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Stan Lee, the creative force behind many of Marvel’s most beloved characters, died on November 12, 2018. His memorable characters were entertaining, but they also often illustrated the social challenges of our time.
For much of his career, Lee’s comics also included a column called “Stan’s Soapbox.” This column was where Lee would express his views on racial equality and tolerance. One of his most powerful installments is making the rounds on Twitter.
Photo Credit: Twitter
“Bigotry and racism are among the deadliest social ills today,” Lee wrote. “The only way to destroy them is to expose them.”
“But somehow, I can’t see it that way. It seems to me that a story without a message, however subliminal, is like a man without a soul. In fact, even the most escapist literature of all—old time fairy tales and heroic legends—contained moral and philosophical points of view.
At every college campus where I may speak, there’s as much discussion of war and peace, civil rights, and the so-called youth rebellion as there is of our Marvel mags per se.
None of us lives in a vacuum—none of us is untouched by the everyday events about us—events which shape our stories just as they shape our lives.
Sure our tales can be called escapist—but just because something’s for fun, doesn’t mean we have to blanket our brains while we read it! Excelsior!”
Photo Credit: Twitter
Lee retweeted the column in 2017 after the white supremacist march on Charlottesville, Virginia. The tweet said, “As true today as it was in 1968. Pax et Justitia -Stan,” according to Mashable.
Lee introduced the world to Luke Cage and Black Panther, and often used his X-Men comics and characters to expose prejudice and bigotry. His honor, humor and wit will be greatly missed by fans.
