Stan Lee’s 25 Greatest Comic Book Creations

In the world of comics, no creator is more synonymous with the medium than Stan “The Man” Lee. During his revolutionary run at Marvel during the 1960s, '70s, and '80s, Lee was the driving force for the industry, creating hundreds of characters that made the company the preeminent comic book publisher on the planet. And from their humble four-sided-panel origins, some of these characters have since gone on to become bonafide pop-culture sensations, appearing in numerous TV shows, movies, and video games.

Stan and his talented roster of co-writers and artists didn't just come up with catchy names and eye-popping costumes for these characters. He injected each one of his creations with fully-realized personalities that transcended the simple comic book heroes and villains at the time. Instead of just focusing on colorful fight scenes, Lee and co. also explored the personal lives of characters on both sides of the good/evil divide. Filled with guilt, angst, and neuroses, the characters of the Marvel Universe were the most human of all of the comic personalities out there, and Stan was the visionary behind that movement.

This Wednesday, with Amazing Spider-Man #692, Marvel celebrates the 50th anniversary of Spider-Man, one of Lee's greatest creations. A worldwide icon, Spidey is a legacy character that any comic creator would love to have conceived of, and yet he's only one of many that came from the mind of The Man. In honor of this milestone, Complex counts down Stan Lee’s 25 Greatest Comic Book Creations.

Written by Jason Serafino (@serafinoj1)

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25. Captain Marvel (Marvel Super Heroes #12, 1967)

Co-creator: Gene Colan

Realizing that Fawcett Comics' trademark on the name Captain Marvel had lapsed, the House of Ideas quickly put out its own Captain Marvel in order to further push its brand name. Created by Stan Lee and artist Gene Colan, Captain Marvel was an intergalactic warrior that was originally sent to Earth by the Kree in order to observe the human race and determine if they were a threat.

But Captain Mar-Vell (which was his proper Kree name) soon became attached to the planet and its inhabitants and became a protector of Earth and its people. Since his creation, the character has had many reinterpretations, but the original Stan Lee version is still the most memorable incarnation.

24. Mary Jane Watson (The Amazing Spider-Man #42, 1966 – First full appearance)

Co-creators: John Romita Sr., Steve Ditko

Every great superhero needs a love interest to humanize them and create some personal stakes, and Stan Lee created one of the most memorable ones when he introduced Mary Jane Watson into Peter Parker’s life in 1966. She was the complete opposite of Peter: outgoing, loud, and rambunctious. Their opposite mannerisms soon started to benefit one another as their relationship blossomed.

The combination of the infectious personality that Lee gave her, and the drop-dead-gorgeous penciling by Romita, is what separated Mary Jane from the dozens of other superhero girlfriends out there. Eventually Peter and Mary Jane married, and became the company’s most endearing couple. Then, of course, the devil came along and dissolved their marriage in a Faustian pact to save the life of an elderly Aunt May. Because, ya know, comics.

23. Hawkeye (Tales of Suspense #57, 1964)

Co-creator: Don Heck

When Hawkeye first made his debut in the Marvel Universe, Stan Lee and artist Don Heck conceived of him as a villain working with the Black Widow. After a few battles against Iron Man, Lee turned Hawkeye into a hero and made him a member of the Avengers, where he has been ever since. In the years that have followed, Hawkeye has grown in prominence, even being given multiple solo comic book series because of his cult following.

22. Ant-Man and the Wasp (Ant-Man: Tales to Astonish #27, 1962; Wasp: Tales to Astonish #44, 1963)

Co-creator: Jack Kirby

As founding members of the Avengers, the husband and wife team of Ant-Man (Hank Pym) and the Wasp (Janet van Dyne) are two of the underappreciated pillars at Marvel. They were there at the dawn of the company’s renaissance, and they have had a consistent presence for about 50 years. Hank in particular has had an immeasurable impact on the Avengers over the years as his split personalities and creation of Ultron have caused Earth’s Mightiest Heroes more indigestion than eating a dozen day old fast food enchiladas.

But despite their problems, this romantic duo has always had one of the more entertaining dynamics at the company. One minute they're at each other’s throats, and the next they’re locked in a loving embrace. And it’s that type of lovable disharmony that has become a trademark of Lee and Kirby over the years.

21. She-Hulk (Savage She-Hulk #1, 1980)

Co-creator: John Buscema

Looking to take advantage of the popularity of The Incredible Hulk television show, Stan Lee decided to add to the Hulk family by giving him a cousin, the She-Hulk. After Bruce Banner’s cousin, Jennifer Walters, was injured in a shooting, Bruce donated some of his blood in order to save her life. But because his blood was irradiated with Gamma rays, it transformed his cousin into the mountainous She-Hulk.

