Fantastic Four: First Steps Review

Remember ten years ago when Fox announced they were releasing a reboot of the Fantastic Four? The moment I saw the trailers for it, all I could do was groan because I knew it would be a disaster. More than that, I didn’t understand why Fox felt the need to do this. With the MCU already well-underway, it felt like a waste of time and money to make a standalone film. I wasn’t alone, either; the film flopped so bad that when Disney bought Fox in 2019, people cheered since it meant Marvel’s first family could come home at last. Fast-forward to 2025, and we finally have the Fantastic Four’s induction into the MCU with their newest film, Fantastic Four: First Steps. But does it manage to give the quartet their due after all these years? The long and short of it is that yes, yes it does.

The Amazing Retrofuturism

The big thing that needs to be said about Fantastic Four: First Steps is the fact that while it’s part of the MCU, it doesn’t take place in the MCU’s main timeline. Instead, it takes place on Earth-828 during a retro-futuristic 1960s. Besides being a loving tribute to the birthday of the team’s co-creator, Jack Kirby, the most advantage this film has is starting off with a clean slate. Ever since Endgame, more and more people have complained about the abundance of shows and specials that the MCU has gotten on streaming. It’s a bold experiment, but even the most devoted fans (like me) don’t like having to watch everything to make sense of what’s going on! Not only is this film something that we can watch without seeing any other Marvel movies, but it taking place on an alternate Earth means it can use the Multiverse concept to be as creative as possible. And creative it gets!

When the Fantastic Four first came out in 1961, the US was experiencing a time of growth and prosperity. Advances in science, technology, and civil rights meant that people were very optimistic about the future held in store. Shows like Star Trek had us exploring the depths of the universe, while cartoons like The Jetsons imagined a future with flying cars, floating houses, and wonders that would like our lives better than ever. While that future has yet to come about in real life, First Steps gives us a chance to see what that would might have been like. Everything is full of bright colors and smooth lines from the biggest buildings to the cars (which look awesome!) The movie even goes the extra mile by capturing the art style of the time on everything from the billboard signs to a box of cereal. As someone who loves sci-fi and retro-futurism, it was like a dream come true for me!

What was even better, though, was how the film managed to do justice to not only the Fantastic Four, but Galactus…and the Silver Surfer, though that’s complicated.

The Characters Were Near Perfect

As a kid, I never had any interest in Fox’s first two attempts at Fantastic Four movies, and I have never seen the disaster that was the 2015 film (and I never hope to!) It wasn’t until after I had already seen First Steps that I even watched the 2005 film. I’m glad that I waited, because the 2005 movie is very dated, not only in special effects, but in how it portrays the characters. The movie forgets one of the most important things about its main characters: they’re a family. And while families do often fight and argue about things, at the end of the day, the Fantastic Four are incredibly close and care about each other. I watched the 2005 film, and I barely got any family vibes from them.

In contrast to the previous films, First Steps sees the Fantastic Four fully embrace their role as Marvel’s first family. Not only do the actors do a good job of portraying their characters, but they manage to act much like a normal family would when they’re onscreen together. Reed is constantly worrying about things that could go wrong, but he has his wife, brother-in-law, and best friend to get him out of his head when needed. Johnny and Ben’s back-and-forth is a lot more playful than in the Tim Story films. And not only does Susan have a lot more agency, but she lives up to her role as the loving team mom who keeps everyone together.

As far as the individual actors go, though, I’ve got a few things worth saying.

Good Actors!

I know some people have gotten tired of seeing Pedro Pascal everywhere, but I haven’t. And I think that he does a good job of downplaying the more negative aspects of Reed Richards’ personality. While he does admit that he’s the smartest man in the room, he also holds himself to high, almost impossible standards. This is best shown when he can’t initally find a way to stop Galactus without sacrificing someone. But that’s why he has his family and especially his wife to keep him grounded.

