15 Most Famous Marvel Superheroes Stan Lee Didn’t Create

A household name in the enduring, thrilling, and complex world of comic books, Stan Lee was responsible for creating or co-creating over 300 Marvel characters. Many of the biggest names in Marvel were created by Stan Lee. The Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, Hulk, Thor, Iron Man, Ant-Man, Wasp, Daredevil, the X-Men, Black Panther, She-Hulk, the Scarlet Witch, the Silver Surfer, the Inhumans, and many more. Even characters like Spider-Woman, Ghost Rider, Luke Cage, and Vision had contributions from Stan Lee.

Known for his trademark mustache and tinted glasses, the legendary creator may have left a sizable legacy, but he actually climbed the ladder of success and fame from the bottom. Born in 1922 as Stanley Lieber, he debuted as an office boy, then was hired at Timely Comics as a jack-of-all-trades, doing everything from mopping to writing. When the company was rebranded as Atlas Comics, he became its chief writer and editor, leaning more toward adult-oriented stories.

The Marvel name the fans know and love effectively came into fruition in 1961 with the launch of various superheroes from the minds of Lee, Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, and others. Today, Marvel Comics publishes about 50 comics monthly, not to mention over 30 blockbuster movie releases within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with high-grossing titles like The Avengers, Black Panther, Captain Marvel, and Spider-Man: No Way Home.

While many of these beloved characters came from Lee’s vivid imagination, some famous superheroes were, in fact, first envisioned by other people. Here are 12 famous examples.

15 Namor, the Submarnier

Created by Bill Everett

Debut: Marvel Comics #1 (1939)

Namor, alongside the original Human Torch, debuted in the very first Marvel Comic (originally Timely Publication) in the issue the company would eventually draw its name from, Marvel Comics. Namor was the mutant son of a human sea captain and a princess of the mythical undersea kingdom of Atlantis and had the superstrength and aquatic abilities of the Homo Hermanus race, as well as the mutant ability of flight, and is now known in Marvel as the first mutant.

Namor was one of the company’s most popular heroes during the 1930s and 1940s, but the company soon stopped publishing due to a decline in superhero comics. Stan Lee would revive the character in Fantastic Four #4, which not only reintroduced him to a new generation of fans but put him firmly in the Marvel Universe as one of the biggest characters. Stan Lee might not have created Namor, but he certainly redefined him, and now Namor has been both a foe and ally to various teams like The Fantastic Four, the X-Men, and The Avengers. Namor finally made it to the big screen in 2022’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever where he was played by Tenoch Huerta.

14 Jessica Jones

Created by Brian Michael Bendis (writer) and Michael Gaydos (artist)

Debut: Alias #1 (November 2001)

Jessica Jones is now best known as the lead of the critical and fan-favorite series Jessica Jones, which aired on Netflix from 2015 to 2019 and is part of the Defenders Saga. Brain Michael Bendis and Michael Gaydos created the character as the lead character for their MA comic series Alias, featuring her as a super-powered private investigator who used to be a superhero. They retroactively made her a short-lived hero in the Marvel Universe named Jewel and actually made her a former classmate of Peter Parker’s and a background character from The Amazing Spider-Man #4, which Stan Lee wrote. So technically, one can say that Jessica Jones was partially created by Stan Lee, but that was generous and certainly splitting hairs.

Jessica Jones has led three solo titles, was a member of The New Avengers, and, of course, got to star in her own Marvel series. Despite being a rather new character to the comics, she has become a major player in the Marvel Universe and a fan favorite. Fans are hoping Krysten Ritten returns to reprise her role in the MCU.

13 Echo

Created by David Mack (writer) and Joe Quesada (artist)

Debut: Daredevil #9 (December 1999)

Maya Lopez aka Echo has been thrust into the spotlight thanks to her supporting role on the hit television show Hawkeye and now her own Disney+ series titled Echo, which debuted on Disney+ on January 9, 2024. Maya Lopez was created by David Mack and Joe Quesada, the character first appeared in Daredevil #9 from December 1999. She is a deaf-Native American adopted daughter of the Kingpin who eventually turns on him and becomes a hero. She adopts the mantle of Ronin and joins the New Avengers and, recently, in the comics, became the newest host of The Phoenix Force.

