OUR BELOVED SUPERHEROS. HE PASSED AWAY ON MONDAY.

HE PASSED AWAY ON MONDAY. JOE FRYER HAS MORE ON STAN LEE.

JOE FRYER HAS MORE ON STAN LEE. >> Reporter: CHARACTERS HE

>> Reporter: CHARACTERS HE HELPED CREATE HALF A CENTURY AGO

HELPED CREATE HALF A CENTURY AGO ARE STARS OF MOVIES THAT, TODAY,

ARE STARS OF MOVIES THAT, TODAY, DOMINATE THE BOX OFFICE.

DOMINATE THE BOX OFFICE. EACH MAKING HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS

EACH MAKING HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.

OF DOLLARS. LEE DIED MONDAY AT THE AGE OF

LEE DIED MONDAY AT THE AGE OF 95.

95. UNTIL THE VERY END, SERVED AS

UNTIL THE VERY END, SERVED AS MARVEL'S CHAIRMAN EMERITUS.

MARVEL'S CHAIRMAN EMERITUS. TODAY, MARVEL SUPERHERO UNIVERSE

TODAY, MARVEL SUPERHERO UNIVERSE CAN BE SEEN THROUGH MOVIE

CAN BE SEEN THROUGH MOVIE THEATERS ACROSS THE PLANET.

THEATERS ACROSS THE PLANET. A WORLD ROOTED IN COMIC BOOKS

A WORLD ROOTED IN COMIC BOOKS THAT WERE GUIDED BY STAN LEE.

THAT WERE GUIDED BY STAN LEE. >> I ALMOST FEEL GUILTY BECAUSE

>> I ALMOST FEEL GUILTY BECAUSE MOST PEOPLE DON'T LIKE TO GO TO

MOST PEOPLE DON'T LIKE TO GO TO WORK.

WORK. THEY CAN'T WAIT UNTIL THEY GET A

THEY CAN'T WAIT UNTIL THEY GET A VACATION.

VACATION. I LOVE GOING TO WORK.

I LOVE GOING TO WORK. >> Reporter: WHEN HE WAS A

>> Reporter: WHEN HE WAS A TEENAGER, LEE WAS HIRED AS A

TEENAGER, LEE WAS HIRED AS A GOPHER AT A PUBLISHING COMPANY.

GOPHER AT A PUBLISHING COMPANY. IT BECAME A COMIC BOOK

IT BECAME A COMIC BOOK POWERHOUSE IN THE '60s, DURING

POWERHOUSE IN THE '60s, DURING THE MEDIUM'S SILVER AGE.

THE MEDIUM'S SILVER AGE. >> I THOUGHT, WELL, IF I'M GOING

>> I THOUGHT, WELL, IF I'M GOING TO DO THIS, I'M GOING TO MAKE

TO DO THIS, I'M GOING TO MAKE THE KIND OF BOOKS THAT PARENTS

THE KIND OF BOOKS THAT PARENTS NOT ONLY WON'T MIND THEIR

NOT ONLY WON'T MIND THEIR CHILDREN READING, BUT WOULD WANT

CHILDREN READING, BUT WOULD WANT THEIR CHILDREN TO READ.

THEIR CHILDREN TO READ. >> Reporter: AS A WRITER AND ART

>> Reporter: AS A WRITER AND ART DIRECTOR, LEE HELPED SPAWN A

DIRECTOR, LEE HELPED SPAWN A LONG LIST OF FABLED SUPERHEROS,

LONG LIST OF FABLED SUPERHEROS, SPIDER-MAN, INCREDIBLE HULK,

SPIDER-MAN, INCREDIBLE HULK, FANTASTIC FOUR, IRONMAN, X MEN

FANTASTIC FOUR, IRONMAN, X MEN AND MORE.

AND MORE. LEE'S SUPERHEROS WERE COMPLEX

LEE'S SUPERHEROS WERE COMPLEX AND INSECURE.

AND INSECURE. IN A WORD, HUMAN.

IN A WORD, HUMAN. TAKE THE HULK, WHO HAD A BIT OF

TAKE THE HULK, WHO HAD A BIT OF A TEMPER.

A TEMPER. >> ONE OF THE REASONS MOST OF

>> ONE OF THE REASONS MOST OF OUR CHARACTERS ARE SO POPULAR IS

OUR CHARACTERS ARE SO POPULAR IS BECAUSE THEY'RE REALLY NOT

BECAUSE THEY'RE REALLY NOT PERFECT.

PERFECT. THEY'RE GOOD AT WHAT THEY DO.

THEY'RE GOOD AT WHAT THEY DO. BUT THEY HAVE THE SAME FLAWS AS

BUT THEY HAVE THE SAME FLAWS AS YOU AND I.

YOU AND I. >> Reporter: LEE EVENTUALLY

>> Reporter: LEE EVENTUALLY BECAME MARVEL'S PUBLISHER AND

BECAME MARVEL'S PUBLISHER AND ALWAYS REMAINED ITS MOST

ALWAYS REMAINED ITS MOST TIRELESS PROMOTER.

TIRELESS PROMOTER. >> ANYWAY, BEFORE I WAS SO

>> ANYWAY, BEFORE I WAS SO ROADLY INTERRUPTED.

