Writer/editor   Stan Lee (1922-2018) made   comic-book history together with Jack Kirby in 1961 with Fantastic Four #1. The monumental   popularity of its new style inspired Lee to develop similarly themed   characters — including the Hulk and X-Men with Kirby, Spider-Man and Doctor   Strange with Steve Ditko, and Daredevil with Bill Everett. After shepherding   his creations through dozens of issues — in some cases a hundred or more —   Lee allowed other writers to take over, but he maintained steady editorial   control. Eventually, he helped expand Marvel into a multimedia empire. In   recent years, his frequent cameo appearances in Marvel’s films established   Lee as one of the world’s most famous faces.
Roy   Thomas joined the Marvel Bullpen as a writer and editor   under Stan Lee, scripting key runs of nearly every title of the time: Amazing Spider-Man, Avengers, Daredevil, Doctor Strange, Sub-Mariner, Thor, X-Men and more. He wrote the first   10 years of Marvel’s Conan the Barbarian and Savage Sword of Conan; and launched such series as Defenders, Iron Fist,   Invaders and Warlock. At DC, he developed All-Star Squadron, Infinity Inc. and related titles,   proving instrumental in reviving the Golden Age Justice Society of America.   Thomas later became editor of Alter Ego, a magazine devoted to comic-book history, and co-scripted the   sword-and-sorcery films Fire and Ice and Conan the Destroyer.
Don   Heck (1929-1995) worked for Harvey, Quality, Hillman and   other publishers before arriving at Atlas Comics, later Marvel, where he   penciled and inked stories for virtually every genre: crime, horror, jungle,   romance, war, Western and more. With Stan Lee and others, he launched Iron Man, his supporting cast and   his early rogues gallery — including the Black Widow, Hawkeye and the   Mandarin. He also succeeded Jack Kirby on Avengers. At DC, his artwork appeared in Justice   League of America, Flash, Wonder Woman and other titles.