Maya Lopez, played by Alaqua Cox in the MCU, has been reimagined as a member of the Choctaw Nation and, in addition to being deaf, is also an amputee. While in the comics, her powers are she has photographic reflects where she can copy anyone’s fighting moves after seeing them, the MCU series reimagined her powers to be tied into her culture. She can draw from the skills and powers of her ancestors from across time.

12 Shang-Chi

Created by Steve Englehart (writer) and Jim Starlin (artist)

Debut: Special Marvel Edition #15 (December 1973)

Shang-Chi is now one of the faces of the Marvel Cinematic Universe thanks to his hit film, Shang-Chi, and the Legend of the Ten Rings. The character was created in the 1970s as an attempt to cash in on the martial arts craze that was sweeping through Hollywood. While for most of his publications, he was eclipsed in popularity by Iron Fist, who debuted one year later, Shang-Chi has now become a greater part of the Marvel Universe both in the comics and on the big screen. Shang-Chi was created by writer Steve Engelhart and artist Jim Starlin and debuted in Special Marvel Edition #15 in 1973.

In the original comics, he was the son of the racist caricature Fu-Man Chu. Yet following Marvel Comics’ loss of the rights to the character, Shang-Chi’s origin had been reimagined many times. This made him a perfect fit for the Marvel Cinematic Universe as he could be made the son of the iconic Iron Man villain, The Mandarin, but allow Marvel to reimagine both characters in a way that would be a better fit for the 21st century. Now Shang-Chi is one of Marvel’s biggest success stories post Avengers: Endgame.

11 Elektra

Created by Frank Miller

Debut: Daredevil #168 (January 1981)

Elektra Natchios is most notably associated with Matt Murdock/Daredevil as a love interest, antagonist, and ally. She is a proficient assassin whose weapon of choice is a pair of sai and whose abilities include super-speed, acrobatics, telekinesis, hypnotism, durability, and martial arts. Elektra was created by Frank Miller for a filler story, Daredevil #168, in 1981. However, the character was popular. She instead became a frequently appearing villain in Daredevil until her death in issue #181 in April 1982 at the hands of Bullseye.

Related: 7 Indie Directors Who Made the Jump to the MCU

“The Elektra Saga” storyline is one of the most defining in Daredevil comics, one that was adapted in the 2003 film Daredevil with Jennifer Garner playing the role and then again in Daredevil season two with Elodie Yung stepping into the role. Despite dying in the comics, she was brought back to life, which greatly upset Miller as he didn’t want her to return. Elektra is arguably Miller’s most famous original creation in comics, but she also became a popular Marvel hero, appearing in her own solo film. She will return in Deadpool & Wolverine with Garner reprising her role.

10 Blade

Creators: Marv Wolfman (writer) and Gene Colan (artist)

Debut: The Tomb of Dracula #10 (July 1973)

The ’70s saw Marvel embrace the Blackspoltation phase of cinema with their own batch of characters. Luke Cage is certainly the most notable, but that was a hero that Stan Lee specifically ordered. Yet one of the most enduring characters to come out of that period of time was Blade, created by Marv Wolfman and Gene Colan for the horror comic series, The Tomb of Dracula. Blade’s comic book origin is very different than what many know. While a vampire did bite his mom at birth, in the comics, it just made him immune to vampires and has some increased level of strength.

The 1998 film starring Wesley Snipes established both the origin and look most people would commonly associate with the character. Now half-human and half-vampire, he has all of the vampire’s strengths but none of their weaknesses except a thirst for blood. His costume was redesigned from having an afro and green vest to a black tactical outfit with a trench coat. Blade became an unlikely hero for Marvel as he was the first Marvel hero to successfully lead a feature film, which led to two sequels and a television spin-off. He will soon join the Marvel Cinematic Universe in a reboot starring two-time Academy Award winner Mahershala Ali.

9 Rocket Racoon

Created by Bill Mantlo (writer) and artist Keith Giffen (artist)

First Appearance: Marvel Preview #7 (July 1976)

The Guardians of the Galaxy went from being one of Marvel’s most obscure characters to now one of the biggest brands in the franchise. Notably, neither the original team nor four of the five signature members of the team were created by Stan Lee. Only Groot was created by Stan Lee, but he was originally a one-off monster character. Rocket Racoon might be the biggest member of the team and one whose real-life creation has as many tragedies as his recent film depictions. Rocket is a genetically altered raccoon who acts as a space-traveling hero.

