Stan Lee''Stan Lee'' (born Stanley Martin Lieber; December 28, 1922 ... More is renowned for co-creating some of the most beloved Marvel superheroes of all time. He brought to life iconic characters like Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, the Avengers, and the X-Men during Marvel’s ascendance in the 1960s.
But who was the very first superhero Lee created in the Marvel universe?
The answer is the Fantastic Four’s The Thing, who made his first appearance in The Fantastic Four #1 in November 1961.
About ‘The Thing’
The Thing, whose real name is Ben Grimm, possessed superhuman strength and durability due to his stone-like exterior. Stan Lee''Stan Lee'' (born Stanley Martin Lieber; December 28, 1922 ... More developed the idea for The Thing with Jack Kirby''Jack Kirby'' (born Jacob Kurtzberg; August 28, 1917 – Fe... More and envisioned him as a tragic hero who would struggle with his transformed appearance.
While The Thing was the first superhero created by Lee, the rest of the Fantastic Four team closely followed. The same issue introduced Mr. Fantastic (Reed Richards), Invisible Woman (Susan Storm), and Human Torch (Johnny Storm), who is also the first Marvel superhero that was created. With his origins tied to the space race, the Fantastic Four became an instant hit and helped usher in a new era at Marvel Comics.
Prior to 1961, Lee was seriously considering quitting the comic book industry. However, his publisher convinced him to try writing superhero team comics, leading to the creation of the Fantastic Four. The title reinvigorated Lee’s passion for comics and paved the way for other iconic superheroes he co-created like Spider-Man, HulkHulk is a fictional superhero created by Marvel Comics. He f... More, ThorThor Odinson is a fictional superhero from Marvel Comics and... More, Iron ManIron Man is a fictional superhero created by Marvel Comics. ... More, and the X-Men throughout the 1960s.
Stan Lee''Stan Lee'' (born Stanley Martin Lieber; December 28, 1922 ... More, working with artists like Jack Kirby''Jack Kirby'' (born Jacob Kurtzberg; August 28, 1917 – Fe... More and Steve Ditko'''Stephen J. Ditko''' (November 2, 1927 – June 29, 2018) ... More, pioneered bringing real human personalities and drama to superheroes. The Thing was the first example in what became known as the “Marvel Age” of comics. While possibly not as beloved today as Lee’s other heroes, The Thing remains a key part of Marvel history as Lee’s first superpowered creation.