Speaking of grounded,  Ebon-Moss Bachrach plays a good Ben Grimm. Having seen the 2005 film and how grumpy he was, it was nice to have a Thing that has already come to terms with his life. Ironically, he also gets the least focus out of the four.

Johnny, played by Joseph Quinn, was the biggest surprise for me. It makes sense that the people making the movie would want to tone down Johnny’s womanizing, because, quite frankly, the Chris Evans Johnny would get cancelled in today’s culture. That wasn’t the biggest surprise though; it was his intelligence. Johnny manages to be as smart as the rest of his family. In one crucial plot point, he’s able to take what the Silver Surfer says in her native language and use it to translate the entire thing! It becomes an important part of the plot, so, that’s impressive, Johnny!

The character that gets the most attention, though, is Vanessa Kirby’s Susan Storm, and for good reason. She spends the first half of the film pregnant with her and Reed’s child. With the second half focusing on protecting their newborn son from Galactus, her importance only grows. Ever since I was a kid, I’ve always imagined Susan Storm played by someone fierce but motherly, like Katara from Avatar: The Last Airbender. And as this film makes abundantly clear in its climax, you don’t want to mess with mom! She’s pretty much the badass, self-actualized mom that every woman aspires to be!

They Did Right By Galactus

On the other end of the spectrum we have our main antagonists, Galactus and the Silver Surfer. While some might complain about Norrin Radd getting swapped out for Shalla-Bal, I didn’t care. At all. What mattered is that the Surfer fulfilled their narrative purpose, and I’d say Julia Garner did that. Like many people, what I did care about was Marvel doing right by Galactus. He’s to the Marvel Universe what Beerus is to Dragon Ball: a force of nature and destruction. Rise of the Silver Surfer dropped the ball eighteen years ago, but Ralph Ineson manages to do right by the Devourer of Worlds.

If Stan Lee and Jack Kirby could be brought back to the present-day so they could see this movie, I hope that someone like Ralph is who they imagined Galactus to be. He’s every bit as terrifying as he was back in the 60s, and even though you might feel bad because of his lot in life, you still root against him. Moreover, since this universe doesn’t have plot armor, you can’t but fear that before he is defeated, one of the heroes might have to make the ulitmate sacrifice. Or even worse, that the Fantastic Four would ultimately fail.

Decent Superhero Film, Better Family Film

As far as being a superhero film, Fantastic Four: First Steps is actually rather basic when compared to the more fantastical plots we’ve gotten in the MCU. However, it doesn’t need to be that complex, as its adapting one of the greatest stories in comic book history. What I will say, though, is that when it comes to balancing being a superhero film with a family film, First Steps favors the latter over the former. Much of the film is centered less on the combat and more on the family drama as the heroes struggle against their biggest challenge to date. It only gets worse, though, when Galactus wants baby Franklin so he can drop his world-eater gig for good. When they refuse, everyone’s understandably upset. It’s things like this where the film is at its best, and unfortunatley, that means that the superhero stuff seems to suffer a bit. The combat is rather simplistic when compared to what we’ve gotten in other Marvel films, and this becomes glaringly obvious during the final battle against Galactus. Maybe I’ve seen too much shonen anime, but I know that the heroes could do way more with their powers if they pushed themselves to the limit!

To its credit, though, the film does a great job of playing on the sci-fi aspects of the Fantastic Four, especially once the group travels into deep space to confront Galactus. That entire section of the film, from confronting him on his worldship to the Surfer chasing them through warp into a quasar is like something that’s out of the best of Star Trek. Which is fitting, considering how both came out in the 60s, are heavily influenced by sci-fi, and have an overall positive outlook on the future, one that the world desperately needs right now.

This message about hope and optimism is something that First Steps has in common with that of Superman. Both are encouraging people to look for the best possible future, and both have their own strengths. But while I loved both movies, I think that Superman might beat out Fantastic Four when it comes to being a superhero film. Because, as I’ve already said, the Fantastic Four aren’t just a team of heroes; they’re a family. And when the film focuses more on the dynamics of being a family, I think that’s where it works best. Then again, this is only the Fantastic Four’s formal introduction to the MCU, so they’re only getting started.

