllOfTheOtherReindeer syndrome; not only were his stories set primarily in the RealLife metropolis of New York City (as opposed to the made-up locales that {{Superman}} Franchise/{{Superman}} and {{Batman}} Franchise/{{Batman}} inhabited), but in his world superheroes were more often as not regarded with suspicion and fear than the awe that previous superheroes had received. Spider-Man was widely mocked and reviled by the public, and the X-Men suffered from FantasticRacism due to their naturally occurring mutations (which, not uncoincidentally, allowed Lee and his collaborators to examine and parallel the very real racial strife that existed in 1960s America). Even the more publicly 'acceptable' heroes such as the Fantastic Four remained at the mercy of the court of public opinion.
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None
Changed line(s) 18,19 (click to see context) from:
One further note; whilst this trope is named for Stan Lee, it is not for us to forget the equally vital contribution of his collaborators whom he created the characters with, such as Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko. In fact, you must remember during Lee's finest period was using the "Marvel" or "Plot first" method: Lee would give a basic outline of a story and the artist is responsible for fleshing out the details in the artwork within the set parameters which can include additional characters and/or suggested dialogue. Afterward, the artwork would be returned to Lee who would rewrite the text to suit the story's needs and his personal writing style. As the best examples of this collaboration, Kirby's art is credited with making books such as the Fantastic Four the most visually creative and distinctive books of the era, and even today the extent of Ditko's role in the creation of Spider-Man is... ''enthusiastically'' debated. In many ways, the classic Marvel era is a useful reminder that it's the quality of the art as well as the quality of the writing that makes a great comic book.
to:
One further note; whilst this trope is named for Stan Lee, it is not for us to forget the equally vital contribution of his artist/co-writer collaborators whom he created the characters with, such as Jack Kirby JackKirby and Steve Ditko.SteveDitko. In fact, you must remember during Lee's finest period was using the "Marvel" or "Plot first" method: Lee would give a basic outline of a story and the artist is responsible for fleshing out the details in the artwork within the set parameters which can include additional characters and/or suggested dialogue. Afterward, the artwork would be returned to Lee who would rewrite the text to suit the story's needs and his personal writing style. As the best examples of this collaboration, Kirby's art is credited with making books such as the Fantastic Four the most visually creative and distinctive books of the era, and even today the extent of Ditko's role in the creation of Spider-Man is... ''enthusiastically'' debated. In many ways, the classic Marvel era is a useful reminder that it's the quality of the art as well as the quality of the writing that makes a great comic book.
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[[ShamelessSelfPromoter 'Dashing' Doc Nemesis]] here! So, you wanna write like [[StanLee Smilin' Stan]] himself huh? Well, there's a reason they call him The Man - this is the man who co-created the [[Comicbook/SpiderMan Amazing Spider-Man]], the Comicbook/FantasticFour, [[TheHulk The Incredible Hulk]], [[Comicbook/XMen The Uncanny X-Men]] and, well, a fairly large chunk of what we today know as the MarvelComics Universe. If you really want to write like Stan, you should check out SoYouWantTo/WriteAStory for some general story-telling tips, and SoYouWantTo/WriteASuperheroComic for some genre-specific ideas. Then, pick up that pen, put it to paper, and get that punchy prose pouring!
to:
[[ShamelessSelfPromoter 'Dashing' Doc Nemesis]] here! So, you wanna write like [[StanLee Smilin' Stan]] himself huh? Well, there's a reason they call him The Man - this is the man who co-created the [[Comicbook/SpiderMan Amazing Spider-Man]], the Comicbook/FantasticFour, [[TheHulk The Incredible Hulk]], [[Comicbook/XMen [[ComicBook/{{X-Men}} The Uncanny X-Men]] and, well, a fairly large chunk of what we today know as the MarvelComics Universe. If you really want to write like Stan, you should check out SoYouWantTo/WriteAStory for some general story-telling tips, and SoYouWantTo/WriteASuperheroComic for some genre-specific ideas. Then, pick up that pen, put it to paper, and get that punchy prose pouring!
