JUST IMAGINE - How Stan Lee Created a DC Universe
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- Опубліковано 30 січ 2025
- In this video, Owen explains the real-world story behind Stan Lee and DC Comics 2001 limited series, 'Just Imagine Stan Lee Creating the DC Universe', and how the Marvel icon reinvented characters such as Batman, Superman Wonder Woman and beyond.
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Great video
@Eric Sledge Do you hate Doomsday clock
Just imagine Stan lee re-imagining Batman’s rogues gallery just imagine a Stan lee version of the joker that ought to be crazy
"Cmon it can't possibly be that weir-"
*Batman looks like an actual bat*
"....................................."
But he's still completely human. The costume just resembles a real bat more
Carlos Almonacid
Would be even more weird then..lol
Was batman bitten by a radioactive bat?
Hezekiah Joseph nah, just a wrongly imprisoned man with a pet bat and inventor for a best friend
The Silencer ikr? He looks like an actual bat now but he’s STILL just a dude in a suit? 🤦🏾♂️
"So I thought to myself, how can I outshine Jack Kirby at DC Comics, too? And then, boom, 'Just Imagine' came into my mind." - Stan Lee
Matt Draper have you heard of Justice league the nail?
Jack Kirby wasn't that successful at DC though, he was a phenomenal artist but his writing left a *LOT* to be desired. They needed each other in order to create the magic they did.
@@daniescott3000 well jack Kirby wasn't just a artist he was also the writer and the editor. He was know as the king of Comics. Yes stan Lee got the name and Bio. Of the characters but Jack Kirby take the shape and image on that characters
@@samswingler6498 that was the joke geez
@@samswingler6498 he steals credit after the artists die lol.
Honestly I would like to see each company do reimaginings of the others lead characters, outside of the characters that were expies of the others characters.
That would be cool! At this point it might as well happen.
Thats what all their copycat characters are for haha
Imagine DC’s take on Thor and Hulk
Imagine if its valiant
Regarding Marvel doing something similar, two words: Squadron Supreme.
I really enjoyed how Stan really tried to reinvent the characters. He didn't just take the characters and change a few details, he started from the ground up. And honestly, from what I've seen thru are pretty cool.
Ngl I would be more terrified seeing Stan’s Batman than the original Batman. That suit’s fucking terrifying to look at 😱
I believe that if a writer want to create his own original version of pre-existent characters, they should be as similar to the original as Stan Lee's DC was.
Bob Kane: "Spiderman would have been more successful if I had stolen it"
*fixed*
Lmao gottem
Ironically Spider-Man was based on DC's Tarantula, who also climbed walls and ceilings, as well as shooting webs to swing from and trap villains. Most telling, he was even referred to as Spiderman by the media in his comics.
@@Cervando I think your wrong , if you listen to when Lee talked bout how he came up with spiderman it was just off his head, he at first didn't think the character would be much of anything since his editor at the time said it wasn't a good idea to give a superhero problems PR make him a teenager.
He said he go the idea from watching a fly or insect (can't really remember , cause I was a kid when I heard the interview) , but that calling the character "flyman" or "insectman" , (really can't remember the original name) , didn't sound good , but then he saw a spider and came up with spiderman , which sounded way better.
Both companies have issues of disrespect especially towards Jack kirby
@@Cervando - Spiderman is a ripoff of several characters including The Spider Queen and The Fly.
Gotta say I really dig Wonder Woman’s, Flash and GL designs here and would love to them return in a future story
In a Multiversal story they could do it in Honor of Stan Lee.
I love these versions of the characters, and honestly wouldn’t mind seeing them get some more love. R.I.P Stan “The Man” Lee. I still miss him today
@Bearly Legal because he likes his works and his cameos are funny and he's a chill guy
Someone does remember Stan Lee's Just Imagine !
I think these characters deserve an animated adaptation.
DC comics should make a tribute to Stan Lee by making a remake of these comics with updated art.
Or maybe just some new stories with em
@Supermanfan 2003 I'm all in for that!.
Just add them to the main universe. They are completely different other than super hero names
@@leopardtree2249 a crossovers with the justice society would be dope.
Welp
You know, bringing these characters back as part of a special imprint would be a cool way for DC to boost sales. They could get all of their biggest talents to rework the origins for these characters a little, publish a miniseries about each of them, and then based on which titles sell the best launch an ongoing series about them. Considering how big of a figure Stan Lee has become to the general public, announcing that DC is "paying tribute to Stan Lee" by bringing back the characters he made would probably bring them a lot of publicity.
Late to the party but yes to this.