ROADLY INTERRUPTED. >> Reporter: OVER THE YEARS, HE

>> Reporter: OVER THE YEARS, HE MADE CAMEOS IN MOVIES.

MADE CAMEOS IN MOVIES. >> SECURITY CAUGHT TOOUGHT TO BE

>> SECURITY CAUGHT TOOUGHT TO BE UP MORE.

UP MORE. >> Reporter: OTHERS, NOT SO

>> Reporter: OTHERS, NOT SO MUCH.

MUCH. >> NICE SUIT.

>> NICE SUIT. >> ZIP IT, STAN LEE.

>> ZIP IT, STAN LEE. >> Reporter: MANY STARS FROM

>> Reporter: MANY STARS FROM THOSE MOVIES ARE PAYING TRIBUTE.

THOSE MOVIES ARE PAYING TRIBUTE. CHRIS EVANS SAYS, THERE WILL

CHRIS EVANS SAYS, THERE WILL NEVER BE ANOTHER STAN LEE.

NEVER BE ANOTHER STAN LEE. FROM HUGH JACKMAN, WE'VE LOST A

FROM HUGH JACKMAN, WE'VE LOST A CREATIVE GENIUS.

CREATIVE GENIUS. LEE'S LATER YEARS WERE MORE

LEE'S LATER YEARS WERE MORE TUMULTUOUS, WITH INFIGHTING

TUMULTUOUS, WITH INFIGHTING BETWEEN FAMILY AND ADVISERS.

BETWEEN FAMILY AND ADVISERS. BUT HIS TOWERING LEGACY ENDURES,

BUT HIS TOWERING LEGACY ENDURES, MAKING LEE A MARVEL IN HIS OWN

MAKING LEE A MARVEL IN HIS OWN RIGHT.

RIGHT. HARD TO BELIEVE.

HARD TO BELIEVE. BUT STAN LEE WAS ONCE

BUT STAN LEE WAS ONCE EMBARRASSED TO BE A COMIC BOOK

EMBARRASSED TO BE A COMIC BOOK WRITER.

WRITER. HE BEGAN TO REALIZE

HE BEGAN TO REALIZE ENTERTAINMENT WAS IMPORTANT

ENTERTAINMENT WAS IMPORTANT BECAUSE HE SAID IT KEPT PEOPLE

BECAUSE HE SAID IT KEPT PEOPLE FROM GOING OFF THE DEEP END.

FROM GOING OFF THE DEEP END. SO, HE FELT HE WAS DOING A GOOD

SO, HE FELT HE WAS DOING A GOOD THING.

THING. BACK TO YOU GUYS.

BACK TO YOU GUYS. >> JOE FRYER FOR US IN L.A.

>> JOE FRYER FOR US IN L.A. THANKS, JOE.

THANKS, JOE. >> YOU GOT TO INTERVIEW HIM,

>> YOU GOT TO INTERVIEW HIM, DIDN'T YOU?

DIDN'T YOU? >> JUST A CHILDHOOD IDOL.

>> JUST A CHILDHOOD IDOL. MARK HAMILL CRYSTALLIZED WHAT I

MARK HAMILL CRYSTALLIZED WHAT I WAS THINKING.

WAS THINKING. MARK HAMILL TWEETED OUT.

MARK HAMILL TWEETED OUT. I CAN SEE IT THERE.

I CAN SEE IT THERE. HE SAYS -- THAT'S A DIFFERENT --

HE SAYS -- THAT'S A DIFFERENT -- IT WAS A DIFFERENT QUOTE.

IT WAS A DIFFERENT QUOTE. HE SAID, YOU SHOULD NEVER MEET

HE SAID, YOU SHOULD NEVER MEET YOUR CHILDHOOD IDOL.

YOUR CHILDHOOD IDOL. AND THE FACT IS, YOU'RE WRONG.

AND THE FACT IS, YOU'RE WRONG. HE WAS EVERYTHING YOU WANTED HIM

HE WAS EVERYTHING YOU WANTED HIM TO BE.

TO BE. AND HE ELEVATED THE COMIC BOOK

AND HE ELEVATED THE COMIC BOOK LEXICON.

LEXICON. HE WAS A GREAT WRITER.

HE WAS A GREAT WRITER. HE DIDN'T TALK DOWN TO HIS

HE DIDN'T TALK DOWN TO HIS READERS.

READERS. >> AND HIS CHARACTERS WERE

>> AND HIS CHARACTERS WERE COMPLEX AND INTERESTING.

COMPLEX AND INTERESTING. >> WHO WAS YOUR FAVORITE?

>> WHO WAS YOUR FAVORITE? >> I LOVED SPIDER-MAN.

>> I LOVED SPIDER-MAN. HE WAS A TEENAGER.

HE WAS A TEENAGER. HE HAD TEENAGE ANGST.

HE HAD TEENAGE ANGST. WAS HE GOING TO GET MARY JANE?

WAS HE GOING TO GET MARY JANE? WAS HE GOING TO GET HIS HOMEWORK

WAS HE GOING TO GET HIS HOMEWORK DONE?

DONE? I HAD THE SAME WORRIES, EXCEPT

I HAD THE SAME WORRIES, EXCEPT FOR THE MARY JANE PART AND WEBS