Changed line(s) 10,11 (click to see context) from:
This isn't to say that his heroes are entirely exemplary, however; a key element of Stan's legacy in superhero comics is that he introduced the world to superheroes who possessed personal problems and were fraught with flaws and failings that were as essential to their character make-up as their super-powers, in direct contrast to the paragons who dominated the genre beforehand. For example, [[{{Spiderman}} Spider-Man]] initially used his powers for his own personal benefit, not to fight crime, and it was only the intense guilt that resulted from the murder of his beloved uncle partially as a result of his flippant refusal to use his powers to stop a robber that led him to accept the responsibility his powers came with and his crusade to fight crime. The trend continues; Comicbook/IronMan was a flippant, cavalier playboy who struggled with alcoholism, the ComicBook/FantasticFour a squabbling, dysfunctional family riddled with as much pettiness and bickering as any. Several of Lee's heroes are also physically disfigured or challenged, which adds a further level of prejudice; as the most prominent examples, Ben 'The Thing' Grimm is a decent-hearted man trapped in the body of a hideous rocky monster, Bruce Banner turns into the hideous, uncontrollable '[[ComicBook/IncredibleHulk Hulk]]' whenever his anger rages out of control, and [[XMen Professor Charles Xaiver]] (or 'Professor X') is a brilliant {{telepath}} who is physically confined to a wheelchair.
to:
This isn't to say that his heroes are entirely exemplary, however; a key element of Stan's legacy in superhero comics is that he introduced the world to superheroes who possessed personal problems and were fraught with flaws and failings that were as essential to their character make-up as their super-powers, in direct contrast to the paragons who dominated the genre beforehand. For example, [[{{Spiderman}} Spider-Man]] initially used his powers for his own personal benefit, not to fight crime, and it was only the intense guilt that resulted from the murder of his beloved uncle partially as a result of his flippant refusal to use his powers to stop a robber that led him to accept the responsibility his powers came with and his crusade to fight crime. The trend continues; Comicbook/IronMan was a flippant, cavalier playboy who struggled with alcoholism, the ComicBook/FantasticFour a squabbling, dysfunctional family riddled with as much pettiness and bickering as any. Several of Lee's heroes are also physically disfigured or challenged, which adds a further level of prejudice; as the most prominent examples, Ben 'The Thing' Grimm is a decent-hearted man trapped in the body of a hideous rocky monster, Bruce Banner turns into the hideous, uncontrollable '[[ComicBook/IncredibleHulk Hulk]]' whenever his anger rages out of control, and [[XMen [[ComicBook/{{X-Men}} Professor Charles Xaiver]] (or 'Professor X') is a brilliant {{telepath}} who is physically confined to a wheelchair.
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Changed line(s) 10,11 (click to see context) from:
This isn't to say that his heroes are entirely exemplary, however; a key element of Stan's legacy in superhero comics is that he introduced the world to superheroes who possessed personal problems and were fraught with flaws and failings that were as essential to their character make-up as their super-powers, in direct contrast to the paragons who dominated the genre beforehand. For example, [[{{Spiderman}} Spider-Man]] initially used his powers for his own personal benefit, not to fight crime, and it was only the intense guilt that resulted from the murder of his beloved uncle partially as a result of his flippant refusal to use his powers to stop a robber that led him to accept the responsibility his powers came with and his crusade to fight crime. The trend continues; Comicbook/IronMan was a flippant, cavalier playboy who struggled with alcoholism, the ComicBook/FantasticFour a squabbling, dysfunctional family riddled with as much pettiness and bickering as any. Several of Lee's heroes are also physically disfigured or challenged, which adds a further level of prejudice; as the most prominent examples, Ben 'The Thing' Grimm is a decent-hearted man trapped in the body of a hideous rocky monster, Bruce Banner turns into the hideous, uncontrollable '[[TheIncredibleHulk Hulk]]' whenever his anger rages out of control, and [[XMen Professor Charles Xaiver]] (or 'Professor X') is a brilliant {{telepath}} who is physically confined to a wheelchair.