The Fantastic Four are Just Getting Started

Let’s rip the band-aid off: the rumors about the mid-credits scene were true. A man in a green hood does show up, and the film explicitly states that the Fantastic Four will be returning in the upcoming film Avengers: Doomsday, where they are set to play a key role. With Kevin Feige confirming that Avengers: Secret Wars will serve as a soft reset for the MCU, the Fantastic Four will undoubtedly become a part of this merged universe when the dust settles. Having seen other studios repeatedly fumble the ball with Marvel properties in the 2010s, I wholeheartedly support this. It’s time for all of Marvel to come home.

Fantastic Four: First Steps isn’t just another Marvel; it’s a homecoming. After all these years and three failed attempts as well as movie that never got released, we finally have a movie that does Marvel’s first family justice. It is, by no means, a perfect film, as the pacing is a little off and some of the cast gets more attention than others. As far as formal introductions to the MCU, though, First Steps delivers. I cannot argue whether or not it’s a better movie than Superman, though, as I feel both films have their pros and cons and are delightful films overall. They manage to put Marvel and DC on equal footing on the big screen for the first time in years, and that in and of itself could be considered a win. I will say this, though: I’m not paying $80 for the Galactus popcorn bucket, world record or not!

I Give Fantastic Four: First Steps a 4/5

My Favorite MCU Moments #2- Every Stan Lee Cameo, The MCU

Its one of the Universal rules to seeing any Marvel film: Look for Stan Lee. The Co-Creator of Spider-Man, Fantastic Four, X-Men, and many of the 1960s characters that put Marvel on the map, Stan Lee was loved by millions of fans around the world for being one of the pioneers of Marvel Comics.

In his senior years, Stan became particularly famous for making a cameo in every Marvel movie, even for characters he didn’t help make. That tradition became widespread as the MCU gained popularity, becoming a game that kids and adults alike could play. Which made it even harder to accept when Stan Lee passed away in November, 2018.

Avengers: Endgame will be an important moment for Marvel fans. Not only will it be the final chapter to the Infinity Saga that’s gone on since the MCU’s start, it will also mark the final cameo done by the late Stan Lee. The world won’t be the same without him, and neither will the MCU. For that, I’m putting every one of his cameos as the number two spot on my list.

Captain Marvel Review

The year 2018 was a big year for superhero movies, and Marvel reaped the most benefits. Black Panther gave us a cultural icon, Into the Spider-Verse gave us the best Spider-Man film yet, but the movie with the biggest impact was the one Marvel had spent years building towards, Avengers: Infinity War.

Needless to say, Infinity War was a huge hit, with the ending leaving fans in shock. Even if you haven’t seen it, you’ll probably have seen this meme that was inspired by the ending:

So, yeah, it didn’t end well for the heroes. But the post-credits scene offered us hope as Nick Fury sent a message to someone with this symbol on them:

Sadly, we’d have to wait another year to see the sequel, Avengers: Endgame, and there were two more MCU movies out between then. While Ant-Man and the Wasp was fun, its overall purpose was to put Scott Lang in position for his role in Endgame. All that’s left is the Marvel Universe’s trump card, and the person who I think will have a huge role in defeating Thanos, Captain Marvel.

Ironically, despite being one of the strongest superheroes in the Marvel universe, and even sharing the company’s name, those who wear the title of Captain Marvel aren’t as famous as heroes like the Avengers. Nor have they had an easy life. The original was a Kree warrior who became one of the universe’s greatest heroes, but whose career was cut short when he died of cancer.

The next one, the son of the original, went temporarily insane and destroyed, then remade, the entire universe.

As for Carol Danvers, just click here and you’ll see. Given the history behind the character, you can bet I was excited for Captain Marvel. And, even though this is coming later than most, I just wanted to give my review for the origin film for the Avengers trump card, Captain Marvel.

