Marvel Comics co-creator Stan Lee has died at the age of 95.
He was responsible for some of the most popular superhero characters in history including Spider-Man, X Men, the Incredible Hulk and Iron Man.
Lee's daughter J.C. Lee confirmed his death to Reuters news agency, saying that her father "loved his life and he loved what he did for a living".
She added: "His family loved him and his fans loved him. He was irreplaceable."
In recent years he had become known for his cameos in Marvel films. He pulled a girl away from falling debris in 2002's Spider-Man, for example, and was a casino customer in this year's Black Panther.
"There will never be another Stan Lee," tweeted the actor Chris Evans, who played Captain America on the big screen.
"For decades he provided both young and old with adventure, escape, comfort, confidence, inspiration, strength, friendship and joy."
The original Incredible Hulk, Lou Ferrigno, said there were "not enough kind words" to post about his "dear friend".
He added: "My life wouldn't be the same without his incredible talent."
And Josh Brolin said: "To those of us who have been so deeply affected by the humanity of his imagination, the understanding of reaching beyond our potential and the necessity of tapping into our immeasurable imaginations, we thank you."
Lee, a writer and editor, worked with artists such as Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko to turn Marvel into a major comic book brand in the 1960s.
His characters, while imbued with incredible abilities, were allowed to have flaws and complexity: they worried about love and money and would sometimes feel insecure.
Lee told NPR News in 2010 that his characters were "human as well as super", and that he wanted to "learn a little about their private lives".
Lee was born Stanley Martin Lieber in New York in December 1922, the son of Jewish immigrants from Romania.
When he was 17 he became an errand boy at Timely Comics – which evolved in Marvel – and soon began to write.
Initially, as well as tales of superheros, he wrote westerns and romances.
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He often wrote at the home in Long Island he shared with his actress wife Joan, who died last year.
They married in 1947 and had two children – Joan, who was born in 1950, and Jan, who died within three days of her birth in 1953.