to:
This isn't to say that his heroes are entirely exemplary, however; a key element of Stan's legacy in superhero comics is that he introduced the world to superheroes who possessed personal problems and were fraught with flaws and failings that were as essential to their character make-up as their super-powers, in direct contrast to the paragons who dominated the genre beforehand. For example, [[{{Spiderman}} Spider-Man]] initially used his powers for his own personal benefit, not to fight crime, and it was only the intense guilt that resulted from the murder of his beloved uncle partially as a result of his flippant refusal to use his powers to stop a robber that led him to accept the responsibility his powers came with and his crusade to fight crime. The trend continues; Comicbook/IronMan was a flippant, cavalier playboy who struggled with alcoholism, the ComicBook/FantasticFour a squabbling, dysfunctional family riddled with as much pettiness and bickering as any. Several of Lee's heroes are also physically disfigured or challenged, which adds a further level of prejudice; as the most prominent examples, Ben 'The Thing' Grimm is a decent-hearted man trapped in the body of a hideous rocky monster, Bruce Banner turns into the hideous, uncontrollable '[[TheIncredibleHulk '[[ComicBook/IncredibleHulk Hulk]]' whenever his anger rages out of control, and [[XMen Professor Charles Xaiver]] (or 'Professor X') is a brilliant {{telepath}} who is physically confined to a wheelchair.
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Changed line(s) 10,11 (click to see context) from:
This isn't to say that his heroes are entirely exemplary, however; a key element of Stan's legacy in superhero comics is that he introduced the world to superheroes who possessed personal problems and were fraught with flaws and failings that were as essential to their character make-up as their super-powers, in direct contrast to the paragons who dominated the genre beforehand. For example, [[{{Spiderman}} Spider-Man]] initially used his powers for his own personal benefit, not to fight crime, and it was only the intense guilt that resulted from the murder of his beloved uncle partially as a result of his flippant refusal to use his powers to stop a robber that led him to accept the responsibility his powers came with and his crusade to fight crime. The trend continues; Comicbook/IronMan was a flippant, cavalier playboy who struggled with alcoholism, the FantasticFour a squabbling, dysfunctional family riddled with as much pettiness and bickering as any. Several of Lee's heroes are also physically disfigured or challenged, which adds a further level of prejudice; as the most prominent examples, Ben 'The Thing' Grimm is a decent-hearted man trapped in the body of a hideous rocky monster, Bruce Banner turns into the hideous, uncontrollable '[[TheIncredibleHulk Hulk]]' whenever his anger rages out of control, and [[XMen Professor Charles Xaiver]] (or 'Professor X') is a brilliant {{telepath}} who is physically confined to a wheelchair.
to:
This isn't to say that his heroes are entirely exemplary, however; a key element of Stan's legacy in superhero comics is that he introduced the world to superheroes who possessed personal problems and were fraught with flaws and failings that were as essential to their character make-up as their super-powers, in direct contrast to the paragons who dominated the genre beforehand. For example, [[{{Spiderman}} Spider-Man]] initially used his powers for his own personal benefit, not to fight crime, and it was only the intense guilt that resulted from the murder of his beloved uncle partially as a result of his flippant refusal to use his powers to stop a robber that led him to accept the responsibility his powers came with and his crusade to fight crime. The trend continues; Comicbook/IronMan was a flippant, cavalier playboy who struggled with alcoholism, the FantasticFour ComicBook/FantasticFour a squabbling, dysfunctional family riddled with as much pettiness and bickering as any. Several of Lee's heroes are also physically disfigured or challenged, which adds a further level of prejudice; as the most prominent examples, Ben 'The Thing' Grimm is a decent-hearted man trapped in the body of a hideous rocky monster, Bruce Banner turns into the hideous, uncontrollable '[[TheIncredibleHulk Hulk]]' whenever his anger rages out of control, and [[XMen Professor Charles Xaiver]] (or 'Professor X') is a brilliant {{telepath}} who is physically confined to a wheelchair.
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'''Nuff said!'''