What should have been a short-lived gimmick became a fully fleshed-out character as later writers latched onto the She-Hulk and made her a functioning member of the Marvel roster. Stan may have only written the first issue of Sensational She-Hulk, but he conceptualized the character, along with artist John Buscema, and created a springboard for other talent to take advantage of.

20. Black Widow (Tales of Suspense #52, 1964)

Co-creators: Don Heck, Don Rico

When Stan Lee, Don Heck, and Don Rico brought this femme fatale to life, she was conceived of as a villain for Iron Man. But as events unfolded, she eventually defected to the superhero game and became a member of the Avengers. Throughout her career as a hero, the Black Widow has also aligned herself with the likes of Wolverine, Spider-Man, Daredevil, Captain America, and the Winter Soldier. She has evolved exponentially since her creation at the hands of Lee, but it’s because of his ingenuity and eye for diversity that she is still popping up in comics and movies.

19. Norman Osborn a.k.a. The Green Goblin (Amazing Spider-Man #14, 1964)

Co-creator: Steve Ditko

Since his creation, Norman Osborn has easily been Spider-Man’s most lethal foe, but over the years, the man has evolved from a masked menace of the Wall Crawler into a business-suit-clad terror for the entire Marvel roster. Whether he’s fully decked-out in his Green Goblin garb, or ruling the nation with an iron fist as the director of H.A.M.M.E.R., Osborn’s mad grab for power is what puts him on this list.

And when Stan Lee and Steve Ditko first introduced him to readers in 1964, it was evident right away that he would be a major threat for years. As the character grew over the decades, Stan made his connection to Spider-Man more personal by introducing the world to Harry Osborn, Norman’s son and Pete’s best friend. It’s personal conflicts like this that differentiated Marvel from its competitors, and placed Osborn at the top of the villainous heap.

18. The Inhumans (Fantastic Four #45, 1965)

Co-creator: Jack Kirby

One of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s most underappreciated creations are the Inhumans, a race of highly-evolved humans that was genetically enhanced by the Krees. Living in the city of Attilan, which has shifted locations over the years, the Inhumans’ most notable residents are the Royal Family. Consisting of Black Bolt, Medusa, Gorgan, Crystal, and Lockjaw, an alien bulldog with teleportation abilities, the mythology behind this family is as vast and intricate as any in the Marvel Universe. So it was only natural for them to debut in the pages of Fantastic Four.

They may not star on the silver screen or on TV, but the Inhumans are some of the most interesting characters at the House of Ideas, and it’s because of the back story that Lee and Kirby dreamed up in the ‘60s. Blending sci-fi and philosophy with pop art, Stan and Jack proved that they were more than capable of creating characters that weren’t typical superheroes.

17. Nick Fury (Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos #1, 1963)

Co-creator: Jack Kirby

Bringing readers back to WWII, Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos #1 served as the debut of Nick Fury, who later went on to become well known as the director of S.H.I.E.L.D. Stan and Jack introduced Fury and his team in the trenches of war, and eventually brought him into the modern age as a James Bond-type superspy in Strange Tales #135. Both versions had their strong points, but it’s as a superspy that Fury really became an integral part of the world of Marvel.

Nowadays, the Ultimate version of the character has superseded Stan’s original because of Samuel L. Jackson’s portrayal in the Avengers movie, and it’s unlikely that Stan and Jack’s take will ever be seen in a movie or TV show ever again. But it’s important to know where the character came from, and what a huge impact he had on the company.

16. Odin (Journey into Mystery #86, 1962)

Co-creator: Jack Kirby

Along with Jack Kirby, Stan Lee further fleshed out Thor’s world by introducing comic book readers to his father, Odin, the All-Father. As the ruler of Asgard, Odin looks over his world and tries to instill patience, honor, and humility in his sons—especially Loki—but oftentimes he finds himself at odds with his own flesh and blood. And it’s in that type of Shakespearean dynamic where Lee flourished at the time.

His version of Odin introduced the type of all-knowing ruler that was also wracked with personal conflicts and failings. He is a man of immense power, yet he can hardly even keep his own children in line. And though he resembles the Odin of myth, there is a decidedly Marvel slant to his actions. He’s neither a hero nor a villain. Like his title states, he is a god.

