Last Monday (November 12, 2018), Stan Lee, the legendary Marvel writer, editor, publisher has passed away at the age of 95.

He is the man behind some of the greatest superheroes of all time including Spiderman, X-Men, Iron Man, the Fantastic Four, the Incredible Hulk, the Mighty Thor, and many other iconic characters.

Started with only pen and paper, Stan Lee has constructed an amazing Marvel universe, providing us with adventure, friendship, escape, inspiration and joy.

I never cease to be amazed, and amused, by his relentless creativity, heroic work ethic and passionate spirit. Storytelling wouldn’t be the same without Stan Lee.

Though he may be gone, he will never be forgotten.

As we mourn the loss of the comics legend, let’s take a fond look back at some of his most memorable quotes. Be inspired and be enlightened!

On Success

What’s the secret of his success?

He never stops.

It’s incredibly inspiring and motivating to see Stan Lee never slowed down in life. He kept on working till his very last breath.

In fact, he had many projects in his head as well as few projects in the works. 2019’s Captain Marvel and Spider-Man: Far From Home is currently in post-production, Untitled Avengers film and X-Men: Dark Phoenix… that’s just to name a few.

He said, “I don’t really see a need to retire as long as I am having fun” in an interview in 2006.

“If you’re doing work you love, it’s not work, it’s play… I’m happiest when I’m working. If I’m not working, I feel like I’m wasting my time.” – Stan Lee

Most people say, “I can’t wait to retire so I can play golf,” or go yachting or whatever they do. Well, if I was playing golf, I would want that to finish so I could go and dream up a new TV show. If you are interested in what you do, that keeps you going! – Stan Lee

“There’s never a time when I’m not working. I don’t take vacations.” – Stan Lee

“To tell you the truth, I never thought of myself as much of a success.” – Stan Lee

On his one-word mantra

“You know, my motto is ‘Excelsior.’ That’s an old word that means ‘upward and onward to greater glory’. – Stan Lee

“Keep moving forward, and if it’s time to go, it’s time. Nothing lasts forever.” – Stan Lee

On his mission

“I used to be embarrassed because I was just a comic-book writer while other people were building bridges or going on to medical careers. And then I began to realize: Entertainment is one of the most important things in people’s lives. Without it they might go off the deep end. I feel that if you’re able to entertain people, you’re doing a good thing.”

Have fun

“I don’t know where the hell I’ll be in five years. Maybe I’ll be producing movies, maybe I’ll be on a corner selling apples. I don’t know, but I’m having a hell of a lot of fun.” – Stan Lee

On Luck

“For years, kids have been asking me what’s the greatest superpower. I always say luck. If you’re lucky, everything works. I’ve been lucky.” – Stan Lee

“Luck is one of the most important things in the world and really has a role to play in everything, and in marriage, I’ve been lucky enough to be married to the same girl for all these years.”– Stan Lee

Fairy Tales

“My theory about why people like superheroes is that when we were kids, we all loved to read fairy tales. Fairy tales are all about things bigger than life: giants, witches, trolls, dinosaurs and dragons and all sorts of imaginative things. Then you get a little bit older and you stop reading fairy tales, but you don’t ever outgrow your love of them.” – Stan Lee

On Death

“I’ve had a long enough life. I’d hate to leave my wife and my daughter, but heaven knows it’s beyond me. And I don’t even really believe in heaven.” – Stan Lee

On Writing

“To me, writing is fun. It doesn’t matter what you’re writing, as long as you can tell a story.” – Stan Lee

“I think the way you become a good storyteller is to read a lot of stories and evaluate them in your own mind.” – Stan Lee

“No matter what you write, it’s a matter of putting words in a certain order so that the reader will be interested in what you’re writing.” – Stan Lee

“I see myself in everything I write. All the good guys are me.” – Stan Lee

“I don’t have inspiration. I only have ideas. Ideas and deadlines.” – Stan Lee

“The only advice anybody can give is, if you wanna be a writer, keep writing. And read all you can, read everything.” – Stan Lee

On Responsibility

“I have always included minority characters in my stories, often as heroes. We live in a diverse society – in fact, a diverse world, and we must learn to live in peace and with respect for each other.” – Stan Lee

“With great power, there must also come … great responsibility!”– Stan Lee