For several years now, I keep seeing this meme which asks who would be on the Mount Rushmore of comics. Almost everyone agrees to Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and Will Eisner for the first three spots. But that fourth spot has been widely debated. However, I think with the sad events of last night, that final spot should go to Joan Lee.
Last night, Stan Lee’s beloved wife Joan – or has he calls her, “Joanie” – passed away at 93 years young. Joan and Stan had been married over 69 years ago. A World War II bride from England, Joan stole Stan’s heart. But what few people know is that without her, there would be no Marvel Universe.
The Birth of a Universe
In 1960, DC Comics was upping it’s game with the creation of the Justice League of America. Combining the likes of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, the Flash and other superheroes, the comic was a smash hit. Across town in the Big Apple, Marvel publisher Martin Goodman wanted a similar title to compete with the JLA. During a golf outing, Goodman challenged his editor in Chief, Stan Lee, to make it so and fast.
What few fans of Stan the Man know is that this period of time wasn’t the best for the editor. Lee felt stagnant creatively. He was a hair’s breath away from quitting Marvel altogether. Now here’s Goodman telling Stan to make a super-group using the pitiful handful of heroes Marvel owned the rights to. After returning from the links, Stan confided in his wife over dinner his disgust with his boss’s idea. Joan’s response would change comics history!
Joan Lee told her husband to make the book. But, do it his own way. Stan’s wife figured that since he was going to quit anyways, it wouldn’t be a big deal if the book was a dud. Besides, if Stan got fired for it, at least he could draw unemployment. Thus Stan Lee got to typing.
The book Stan created that night would become the Fantastic Four. The book, dated November 1961 was an immediate success. Stan was revitalized and got together with the likes of Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko to create more characters. Within two years, the foundation of what would be considered the Marvel Universe was set. But things could have been so different.
What If…
Without Joan Lee encouraging her husband to make a comic book his way, comicdom would be very different. What is she told Stan to just up and quit? Captain America would still be encased in ice. Thor would be just a minor figure in high school mythology courses. And everybody would absolutely have zero reasons to ever want to be bitten by spiders! These possibilities are enough to frighten the Watcher!
A Love Divine
In 2010, there was this beautiful documentary about Stan called With Great Power: the Stan Lee Story. My favorite part of the film was Stan at home in Hollywood with his wife. While they showed the camera crew around his office, the couple would bicker at each other. The barbs thrown weren’t cruel. Instead, they were done in such a loving manner between two lovers who have long learned to overlook each other’s foibles. They just now have a cheeky sense of humor about it. I constantly see posts saying that they want a relationship like the Joker and Harley Quinn. I want a marriage like Stan and Joan’s!
My heart goes out to Stan Lee and his daughter J.C. This is such a terrible event that no loving spouse wants ever face. With the release of the new Spider-Man film, this also a very bittersweet moment for not just the Marvel community but comics as a whole.
So this weekend, let’s all be a better than a community of geeks, nerds, and fanboys. Keep the trolls to the Billy Goats Gruff for a few days. Instead, let’s be a family to Stan Lee and family. He’s been there so often for us in own times of need. It’s our turn now.
Thank you Joan for inspiring a husband into creating a universe. Thank you Stan for falling in love with a London hat model 70 years ago. As the ultimate comics power couple, you’ve both earned your spot on the Mount Rushmore of Comics!
Article was orginally published July 7, 2017 on outrightgeekery.com
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