15. Magneto (The X-Men #1, 1963)

Co-creator: Jack Kirby

The X-Men don’t resemble Stan and Jack’s vision much any more, but one of their mutant characters that hasn’t changed much since his debut is Magneto. The creative duo was onto something brilliant when they brought the Master of Magnetism to life because he’s not a typical moustache-twirling supervillain. He’s a terrorist with his own ideals that seem noble at times, despite his extremist leanings.

Pitted against Professor Xavier’s hippie ideals of peace, love, and understanding between humans and mutants, Magneto realizes that humans will never accept the mutant race. So, instead of extending an olive branch, he extends a declaration of war. He’s the ultimate counterpoint to the X-Men’s mission statement, and one of the best examples of a comic book villain that works on both a mythological and cartoonish level.

14. Loki (Journey into Mystery #85, 1962)

Co-Creators: Jack Kirby, Larry Lieber

Although a version of Loki appeared in Venus #6 in 1949, he had no relation to the modern version of the character that was created by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and Larry Lieber later on. This take on the character started off humbly enough in an issue of Journey into Mystery, but he has since become one of the most recognizable villains in all of comics.

Loki is known as the God of Lies and Mischief, so he doesn’t achieve his vicious brand of anarchy through the use of physical prowess; instead, he stays behind the scenes and pulls the strings of the universe to his advantage. As the adopted son of Odin, Loki has always had an inferiority complex towards his brother Thor, who he believes to be his father’s favorite due to their legitimate blood ties.

Lee made this the central driving point for the character, and over the years, other writers have tugged on these threads and further fleshed out what has become the company’s most complex villain.

13. Galactus (Fantastic Four #48, 1966)

Co-creator: Jack Kirby

Seemingly tired of creating villains that were all the same shape and size, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby decided to expand the scope of comics by introducing readers to Galactus, the Devourer of Worlds. This titanic behemoth wasn’t interested in robbing banks or blocking out the sun like common baddies with smaller scopes; he was a sheer force of nature that descended upon Earth to consume its nutrients for his own sustenance.

During the character’s first appearance, Lee and Kirby crafted a genuinely terrifying apocalyptic tale where the Fantastic Four, aided by the Silver Surfer, had to go up against the God of Oblivion with Earth hanging in the balance. Obviously they succeeded, but this story is still heralded as one of the duo’s best, and it cemented Galactus as the supreme evil in the universe.

12. Black Panther (Fantastic Four #52, 1966)

Co-creator: Jack Kirby

Up until the Black Panther was created by Stan Lee and Jacky Kirby in the middle of the duo’s monumental Fantastic Four run, the comic book industry had been completely devoid of mainstream African American superheroes. Black Panther was the first, and, to this very day, he remains one of the best. As the King of the technologically enhanced, fictional African nation of Wakanda, the Black Panther is one of the most complex, if not underutilized, characters in the Marvel Universe.

It was Lee’s determination to make the Marvel world look like our own that spurred on the creation of the Black Panther. As most comics portrayed every non-white race as a stereotype, Lee sought to integrate comics and present each race equally. He didn’t always succeed, but he paved the way for other writers, artists, and editors to follow suit.

11. Doctor Doom (Fantastic Four #5, 1962)

Co-creator: Jack Kirby

Every great hero needs a great villain, and during Lee and Kirby’s heyday, no baddie was more spot-on than Doctor Doom. The twisted scientist and sorcerer with a serious hate for Reed Richards wasn’t a simple opponent for the Fantastic Four; he was the dictator of his own country and had endless resources to make the Four’s life miserable.

Armed with a genius intellect and unquenchable blood lust, Doom soon became the prototype for every comic book villain that followed. Lee and Kirby made it nearly impossible to have any sympathy for Doom as each new run-in with the Fantastic Four was more vile and disgusting than the last. But because of Lee’s Shakespearean dialogue for the character and Kirby’s flawless costume design, it’s impossible not to root for the guy a little bit.

10. Doctor Strange (Strange Tales #110, 1963)

Co-creator: Steve Ditko

Doctor Strange’s creation has been attributed more to Steve Ditko than Stan Lee, but there is no doubt that Stan contributed numerous ideas to the character and shaped Strange into what we know today. As the Master of the Mystic Arts, Doctor Strange deals with the supernatural side of the Marvel world by traveling to different dimensions and casting spells to ward off evil.

But, as is the case with all of Lee’s creations, Strange is a man tortured by his own hubris. Before he became the Sorcerer Supreme, Stephen Strange was a greedy, vain surgeon until fate intervened and he learned to use magic and mystic arts for the good of humanity. It’s a morality tale that could be placed right into any playhouse around the country, but instead Lee and Ditko put it on the comic page to inspire a generation of kids and young adults.