It's weird they didn't do a special imprint of this. BUT HEY they just released a 100 page Earth 6/Just Imagine special with stories of these characters.
Some facts of sorts.
Damn, say what you will about the characters, but that Cassaday art in the finale is gorgeous.
Cassaday's art is always spectacular, and here was no exception!
My friend had the Batman and Superman Just Imagine comics. I remember hating them as a kid.
😂😂
They look terrible lol
2:14 i think what Bob Kane meant to say was 'If I actually bothered to draw it, it would be more successful'
Jack Kirby created most of marvels best works and characters, then he created the fourth world for DC. He is highly underrated
Pretty crazy that Stan Lee actually wrote for DC even one time given marvel and DCs bitter and longstanding rivalry
I always wondered how he kept getting paid despite not working for the company in his latter years. Love Stan. It’s crazy how much I miss a dude I never even met.
I wish Stan tackled more DC characters & teams like Joker, Harley Quinn, Green Arrow, Black Canary, Martian Manhunter, Firestorm, Jonah Hex, Power Girl, Hawkman, Teen Titans, Metal Men, Zatanna.
Firestorm. Atom. Tarantula.
Just Imagine was one of my most beloved series. With all of its flaws, it was sheer entertainment. The origins were all fresh and the build up to the villain was perfect.
If DC had done this to Marvel, the big bad would be called "Secret."
No it would be called "Infinity"
In an alternate universe, DC writers came to Marvel to work on the Avengers. Iron-man is turned into someone who actually transforms his body to be iron, Captain America has two smaller shields each on one arm, Thor is a being from higher Dimension and Spider-Mans powers work only during the night.
@@mr.knightthedetective7435 What happened is that canon?
@@sussyangel7492
Hell no it's not "canon" it was just a hypothetical speculation
Symbiote God Secret Infinity!
I've heard of Just Imagine, but never read it or knew any of the backstory behind how it came to be. Really Interesting stuff, I'll have to check it out!
DC Characters so iconic, people stay making their versions or using them as jobbers or even to show strength scale.
That's because DC is the original superhero comics. Other companies are trying to reinvent the wheel while DC started it all.
Jason Todd Superman is the OG superhero. Same with Batman. They were at least 5 years ahead of marvel. A lot of marvel characters are ripped off from DC.
Did not know this series existed, amazing stuff!
i liked it
I learned about it from Stan Lee’s biographical comicbook.
Great video! It's weird how such an interesting portion of comics history is often forgotten.
It's more Weird that comic history is more distorted, Stan lee did not create the amount of Marvel people think he did, yet he toke credit for it. It like the old Mafia tactic of putting their name on a music song to get song writing credit royalties.
I even have imagined the Justice league as universal monsters
Concept wise, those characters were pretty good. The Superman concept had some flaws, and a lot of Lee-isms, but was fundamentally good.
Man, Stan Lee was the GOAT even at DC Comics, Thanks for the story! Glad to hear about Stan Lee's AU version of Justice League and how he saw them!
Have you thought about doing a video on the whole Tangent line of DC comics?
That's an interesting idea
@Jm Gonzales The Tangent characters have the same names as the established DC characters but they're different. Like Green Lantern as a woman with an ancient magic lantern...
Subscribed think its pretty cool that Stand Lee tried his hand at the characters. Backstory are okay, costumes could use some work. Robin as Atom is kinda dope.
I think this series would have worked out better if Stan's artists functioned as real equal collaborators, that brought their own ideas to the table, and Stan would listen and adjust. The way it was done in the past. I think these ideas have some meat on the bone but they needed more work-shopping and editing to fully realize them as breathing characters that leap off of the page.
Stan was never a solo act but he was great at giving characters heart but it was up to the artist to conceive of those heartfelt ideas as dynamic and iconic figures. (Without knowing the actual details of the development process this is all conjecture.)
I would like Warner Bros and DC animation to do some animated short adaptations of these stories as a late tribute to Stan Lee!
I remember randomly finding the Superman issue in my dad's comic collection and reading it, thinking "wtf is this". It wasn't bad just mediocre so I honestly forgot about it until I came across this video. Thanks for the retrospective!
Stan's little one shot project had a lot of great artists working with him on it.
I would love to see an animated movie based on the Just Imagine series
He certainly had plenty of imagination. And cameos.
But the biggest creator of marvel is jack Kirby
Yep Stan role in Marvel is more figure head, he was a mascot, yet people are under the impression that he created most of it. I just hate it when due to the MCU everyone thinks he single handly created comics.
@@disposable_hero1725 only casuals think that. its understandable tho casuals dont really know who created what comics.
