Marvel of a man

Lubbock area pop culture and comic book aficionados joined millions this week mourning the death of a man whose name is synonymous with the comic book industry and super hero genre.

Stan Lee, the legendary comic book writer and icon of Marvel, died Monday at 95, leaving behind a legacy of thousands of stories, characters and millions of fans.

Lee is widely considered to have revolutionized comic books by creating characters from different backgrounds that would endure the struggle, pain and triumph that made the stories resonate with readers.

"It's extremely sad and everybody's heartbroken," said Robert Mora, owner of Star Comics. "Stan Lee was definitely a legend in the comic book industry. I think a lot of fans looked up to him as that Godfather figure, somebody who pioneered comics So it's tough to see somebody like that pass and feel that presence is no longer with us."

Lee's life will continue to move on though, Mora said, as Lee's longevity gave him the time to influence multiple generations. That influence has grown throughout the last ten years especially, as fans saw the stories being brought to life with the Marvel Cinematic Universe where Lee has made a one-line cameo in every movie. "Avengers 4" director Joe Russo confirmed that Lee's cameo for the 2019 movie has already been filmed.

"People got such a charge from seeing him," said Mora. "Kids are seeing this old man and wondering why everyone gets such a thrill to see him on screen, you don't see him anywhere else, and they're learning who that is."

A big part of Lee's draw was how he told stories to make his readers optimistic no matter what was happening in society. From Spider-Man being an underestimated teen to the X-Men who were targeted for being mutants - borrowing from themes of the Civil Rights Movement - Lee has always written for the underdog.

"They reflected the times, these were superheroes without squeaky-clean lives like Superman," said Rob Weiner, pop culture librarian at Texas Tech. "When each of these characters were introduced, the world was dealing with a lot of serious issues."

As a lifelong fan, Weiner said he was devastated to hear about Lee's death and obliged when his students asked for a lecture on Lee's life. While he never had the opportunity to meet Lee, Weiner did hear him speak, which is a moment that he values even more now.

"The important thing was I got to see him and be in the same room with somebody who's been a true hero of mine and someone I've admired my whole life," said Weiner, who was emotional while speaking to A-J Media. "His importance in terms of changing the world, the landscape we live in, can never be underestimated."

Josh Wilson, director for the annual Hub City Comic-Con, said the convention community lost their patriarch, as he said the industry wouldn't be the cultural phenomenon it is without Lee's work.

"He made heroes complex, diverse, vulnerable, and self-doubting, which everyone can relate to," said Wilson. "He was our Billy Graham, if you will, giving our fandom a face and eventually a grandfather figure to generations, speaking the gospel of tolerance, acceptance, and imagination."

Wilson added, "He didn't just shape the Marvel Universe, he shaped ours, and he will be greatly missed."