Marvel creator Stan Lee’s five most iconic superheroes – from Spider-Man to Iron Man
- Lee is almost as famous as the Marvel superheroes he brought to life
- The X-Men and Avengers co-creator has died aged 95
1. Black Panther
Those who thought this character was created to reflect the rise of the Black Panthers, the revolutionary party founded in 1966, in California, with an aim to protect the African American community from police brutality, are wrong.
This Black Panther was actually “born” a few months earlier – first appearing in the Fantastic Four comic in July 1966 – and is an example of how in touch Lee was with the social justice mood of the moment.
Black Panther – real name T’Challa – was the protector of the fictional African nation of Wakanda and was the first superhero of African descent in mainstream American comics.
The film premiered in January this year and grossed more than US$1.3 billion worldwide, smashing box-office records in its path, including the highest-grossing film by an African American director (Ryan Coogler). No surprises that a sequel is on the cards.
2. The Hulk
This green and bulky humanoid first appeared in the debut issue of The Incredible Hulk (1962). His alter ego is Dr Robert Bruce Banner, a physically weak, socially withdrawn, physicist. Banner and the Hulk were given the full animation and video-game treatment, but the most popular incarnation was the 1970s The Incredible Hulk television series.
In film, the Hulk was first played by Eric Bana, with Edward Norton and Mark Ruffalo portraying the character in the films of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
