Factinate tells us in 1971, Lee was approached by the US Department of Health, Education and Welfare asking him to put an anti-drug message in one of his books. Lee wrote a Spider-man story involving Harry, his best friend, who starts abusing pills after a bad break-up. The Comics Code Authority did not approve of the storyline but Lee convinced the publisher and ran with it.
7 things you didn’t know about: Stan Lee
The creator of Marvel’s pantheon of superheroes Stan Lee has died at the age of 95.
We take a look at the man behind the legend.
1. The Hulk was originally grey
Image: d Ollie Millington/Getty Images
According to lifestyle site Mental Floss, a problem at the printers turned the Incredible Hulk green. He was meant to be grey but the printers struggled to keep the colour consistent. “In the second issue of the comic,” Lee wrote, “with no explanation, he turned green.”
2. Stan Lee isn’t his real name
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His real name is Stanley Martin Lieber. The comic legend originally reserved the pen name Stan Lee for what he assumed would be his lesser work in comic-book writing. He intended using his full name for the novels he planned on writing.
3. Captain America was his first big break
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Lee’s career started in 1939 when the 17-year-old took an assistant job at Timely Comics. Here he got his first big break as a writer. Tech site the Verge tells us he got the opportunity to write a Captain America strip. He adopted the name Stan Lee and penned it under that name. His first full comic Captain America Issue 5 was published in 1941.
4. Stan created a comic starring Pamela Anderson
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In 2003, Lee created a season of an animated series called Striperella. It starred Pamela Anderson as “a stripper by night and a superhero by late night”. General knowledge website Factinate says the show wasn’t renewed for a second season because Anderson wasn’t happy about Lee’s suggestions. He also pitched a comic to Playboy which would have featured characters named High Priestess Clitanna and Lord Peckerton.
5. He only let his wife cut his hair
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His wife Joanie Lee was the secret to his famous slick-back style. Mental Floss tells us Lee said in his memoir he had never been to a barber in his adult life.
6. He has appeared in 16 Marvel films
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A special clause in his contract with Marvel stated that Lee must appear in any film based on one of his characters. His cameo debut came in 2000’s X-Men. Lee also helped create his cameo characters.
7. He campaigned against drug use
Image: Alexander Tolstykh/123RF
Factinate tells us in 1971, Lee was approached by the US Department of Health, Education and Welfare asking him to put an anti-drug message in one of his books. Lee wrote a Spider-man story involving Harry, his best friend, who starts abusing pills after a bad break-up. The Comics Code Authority did not approve of the storyline but Lee convinced the publisher and ran with it.
WATCH| Stan Lee's cameo scene in Black Panther
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