For a man who bestowed upon this world superheroes with unimaginable superpowers, it was his own superpower that we can never forget – his power of imagination that gave birth to such characters. 

Here’s a look at the life of the legendary creator, one who will continue to live on in the hearts and minds of comic book lovers, cinephiles, and all those adults who still nestle a child in their hearts:

1. Before venturing into the world of comic creation, Stan Lee seved in the army in the 1940s. 

2. Later on, adopting the name Stan Lee, Stanley Martin Lieber soon became to be known as a comic genius, and in 1975 became the publisher and editor for Marvel Comics. 

1975: Stan Lee (in dark sweater) with artist John Romita looking over at a comic book.

However, Lee first came on print in a comic book itself in the 1963 edition of Fantastic Four (also the first superhero series he co-created with Jack Kirby). 

In New York, Stan Lee and his wife Joan celebrate opening day ceremonies of the First Mighty Marvel Comic Book Convention on 22 March 1975.

3. 1976: Stan Lee (with his yet-to-be iconic glasses) and artist John Romita discussing Spider-Man comics to be published by Marvel Comics (of which Lee was the editor and publisher).  

4. 1978: Stan Lee and actor Nicholas Hammond (right) in conversation. Nicholas played Spider-Man in the 1970s TV show, one of the most iconic characters that Stan Lee co-created. 

5. 1995: Stan Lee signing a photograph for a young fan, as Spider-Man looks over. 

6. 1998: Stan Lee, surrounded by illustrations of the characters he created, at his LA office.  

1998: Lou Ferrigno (right) who played The Hulk and Eric Kramer (left) who played Thor in the TV movie The Incredible Hulk Returns pose with Stan Lee, who co-created these characters. 

In fact, Stan Lee often posed with the actors who gave life to his characters, and cotinued to do so till the very end. 

7. Stan Lee, pictured at his Santa Monica office, talking about his upcoming cameo in the 2002 Spider-Man movie. 

8. 2004: Stan Lee poses with his wife Joan Clayton at The Hollywood Awards Gala. Stan and Joan were married for 69 years, and she passed away in 2017, at the age of 95. 

9. Stan Lee and his many cameos in Marvel movies were legendary. He first made a cameo in 2000 in X-Men. Here he is in a cameo as Willie Lumpkin in the 2005 movie Fantastic Four.

Actors Chris Evans, Michael Chiklis, Jessica Alba, and Ioan Gruffudd pose with Stan Lee, on the set of the 2005 film Fantastic Four.

10. 2006: Standing next to his creations, Stan Lee at the Marvel Super Heroes Science Exhibition at the California Science Center in Los Angeles. 

11. 2007: In New York, Stan Lee poses at the opening reception for Stan Lee: A Retrospective presented by the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art.

12. On November 17, 2008, the then U.S. President George W. Bush presented Stan Lee with the 2008 National Medals of Arts award in Washington, D.C. 

In 2008, Stan Lee poses next to a Spider-Man model in his office in Beverly Hills, California. 

Stan Lee stands next to the poster of the premiere of the 2008 Iron Man movie, in Los Angeles. 

13. Stan Lee also made a cameo appearance in the world of animated movies, as a hot dog vendor in Disney XD’s Phineas and Ferb in 2011. 

Stan Lee with actor Tom Hiddleston (who plays Loki in Marvel’s Thor series) at the 2011 premiere of Thor in Los Angeles. 

Stan Lee at the 2011 San Diego Comic-Con convention. 

Stan Lee recreated the iconic Spiderman pose after receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles in 2011. 

After he received his own personal star at the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2011, Stan Lee posed with his wife Joan. 

Stan Lee signed the famous helmet from Iron Man for a fan, after receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

14. 2012: Stan Lee at the start of the Stan Lee’s World of Heroes panel on the first day of the 2012 San Diego Comic-Con convention.

Stan Lee on a panel with Todd McFarlane at Stan Lee’s 2012 Comikaze Expo on Saturday in Los Angeles. 

Stan Lee arrived in style at the premiere of 2012 The Avengers in Los Angeles.

Stan Lee once again recreates the iconic Spider-Man pose and throws a web at Sundance 2012. 

15. 2013: Stan Lee at The Ultimate Movie Marathon of Marvel’s Iron Man series, in Los Angeles. 

16. Stan Lee at the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo in Chicago in 2014. 

Stan Lee during the Stan Lee Spolight panel at the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo.

Stan Lee all set to throw the ceremonial first pitch with San Francisco Giants pitcher Sergio Romo prior to the June 2014 baseball game against the New York Mets in San Francisco. 

17. Stan Lee, with actors Hugh Jackman, Ryan Ryan Reynolds, and Brianna Hildebrand and others at the X-Men: Apocalypse panel on the 2015 San Diego International Comic-Con.

Stan Lee signing autographs for fans at the world premiere of Ant-Man at The Dolby Theatre in 2015.

Stan Lee with actor Paul Rudd at the world premiere of Ant-Man at The Dolby Theatre. 

18. Stan Lee (who was also the executive producer for the movie) with actor Robert Downey Jr. at the 2016 Los Angeles World Premiere of Doctor Strange.

Stan Lee with actors Chloe Bennet and Ming-Na Wen at the IMDb Yacht at San Diego Comic-Con 2016.

Josh Reddick of the Los Angeles Dodgers poses with Stan Lee before the September 2016 game against the Colorado Rockies at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California.

In 2016, Stan Lee hosted a special screening of Marvel Studios’ Doctor Stange in 3D at the El Capitan Theatre in California for Marvel fans and their families. 

19. Stan Lee and host Kevin Smith on the #IMDboat at San Diego Comic-Con 2017.

Stan Lee with actor Chadwick Boseman at the 2017 Hollywood Foreign Press Association Grants Banquet.

Stan Lee at the Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles in 2011 after leaving an imprint of his hands and feet in the wet concrete. 

19. Stan Lee with actor Chadwick Boseman at the Black Panther premiere at The Dolby Theatre on in 2018. 

Stan Lee with Dwayne Johnson

The life that he lead was clearly, just as iconic, as the characters he created. His presence will be sorely missed.