The character was created by Bill Mantlo and Keith Giffen and is inspired by the Beatles song “Rocky Racoon”. The character debuted in Marvel Preview #7 in 1976 and only appeared in a total of ten comic books in his first thirty years of existence. In 2007, he was upgraded to a major player thanks to his role in the Annihilation: Conquest story and eventually became a member of the Guardians of the Galaxy, which became the basis of the movie. Rocket’s co-creator, Bill Mantlo, was the victim of a hit-and-run accident in 1992 and has been in institutional care ever since. Marvel Studios negotiated a compensation package for the rights to Rocket Raccoon when they produced Guardians of the Galaxy and Mantlo’s brother has said this arrangement ensures Bill Mantlo will receive care for the rest of his life.

8 The Punisher/Frank Castle

Created by Gerry Conway (writer) and John Romita Sr. (artist) and Ross Andru (artist)

Debut: The Amazing Spider-Man #129 (February 1974)

Frank Castle, a Marine Vietnam veteran, becomes The Punisher after witnessing the murder of his wife and daughter at the hands of the mob in Central Park. He ruthlessly targets criminals, displaying extraordinary speed and pain tolerance and honed military and tactical skills. The Punisher came to life when the writer of The Amazing Spider-Man, Gerry Conway, drew inspiration from The Executioner, a book series written by Don Pendleton about a Vietnam veteran hellbent on avenging his murdered family. He even made the first sketch with a small skull and crossbones emblem and submitted it to Marvel art director John Romita, Sr. and Amazing Spider-Man penciller Ross Andru.

Originally Stan Lee wanted to name him The Assassin, but since the word only had negative connotations, Conway convinced him to go for The Punisher, and the character debuted as an antagonist in The Amazing Spider-Man #129, in 1974 and quickly became a popular Marvel anti-hero. Now he has become one of the most iconic characters in the Marvel Universe, having been the star of three separate feature films and was a prominent character in Daredevil season 2, played by Jon Bernthal. Benrthal’s depiction was so popular he got his own spin-off series and will return in Daredevil: Born Again.

7 Ms. Marvel

Created by: Sana Amanat, Stephen Wacker, G. Willow Wilson, Adrian Alphona, and Jamie McKelvie

Debut: All-New Marvel Now! Point One #1 (January 2014)

Khamla Khan aka Ms. Marvel has become one of the biggest and most popular characters in Marvel Comics and she has only been around for a decade. Created by editors Sana Amanat and Stephen Wacker, writer G. Willow Wilson, and artists Adrian Alphona and Jamie McKelvie, Kamala Khan is Marvel’s first Muslim protagonist character and South Asian American person with her own comic book. From the minute she arrived on the comic book scene, she became an instant fan-favorite and would later be played by Ms. Marvel fan Iman Vellani in the MCU in her 2022 solo series Ms. Marvel and then in the 2023 film The Marvels.

Ms. Marvel was created at a time when Marvel Comics was trying to beef up the importance of the Inhumans and downplayed the X-Men as Marvel did not have the film rights to the mutants and wanted to raise the stock of a group of superpowered people they did have. Yet following Disney’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox and their reacquiring the rights to the X-Men back, the Inhumans have once again been downplayed, and now Marvel Studios has changed Kamala’s origins to not be related to the Inhumans, but instead, she is a mutant and has cosmic alien ties to her favorite hero, Captain Marvel, thanks to the quantum bands.

6 Carol Danvers aka Captain Marvel

Created by: Roy Thomas and Gene Colan – Carol Danvers/Gerry Conway and John Buscema – Ms. Marvel / Kelly Sue DeConnick, Dexter Soy, and Jamie McKelvie – Captain Marvel

Debut: Marvel Super-Heroes #13 (March 1968) – Carol Danvers/ Ms. Marvel #1 (January 1977) – Ms. Marvel/ Avenging Spider-Man #9 (July 2012) Captain Marvel

While Stan Lee did create the original hero Captain Marvel, Kree hero Mar-Vell, in Marvel Super-Heroes #12 from December 1967, the most famous incarnation of the character was not created by Stan Lee. In fact, Carol Danvers and the Captain Marvel most people know, has had many different creatives across decades. Carol Danvers appeared in the very next issue, Marvel Super-Heroes #13, and was created by writer Roy Thomas and artist Gene Colan. She would not get superpowers until Ms. Marvel #1 in January 1977 by writer Gerry Conway and artist John Buscema, when Carol adopted Ms. Marvel’s identity.