The Plot

I’ll just go over the bare bones of the plot for this. Taking place thirteen years before Iron Man, the film stars Carol Danvers, an amnesiac soldier with the ability to fire energy blasts from her body. Part of an elite squad in the Kree Empire, Starforce, she fights their shape shifting enemies, the Skrulls. But when a mission goes wrong, she gets separated from her comrades and stranded on Earth with the Skrulls in pursuit. Teaming up with a younger Nick Fury to get home, Carol instead discovers her past on Earth as well as secrets that change everything she thought she knew.

The film’s plot seems like a mixture of past Marvel films. It has the sci-fi, retro pop culture elements of Guardians of the Galaxy (some of the Kree from GOTG appear in younger forms) and the spy-thriller elements found in Captain America: Winter Soldier. If you have seen the source material and the other films, you can expect what will happen in Captain Marvel. While this makes the plot a little bit predictable, it doesn’t make it any less fun. When it comes down, isn’t that all that matters?

Our Two Heroes

I will be upfront about my opinion on Carol Danvers: I like her. She’s strong, confident, and she doesn’t take crap from anyone. As shown in flashbacks, she has had to spend her entire life having people look down on her because she’s a girl, or just make passes at her. So how does she respond? By being as sassy as hell, and it is awesome to watch.

Some of my favorite moments with Carol have to do with her dealing with guys who tried hitting on her. In a flashback, some loser tries to show her the meaning of the word “cockpit”, and she beat the guys face in. When a biker tried to hit on her, she stole his bike.

I see why some people would complain about Carol being portrayed with a feminist agenda in mind. She doesn’t always act strong and tough, though. The movie reveals that, deep down, she’s troubled by her insecurities about her past, or the lack of one. It reminds us all that, for all her power, she’s still human and has to deal with those problems.I liked Carol Danvers, and that’s enough for me.

Nick Fury

Of course, this film wasn’t just about Carol Danvers. It was as much an origin story for another character, one that we’ve already known for years: Nick Fury.

The Fury that we see in this film hasn’t turned into the cynical, tough-as-nails spy. He thinks that the most important days in his career are behind him with the Cold War ending, but the events of this film open his eyes.

His adventures with Carol teach Nick that there are threats in the cosmos that he couldn’t begin to comprehend; threats that ordinary people won’t be able to stop. It also taught him how much a single, extraordinary person can do in the face of impossible odds. When you look back on the MCU with Captain Marvel in mind, Fury’s actions show how much of an impact Carol had on him. The end of the film even shows that she’s what inspires the concept of the Avengers.

At the same time, the film also makes a notable effort to humanize Nick Fury, much to the audience’s amusement. The trailer showed us that Fury’s a cat person, but did you know he loves the 60s singing group the Marvelettes, and can sing a good rendition of their hit “Please Mr. Postman”. Or how he got his eye-patch. Rumor has it that he lost his eye when the Kree destroyed it for refusing to talk. The truth is actually funnier.

The point being, this film did a great job at giving fans the origins to one of the most important characters in the MCU.

References and Easter Eggs

Being that this film was set in the 1990s, you can bet that there were millennials who were on the hunt for references to 90s culture alongside the normal Marvel Easter Eggs. Here are a few of the 90s pop culture reference I liked the most:

• Blockbuster- I remember seeing the trailer for Iron Man at my local Blockbuster 11 years ago, and now it doesn’t exist except for one store somewhere in the US.
• Internet Cafes- I don’t remember these, but they look like ancient. We still have them today, but I think now they’re called Starbucks
• Slow Computers- Thank god our computers are a thousand times faster than they were in 1995.
• The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air: Never saw the show during its run, but I know it was one of Will Smith’s defining roles. Loved how casually Monica Rambeau mentioned the show.

The thing I remember the most about the 90s, though, was sadly not referenced in the film: 90s Nicktoons. Growing up, Nickelodeon was where I watched my daily fix of cartoons. Granted, some of the ones I really liked didn’t come out until after 1995, but they at least could have included a Rugrats cameo.