Marvel would have never become what it is today without Lee. Cirby never liked the spot light, while Lee pushed the marvel brand into that Light.
Eh but stan wrote alot of iconic characters
@@BlackStoneAnimations
Yeah, he wrote some Marvel characters’ stories while Jack Kirby drew them.
u can rly see rhe love and fun the artists had creating this because I want this right now, my mind is shattered into new dimensions
I had ALL of them. 2 sets, one to read and share with the 2nd to preserve. Sadly I have lost many of my comics to hurricanes and I'm slowly rebuilding my collection.
I really like the design of Wonder Woman in this ♥️
Stan Lee's energy was so infectious, I love his interviews. Uk
I would prefer at least one book focusing on each dimension. One for Just Imagine, one for Earth 1, one for Tangent, and one for the Great Disaster.
Seeing how Stan lee was able to do his own take on the DC universe is a lot of me going back on stuff like W.I.T.C.H. he-man and she-ra and Gi joe going into their stuff and seeing what new takes and idea to work with and what new origins that could work
Always entertaining and informative! Thanks Owen!
This has to be a good video about Stan Lee who made Marvel comics and it's superheroes but also did a DC comic books on his take and I have to look up to him as my inspiration.
Nah.
@@brandonamezquita4501 Piss off no one cares for you if you want to start a fight.
Man I miss Stan Lee
i bought every issue as they came out. i enjoyed the series and maybe its time to dig through the many long boxes and give it a much needed reread
I truly enjoyed this run. I as much as I would like to see these characters in the more stories especially Wayne Williams batman I think the little time capsule it is on should left alone
The reimagined versions just look way too generic to me and that Batman looks terrible lol
That's racist!
@@skidooshlayman12 how is bad costume a racist
Jack Crater very bad
@@anasloyal it's a joke
I think the Batman costume has potential, especially on an African-American. It would be harder to find where the mask stops and where the face begins, giving the illusion that it's a huge fucking bat beating the shit out of you.
To say that you make amazing content, is an understatement. 😉
Continue doing what you do. :)
Thank you so much, Carlos❤️
I’d still love to see some sort of a continuation of this universe, I think it’s interesting (even if the stories may not have been absolutely amazing)
I’m so glade that someone has finally decided to do an in-depth video on Stan Lee’s take on the classic DC Comics characters. His version of the DC Universe definitely has that Stan Lee trademark quirkiness! I can totally see Stan Lee’s take on these DC characters coexist in the Marvel Universe. I know that a large group of people found this series to be a bit underwhelming but personally I thought these books were a whole lot fun! I seriously enjoyed Stan’s Just Imagine! With that being said I’m definitely going to reread the whole series because I own them all! I suggest to those who’ve never read the Just Imagine to pick them up. I believe they’re compiled into 3 or 4 paperback volumes. It’s totally worth the money!
The green lantern one was my favorite
His reinventions were so good. Robin > Atom is dope.
Watching this after reading the Tales of Earth-6 Book they released today. Hope they continue making stories with these characters. Like, continue making Tales of Earth-6 specials or making it a Monthly series. I enjoyed the book.
Oh that's exciting, I'll have to check that book out!
This just sounds so much fun to read
I've come across this channel today I'm amazed given the content and video quality your subs numbers deffo need to be higher!
Thank you so much, Moshin!
John Buscema did some great artwork on Stan Lee's take on Superman, especially when Buscema was best known for his romance & sword & sorcery work.
A good and fun idea to put Stan Lee on that job! The series is rather interesting and shows Lee´s talent for creating and/or re-creating characters. Good ol fun as they say.
I love his Wonder Woman idea for sure. Not sure how Ifeel about the others but would love to read this one day.
Just imagine that a limited animated series debuts on Disney+ on the next anniversary of Stan Lee's passing, presented as a sequel to "What If..." and it starts with the text "Hell, of course it would be interesting to do, but I have as much chance of doing those characters as a snowball in hell." - Stan Lee. Then, the music starts, and you see the logos. "Marvel Studios" in conjunction with "The Warner Brothers" ...."Stan Lee Presents... Just Imagine"
I recently a few years ago got the giant Omni book of just imagineAnd Love it from cover to cover since I’m a long time marvel fan but I also enjoy what DC has to offer.And if I could’ve gotten Stanley’s autograph I would’ve had him sign my copy of just imagine.I really wish DC had more faith in this series and promoted it a little bit more.
His version of Superman was awesome. I also liked the JLA issue and the Secret files issue.
@LaVerdadEsMuyCatólica wow.
