[MallyMal]

NEW YORK (Jan. 19) - Stan Lee, the legendary cartoon hero creator who gifted Spider-Man with the powerful "spidey-sense," is feeling a tingling of his own - in his wallet.

A Manhattan federal judge ruled that Lee is entitled to a potential multimillion payday from Marvel Enterprises of profits generated by the company's television and movie productions - particularly the box-office smash "Spider-Man," which earned more than $800 million worldwide, and its hugely successful sequel.

"It could be tens of millions of dollars," Howard Graff, attorney for Lee, said Wednesday. "That's no exaggeration."

The Monday ruling from U.S. District Court Judge Robert W. Sweet found that Lee was entitled to a 10 percent share of the profits generated since November 1998 by Marvel productions involving the company's characters, including those created by the prolific cartoonist.

"I am gratified by the judge's decision although, since I am deeply fond of Marvel and the people there, I sincerely regret that the situation had to come to this," Lee said in a statement.

Sweet's decision didn't mention a dollar figure, although Graff was anticipating a windfall since the ruling also included DVD sales and certain merchandise. "The court essentially ruled in our favor virtually across the board," Graff said. "This is a sweeping victory for Mr. Lee."

John Turitzin, general counsel for Marvel, promised an appeal. Turitzin noted that Sweet ruled Lee was not entitled to money from certain movie-based merchandise, and that the judge withheld judgment on money from joint-venture merchandise sales linked to the Spider-Man and Hulk movies.

"We intend to appeal those matters on which we did not prevail, and to continue to contest vigorously the claims on which the court did not rule," Turitzin said in a statement. The remaining issues could go before a jury if the two sides can't reach a settlement.

The lawsuit marks an acrimonious final chapter in the long and productive relationship between Marvel and Lee, who spent the last six decades working for the company. During a storied career, Lee created indelible Marvel fixtures such as the X-Men, the Incredible Hulk, Daredevil and The Fantastic Four.

"Mr. Lee did not begin this lawsuit without a lot of thought and reservation," Graff said. "He was not pleased to do it. He was saddened by the fact that things came to the point where he had to actually start a lawsuit against Marvel."

The 82-year-old Lee filed suit in November 2002, claiming an agreement he had signed four years earlier entitled him to 10 percent of Marvel's haul from its television and movie productions, as well as merchandising deals.

He already earns a $1 million a year salary from Marvel as part of the agreement, but felt he was getting stiffed on additional income due him under the deal.

The money involved was substantial, particularly involving the Spider-Man and Hulk movies. Spider-Man earned $114.8 million on its opening weekend, with Marvel eventually collecting more than $50 million in profits. "The Hulk" earned more than $125 million in the United States alone.

Shares of New York-based Marvel fell 82 cents, or 4.5 percent, to close at $17.41 in Wednesday trading on the New York Stock Exchange.

[historylme]

Good for him!

[MallyMal]

I turn 30 this year, do you realize that this cat has been making comics longer than I've been alive? I grew up reading comics since I was like 7 years old so I've grown up seeing this cat's signature on the inside of Marvel comics all my life. There ain't no Marvel Comics without Stan Lee man!

[Rev-O]

Yah, but is the weasel going to share with Kirby's widow & Ditko. Stan Lee is a shameless self promoter who has enjoyed much success off of the hard work and creativity of other. He's not quite a parasite, because he has had some input into these characters he claims to have created, but Ditko deserves the lion's share of the credit for Spidey, Kirby for the FF, and really Dave Cockrum for many of the X-Men.

I feel a rant brewing about Stan Lee...

[rjenkinson]

Originally posted by MallyMal:
I throw up reading comics since I was like 7 years old

uh, grew up?

-r.

[MallyMal]

Originally posted by rjenkinson:
uh, grew up?

-r.

typo

[Superchicken]

I thought he practically ran Marvel... am I wrong? Why wouldn't they be paying him?

[lavar78]

Originally posted by Rev-O:
Yah, but is the weasel going to share with Kirby's widow & Ditko. Stan Lee is a shameless self promoter who has enjoyed much success off of the hard work and creativity of other. He's not quite a parasite, because he has had some input into these characters he claims to have created, but Ditko deserves the lion's share of the credit for Spidey, Kirby for the FF, and really Dave Cockrum for many of the X-Men.

I feel a rant brewing about Stan Lee...