Stan Lee Cameo

But the biggest easter egg was always going to be the one that would bring tears to our eyes: Stan Lee’s posthumous cameo. It’s still hard for fans to accept that Stan’s really gone, and unless Marvel decides to just include images of him in future films, 2019 will probably mark the last of his cameos. Aside from the opening paying tribute to the film, Captain Marvel had one of Stan Lee’s best cameos. And it got very meta.

1995 saw the release of Kevin Smith’s film, Mallrats. At the time, it didn’t perform well in the box office, and critics bashed it pretty hard. Since coming out on home video, it has become a cult classic. One of the more memorable moments is when Stan Lee appears as himself to offer romantic advice to one of the main characters. In a nod to this, Stan’s cameo in the film has him practicing his lines for Mallrats while riding the subway. It’s a moment that equally nostalgic and makes fans want to chuckle at the joke.

My Verdict

I don’t care what the haters have to say, I don’t care what the other critics have to say about this. I liked Captain Marvel, and I thought that it was a well-written way to lay some extra groundwork for the MCU. It basically answers the question few may have thought to ask: what inspired Fury to create the Avengers? Now that we know, the MCU is better as a whole. It may not have lived up to the stakes that were set by Infnity War, but to be fair, nothing Marvel does between then and Endgame would live up to it. This movie is like the last piece to the eleven-year long saga that Marvel has been building up to. This film is the calm before the final storm that will rip through the MCU in one month, and I am grateful for that.

Some people may complain that Captain Marvel isn’t good enough to stand on its own as a film, but the MCU has proven that it doesn’t have to. It’s part of a larger universe, and it fits into it very well.

I Give Captain Marvel a 4/5

Click here to see my reviews for various films.

The year 2018 was a huge year, as far as I’m concerned: superheros dominated the box office, we lost a lot of celebrities, and saw stellar game after stellar game released. It was also a big year for me personally, thought that is another story. With today being the last day of 2018, I thought I could look back on some of what I thought were the defining moments of 2018.

“Wakanda Forever!”- The Black Panther

I already talked about it in my post on superhero movies I saw for 2018, but I will say it again: Black Panther was one of the biggest hits of the year. Its success goes well beyond that, however. It celebrates the traditions and customs of African cultures while also showing what it can become. That’s what Wakanda stands for.

To outsiders, Wakanda looks like a third-world nation. In reality, though, it has the kind of technology and economic prosperity that would make America green with envy. They have hoverbikes, people! HOVERBIKES!

At the same time, Wakanda is in tune with African culture and traditions. People walk through the streets of the city wearing traditional garments alongside more modern clothing. Wakanda’s military rides into battle in warrior garbs that are laced with vibranium and holographic shields. The method through which T’Challa officially becomes King is through ceremonial combat. It’s an amazing blend of technology and tradition, and shows what African culture can be. I can’t wait for the next time we visit Wakanda.

The Ultimate Pop Culture Drug- Ready Player One

Oh my god, this movie was the absolute BEST. For someone who has spent their entire life surrounded by popular culture, this movie was like being a kid in the world’s coolest candy store. I would have to spend days looking through the entire movie to list every cultural reference in this game. I hope Ernest Cline is proud of how the movie adaptation turned out.

If you didn’t see the movie or read the book, here’s the synopsis: it takes place in 2045, where everyone has basically given up on fixing the world. Instead, they put on VR headsets and hang out in the OASIS, which is the ultimate VR hub-universe where you can do anything! It was co-created by this giant pop culture nerd and gamer James Halliday. When he died, he left a scavenger hunt for three keys in the OASIS. The player who finds them first gets full control of OASIS. So, it’s Willy Wonka meets Bill Gates. If you haven’t seen it already, see it now.