9. Daredevil (Daredevil #1, 1964)

Co-creator: Bill Everett

Stan Lee didn't have the magic touch on Daredevil that he did on other books, but the premise of the character is perhaps the most unique on this list. The fact that Daredevil is blind isn’t a gimmick; it’s a well-rounded aspect of the character and adds much-needed depth to his adventures. With his sight gone, Matt Murdock relies on his sonar sense, which gives him a built-in radar and makes his other senses work at superhuman levels.

When Lee first created Daredevil, the character wore a gaudy pair of yellow tights and was often pitted against either other hero’s villains or bizarre creations from Lee’s own mind. But he soon adopted his signature red tights in Daredevil #7, and the book quickly became one of Marvel’s most high-profile titles.

Over the years, Daredevil writers have made the series more of a crime drama than the swashbuckling superhero stories that Lee wrote, which benefited Ol’ Horn Head in the long run. But you can’t take away the leap of faith Lee made by creating the world's most successful handicapped hero.

8. The Silver Surfer (Fantastic Four #48, 1966)

Co-creator: Jack Kirby

Before Stan Lee even came up with the concept for the Silver Surfer, Jack Kirby had already put the character into his original artwork for Fantastic Four #48. Once Stan saw the character with his gleaming skin and sleek board, he immediately began thinking of his back story and writing dialogue for what was to become the company’s most introspective and philosophical character.

As an extraterrestrial looking upon Earth with the eyes of an outsider, the character allowed Stan to voice his own thoughts about society. The Surfer saw the grandeur of our planet, yet was saddened by the constant war and bigotry that had corrupted it while he cruised around the globe. His adventures were never filled with action (which is probably why his solo series never sold well) but the ideas in them were groundbreaking and intelligent.

Rumor has it that, later in his career, Stan had a rule at Marvel that only he could write the solo adventures of the Silver Surfer because he felt so attached to the character. It hasn’t been explicitly confirmed, but it would make complete sense because, even up until now, there have been very few Surfer writers who handled the character as well as Stan.

7. Thor (Journey into Mystery #83, 1962)

Co-creators: Jack Kirby, Larry Lieber

Stan Lee's original Thor stories haven't aged as well as his work on Spider-Man or Fantastic Four, but his concept of bringing the gods of the old world into the pop-culture realm was trailblazing at the time. By giving Thor a frail human form named Donald Blake, Stan Lee added some humanity to the God of Thunder so audiences could relate to a being that could control the heavens and bench press a star.

Along the way, Lee also introduced characters to Thor’s supporting cast like Odin and Loki, who were also both found in the original myths; however, they were given a more “Marvel” personality under the guidance of Lee. And, along with some great co-plotters and striking art by Jack Kirby, Stan created the groundwork for Thor that has actually changed very little over the years.

6. X-Men (The X-Men #1, 1963)

Co-creator: Jack Kirby

After the success of Fantastic Four and The Amazing Spider-Man, Stan Lee wanted to continue revolutionizing the superhero genre, but instead of creating a new hero squad with individual origins, he decided to make them mutants and have their powers manifest through genetics. Thus the original X-Men (Ice-Man, Cyclops, Beast, Angel, Jean Grey, and Professor X) were born.

Lee and Kirby crafted this team of mutants to be an allegory for the intolerance of the moment as the entire world feared and hated them simply because they were different. This concept was jarring at the time, and it allowed the creators to put their own beliefs into the story. But during a time when Hulk, Fantastic Four, and Spider-Man books were all selling issues by the ton, Marvel’s merry band of mutants didn’t catch on with the public, and the series was soon relegated to reprints of previous stories.

But once writers like Len Wein and Chris Claremont started working on the book, the X-Men finally realized its potential and became one of the hotter comics over the next few decades. And while the books don’t really resemble Lee’s work anymore, it was his foundation that made everything else possible.

5. Iron Man (Tales of Suspense #39, 1963)

Co-creators: Don Heck, Jack Kirby, Larry Lieber

The creation of Iron Man was a collaboration between Stan Lee, artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, and Stan’s younger brother, Larry Lieber. But it was Stan himself who came up with the idea of a hero who was an out-and-out war-mongering capitalist. Why did Stan do it? Because he knew his readers hated capitalists, so he wanted to shove Tony Stark down their throats and make them like him. And not only did readers take the bait, but now Iron Man is perhaps Marvel’s hottest property.

