STAN LEE

Stan Lee, who created some of the most recognizable comic book heroes in history, died Monday, November 12, 2018, at the age of 95.

The characters and stories Lee created in partnership with artists Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko, among others, include what amounts to a list of the biggest and most beloved entertainment properties of the 21st century: Spider-Man, Iron Man, the Hulk, the Avengers, the X-Men. And the way Lee positioned all these separate comic-book series into a single, unified fictional universe would go on to influence the way pop storytelling — from sitcoms to video games — has been imagined ever since. 

Stan Lee’s own origin story has become as canonical in the world of comics as that of any fictional hero. Born Dec. 28, 1922 in New York City, Stanley Martin Lieber discovered his love for writing at a young age. As a teenager, he dreamed of penning “the great American novel” but was willing to settle for a decent writing job to help his impoverished family out. 

He got that and more in 1940, when a relative got him a job as an assistant at Timely Comics, the corporate precursor to Marvel. Superman and Batman were on top of the world at the wildly successful DC Comics, while Timely had just launched Captain America. Not long after Lee arrived, Timely underwent an organizational shakeup, and Lee, one of the last men standing at the company, was abruptly named editor in chief. He was 18 years old. 

It was a writing job, and it paid the bills, which isn’t something every aspiring author can boast. But Lee was ashamed of what he was writing. “I was embarrassed to tell people that I wrote comic books,” he told Radio Times in a 2016 interview. “I even changed my name because people hated them so much. My name used to be Stanley Martin Lieber, which was a very normal name. I cut it in half and made it Stan Lee because I didn’t want to use my real name on my work. I was saving it for the great American novel, which I never wrote.” 

Question 1: [2 POINTS] Indicate whether the following statements are true or false and write down which part of the text justifies your answer.

a) Lee used to work alone.

b) Lee’s ambition was to write a significant novel.

c) Timely was a successful business in 1940.

d) Lee promoted unexpectedly fast in his company.

Question 2 [2 POINTS] Answer the following questions in your own words.

a) Why did Lee start writing comics?

b) Why did he change his name?

Question 3: [1,5 POINTS] Find words or phrases in the text that correspond to the words and definitions given.

a) pass away (par. 1)

b) find out (par.3)

c) not wealthy (par. 3)

d) go through (par. 4)

e) pride oneself on (par.5)

KEY

Question 1: [2 POINTS] Indicate whether the following statements are true or false and write down which part of the text justifies your answer.

a) False Lee created in partnership with artists Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko, among others,

b) True he dreamed of penning “the great American novel” // I was saving it for the great American novel, which I never wrote

c) False while Timely had just launched Captain America

d) True was abruptly named editor in chief

Question 2 [2 POINTS] Answer the following questions in your own words.

a) was willing to settle for a decent writing job to help his impoverished family out. 

b) But Lee was ashamed of what he was writing. I was saving it for the great American novel

Question 3: [1,5 POINTS] Find words or phrases in the text that correspond to the words and definitions given.

a) die

b) discovered

c) impoverished

d) undergo

e) boast