This just proves how much Lee needed Kirby, Ditko and others to create anything worthwhile.
I think that's an unfair judgment. Because, at this point, Stan had been doing comics for over 60 years and everything has been done every which way. So when this came around, I believe he was aiming for something that wasn't just a reimagining derivative of the main stories that everyone knows. But also isn't just moving over Marvel character origins over onto DC characters. He really did try to create whole new origin stories that left out as much of the original characters as he could, but also didn't sound like someone we knew.
If you looked at Kirby’s work when he was working at DC you’d say the same about him
@@unigenius Imaginative? How? His Batman was almost identical to Manbat.
@@jordanscott4543 Really? He did some excellent work at DC. Ever heard of the New Gods? However he was resented by some colleagues due to past legal issues and them feeling threatened and was forced to work in titles hd had little interest in.
Great video! I love the Just Imagine universe, specifically Wonder Woman and Aquaman. I was so happy Morrison brought them into the multiverse.
Another great video👍🏻
Thank you!
Great video! Can you make a video about genius brands joint venture with Stan Lee POW into Stan Lee Universe
I'm really fond of the colorful JAKQ-esque Flash redesign
I really like that Wonder Woman.
It would be fun that these were in the DCAU and I guess heard of else world where Batman is a vampire and superman is a Frankenstein’s monster
So basically manbat and bizarro?
Nutty Potatoe12 not really
Some interesting ideas Stan created. I don't think any of the re-imagined characters are as visually appealing as the originals. Successful character design is harder than people think.
But curious Owen what is the reimagining of Aquaman Catwoman and Shazam and their back stories
Am I the only one who thinks Green Lantern in here looks like Dr. Manhattan?
I honestly love the designs of the characters
DC and Marvel are both amazing in their own ways, there's something that separates them though. DC characters could never fit into the Marvel universe and Marvel characters could never fit into the DC universe. They're each unmistakably the products of their respected companies.
I think the reason why just imagine was forgotten was because they were reimagined versions of well loved characters
I am a huge fan of the Justice League but I wouldn't mind seeing Stan Lee's version of these iconic characters in an all-new comic book series I think it would be pretty cool.
Rip Stan you and Chadwick are pure heart and are Herous
❤❤❤❤
@28 You mean it can't be overstated. If it can't be understated it means that no matter how little you say, you said too much. But beyond that pedantic detail, this was a very interesting video! Thank you for you effort.
Thank you, I appreciate the correction on that phrase too!
I loved his take on Batman. Such a shame that it only had a few issues
I rewatched Linkara's review of the Superman book and I noticed a line from that version of Lois Lane, who is Superman's agent, saying "I've already had offers from Warner Bros, Universal, Disney, and the networks are falling all over themselves." So, Stan basically predicted the Cinematic Universe Wars! LOL.
Lee’s Flash and Aquaman are so interesting and different that it’s a shame they weren’t their own original creations.
Just Imagine Universe exists on the DC Megaverse on the original Multiverse it’s designation was Earth-901, on the 52 Multiverse was Earth-27 and on the New 52 Multiverse is Earth 6.
I wish more of these has been made…
I’m very interested in the design he gave Batman, I think a more hyper realistic cowl would look great with the right tweaks.
I wished Stan Lee would not only reimagined characters of the DC characters but create original superhero characters In a way he did original characters with the DC characters
I honestly really liked those characters better then anything made nowadays atleast they felt original...
Honestly I thought his reinvention of Batman and Green Lantern we're interesting although I did find his Superman and Wonder Woman reimagining has to be that interesting and the Flash felt boring. Thanks for making this video Own and you're saying it wrong it's Stan the Man Lee
Stan Lee: Just imagine Batman but he’s Man-Bat.
What DC should have said: Yeah we did that… back in 1970.
I know I'm in the minority, but I was a Big fan of this run. 👍
The Batman looks cool
I was trying to think of what an inverse of this would look like; a well-known DC personality reinterpreting the Marvel Universe. Neil Gaiman's 1602 series was the closest thing I could think of, but that's kinda shaky since Gaiman isn't as intertwined with DC anywhere near as much as Stan Lee was with Marvel, and while Gaiman has written quite a bit for superheroes he's not mainly thought of as a superhero writer
also, they, hummingbird did appear in multiversity as well and the crisis
I bought 4 of these comics in 2001
Have you ever thought about doing a video on Justice League: Gods and Monsters?
I remember waiting very impatiently for these issues to come out. I thought crisis was the best book out of all of them.
Next: Just imagine Kevin Feige's DC Cinematic Universe.
It's only right. Almost everyone else worked at both, including Jack and Roy.