17 iconic Marvel characters that exist because of Stan Lee

After its debut in 1961, the characters broke out of the superhero stereotype and were portrayed as individuals who dealt with real problems and sometimes made mistakes.

Often called "Marvel's First Family," the Fantastic Four have appeared in animated series, live-action films, and ongoing volumes of comics.

Lee was the mastermind behind Spider-Man, one of Marvel's most successful characters of all time.

He created the character with artist Steve Ditko in 1962, and they wanted to introduce a unique hero that people could relate to. To that end, they developed Peter Parker, a nerdy photographer who gets bitten by a radioactive spider and develops an array of superhero powers.

The story has inspired many film series, comics, and TV shows over the years.

Lee also created the Incredible Hulk, and his alter ego, Dr. Bruce Banner, with Kirby in 1962.

After being exposed to gamma rays during the detonation of an experimental bomb, Banner started transforming into a giant, angry green humanoid with incredible physical strength whenever he was going through emotional stress.

The character has been the star of shows and many films, including the "Avengers" franchise.

Iron Man was created by Lee, developed by his brother Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Kirby.

The character was originally more reserved than Robert Downey Jr.'s popular portrayal of him, and Lee initially created him as a way to explore Cold War themes.

Iron Man's alter ego is Tony Stark, a wealthy American business magnate/scientist who suffers a chest injury during a kidnapping and builds a suit of armor to save himself.

The character has his own comic and film series, as well as being at the center of the "Avengers" franchise.

Although Lee didn't technically create Thor — a mythological Norse deity — he did help to envision the Marvel version of the superhero alongside Leiber and Kirby.

In the Marvel universe, Thor is the Asgardian god of thunder who uses the enchanted hammer Mjölnir to fly and manipulate the weather, among many other powers.

Thor went on to become one of the founding members of the Avengers, and the character has appeared in several successful films.

The Marvel version of Loki was created by Lee, Kirby, and Lieber, but like Thor, the character is inspired by Norse mythology.

First appearing in Marvel comics in 1962, the modern-day incarnation of Loki is Thor's brother and the god of mischief, and the character has remained popular in comics and films today.

Created by Lee and Kirby, the X-Men are widely popular heroes.

The X-Men are a group of mutants — a subspecies of humans who were born with superhuman abilities thanks to the X-Gene — led by Charles Xavier (Professor X).

They consist of popular heroes like Wolverine, Cyclops, Jean Grey, Beast, Angel, and Iceman, and the comic series has inspired multiple films and TV shows.

Lee, Kirby, and artist Bill Everett created Daredevil in 1964. His alter ego is Matt Murdock, a New Yorker who was blinded by a radioactive substance that fell from a truck after he pushed a man to safety and saved his life.

The substance heightens his other senses in a superhuman way, so when his father is murdered, he seeks revenge on his father's enemies as Daredevil.

The character is popular today for the Netflix series, "Daredevil."

You probably think of Nick Fury as the man who assembled the Avengers, but he's actually been around since 1963 and started off with his own comic series, created by Lee and Kirby.

The character has been a part of dozens of comic-book series, video games, animated series, and live-action films — most notably, the "Avengers" franchise.

Scarlet Witch (also known as Wanda Maximoff) first appeared as a supervillain alongside her twin brother Quicksilver (also known as Pietro Maximoff). They were created by Lee and Kirby as original members of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants.

The character has the ability to alter reality, and she eventually becomes a member of the Avengers superhero team.

In addition to the "Avengers" film series, Scarlet Witch has appeared on shows, in animated films, and in video games, and her newest TV adaptation, "WandaVision," is coming to Disney Plus in December.

Black Panther, created by Lee and Kirby, became one of the first Black superheroes when he first appeared in a "Fantastic Four" comic in 1966.

His human persona, T'Challa, is the king of the fictional African nation of Wakanda, and he has superhuman abilities along with physical strength and combat skills.

Black Panther has proven to be a successful character, making appearances on several TV shows, in animated films, and in video games, as well as in the 2018 movie "Black Panther" and the subsequent "Avengers" films.

Hawkeye was created by Lee and Heck and first appeared as a reluctant villain in 1964 before later joining the Avengers in 1965.

His alter ego is Clint Barton, an orphan who worked as Marvel's Swordsman's apprentice before becoming a master archer.

In addition to appearing in the comics, Hawkeye has become a leading Avenger in the film series.

Doctor Strange was created by Lee and Ditko, and his origin story shows that he was once an egotistical surgeon who got in a car accident that left him unable to perform surgery.

He searched the world for a way to repair his hands and stumbled upon the Ancient One, who made him a student of the mystic arts.

His suit, the Cloak of Levitation and the Eye of Agamotto, give him added powers, and he later took on the title of Sorcerer Supreme to help defend the world.

Although he's not quite as well-known as some of Lee's other superheroes, his 2016 stand-alone film and recent appearance in the "Avengers" movie franchise have increased his popularity.

Ant-Man, created by Lee, Leiber, and Kirby, first appeared in 1962. He got his abilities from a special superhero suit, which has been worn by different alter egos throughout the years.

The original Ant-Man was Hank Pym, who invented the suit and "Pym Particles," which allow the user to alter their size.

Ant-Man wasn't originally going to be a stand-alone hero, but his story was so successful that he became part of the Avengers.

Created by Lee, Kirby, and Ernie Hart, the Wasp is another popular Marvel heroine, who made her debut in 1963.

Like Ant-Man, her abilities come from a suit powered by Pym Particles.

The Wasp has been featured in comics and more recently starred in live-action films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

This lovable Marvel character was created by Lee, Lieber, Kirby, and Dick Ayers. The sentient alien has recently appeared in the "Guardians of the Galaxy" films as a protector of the universe.

The character first appeared in 1960 as an alien invader who wanted to capture humans.

Black Widow, also known as Natalia "Natasha" Romanova, first appeared in 1964.

She was a Russian spy and enemy of Iron Man who later defected to the US and joined the agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Avengers.

The character had played a big role in the "Avengers" movies, and her stand-alone film is set to premiere in 2021.

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