After a couple of missed appearances at scheduled events, comic fans were speculating about the health of the 89-year old Stan Lee . The legendary co-creator of The Amazing Spider-Man, Iron Man, The Avengers and other Marvel super heroes ended the speculation himself, announcing that he has had surgery to install a pacemaker and is recovering.
Newsarama reported that in typical Stan Lee fashion, the official statement posted on his company, POW! Entertainment, website. The release starts by noting that the “media and entertainment company, today has a message from its founder and Chairman.”
“Attention, Troops,” Lee writes. “This is a dispatch sent from your beloved Generalissimo, directly from the center of Hollywood’s combat zone!
“Now hear this! Your leader hath not deserted thee! In an effort to be more like my fellow Avenger, Tony Stark, I have had an electronic pace-maker placed near my heart to insure that I’ll be able to lead thee for another 90 years.
“But fear thee not, my valiant warriors. I am in constant touch with our commanders in the field and victory shall soon be ours. Now I must end this dispatch and join my troops, for an army without a leader is like a day without a cameo!”
Lee signed off with his trademark, “Excelsior.”
Fox40.com had reported that Lee cancelled a pair of appearances in Ohio last week, including a scheduled stop at Ohio’s Comic Con, but at the time Lee’s agent wouldn’t say why, only stating that the cancellations were for a “very serious circumstance.”