The beloved founder and co-creator of Marvel Comics, Stan Lee, passed away on November 13, 2018 at the age of 95. As fans all around the world remember his life and legacy, an important question once again arises. Of all of Lee’s created superheroes, who was his most favorite?

This question has been raised to Lee plenty of times. Despite once saying his favorite creation was Silver Surfer, and another time saying that his favorite was Spider-Man, there is a more reliable answer from the man himself. Lee once stated, “I really don’t have any because…of the ones I’ve written, when I was writing each one, that one was my favorite at the moment, because I was all involved in him or in her. But I’ve been so busy just working on them that I’ve never had time to really think of who my favorites were. They’re all like my children; I think I love them equally.”  

The reason why this can be regarded as the most reliable answer is because this quote is what one should expect from such a visionary as Lee, who was, in reality, so invested in all of his creations that 99 percent of the time working on stories, he only told the ones that he wanted to tell.

With other Marvel Legends, Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko, Lee has created some of the most iconic and beloved heroes not only in comic books, but some of the most beloved characters of all time. These include (but are definitely not limited to) Spider-Man, Iron Man, Captain America, Black Panther, Thor, The Hulk, The X-Men, and The Fantastic Four.

The legacy that Stan Lee has left from his vigorous creativity is a vast gallery of characters that have stayed in the hearts of fans for generations. There is no doubt that Lee himself, as a person, will continue to do the same.