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'''Nuff said!'''
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Renaming The Egregious Trope-Man to The Adjectival Superhero.
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Notice also how Stan Lee tended to give his superhumans [[TheEgregiousTropeMan a particular adjective]] in order to establish how great they were in the mind of the reader. It's not just Spider-Man, it's the ''Amazing'' Spider-Man (or, if we prefer the alliterative version, the ''Spectacular'' Spider-Man); it's not just the Hulk, it's the ''Incredible'' Hulk; the ''Fantastic'' Four, the ''Uncanny'' X-Men, and so on.
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Notice also how Stan Lee tended to give his superhumans [[TheEgregiousTropeMan [[TheAdjectivalSuperhero a particular adjective]] in order to establish how great they were in the mind of the reader. It's not just Spider-Man, it's the ''Amazing'' Spider-Man (or, if we prefer the alliterative version, the ''Spectacular'' Spider-Man); it's not just the Hulk, it's the ''Incredible'' Hulk; the ''Fantastic'' Four, the ''Uncanny'' X-Men, and so on.
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Stan Lee's superhumans tended to come about due to [[FreakLabAccident some kind of accident]], usually involving science (and especially radioactivity) in some way. Whilst this may be a bit passé these days, it indicates a concern over scientific advancement; not so much that advancement itself was, but how particular advances could be used for good or for evil. In the comics that Stan Lee wrote, people weren't just given superpowers or born with them, as had previously been the standard; the characters tended to be given their powers either through some bizarre (and often ironic) quirk of fate, and / or had to work hard to earn them. This applies to villains as well as heroes; just as Peter Parker received an accidental spider-bite that led to his becoming Spider-Man, his eventual nemesis Otto Octavius was involved in a lab accident that fused mechanical arms to his back and led to his becoming the villainous Doctor Octopus, and so forth.
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Stan Lee's superhumans tended to come about due to [[FreakLabAccident some kind of accident]], usually involving science (and especially radioactivity) in some way. Whilst this may be a bit passé these days, it indicates a concern over scientific advancement; not so much that advancement itself was, but how particular advances could be used for good or for evil. In the comics that Stan Lee wrote, people weren't just given superpowers or born with them, as had previously been the standard; the characters tended to be given their powers either through some bizarre (and often ironic) quirk of fate, and / or had to work hard to earn them. This applies to villains as well as heroes; just as Peter Parker received an accidental spider-bite that led to his becoming Spider-Man, his eventual nemesis Otto Octavius was involved in a lab accident that fused mechanical arms to his back and led to his becoming the villainous Doctor Octopus, and so forth. \n These motifs work to establish the distinction between the hero and the villain.
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This isn't to say that his heroes are entirely exemplary, however; a key element of Stan's legacy in superhero comics is that he introduced the world to superheroes who possessed personal problems and were fraught with flaws and failings that were as essential to their character make-up as their super-powers, in direct contrast to the paragons who dominated the genre beforehand. For example, [[{{Spiderman}} Spider-Man]] initially used his powers for his own personal benefit, not to fight crime, and it was only the intense guilt that resulted from the murder of his beloved uncle partially as a result of his flippant refusal to use his powers to stop a robber that led him to accept the responsibility his powers came with and his crusade to fight crime. The trend continues; Comicbook/IronMan was a flippant, cavalier playboy who struggled with alcoholism, the FantasticFour a squabbling, dysfunctional family riddled with as much pettiness and bickering as any. Several of Lee's heroes are also physically disfigured or challenged, which adds a further level of prejudice; as the most prominent examples, Ben 'The Thing' Grimm is a decent-hearted man trapped in the body of a hideous rocky monster, Bruce Banner turns into the hideous, uncontrollable '[[TheIncredibleHulk Hulk]]' whenever his anger rages out of control, and [[XMen Professor Charles Xaiver]] (or 'Professor X') is a brilliant {{telepath}} of who is physically confined to a wheelchair.