The story of Iron Man is quite tragic when you think about it. He’s a billionaire playboy who could have anything that he wants, but because of the shrapnel near his heart, he can’t live without his armored chest plate. Instead of being a prisoner to this plate, he decided to build armor around it so he could fight against evil in a subconscious act of penance for the lives he destroyed with his weaponry.

It’s the perfect tale of redemption for a man who clearly lost his way. And since his humble debut in a large clunky suit in Tales of Suspense #39, Iron Man has evolved into a super sleek Avenger with a movie trilogy under his belt and multiple successful comic book series.

4. The Hulk (The Incredible Hulk #1, 1962)

Co-creator: Jack Kirby

Combining the best aspects of Frankenstein and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Stan Lee came up with the idea for the Hulk as a cautionary tale for the Atomic Age. When Dr. Bruce Banner was belted by gamma rays from a devastating bomb that he created, he transformed into a hideous grey (now green) creature with immeasurable strength and a destructive personality.

After becoming obsessed with creating this devastating weapon of mass destruction, Banner’s transformation into a literal monster can be looked at with great irony. This is still perhaps Lee’s most damning condemnation for a character, despite the fact that Marvel has turned Hulk into a clear-cut good guy over the years.

Even though the character's skin color and personality have changed throughout the decades, the fundamental conflict between Hulk and Banner continues to be the Jade Giant's main appeal. And that is a testament to Lee’s counterculture thinking at the time.

3. The Avengers (The Avengers #1, 1963)

Co-creator: Jack Kirby

The creation of the Avengers is perhaps the happiest accident in the history of comics. After artist Bill Everett was late with his pencil work for the debut issue of Daredevil, Stan Lee had to fill an empty spot in the Marvel schedule with a new book. So, instead of creating a new character from scratch, he simply took a few existing heroes that he had created and teamed them up, much in the way DC did with the Justice League. And with the help of artist Jack Kirby, the Avengers were born.

Starting off with a humble roster that included Thor, Iron Man, Hulk, Ant-Man, and the Wasp, Earth’s Mightiest Heroes soon ballooned to include nearly every character in the Marvel Universe. Over the years the plots and mythology grew way beyond what Stan Lee had in mind, but it’s because of his quick thinking and ingenuity that the Avengers existed in the first place. Now the dominant property under the Marvel umbrella, Stan and Jack’s ragtag group of heroes has become a cultural phenomenon and a mainstream behemoth.

2. Fantastic Four (Fantastic Four #1, 1961)

Co-creator: Jack Kirby

As a direct response to the success of the Justice League over at DC, Stan Lee decided to create his own superhero team at the newly-renamed Marvel Comics. But instead of using pre-existing characters to sell the title, Stan and Jack put their energy towards creating a unique set of heroes for a new age. Focusing on a family of reluctant superheroes that didn’t even have secret identities, the Fantastic Four went against every cliché imaginable as Lee and Kirby were unknowingly making history with each new issue.

This wasn’t just a team of individual heroes with no chemistry; this was a close-knit family that truly loved and cared about one another. And, unlike most other books, it was the family drama between Mister Fantastic, his wife, Susan, her brother, Johnny, and their friend, Ben Grim, a.k.a. the Thing, that caught the attention of readers. This was a sci-fi odyssey with big ideas and an even bigger heart.

Fantastic Four is the best Lee/Kirby collaboration at the company, and the most well-rounded run of comics that Lee has ever produced. After all these years, the Fantastic Four series still has Stan’s fingerprints all over it.

1. Spider-Man (Amazing Fantasy #15, 1962)

Co-creator: Steve Ditko

When Stan Lee first conceived of Spider-Man in 1962, the concept was immediately rejected by editor Martin Goodman. The reason was simple: Teenagers were not heroes and Goodman felt that the public would never buy into it. Not only did Stan Lee convince him otherwise, but he also turned the Web Slinger into the single most important character in the Marvel Universe.

We all know about Spider-Man's super powers, but it's really the man behind the mask that makes the whole thing work. By setting up conflicts with his job, his love life (he's had some seriously hot girlfriends), and a wide array of colorful villains, Lee brought a soap opera aspect to Peter Parker’s world that was unlike any superhero title to hit shelves.

As the godlike characters over at other publishers were worrying about saving the planet from a slew of forgettable aliens and tyrants, Spider-Man was worried about making rent and what to wear out on a date. Those types of real world problems drew audiences into the Marvel Universe and forced other companies to follow suit. And for the first 100 issues, Lee brought new twists and turns to The Amazing Spider-Man every month that were so revolutionary that writers are still trying to emulate what he did today.