On Nov. 12, 2018, Marvel and superhero fans across the world said goodbye to the great Stan Lee. At age 95, Lee had had a very influential and successful career, from starting as a major comic book writer to becoming Marvel’s editor-in-chief to even appearing in most Marvel movies with a small, but always iconic, cameo.

Many Marvel fans around the world and even from the FHS community posted online in honor and remembrance of Lee.

“He helped me through tough times in my life with his work,” junior Parker Johnson wrote in an Instagram post. Johnson was able to meet Lee at a convention back in 2017, and described it as an experience he will never forget.

Actor Hugh Jackman, best known for his role of Wolverine in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, was among the stars who spoke out about Lee’s death online.

“We’ve lost a creative genius… a pioneering force in the superhero universe,” Jackman said.

Lee, while known for his comics and cameos, also impacted the Marvel Franchise by creating iconic superheros such as Thor, Captain America, Iron Man and Spider-man during his career. The actors that brought these characters to life, such as Chris Hemsworth and Chris Evans, described Lee as a man filled with “kindness, strength and inspiration.” Lee also helped bring diversity into the superhero world, stepping away from the generic white, male superhero. He and Marvel produced the first major superhero movie with a black lead, “Black Panther,” and gave Captain America his right hand man, Falcon, who is also black. The Marvel franchise also filmed “Captain Marvel,” which is set to release in 2019, which will be Marvel’s first single hero movie featuring a female superhero.

While I never got the chance to meet Lee in person, I have always admired the way he interacted with others. When watching videos of panels from conventions, he always seemed so humorous and open to interacting with his fans. I remember when I watched my first Marvel movie, which was “Captain America: The First Avenger,” with my friends who were already avid Marvel fans, they both gasped and pointed out Lee. He then became an iconic character to me, and even though I knew he would just have a small cameo, I always eagerly awaited his appearances and usually hilariously sarcastic one-liners.

The world lost a legend in the world of pop culture on Nov. 12, but Lee will continue to be remembered through the comics and movies and for all his work as a writer, producer and chairman with Marvel. Excelsior!*

*”Excelsior!” was Stan Lee’s catchphrase, coming from a Latin word meaning “ever upward!”