WHAT IF…?
Stan Lee’s Powerful Question of Possibility.
“WHAT IF?”
Two words that redefined what reality was for a young writer named Stanley Martin Lieber. You know him as the late creator of the Modern Marvel Universe… Stan Lee. I am filled with emotion as I write this because for the first time in my life I feel that I have the words to truly share the subtle yet POWERFUL impact that this man has had on our planet. It is only now, just years after his passing, that his ideals and perspective are making a global impact through the cinematic universe that stands on the shoulders of his words. It all started with two words, one simple question; WHAT IF?
Today Marvel Comic will occasionally publish a comic book titled “What If?”. Comic book fans will spend hours debating the what if’s of their favorite Heroes at their local comic book store. I know, I played bartender to the world of pictorial literature for years behind the counter of my comic book stores, serving up everyone’s favorite titles and listening to fans, drunk on their fandom, argue over who would win in a battle against the Hulk, or what if Dr. Doom had cosmic powers. What if Mary Jane was bitten by the spider instead of Peter Parker? What if Batman was in the Marvel Universe? What if goes far beyond that.
Stan Lee was born in a world of chaos. Born in 1922, he came into the world of war, and being Jewish, felt the sting and unsettling challenges that his community faced. He also grew up during what he called an age of WONDER. The same time frame has been given other names… the age of WAR, the ATOMIC AGE. There were so many changes and advances in technology and many in the world fell victim to fear. They allowed their “what if” moments to direct them to the negative possibilities of all of the things happening in the world. Stan Lee however saw nothing but WONDER.
As a writer he was placed on a dying book called “Amazing Fantasy” and told that issue 15 would be the very last issue. So he asked that simple question… “What if?”
What if I just write whatever I want? If the book is a hit it will sell well and maybe I’ll get a bonus. If the book fails, nothing is lost because it’s cancelled already. What if I write about RADIOACTIVE energy? What if RADIOACTIVITY isn’t something to fear, but instead a mechanism to rid the world of limitless power? And so he wrote a story about a young high school genius who is bitten by a radioactive spider, and this Peter Parker is transformed into Spider-Man!
Today Spider-Man is an intellectual property worth billions, and the impact of this character is global. While everyone wants to be the MAN that flies, not everyone sees themself in the blue tights. However any child can imagine themself under the mask of Spider-Man, giving him more global appeal than any superhero ever created.
Stan asked that question again and again. What if radioactive waste could make a blind young man into a Super Sonar Driver Daredevil? What if Solar Space Radiation could turn four astronauts into the world’s First Superhero Family the Fantastic Four? What if these newly discovered gamma rays could turn a mild mannered scientist into a HULKING strongman? Stan took all of these new discoveries and areas that people feared to explore, and he painted a wonderful world where they transformed people into their most powerful selves.
As years went on Stan asked that question about the most important issues facing our planet. As Apartheid ran rampant in South Africa, and the civil rights movement began to heat up in the US, Stan asked that question again. What If our differences were our superpowers? The story of the X-Men was just that, an answer to the question showing that people’s abilities were defined by how they used their power, not just if they had them or not. Magneto was painted as a villain but one that most could empathize with as he was fighting for the rights of mutant kind, and Stan often referenced the strength and character of Malcolm X as an early model for Magneto. His counterpart and friend turned foe in the story was Professor X — who fought for equality, and was modeled after the great Martin Luther King Jr. What if we recognized that our differences were our superpowers today? While Magneto and Professor X were rarely found to agree on how the differences would work in the real world, they eventually always sat down for a game of chess, after realizing that there were always larger problems to face that they had to come together to tackle. A lesson the world needs desperately now.
The bold move in commentary on the power of WHAT IF came in the creation of one of the most loved Avengers of our day. And there is a deep lesson in how Stan approached seeing possibility in the creation of this next here. In the pages of Fantastic Four #52 The Fantastic Fist Family find themselves quickly on the ground in the jungle, blindsided and not knowing what hit them. Reed Richards shortly discovers that they have been bested by the King of Wakanda, the world’s most advanced civilization and led by its powerful King — The Black Panther. While the world as a whole was still struggling to find a way to move forward from the atrocities of Slavery, Racism, and the challenges of the civil rights movement, most entertainment still pictured Africa as a land of savages, and it was only a few years removed from things like “black face” still being acceptable. Yet Stan asked “What if Africa was home to the most powerful and advanced civilization on earth?” And so was born T’Challa, who would shortly take up the mantle as the Leader of the Avengers in Captain America’s absence. YES — Stan placed him in the leadership role of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes smack dab in the middle of the civil rights movement and named him Black Panther. But here was something that was never said, never marketed, never even mentioned in the books. They never said anything about T’challa’s race.
Stan lived by the creed that “it’s not a thing”. His writing would tell a story and shed light on an issue, without allowing the issue to overtake the story. He showed the possibility of power and strength without having to say it. He showed the value of equality without having to spell it out. He sought to find common ground and agreement through what he created, not to use the hero as bait to sway people to a side. He was about POSSIBILITY and UNITY, not fear and division. What if we approached the most tense topics in our modern day, both large global issues, and the deep internal personal ones, with the view that there was brighter possibility in the things most people fear, and that at the end of the day, it’s just not a thing? That is a powerful perspective. How powerful is that approach to seeing the world?
Most comic book creators, if they are lucky, created maybe one mid level character in their entire career. Some blockbuster characters were created by entire teams! Superman has two noted creators; writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster. Batman is credited to Bob Kane and Bill Finger. The Green Lantern was created by Marty Nodell. Wonder Woman was created by William Marston. You get the point. Each of these creators labored to build the character to what it may stand as today. Stan Lee didn’t just create one or two impactful characters, he created an entire Universe of them, most of whom we refer to today as if they are household names. Hulk, Iron-Man, Thor, Spider-Man, The X-Men, Black Panther, Daredevil, and the list goes on and on. I believe the difference is that Stan Focused on the Human, and we watched as every day mortals learned how to use their new powers. They were given great power and had to ask themselves “What if?” What if I do something wrong? What if I can’t beat the villain? What if my family is hurt from me being a hero? What if the world won’t accept this version of me? These are all questions we ask as we evolve in life.
Stan made the most important point of all in a phrase that was uttered to Peter Parker by his Uncle Ben just before he passed; “With great power comes great responsibility.” We have all been given the power of possibility — to dream big, and take the things that the world fear, and create solutions. Every one of us has that power and it is our moral responsibility to use it for good. I believe with all of my heart that the team at Prime Movers, as well as all of our Founders, and extended Prime Movers Lab Family not only realize this, but take that responsibility seriously. So you only have to really consider questions to shift your focus and see all the WONDER that this world, in the very real universe has to offer.
Do you see what is truly, remarkably possible in your life?
(I hope you answer YES!!!) and then if that is the case…
WHAT IF?
We should all ask that question. What if we could create the life we truly want and what if we could truly impact this world for good? In the late great words of Stan Lee will we sign off with a statement that embodies everything Stan stood for. In its purest form it means simply; “ever upward!”
The world needed Stan Lee more than we knew. He was a bright light that found BEAUTY in the most horrific chaos, and saw possibility through the darkest fears. He is greatly missed.
For Stan Lee.
Excelsior!
Prime Movers Lab invests in breakthrough scientific startups founded by Prime Movers, the inventors who transform billions of lives. We invest in companies reinventing energy, transportation, infrastructure, manufacturing, human augmentation, and agriculture.
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