Stan Lee championed science and technology as the passion of many of his most famous superheroes.
Rarely a month passes without a superhero box office smash hit. And, almost always, that movie features the epic contributions of Stanley Martin Lieber, better known as Stan Lee.
Though Lee passed on Monday, his legacy in both the realm of literature and engineering lives on.
Lee’s iconic characters — so many of whom found their power through science and technology — forged much of the comic book canon and inculcated popular culture with their tales of human flaws and triumphant comebacks.
Though Lee professed to be the “least scientific person you’ll ever know,” his stories captured imaginations worldwide, inspiring many to follow in the footsteps of the science and engineering geniuses who were among his most famous creations, including Iron Man, Spider-Man, the Incredible Hulk and the Black Panther.
Rest in peace, Stan Lee. The many worlds of imagination & delight you created for humanity will last forever.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 12, 2018
Born before Edwin Hubble discovered the expanding universe, he ultimately created an expanding universe of his own – one of scientifically literate superheroes such as Spider-Man , The Hulk, Iron Man, & Black Panther.
Stan Lee RIP: 1922 – 2018— Neil deGrasse Tyson (@neiltyson) November 12, 2018
Today, more and more of the technologies Lee forecast in his comics are coming to fruition. Exoskeletons and prosthetics, the likes of which you might find in Tony Stark’s lab, are transforming lives, and many other inventions inspired by superheroes are making their way to production.
Here’s to the legendary Stan Lee who inspired legions of fans to manufacture their own superhero powers.