Future legendary X-Men writer Chris Claremont would write for Ms. Marvel and eventually bring her into his X-Men run, where she adopted the identity of Binary in The Uncanny X-Men #164 (December 1982). In 2012, Carol Danvers finally adopted the mantle of Captain Marvel in Avenging Spider-Man #9 (July 2012) before getting her own solo series written by Kelly Sue DeConnick, with art by Dexter Soy, with artist Jamie McKelvie assigned to redesign Danvers’ costume to the Captain Marvel costume fans love today. Now Carol Danvers as Captain Marvel is more popular than the original Captain Marvel that Stan Lee created and is one of the faces of the Marvel Universe, thanks to being played by star Brie Larson in the MCU. Carol Danvers has had a long history and owes her creation and development in many identities to many legendary creators.

5 Venom/Eddie Brock

Created by Randy Schueller, Roger Stern, Tom DeFalco, Mike Zeck, Rick Leonardi, and Ron Frenz (Alien Costume) and David Michelinie and Todd McFarlane (Eddie Brock/Venom)

Debut: The Amazing Spider-Man 252 (May 1984) – Alien Suit / The Amazing Spider-Man #298 (March 1988) – Eddie Brock / The Amazing Spider-Man #299 (April 1988) – Venom

Spider-Man has some of the most famous villains in comics. Characters like Green Goblin, Doc Ock, Mysterio, Sandman, Rhino, Kraven the Hunter, Vulture, Kingpin and many more were created by Stan Lee. One of Spider-Man’s most popular and iconic foes, Venom, was not, in fact, created by Stan Lee: Venom. Vernon debuted much later, as he began as Spider-Man’s alien costume which debuted in The Amazing Spider-Man #252 in May 1984, before finally bonding with Eddie Brock and becoming the iconic Venom in a cameo tease of The Amazing Spider-Man #299 before making his first full appearance in The Amazing Spider-Man #300 in May 1988.

Venom is a sentient, liquid-like, extraterrestrial symbiote which merges with a human host, notably the investigative journalist Eddie Brock, granting him many great abilities, including superior strength, agility, speed, and durability; organic webbing; and shape-shifting. Venom, like Captain Marvel, is the result of many different creators. While Eddie Brock and Venom is the work of writer David Micheline and artist Todd McFarlane, the alien costume part that led to Venom has a fascinating story.

The idea of Spider-Man wearing a black costume, which would become Venom, was created by Randy Schueller, a Marvel Comics reader from Norridge, Illinois editor Jim Shooter purchased the idea from Schueller in 1982 for $220 dollars. Artists Mike Zeck and Rick Leonardi designed the black costume. Roger Stern plotted the issue in which the costume first appeared but then left with writer Tom DeFalco and artist Ron Frenz establishing that the costume was a sentient alien being that was vulnerable to high sonic energy during their run on The Amazing Spider-Man. Today Venom is now commonly more associated with being an anti-hero than a villain, thanks to his role in films like Venom and Venom: Let There Be Carnage.

4 Miles Morales/Spider-Man

Created by Brian Michael Bendis (writer) and Sara Pichelli (artist)

Debut: Ultimate Fallout #4 (August 2011)

While Stan Lee might have created the first Spider-Man in Peter Parker, one of Marvel’s most popular hero and the latest Spider-Man was not created by the legendary comic creator. Miles Morales was created by writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Sara Pichelli, with input from Marvel’s then-editor-in-chief Axel Alonso. He first debuted in Ultimate Fallout #4 in August 2011 before taking over as the lead in Ultimate Spider-Man. Miles has since gone on to be the lead in two highly acclaimed and box office hit animated films and the star of his own Spider-Man video game released in 2020 and got to co-headline Spider-Man 2 for the PS5 with Peter Parker’s Spider-Man in 2023.