RIP Dr. Stephen Hawking

Dr. Stephen Hawking was one of the most brilliant minds of our time, but he was always living time. He was diagnosed with ALS in his 20s, but that never stopped him from living a full and happy life. It also didn’t stop him from make guest-appearances as himself on various shows. And somehow, he managed to live for fifty years with the disease. But, he passed away in peace on March 14, 2018. I think he would have found it funny that he died on Pi Day.

“I don’t feel so good…” The Snap of Infinity War

If you’re one of the handfuls of people that haven’t seen Avengers: Infinity War, then here’s a spoiler: Thanos wins and kills off half the universe. I watched half the cast of the movie turn into dust and fade away before my eyes, but the hardest part was watching Spider-Man die. I NEVER saw that coming.

At any rate, Tom Holland’s line “I don’t feel so good” as he turned into dust from what pop culture has dubbed “The Snap” became a staple of pop culture for 2018. All over social media, people started using the disintegration special effect to recreate The Snap and dusting. It was our way of coping with the genuinely traumatic sight of watching characters we never thought we’d see bite it die. My only regret is that I couldn’t find one of Cersei Lannister from Game of Thrones turning into dust.

Seriously, I WANT to see her die in 2019.

End of Adventure Time

One of the greatest cartoons of all time, Adventure Time brought on a renaissance for Cartoon Network. Several awards, critical acclaim, and a fan base that spanned across all generations and nationalities, Adventure Time was a cartoon that only comes around once in a lifetime. But all good things need to come to an end. Or else they up like The Simpsons (that’s right, I went there).

On Labor Day, 2018, Adventure Time came to an end with the hour-long finale, “Come Along With Me”. But even though it ended its run on TV, it’s legacy has inspired other cartoons and helped to launch a new generation of creators, one that I think we have only begun to tap. Besides, it’s not like the show is gone for good: it’s still be continued in comic book sequels.

Marvel’s Spider-Man PS4

Never in my life have I have ever needed something so badly and never knew it until I got it. This was probably my favorite game of 2018, even if it didn’t win Game of the Year.

We Were Right About Global Warming

You know how all those people kept saying that global warming wasn’t real, in spite of the evidence. Guess what? WE WERE RIGHT! Global warming is real, it’s already here, and it’s dangerously close to the point of no return on it. And people are starting to wake up to the danger of it, despite the fact that Donal Trump insists that it is not real.

As more and more of the world begins to go green in order to reduce the effects of global warming, estimates are coming in. It’s believed that the demand for fossil fuels will peak in about 11-12 years, and then decline as green energy sources become widespread. That’s promising, but it still might not be enough to stop our planet from being irreparably screwed over. It’s never too late to try, though.

RIP Stan Lee and Steve Dikto

This one doesn’t really need any more explaining. I already covered my feelings about it plenty in my post about it.

In case people forgot, though, I would like to point out that Steve Dikto, who co-created Spider-Man with Stan Lee, died earlier this year. So I think it’s only right to mention him. Hopefully, those two are with Jack Kirby in that great comic book studio in the sky

RIP Stephen Hillenberg

Nor does this need any more explaining. RIP, Ocean Man.

Fallout 76

From the moment I saw the lackluster reaction to it at E3 2018, I knew that this game was going to have problems. Still, I tried to give it the benefit of the doubt and pre-ordered it for myself. So far, it feels like it was a waste of my money.

This game has been plagued with issues from the very start, and they have only gotten worse. Bethesda has repeatedly broken its promises and abused the trust of its customers with poorly made merchandise related to the game. I wish that this game would improve, but so far it doesn’t look likely.

ANIME IS NOW MAINSTREAM

Gentleman, let us mark 2018 as the year when anime was officially mainstream. For evidence, I provide this video: Goku’s balloon at the 2018 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

I watched that parade from start to finish just for this parade, and I think plenty of other people did as well. It was an amazing experience showing that we were no longer a niche group of fans but a full part of pop culture. I did groan in frustration when the host pronounced “Saiyan” wrong.

BTW, Pikachu doesn’t count. He was a video game character before he got his own anime.

