In a fascinating quirk of comic book history, DC Comics inadvertently saved Stan Lee’s career, and kicked off the golden age of their greatest rival, Marvel Comics, in the process. According to Lee, if it weren’t for the Justice League, he might never have gone on to create his most iconic Marvel superheroes.
In 1998, the magazine Comic Book Artist published “A Conversation Between Stan Lee and Roy Thomas,” bringing together two creative legends from Marvel’s formative years.
During their chat, Stan Lee admitted that he almost quit Marvel in the early 1960s, but the success of rival DC’s new Justice League series instead led him to create The Fantastic Four.
The Success Of DC’s “Justice League” Led Directly To Stan Lee’s Creation Of “The Fantastic Four”
How DC Unwittingly Gave Rise To Their Greatest Rival
In 1961, DC Comics brought together its biggest heroes to form a superteam, in a new book calledJustice League of America. Team-ups were nothing new in comics, but this was an ambitious elevation of the idea. Behind-the-scenes, it was also a calculated business decision, one that had far greater impact than anyone at the time could’ve possibly imagined.
If readers were buying soloSuperman,Wonder Woman, andFlash books, DC reasoned, they’d likely pay to pick up a book where they interacted. This logic proved sound. The early issues ofJustice League of Americawere a success, enough to make competitor Marvel Comics consider reinvigorating its line of superhero comics.
Of course, that job fell to Stan Lee, and he went on a prolific run that proved foundational to Marvel’s next six decades of success. Lee reinvented, and in many ways invented, modern superhero storytelling over the next decade. Yet, according to the legend himself, it didn’t almost turn out that way.
In fact, right as his career reached a pivotal turning point, Lee was ready to quit. If it hadn’t been forJustice League, he likely would’ve. Here is a telling exchange between Stan Lee and Roy Thomas that reveals it all:
Roy: So you were actually thinking of quitting instead of doing the Fantastic Four? I hadn’t heard that before! That would have changed comic book history.
Stan: Maybe. If Martin hadn’t come in to me and said, “Liebowitz said the Justice League is selling well, so why don’t we do a comic book about super-heroes?”—if he hadn’t said that to me, I might’ve—in the next day or two, I might’ve just quit.
Roy: Timing is everything.
Stan: Luck, too.
In other words, the creation of Marvel’s greatest heroes was the ultimate “right time, right place” moment.
“Fantastic Four” Was The Dawn Of The Modern Marvel Era, And Not A Minute Too Soon
Stan Lee Was On The Edge Of Quitting Marvel Comics
Stan Lee started at Marvel Comics in 1939, back when it was still called “Timely.” His first writing credit for the company was aCaptain Americastory a few years later, which pre-dated America’s entry into World War II by about six months. By 1961, he’d put in over two decades at the company.
Not only was he not creatively satisfied at this point in his career, the business also wasn’t doing well. So, it is not hyperbole to sayThe Fantastic Four saved Lee, and Marvel Comics itself, from obscurity. Which makes it noteworthy that the impetus for the creation of the series was reactionary, motivated by DC’s success withJustice League.
This is a reminder that comics has always been a business, but it also highlights the unique creative position Stan Lee was in, compared to today’s Marvel Comics creators. He might not have been pleased with the work he was doing beforeFantastic Four, but when the opportunity arose, he took advantage of great creative liberties with his superhero stories.
The result was Marvel’s groundbreaking narrative style, which Lee described to Roy Thomas as“a more realistic fantasy.” Stan Lee’s ability to combine over-the-top and often gaudy superhero fare with grounded, emotionally resonant superhero storytelling effectively rewrote the blueprint for what a superhero story could be. It also proved immensely popular with comic book buyers.
It’s Difficult To Imagine The History Of Comics Without Stan Lee, But It Almost Happened
Without Stan, Does Marvel Comics Even Still Exist?
The Fantastic Four#1 hit shelves a month afterJustice League#5, and from there, the superhero “arms race” between Marvel Comics and DC had officially begun. Within a few months, Stan Lee introducedSpider-ManinAmazing Fantasy#15, against the advice of his bosses. With Spidey’s success, Marvel’s future, and Lee’s legacy, was effectively secured.
From there, Lee would go on to co-create,X-Men,The Incredible Hulk, and practically all Marvel’s signature heroes, alongside the top artists of the era, including Jack Kirby and John Romita. If this incredible sequence of events hadn’t all clicked into place, though, Stan Lee might never have been a household name.
As Lee mentioned, he very nearly quit his job at Marvel before any of this could happen. Subtracting Stan Lee from comic book history is a hard “What If?” to even fathom. His absence would be like a black hole. Similar versions of Marvel’s iconic characters might have evolved independently, but they wouldn’t have had that recognizable Marvel “feel.”
DC Changed Comics Forever With “The Justice League,” But It’s Real Legacy Is Enabling Marvel To Become A True Rival
All Of Comic History Since Proceeds From That Pivotal Moment
By Fantastic Four #5, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby had introduced Doctor Doom, arguably the greatest Marvel villain of all time. Over the next few years, Lee and his collaborators would create Marvel’s shared continuity, further expanding the potential of the comic medium and the superhero genre. Lee would also ascend to an editorial role, and bring on young talent like Roy Thomas.
Thomas, in turn, would put his own stamp on Marvel history, as would many of Stan Lee’s proteges at Marvel over the next several decades. Meaning, Lee’s comic book legacy is about more than just what is on the page, but also the pivotal moves behind-the-scenes that kept the publisher at the forefront of the industry.
And if DC hadn’t publishedJustice Leaguewhen it did, none of that might have happened. So, it’s fair to say thatDC Comicsrevolutionized the industry with the first major superhero team book, but its greatest consequence turned out to be giving rise toStan Leeand makingMarvel Comicsa true juggernaut.
