Stan Lee and the Super Seven

Stan Lee is in the pantheon of comic book gods. He's thought up Spider-Man, the Incredible Hulk, and Thor, amongst others. Does the 87-year-old still have superpowers in creating indelible comic book characters? Quite possibly. He just unveiled, according to the New York Times, the Super Seven.

From the story...

The new characters range from a teenager — Kid Kinergy, action addict, has telekinetic powers — to a ladies’ man called Lazer Lord. “You’re not sure if he’s good or bad,” Mr. Lee said. “That’s to keep the readers worried.”

Mr. Lee said he endowed other characters with powers never seen before; for example, “Think chubbiness as a weapon.”

Super Seven will take traditional comic book form by the end of the year, with online and television extensions rolling out later, said Andy Heyward, the chief executive and co-founder of A Squared. Talks are under way with toy retailers, and related motion pictures are the ultimate goal.

“We’re approaching this like the Normandy invasion — all in,” Mr. Heyward said.

Mr. Heyward hopes to build a second Stan Lee Comics property around a character called Air-Walker, who first appeared in comics published by Marvel, where Mr. Lee spent most of his career, ultimately serving as its chairman. (It was at Marvel in the 1960s where Mr. Lee, along with the artist Jack Kirby, created the likes of the X-Men and the Fantastic Four.)

Wired also takes note of Lee's new creations.

And, speaking of comic book gods, one can't not think of Watchmen creator Alan Moore. He, too, has developed something new - Unearthing.