Families of artists Steve Ditko and Jack Kirby, and broadcaster Jonathan Ross, say pair were at forefront of creating Marvel characters

Sam Raimi’s charming, if patchy, 2002 adventure showed that mass audiences were eager for a new kind of superhero and the industry never looked back

Wonder Woman, Iron Man, Superman, Black Widow ... they can all trace their origins back to an exiled Hungarian baroness who dreamed up The Scarlet Pimpernel while riding the London Tube

Bringing diversity to the ailing Spidey universe has helped free the characters, leading to an increase in both box office and critical acclaim

Following the death of Stan Lee – comic-book titan and prolific creator – we examine the screen adaptations of some of Marvel’s greatest characters. Excelsior!