Stan Lee created many of the most famous and important Marvel heroes in comic history. Nearly 50 years ago, he recognized why his heroes are so enjoyable to read, and that still applies to one of his most well-known characters today.
Who is Stan Lee? Especially since the Marvel movies, people have heard of Stan Lee. Before his death in 2018, he made cameo appearances in numerous films. Along with Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko, he created countless iconic Marvel characters. These include:
- Hulk
- Spider-Man
- Iron Man
- Nick Fury
- Fantastic Four
- Daredevil
- Doctor Strange
One of his most popular heroes is Spider-Man, who first appeared in Amazing Fantasy No. 15
in 1962. Although he almost never existed, everyone has heard of him. In an interview, Stan Lee explained nearly 50 years ago why Spider-Man is so popular and why he is actually a normal guy.
Superheroes cannot be perfect
What did Stan Lee say about Spider-Man? In 1977, Stan Lee was a guest on a show from CBC (via YouTube). There, he was asked by the host about his heroes. He compared it to his childhood when characters like Batman or Superman were portrayed as perfect
. Lee directly explains that he and Marvel Comics wanted to bring more of the real world
into it.
They wanted to ensure that the characters, despite their fantastic abilities, have weaknesses and problems. Lee draws a comparison with Spider-Man: He is pretty good at catching bad guys, but he can have an allergic reaction while fighting.
Lee actually implemented these everyday problems of Spider-Man merely as a gag, but he found out that the readers of the comics were just as crazy as he was. They enjoyed these everyday problems. He learned that the more realistic the comics are, the more readers perceive them as satire.
The show’s host questions whether Spider-Man is really not realistic, but Stan Lee disagrees. Spider-Man shows that things don’t always go as one wishes.
The Spider-Man movies also deal with everyday problems
Is Spider-Man really that realistic? Although he briefly mentions it, Stan Lee is not concerned about scientific realism regarding the powers, even though a lot of science can be behind it. Lee’s focus in this interview is on everyday problems, and these are also found in almost all Spider-Man movies.
You can see how Peter Parker has problems in school and in relationships. Additionally, he struggles with job searching and paying rent. Miles also represents this. He defeats a multidimensional threat, but the most interesting problems relate to his family and school.
The contrast is especially exciting. Spider-Man usually manages to defeat the villains, no matter how tough it is, but with everyday problems, even his powerful superpowers do not help. One of Spider-Man’s most tragic moments is one Stan Lee hated: Stan Lee did not want a character in Spider-Man to die.
