Twelve minutes into the pilot episode of the 1970s TV series, The Amazing Spider Man, a young Peter Parker, played by Nicholas Hammond, is bitten in a lab by a radioactive spider. Moments later out on the street, his brand-new spidey sense already tingling, he is chased by a car to the end of a blind alley. Without thinking, he launches himself onto the smooth wall and effortlessly climbs several storeys – much to his own surprise.

I was 6 or 7 years old when I saw this for the first time, and it blew my tiny mind. Rewatching today gave me a physical shiver of nostalgia. Those moments were my gateway drug into Stan Lee’s comic-book world. Four decades later, it’s an entire Marvel Universe, and one which Lee sadly left on 12 November, aged 95.

Lee’s decades as Marvel’s top writer and editor helped to revolutionise comic-book superheroes and villains. Much of his success came because he focused on depth of character as much as spectacle. Sure, his characters had cool superpowers, but they also had flaws, and personal difficulties to deal with.

Peter Parker’s adolescent angst, David Banner’s anger management issues, Tony Stark’s battle with alcoholism. As often as not, his heroes’ powers caused them great personal difficulty – yes, Hulk, I’m looking at you – making them more relatable, and attractive to a wider audience.

Captain diversity

In the 1960s, Lee was instrumental in increasing diversity in superhero characters, says psychologist and mental health counsellor Parker Shaw, based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, who has researched the psychological effects of reading superhero comics. “Most people had a superhero that looked like them, and struggled with the same challenges,” says Shaw. “Stan’s contributions of diverse characters allowed a larger audience to feel recognised, valued, and understood.”

Today, Shaw sometimes uses comic book narratives in therapy. “As a mental health counsellor, I am trying to connect with my patients in a way that both of us can relate to. Superheroes offer a safe, relatable outlet for children, adolescents and adults to openly discuss superheroes’ struggles, while indirectly processing their own struggles.”

Radiation – is there nothing it can’t do?

Tributes have been pouring in for Lee. The current Hulk, Mark Ruffalo, : “You let us be extra human… superhuman even.” And that “extra human” was a key to Lee’s success. While DC comics served up superheroes often destined for greatness (think Superman and Aquaman), Lee took everyday people, and thrust superpowers upon them, often courtesy of, let’s face it, some very dubious science. Where would Lee be without radiation?

A radioactive spider created Spider-Man, exposure to gamma radiation produced the Hulk, while cosmic rays turned four astronauts into the Fantastic Four. As Lee admitted in : “I’m the least scientific person you’ll ever know, but I try to seem scientific with our characters. I wouldn’t know a gamma ray if I saw it… But if it sounds good, I’ll use it.”

But perhaps Lee was being too self-deprecating. From artificial silk with curious properties (though unlikely to catch thieves just like flies), to power-lifting exoskeletons (though without Tony Stark’s jet boots – yet), the futuristic technology that features in many Marvel creations may be just around the corner.

As well as his extraordinary creativity, Lee’s own superpowers included his longevity. “I was first interviewed for Stan Lee’s obituary about 20 years ago,” writer. “I was happy he defied the reaper and carried on. With Stan gone, an era really does come to an end. He was the happy huckster that comics needed. And he really did alliterate like that when you talked to him.”

Perhaps Chris Evans, who plays Captain America, summed it up best, ending with Lee’s own trademark sign-off: “There will never be another Stan Lee. For decades he provided both young and old with adventure, escape, comfort, confidence, inspiration, strength, friendship and joy. He exuded love and kindness and will leave an indelible mark on so, so, so many lives. Excelsior!!”