Alison Pager remembered being 15 years old again, laughing along to Stan Lee’s appearance in “The Amazing Spider-Man” after her phone buzzed with a Twitter notification.
It said the comic legend, who was listening to music as Spider-Man burst through bookshelves in the background of the film, was dead at 95.
“He’s one of those people you don’t think about dying,” the 19-year-old UF biomedical engineering freshman said. “He’s dead out of nowhere.”
Lee was declared dead at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. The cause of death is not yet known, according to CNN.
Lee brought a new cast of superheroes into the world of American fiction. He revolutionized the industry by giving human frailties to superheroes like Spider-Man and The Incredible Hulk.
Reilly Baker, a 19-year-old UF business administration sophomore, said his father took him to see “Iron Man” at age 9. It was the first Marvel film Baker saw and has been his favorite since.
Baker found a community around the shared excitement of Marvel movies Lee helped create.
He won’t forget seeing every fan in the theater jumping out of their seat to clap for Lee as he made an appearance in “Avengers: Infinity War.”
“It almost felt like a sporting event,” Baker said.
Because of those make-believe universes and real-life connections Lee made during his lifetime, Baker said the comic creator will be remembered as the “Steve Jobs of Marvel.”
Contact Gillian Sweeney at gsweeney@alligator.org and follow her on Twitter at @gilliangsweeney
