It has been a little over a year since the passing of comic legend Stan Lee. I still remember the day of his passing like it was yesterday; it was a sad, gloomy day for me. I remember opening up all my social medias to see the hashtags #ripstan and #excelsior trending, and as soon as I saw these tags I knew what had happened. Stan Lee was a hero to many, not only because of his contribution to the film and book industry, but because of what he brought into this world.

I was, and still am so intrigued by the characters and the Marvel universe created by Stan Lee and his illustrator and co-creator Jack Kirby. Lee, born as Stanley Lieberman in New York in 1922, started out working as a writer for Timely Comics which became Atlas Comics after several years. This company was where he first created the Fantastic Four, Spiderman, and a slew of other characters that would go on to form the basis of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

The charm in Lee's characters came from the fact that he was able to showcase their humanity- their insecurities, their doubts, and their worries-while demonstrating their superhuman abilities. In my opinion the best embodiment of this charm is seen in none other than the friendly neighborhood spiderman. Spider-man, also known as Peter Parker, was an average teenage New Yorker bitten by a radioactive spider, which gave him incredible abilities. Witty humor and sarcasm are large parts of Parker's dialogue and allow his character to appeal to teens and young adults, in addition to small children. Spider-man and the crises he goes through living in New York with relationships, school bullies, and a tough boss are relatable to any American, and I believe this relatability is key with all of Stan Lee's characters.

Watching the movies and reading the Marvel comics never fail to whisk me away into another reality. Every time I start a new story I feel as though I am immersed in it, and I desperately need to know what happens next. Also, a large part of my childhood came from these comic and movies and for that I will be forever grateful. I cherish these memories: watching the very first Iron Man movie with my dad in the theatre, reading my first Thor comic, to the feeling I got when I finished Avengers: Endgame. For me the Marvel universe and Stan's legacy will continue on forever, and I think the best way to honor him is to keep his name alive. Thank you Stan and excelsior!