So, what were your favorite moments of 2018? Let me know in the comments below! Happy New Year, and check out my other blog on what I look forward to in 2018

Introduction

Stan Lee passed away in November, 2018. I had planned to do this some time ago, but I could never find the right words to use. I wanted this to come from the heart.

My Love of Heroes

When I was in school, I didn’t really interact with people as much as I should have. Every moment I wasn’t working on some assignment or listening to some lecture, I had my face buried in a book. With no video games or TV, they were the only entertainment I had. I would spend my lunch-time in the library reading books. I would read any book that looked interesting, but what I really loved were comic books and superheroes

The 2002 film Spider-Man gave me a proper introduction to superheroes, but this was my crash-course. I dove into every comic book, encyclopedia or paperback collection I could get my hands on.

I don’t remember when I first learned about Stan Lee. It was probably from watching the DVD’s for Spider-Man The Animated Series. But I grew to learn how important he was. I came close to meeting him twice, actually.

How I (Almost) Met Stan Lee

The first time I came close to meeting him was when I saw a commercial for a local comic book convention. It said that Stan Lee was going to be at the convention signing autographs. I begged my Dad to take me down there. We were able to get in, but then I realized how much money it would cost to meet him. I’d never considered that, and since I didn’t have the money, I chose not to meet him. I caught a quick glimpse of him walking by his booth, through the curtains.

The second time was because of forces outside my control. I had bought a ticket ahead of time and had made sure to pick it up. I didn’t have anything for him to sign, but I bought a comic book with him on the cover. But when the time came to get in line, my ticket was gone. To this day, I don’t know if I dropped it or if someone had stolen it. It didn’t matter: the people operating the booth refused to let me in otherwise. They got my comic book autographed, but that was of little consolation. I knew Stan was getting old, and that this was probably the last chance I had to meet him.

In hindsight, I don’t think I should have taken that lying down. I want to go back the second time and tell myself to forget what the booth guys said: to find a way to get in, even if you had to sneak in. Now, I’ll never get that chance.

Reacting to His Death

I still remember what I was doing. Looking back, it feels fitting that I was playing Marvel’s Spider-Man; a video game based on one of the characters he created. Then I saw the headline flash on my laptop. I just put the controller down on the table in front of me, and just sat there for a minute or two, my jaw hanging open in disbelief. Then I started looking it up.

Stan Lee Was Gone

I knew that Stan wasn’t going to be around forever, that he was already very old, and that he had had a lot of issues in the last year. His wife, who convinced him to stick to comics when he wanted to quit, had died the year before. That would devastate anyone. But then for all the reports about people taking advantage of him, and the allegations of sexually harassing his nurses. I had kept hoping that he would live at least long enough to see Infinity War. I got my wish, but now he won’t be around for the culmination in Avengers 4. 

I wanted to cry. I honestly felt like I was going to cry. Pop Culture wouldn’t be the same as it is now without his work. Not just Stan Lee, though; he wasn’t the sole creator of Marvel. Marvel had been around since the 1940s, and despite what some headlines may say, he was not the sole creator of characters like Spider-Man, Fantastic Four, X-Men or Avengers. He created them alongside other men, Steve Ditko, and Jack Kirby. There are probably countless others that deserve part of the credit, but never will. 

So, yeah, Stan Lee wasn’t the end all, be all when it came to Marvel Comics. He did play a big role creating them, and he certainly deserves the recognition that comes with it. But I can’t help but wonder if we liked Stan as we did because he was one of the last survivors of the great people who gave us comic books. Everyone else of note had already passed away; he was the only one left. If that were true, though, then people would have reacted the same way to Steve Ditko’s passing. Plenty did, but not as many as Stan Lee.

I Wish I Could Have Met Him

I am going to miss Stan Lee. I’m going to miss his cameos. But most of all, I regret not being able to meet him just once. I want to walk up to him and say hello. I just wanted to be able to tell him “Thank you for everything that you and your friends did.” But now I’ll never get that chance. But I know that he helped to leave the world a far better place. 

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