LOS ANGELES — Marvel legend Stan Lee, who revolutionised pop culture as the co-creator of iconic superheroes like Spider-Man and The Hulk who now dominate the world’s movie screens, has died.

He was 95 years old.

Lee, the face of comic book culture in the United States, died early Monday in Los Angeles after suffering a number of illnesses in recent years.

"With a heavy heart, we share our deepest condolences with his daughter and brother," said Marvel Comics and its owner The Walt Disney Company in a statement.

"We honour and remember the creator, voice and champion of Marvel... Every time you open a Marvel comic, Stan will be there."

The New Yorker, known for his distinctive tinted glasses and impish grin, ended up in the comics business by accident, thanks to an uncle who got him a job when he was a teenager filling artists’ inkwells and fetching coffee.

"I felt someday I’d write the Great American Novel and I didn’t want ton use my real name on these silly little comics," Lee once said, explaining why he had forsaken his given name, Stanley Lieber.

Lee rose through the ranks to become a comics writer – making millions of superhero fans dream of his fantastic universes and humans with extraordinary powers – and eventually led the Marvel empire for decades as its publisher.

From Spidey to Black Panther to the X-Men and the Fantastic Four, Lee collaborated with other authors and illustrators to put his lively imagination on the page.

Iron Man, Thor and Doctor Strange would follow – and today, all three heroes have multi-film franchises that rake in hundreds of millions of dollars.

"Stan Lee was as extraordinary as the characters he created," said Disney CEO Bob Iger. "A superhero in his own right to Marvel fans around the world, Stan had the power to inspire, to entertain, and to connect." — AFP