It's a somber day for comic book fans as the legendary Stan Lee has reportedly passed away. Celebrity gossip and tabloid news publication TMZ was the first to break the heartbreaking news, reporting that an ambulance had been rushed to Lee's home in the Hollywood Hills early Monday morning. Lee was taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center where it's said that he died; he was 95 years old.
Lee is survived by his daughter, Joan Celia (J.C.), who offered the following statement to TMZ: "My father loved all of his fans. He was the greatest, most decent man."
Lee battled several health issues over the last year, including overcoming a bout of pneumonia. He also suffered from vision issues.
A true legend in the comic book industry, Stan Lee co-created Marvel Comics with Jack Kirby in 1961. They started with The Fantastic Four, but Lee went on to help create many of the iconic Marvel superheroes that we see on the big screen today, including Spider-Man, Black Panther, The Incredible Hulk, X-Men, Iron Man, and The Avengers. Though he was never as hands-on with the creation of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Lee has had cameos in each of the MCU films to date.
Rest in peace, Generalissimo.