It's fine to dislike some of his actions, but you're going so far overboard I have to believe you're kidding. Saying Ditko deserves most of the credit for Spider-Man is so ludicrous I'm having a hard time processing that. Sure, comics are a visual medium, but the enduring success of those characters is mostly due to the concepts behind them (especially Lee's emphasis on their human flaws instead of their superhuman powers). Stan Lee was never a great writer, but he's the undisputed king of ideas. That goes a long way in comics. Ditko, Kirby, and company's contributions may be underrated, but Lee's can never be overrated.

[Miniryu]

Originally posted by Superchicken:
I thought he practically ran Marvel... am I wrong? Why wouldn't they be paying him?

Nah, he hasn't been in charge for a long time. They still list him (I believe, its been a few years since I've picked up a Marvel book) as the creator of the characters he created, and in the early 90's gave him credit as Editor in Chief. He's 80 frickin' years old, I should hope he's taken a break from heading a company.

[Rev-O]

Originally posted by lavar78:
It's fine to dislike some of his actions, but you're going so far overboard I have to believe you're kidding. Saying Ditko deserves most of the credit for Spider-Man is so ludicrous I'm having a hard time processing that. Sure, comics are a visual medium, but the enduring success of those characters is mostly due to the concepts behind them (especially Lee's emphasis on their human flaws instead of their superhuman powers). Stan Lee was never a great writer, but he's the undisputed king of ideas. That goes a long way in comics. Ditko, Kirby, and company's contributions may be underrated, but Lee's can never be overrated.

Yah, I may be over the top on this, but I really don't like Stan Lee much. IIRC, Stan Lee had a vague idea for Spider-man that Ditko essentially developed. Kirby was a master, and his widow (and several supporters) had many issues with Stan the Man giving credit where credit was due. Top it off with Dave Cockrum, who created many of the existing X-Men (Storm, Nightcrawler, Colossus among them (but not Wolverine, Cyclops, the Beast or Angel)) and turned into a monster success (along with Chris Clermont), was virtually destitute, living in a VA hospital while fighting diabetes and pnuemonia, while Stan the Man was pulling down a 7 figure income from Marvel and was complaining that he need a bigger cut for all of the characters that Stan 'created'.

Overboard? Yes. Kidding? Not really.

[lavar78]

Cockrum created the New X-Men with Len Wein (and they were later fleshed out by Claremont). What does Lee have to do with that? It's like you're saying he doesn't deserve more money because other people aren't getting it. AFAIK, Ditko is as introverted as Lee is extroverted. They all deserved a bigger cut, but Stan was the one who really fought for it. According to this link, Stan comes right out and says that he and Ditko co-created Spider-Man.

I just think you're making Stan out to be a villain unnecessarily. Remember, we're talking about work that was done over 40 years ago. It isn't surprising that everyone's versions of the story aren't identical. I don't know... it's hard for me to dislike anyone who had a hand in creating Spidey.

[Rev-O]

Originally posted by lavar78:
Cockrum created the New X-Men with Len Wein (and they were later fleshed out by Claremont). What does Lee have to do with that? It's like you're saying he doesn't deserve more money because other people aren't getting it. AFAIK, Ditko is as introverted as Lee is extroverted. They all deserved a bigger cut, but Stan was the one who really fought for it. According to this link, Stan comes right out and says that he and Ditko co-created Spider-Man.

I just think you're making Stan out to be a villain unnecessarily. Remember, we're talking about work that was done over 40 years ago. It isn't surprising that everyone's versions of the story aren't identical. I don't know... it's hard for me to dislike anyone who had a hand in creating Spidey.

Y'know, I am demonizing him too much. Stan's biggest fault is that he is a shameless self promoter. No crime in that, honestly. I just believe that Stan has always been all about Stan and how Stan has done so many wonderful things for Marvel comics. Yes, now he admits that Ditko (and yah, Ditko is, shall we say, a bit of a recluse) had a hand in the creation of Spidey, and he admits that Kirby was at least a co-creator of many characters (of course, after Jack is dead), and Cockrum helped develope a franchise for Marvel and then got kicked to the curb in a huge way. Did Stan put Dave in the VA hospital (Dave got out a while back! Hooray!)? Naw, but Stan wasn't around to help a guy who helped Stan and Marvel comics tremendously.
Stan was a good idea man, and Stan was instrumental in creating a renaissance in comics. He just wasn't as instrumental as Stan would have you believe.

[brutal]

Originally posted by history1me:
Good for him!