I wasn't even going to come here today, but once I found out this was for real, I had to crawl back in here and say my piece.
I have to be honest; I haven't consistently read Marvel's comics in over three years. I fell off a while back, and each time I've tried to return, well...let's just say I've been left feeling extremely sour.
That said, to deny the influence that Marvel's characters have had on my life over the years would be wrong even in the face of that fact. I don't care how bad Marvel's current output gets; these characters and their stories have been a major part of my childhood all the way into my teen years, and I shudder to think of what my life would be like if I hadn't had the chance to experience all of the memories I currently have with the company's many, many books.
The mind and imagination of Stan Lee is what's responsible for all of these characters, and as a direct consequence, I have him to thank for all of the good times I've had while reading their stories, watching their cartoons and going out to see their movies. And I know I'm not the only person who's saddened by the news of his death, because I'm not the only person with so many years of memories attributed to his work, not by a damn sight.
But in spite of those hard feelings, I can say right now that his legacy will live on for ages, long after today has passed. He was, effectively, the Walt Disney of comics; his creations were, and are, timeless, and through his ideas, a small company (that's what Marvel was, before he showed up) morphed into one of the biggest names in the industry. That by itself, without even going into Marvel's further development into a multimedia
juggernaut, is a feat everything as impressive as anything his characters have accomplished in-verse over the years. There's no wavering on that. No denying it whatsoever.
Rest in peace, Stan Lee. The world of comics will never be the same without you.