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This isn't to say that his heroes are entirely exemplary, however; a key element of Stan's legacy in superhero comics is that he introduced the world to superheroes who possessed personal problems and were fraught with flaws and failings that were as essential to their character make-up as their super-powers, in direct contrast to the paragons who dominated the genre beforehand. For example, [[{{Spiderman}} Spider-Man]] initially used his powers for his own personal benefit, not to fight crime, and it was only the intense guilt that resulted from the murder of his beloved uncle partially as a result of his flippant refusal to use his powers to stop a robber that led him to accept the responsibility his powers came with and his crusade to fight crime. The trend continues; Comicbook/IronMan was a flippant, cavalier playboy who struggled with alcoholism, the FantasticFour a squabbling, dysfunctional family riddled with as much pettiness and bickering as any. Several of Lee's heroes are also physically disfigured or challenged, which adds a further level of prejudice; as the most prominent examples, Ben 'The Thing' Grimm is a decent-hearted man trapped in the body of a hideous rocky monster, Bruce Banner turns into the hideous, uncontrollable '[[TheIncredibleHulk Hulk]]' whenever his anger rages out of control, and [[XMen Professor Charles Xaiver]] (or 'Professor X') is a brilliant {{telepath}} of who is physically confined to a wheelchair.
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One further note; whilst this trope is named for Stan Lee, it is not for us to forget the equally vital contribution of his collaborators whom he created the characters with, such as Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko. Kirby's art is credited with making books such as the Fantastic Four the most visually creative and distinctive books of the era, and even today the extent of Ditko's role in the creation of Spider-Man is... ''enthusiastically'' debated. In many ways, the classic Marvel era is a useful reminder that it's the quality of the art as well as the quality of the writing that makes a great comic book.
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One further note; whilst this trope is named for Stan Lee, it is not for us to forget the equally vital contribution of his collaborators whom he created the characters with, such as Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko. In fact, you must remember during Lee's finest period was using the "Marvel" or "Plot first" method: Lee would give a basic outline of a story and the artist is responsible for fleshing out the details in the artwork within the set parameters which can include additional characters and/or suggested dialogue. Afterward, the artwork would be returned to Lee who would rewrite the text to suit the story's needs and his personal writing style. As the best examples of this collaboration, Kirby's art is credited with making books such as the Fantastic Four the most visually creative and distinctive books of the era, and even today the extent of Ditko's role in the creation of Spider-Man is... ''enthusiastically'' debated. In many ways, the classic Marvel era is a useful reminder that it's the quality of the art as well as the quality of the writing that makes a great comic book.
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Stan Lee's superhumans tended to come about due to [[FreakLabAccident some kind of accident]], usually involving science (and especially radioactivity) in some way. Whilst this may be a bit passé these days, it indicates a concern over scientific advancement; not so much that advancement itself was, but how particular advances could be used for good or for evil. In the comics that Stan Lee wrote, people weren't just given superpowers or born with them, as had previously been the standard; the characters tended to be given their powers either through some bizarre (and often ironic) quirk of fate, and / or had to work hard to earn them. This applies to villains as well as heroes; just as Peter Parker received an accidental spider-bite that led to his becoming Spider-Man, his eventual nemesis Otto Octavius was involved in a lab accident that fused mechanical arms to his back and led to his becoming the villainous Doctor Octopus, and so forth.
to:
Stan Lee's superhumans tended to come about due to [[FreakLabAccident some kind of accident]], usually involving science (and especially radioactivity) in some way. Whilst this may be a bit passé passé these days, it indicates a concern over scientific advancement; not so much that advancement itself was, but how particular advances could be used for good or for evil. In the comics that Stan Lee wrote, people weren't just given superpowers or born with them, as had previously been the standard; the characters tended to be given their powers either through some bizarre (and often ironic) quirk of fate, and / or had to work hard to earn them. This applies to villains as well as heroes; just as Peter Parker received an accidental spider-bite that led to his becoming Spider-Man, his eventual nemesis Otto Octavius was involved in a lab accident that fused mechanical arms to his back and led to his becoming the villainous Doctor Octopus, and so forth.
