Master of the Multiverse: Beginner's Guide to Stan Lee's Work | more lifestyle



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Even if you have never opened comic books, it is likely that you heard the name of Stan Lee and that you met at least a handful of the characters that he created. In a world hit by Batman and Superman, Lee created or helped create charming, imperfect, and human superheroes. they had friends, dysfunctional families, faced discrimination and unrequited love. Each scenario has been carefully crafted, full of symbolism and hope. If you do not know Lee's world and if you wish, these books and movies are a good place to start.

5 BOOKS TO READ

Fantastic Four (Vol 1, from 1961)

Lee first illustrated with this team of superheroes – astronauts who found themselves with superpowers after being exposed to cosmic rays during a mission in space. Mr. Fantastic, The Invisible Woman, The Human Torch, and The Thing would set the tone for relatability; they spent almost as much time bickering as fighting the wicked. The series also set the tone for Stan Lee's crossover specialty. The fantastic Four Fantastic Year, "Bedlam at the Baxter Building", brought together the stars of the Marvel universe, including the Avengers and X-Men. "Bedlam …" is my favorite because of its many twists and turns, "says Satish Khemchandani, co-founder of The Entertainment Store, a pop-culture merchandise company. The Galactus trilogy (Fantastic Four # 48 – # 50) is also part of the Silver Surfer trilogy, which, according to Stan Lee, was often his favorite Marvel character.

1967: Amazing Spider-Man # 50: Spider-Man, no more!

The story of the nerdy and gangly teenager who was also an online vigilante was told to us for the first time in Amazing Fantasy No. 15, in 1962, which also gave us the iconic line "Great power involves great responsibility ". The world fell in love with Peter Parker, emotionally fragile, with his anxieties and insecurities, his heartbreak and his conflicting feelings. Then, in 1967, in Amazing Spider-Man # 50, supporters were puzzled when he gave up everything and stopped being the guy who always saved the day, giving a new twist to his complex character .

1963: Uncanny X-Men # 1

When Stan Lee created Professor Xavier and the first five X-Men (Cyclops, Beast, Iceman, Angel and Marvel Girl) and gave them a nemesis in Magneto, readers saw parallels between their fight and the civil rights movement of the world. 'time. His mutants were without rights, imperfect, emotional, revolutionary, with intense stories that spawned a subculture of super-misfits. "For a geeky geek band like me, the X-Men series was also extremely relatable. We considered ourselves unsuitable and so we felt that the book was talking about teenagers like us, "said Jatin Varma, founder of ComicCon India.

1962: Journey into Mystery # 83

Thor is an unlikely creation of Stan Lee – he is neither really defective, nor fallible, nor even human. The Asgardian god of thunder, with his superpowers (he can fly, control time and has an unbeatable weapon in his mighty hammer), allowed Lee to experience ancient wisdom and create a saga of proportions epic. For his part, Thor's brother, Loki, dilapidated, stranded, still fails, trying, manipulating and still failing, and in him, the legends around Thor acquire shades of gray.

1963: Tales of Suspense # 39

Iron Man is all that a superhero should not be. He is arrogant, selfish, powerful and independent, a billionaire playboy. A suit that he builds to protect himself, however, ends up saving the world many times. Lee later admitted that he had created Iron Man as a challenge for himself; as a character that he knew to be difficult to love. Iron Man has become very popular, partly because he is the first superhero without real superpowers, and partly because he has shown the world how everything can go wrong when countries and companies are pushing the competition too far.

5 movies to watch

Spider-Man (2002)

"There was Superman in the 70s and Batman in the 90s, but Spiderman 1 to 3 launched the superhero frenzy for my generation of fans around the world," says Jatin Varma, founder of ComicCon India. While many actors have played the young conflicting superhero on screen, the most famous performances are those of Toby Maguire, Andrew Garfield and, more recently, Tom Holland (who played Spider Man in Captain America: Civil War, 2016). in this year's Avengers: Infinity War). The kiss upside down, the death of the uncle, the fight against the dark side – everyone has his favorite movie and his favorite filmed moment.

Black Panther (2018)

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T'Challa is the reluctant king of Wakanda. His home country uses an enviable blend of ancient knowledge and scientific prowess to stay richer, more peaceful and more powerful than the rest of the world. The king of Wakanda is also Black Panther; a secret herb gives each king superhuman senses, increased strength and reflexes. What really stands out is how this story defies stereotypes. There are no blond, blue-eyed Caucasians with stars and stripes, the Wakandan army is dominated by women; technology flows from Wakanda to the world and not the other way around. Black Panther appeared for the first time on screen in Captain America: Civil War (2016); Chadwick Boseman then returned to the role this year, in one of the most profitable films in 2018.

Strange Doctor (2016)

In 1963, Lee launched a series titled Strange Tales, focusing on magic, mysticism and surreal. Dr. Strange was originally part of this series. A surgeon turned wizard, armed with a coat determined to protect him and a medallion that helps him handle time, he is suspicious, selfish and prefers to do it alone. Benedict Cumberbatch has played in the big-screen iterations since 2016, including Thor: Ragnarok (2017) and Avengers: Infinity War (2018).

The incredible Hulk (2008)

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Rage makes Bruce Banner an unstoppable and unthinking green monster – and one of Lee's most recognizable characters. He has a heart of gold, struggles with his inner demon. Eric Bana first played Hulk on the big screen; Edward Norton did better in 2008. But for the most part, it's Mark Ruffalo that one has to watch, even though his Hulk only played in the Avengers. "The layers, the contrasts … Ruffalo has really succeeded," says Khemchandani.

X-Men (2000)

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The first X-Men movie featured two new mutants with the original lineage of Lee, the beloved Wolverine and Snape. "The X-Men franchise has had great character formations and a dense story. Everyone has their favorite X-Man, "says Khemchandani. With a remarkable cast of Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellan and Halle Berry, the first film was so successful that we recorded six more, not to mention the spin-offs of Wolverine.

First published: Nov 17, 2018 4:08 pm IST

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