Stan Lee has been influential in creating many of our most popular heroes. With the help of Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko, Lee has created the comic books Spiderman, the Hulk, the Fantastic Four, the Avengers and Nick Fury. His idea of making heroes struggle with everyday issues make them more human.

Aspiring Heroes

“While no one is expected to leap tall buildings in a single bound, our aspiring heroes will be tested on their courage, integrity, self-sacrifice, compassion and resourcefulness - the stuff of all true superheroes.” - Stan Lee

Colonel Nicholas Joseph Fury was a WWII veteran turned Super Spy. He is the leader of S.H.E.I.L.D. This acronym originally stood for Supreme Headquarters, International Espionage, Law-Enforcement Division but now stands for Strategic Hazard Intervention, Espionage Logistics Directorate. Nick Fury takes an “Infinity Formula” which slows down his aging. He also uses identical looking “Life Model Decoys” (LMD) as a protection device. Nick Fury has trained and worked with many of the Marvel heroes – Captain America, Wolverine, Spider Woman, Black Widow and Spiderman.

Courage, integrity, self-sacrificing, compassionate, and resourceful are five words best describing a hero. These are good words to think about. These are good words to try and apply to our daily lives. Where can we be courageous? Where can we have integrity? Today what sacrifice can I make? Am I truly compassionate? How am I resourceful? This would be a good day to sit and journal about these questions really trying to find answers in ourselves. Stan Lee also said, “I always felt that if I had a super-power, I wouldn't immediately run out to the store and buy a costume.” Of course not, just showing courage, integrity, self-sacrifice compassion, and resourcefulness would make you a hero.

Nick Fury
First Appearance: Sgt. Fury & His Howling Commandos #1 (May 1963)

First Appearance: As director of S.E.I.L.D, Strange Tales #135 (Aug. 1965)

Creators: Stan Lee (script), Jack Kirby (art)