Marvel Comics legend Stan Lee, a pioneer, spent his last years in pain and tragedy – something that will be shown in a new documentary by director Jon Bolerjack – Stan Lee: The Final Chapter. In his final years, Lee was exploited by former business partners for commercial gain, and dealt with mistreatment, manipulation, and abuse.
Lee was a comic book writer, best known for his work with Marvel Comics. Among various teams and characters he helped create were the Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, the Avengers, and the X-Men. While Lee is fondly remembered by his fans as a Marvel icon, not many know about his life as a veteran.
Was Stan Lee a veteran?
Lee served during World War II from 1942 to 1945. He was enlisted in the US Army after hearing of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, and assigned to the Signal Corps. Lee was initially responsible for repairing telegraph wires and communications, but as soon as the Army realised he was good at writing, he was transferred to the Training Film Division. There, he was given the military classification ‘Playwright’ – becoming one of only nine men to receive the classification.
Lee returned to Timely Comics after the end of World War II. The company, where he held a job before being enlisted, later came to be known as Marvel Comics.
{{/usCountry}}Lee returned to Timely Comics after the end of World War II. The company, where he held a job before being enlisted, later came to be known as Marvel Comics.
{{/usCountry}}Service members from Joint Base Lewis-McChord inducted Lee into the Signal Corps Regimental Association in 2017. He was given honorary membership in the 2nd Battalion 3rd Infantry Regiment.
Lee died in 2018 at the age of 95. Bolerjack, who became an assistant to Lee, revealed that the writer wanted his struggles to be known. “I spoke to him about this at length, even toward the very end of his life. A lot of things have happened to him, but I didn’t get the real sense that he felt shame about it,” Bolerjack reportedly said. “I think he wanted it out there to be that sort of warning.”