Tributes are being paid to Stan Lee, co-creator of Marvel Comics, who has died.
The 95-year-old passed away early on Monday morning.
Celebrity website TMZ said an ambulance was called to his home and he was taken to the Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre, where he later died.
Lee started Marvel Comics with Jack Kirby in 1961, with 'The Fantastic Four'.
He went on to create 'Spider-Man', 'Black Panther', 'The Incredible Hulk', 'X-Men', 'Iron Man' and 'The Avengers'.
His daughter JC Lee said in a statement to Reuters: "He felt an obligation to his fans to keep creating.
"He loved his life and he loved what he did for a living.
"His family loved him and his fans loved him. He was irreplaceable."
Stan Lee also made cameo appearances in all of the Marvel films.
His final tweet, dated November 11th, thanked America's veterans for their service:
Thank you to all of America's veterans for your service. Fun fact: Stan’s official US Army title during WW2 was ‘Playwright.’ #VeteransDay pic.twitter.com/limi6CWzsL
— stan lee (@TheRealStanLee) November 11, 2018
Born Stanley Martin Lieber, Lee was a writer and editor and 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 felt insecure at times.
Lee told NPR News in 2010 that he thought it would be fun to "learn a little about their private lives".
His characters were "human as well as super", he added.
Stan Lee pictured in 2004 | Image: PA Wire/PA Wire/PA Images
Lee was born 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.
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.
Stan Lee is seen in this undated photo | Image: Marvel
Chairman and CEO of The Walt Disney Company, Bob Iger, said: "Stan Lee was as extraordinary as the characters he created.
"A super hero in his own right to Marvel fans around the world, Stan had the power to inspire, to entertain, and to connect.
"The scale of his imagination was only exceeded by the size of his heart".
Today, we pause and reflect with great sadness on the passing of Stan Lee: https://t.co/J0cwgdn677 pic.twitter.com/eOBdZAqdZ0
— Marvel Entertainment (@Marvel) November 12, 2018
In a lengthy statement, Marvel said: "As Marvel's Editor-in-Chief, Stan 'The Man' Lee made his voice the voice of the stories themselves.
"Writing virtually every Marvel title and working with such luminaries as Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, Don Heck, Gene Colan and John Romita, Stan began building a universe of interlocking continuity, one where fans felt as if they could turn a street corner and run into a Super Hero.
"A rich collection of characters grew out of his nonstop plotting sessions with his artists, including the Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, Thor, Iron Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and more.
"Today, it would be almost impossible to find a corner of the Marvel Universe that Stan didn't have a hand in.
"Marvel fans found a friend in Stan Lee.
"He introduced the famous 'Stan's Soapbox' to speak directly to his readers, reaching a personal level rarely seen in comics of the day.
"Always pushing for new ways of creating comics, Stan also inaugurated the 'Marvel method' of plotting and art, creating some of the most iconic stories in the industry to this day.
"When something mattered to Stan, you felt it in his words, whether in an editorial or in the stories themselves.
"With passion for the medium, he helped refine and reform the Comics Code Authority and addressed hot-button issues like discrimination, drugs, and intolerance."
Stan Lee is seen in this undated photo | Image: Marvel
Tributes are also being paid on social media.
'Wolverine' actor Hugh Jackman said the world had "lost a creative genius".
We’ve lost a creative genius. Stan Lee was a pioneering force in the superhero universe. I’m proud to have been a small part of his legacy and .... to have helped bring one of his characters to life. #StanLee #Wolverine pic.twitter.com/iOdefi7iYz
— Hugh Jackman (@RealHughJackman) November 12, 2018
'Iron Man' star Robert Downey Jr posted a photo on Instagram of himself with Lee and an image of a love heart.
"I owe it to you all... Rest in Peace Stan", he wrote.
The original 'Incredible Hulk' actor, Lou Ferrigno, said there were "not enough kind words" to post about his "dear friend".
Not enough kind words to post about my dear friend @TheRealStanLee
My life wouldn’t be the same without his incredible talent as a creator, storyteller and friend ????Rest In Peace Stan. You’ll be missed.
.#legend #hulk #stanlee #rip pic.twitter.com/9XU45GHCnq— Lou Ferrigno (@LouFerrigno) November 12, 2018
"Damn... RIP Stan. Thanks for everything." wrote actor Ryan Reynolds, who has played the character of 'Deadpool'.
Damn... RIP Stan. Thanks for everything. pic.twitter.com/TMAaDJSOhh
— Ryan Reynolds (@VancityReynolds) November 12, 2018
Thank you Stan Lee for making people who feel different realize they are special.
— Seth Rogen (@Sethrogen) November 12, 2018
Rest in peace, Stan Lee. The many worlds of imagination & delight you created for humanity will last forever.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 12, 2018
RIP Stan Lee, 95.
The genius who gave the world so many wonderful comics.
A Marvel of a man. pic.twitter.com/UtdasQrVrH— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) November 12, 2018
Overwhelmed with love and gratitude for the late, great hero, Stan Lee. Rest In Paradise. Thank you for your imagination, creativity, tenacity, inspiration and love!!! https://t.co/4WqHCtDXE1
— Rosario Dawson (@rosariodawson) November 12, 2018
RIP Stan Lee.. I had the honor of meeting him. 95 what a life...
— ICE T (@FINALLEVEL) November 12, 2018
Additional reporting: IRN
