Marvel Comics legend Stan Lee, brains behind Black Panther dead at 95

Stan Lee rose through the ranks to become a comics writer, and eventually led the Marvel empire for decades as its publisher. [File, AFP]

Marvel legend Stan Lee, who revolutionized 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, according to US entertainment outlets including The Hollywood Reporter. He had suffered a number of illnesses in recent years.