While some might try to say Miles Morales as a character who was always beloved by fandom, when the character was first announced, many of the same toxic and racist talking points brought up about legacy characters like Sam Wilson as Captain America and Riri Williams as Ironheart were leveled at Miles Morales. One person who did speak up for him was Stan Lee. Lee approved the creation of Miles Morales as he felt it was a positive addition to the Spider-Man franchise and that the idea behind Spider-Man was anyone could be behind the mask, so kids of any race could look up to him and see themselves as the hero, so he felt Miles was a great extension of that legacy. This is partially why Stan Lee has a cameo in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, which was released one month after he passed away.

3 Deadpool/Wade Wilson

Created by Fabian Nicieza and Rob Liefeld

Debut: New Mutants #98 (December 1990)

Deadpool is a villain turned antihero and the alter ego of Wade Wilson, a disfigured Canadian mercenary with many superpowers, including strength, teleportation, immunity against telepathy, regenerative healing, and an extended lifespan. He is known for his humor and for constantly breaking the fourth wall. The character was introduced in New Mutants #98 as a supervillain of the New Mutants and X-Force. Anyone who read that first comic likely wouldn’t have expected Deadpool to become the household name he is today, as much of his characterization had yet to be defined.

Related: Deadpool & Wolverine: Why Fans Are Hyped for the MCU Film

Deadpool was conceived by Fabian Nicieza and Rob Liefeld in 1990; the former gave him his name, appearance, and civil identity, while the latter developed his story background and speech mannerisms. There was, however, an interview in which Liefeld took sole credit, stating, “I am the name, the costume, the look, the origin, and the attitude. Great one-liners are the result of other writers. But there’s no Deadpool at all in existence without me.” One thing to note is that when Liefeld showed Nicieza the drawing for Deadpool, he noted how similar it was to the Teen Titans villains, Deathstroke. This is why his name is “Wade Wilson” as an inside joke to being “related” to “Slade Wilson”, Deathstroke.

2 Captain America/Steve Rogers

Created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby

Debut: Captain America Comics #1 (December 1940)

Captain America is one of the most famous faces in the Marvel Universe. Now everyone knows Steve Rogers’s origin story of a skinny kid who underwent the super soldier serum to become Captain America, fight in World War II, and eventually find himself frozen in ice and awakening in the modern day. The character was introduced by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby as an American response to Hitler’s hegemony in Europe, when Marvel was still Timely Comics, in the 1940 issue Captain America Comics #1 which was published in 1940, one year before the United States got involved in World War II.

While Stan Lee did not create Captain America, he certainly is linked to him. Lee’s first writing job was in a story in Captain America #3. Lee brought Captain America back in Avengers #4 in March 1964, which established the idea of Captain America being frozen in suspended animation and waking up in the modern day. Lee made him the leader of The Avengers and helped redefine the comic as it had struggled in its first few issues to find its voice. Captain America became one of the biggest names in the Marvel Universe, and much of the character’s modern concepts are because of Stan Lee. Stan Lee might not have created Captain America, but he is a big part of the character.

1 Wolverine/James Howlett/Logan

Created by Roy Thomas, Len Wein, John Romita Sr., and Herb Trimpe

Debut: The Incredible Hulk #180 (October 1974)

Wolverine is, without a doubt, the most famous character associated with the X-Men. The X-Men were a Stan Lee creation, but the original version of the team, which consisted of Professor X, Cyclops, Jean Grey, Beast, Iceman, and Angle, never really took off and was canceled. Then in May 1975, Giant Size X-Men #1, written by Len Wein and illustrated by Dave Cockrum, hit the stores. It featured a vast array of new characters, including Storm, Nightcrawler, and Colossus, and also featured Wolverine, who was, in fact, a character that was introduced a year prior. Wolverine made his debut in the final panel of The Incredible Hulk #180 before making his first full appearance in The Incredible Hulk #181 in November 1974.

The character, a gruff mutant prone to bouts of rage and is endowed with acute senses, adamantium claws, night vision, super-strength, delayed aging, and regenerative healing, was created by a group of people. He was penciled by Herb Trimpe in his first issue from a collaboration between editor-in-chief Roy Thomas, who wanted the titular animal’s aggressive temper in a superhuman; writer Len Wein; and John Romita Sr., who designed the costume but wanted the claws to only inflict harm when needed, and therefore envisioned them as retractable. Wolverine has since gone on to become one of the most famous faces in all of Marvel comics, with Hugh Jackman playing the character in nine films, with his tenth appearance set for the upcoming film Deadpool & Wolverine.