Stan Lee was a pillar in the comics community who created and co-created some of the most important comic book characters of all time. As a writer, editor, and publisher, he helped shape Marvel comics, and the larger comics industry, which continues to thrive on the foundation that he built. With the approach of what would have been Lee’s 100th birthday on December 28, 2022, we are celebrating Lee’s legacy in comics.

Stan Lee had a game-changing impact on the comic book medium that is profound and far reaching. He rejuvenated superhero comics, not just by introducing a new wave of characters, but also in storytelling structure and content. His prodigious body of work challenged contemporaries to keep up and inspired generations after to bring depth and emotion to comics.

He was a highest profile comic character creator, having co-created many of the biggest names at Marvel. Working with other industry greats, he co-created Spider-Man, Iron Man, Black Panther, Black Widow, the Incredible Hulk, Doctor Strange, Daredevil, Thor, and Ant-Man. He helped create the Avengers, the Fantastic Four, and the X-Men teams, and was behind big league villains like Magneto, Green Goblin, Kingpin, and Galactus.

In honor of his contributions and tireless work, Marvel comic creators have regularly featured Lee in their stories. He has popped up in comic pages and on the front covers, sometimes as the master storyteller and occasionally as a hero himself. Below are some of Lee’s many great comic cover appearances and interior cameos.