The man behind the superheroes

MANILA, Philippines - At 91, Stan Lee — the creator of iconic comic-book characters from The Incredible Hulk to Iron Man — is again ushering in one of his most beloved characters, Spider-Man, back to the big screen. Columbia Pictures’ The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is the latest in the blockbuster series, in which Andrew Garfield is back as Peter Parker for more webslinging and, presumably, saving the world.

When Spider-Man returns, peace in Gotham is trounced by Electro, a brand-new bad guy played by Jamie Foxx. His old friend Harry Osborn (Dane DeHaan) is also back.

Lee may not be writing new comics, but keeps an ear close to the ground. With more than one million Twitter followers and relentless attendance at comic-book conventions, Lee’s schedule rivals that of most, much less the average nonagenarian.

The secret to his longevity may stem in part from his insistence on showing up not to speak, but to listen. “People think I’m imparting information to them, but I’m learning a hell of a lot,” he said.

“Without fans, you have nothing,” Lee said. “Fans are wonderful. And they make it very difficult for you, because they can turn on you in a second if you let them down. When you know how important they are, you spend all your time trying not to let them down. You must not disappoint the fans, ever.”