It’s no secret that the creator ofThe Boys, Garth Ennis, is not a fan of classic superhero stories. Ennis usually portrays heroes as corrupt maniacs in need of a slap, and he always has a character (or characters) in his stories that do just that.The Boysis a prime example, and in one particular issue, Ennis decides that taking shots at superheroes through plot alone isn’t enough. He wanted to take a shot at the man himself:Stan Lee- and he used a clever cameo to do it.
InThe Boys: Butcher, Baker, Candlestickmaker#6 by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson, readers are giventhe full history of the formation of the Boys. Originally, the only two members of the Boys were Greg Mallory and Billy Butcher, and they were little more than a superhero hit-squad that practically any agency could contract, like the CIA or DEA. The Boys weren’t an autonomous group conducting their own missions/investigations for quite some time, but there was one man who could help them get there: the Legend.
The Legend was the founder of Victory Comics(the in-world stand-in for Marvel Comics), and he was in charge of making real-world superheroes likable and marketable to the public. That also meant that he knew all their dirty secrets, meaning he could help the Boys secure their funding and gain their independence as an autonomous branch of the CIA. During the Boys’ meeting with the Legend in this issue, he receives a call from his secretary, who tells him, “you have Garth Ennis on line two”, and his response is less than polite.
Garth Ennis Admits that Stan Lee Didn’t Like His Work (& He Doesn’t Care)
Garth Ennis Said Stan Lee wasn’t a Fan of His Depiction of Nick Fury in 2001’sFury
Garth Ennis’The Boyscameo wasn’t just a shot at Stan Lee, it was actually based on his real experience with the Marvel Comics founder (sort of). While there’s no evidence to suggest that Stan Lee was prejudiced against British people, Garth Ennis has admitted that Lee was not a fan of his work - specifically on Marvel’s MAX imprint.
In a 2024 interview withCBR, Garth Ennis speaks about his latest Marvel Comics series,Get Fury. Given the subject matter, the interviewer asks Ennis about his previous work with the character, specifically the 2001 Marvel MAX series,Fury.
Garth Ennis: I just took the character to what I saw as his logical place in the world, ie. a complete lunatic in love with war. I know that among others Stan Lee didn’t like it, but never having read any of his comics that doesn’t mean as much to me as it might to some.
Garth Ennis admits that Stan Lee didn’t like his work on 2001’sFury, and since that series features Ennis’ iconic style, it’s fair to assume Lee wasn’t a fan of Ennis’ at all. But, as Ennis also admitted in his CBR interview, he doesn’t care. In fact, Ennis used Stan Lee’s disapproval of his work as inspiration for a hilarious cameo, as well as an iconic originalThe Boyscharacter.
The Legend’s Entire Character in The Boys is an Insulting Parody of Stan Lee
The Legend Debuted inThe Boys#7
Garth Ennis’ cameo wasn’t the only shot the comic creator took at Stan Lee usingThe Boys’ iconic character, the Legend. In fact, the Legend’s very existence is a shot at Stan Lee, as he was created as an insulting parody of the Marvel founder. From his very first appearance, the Legend was meant to mock Stan Lee, standing as a crude parody among countless other parodies. Except, in the Legend’s case, he was based on a real person as opposed to a comic book character, making him stand out even more inThe Boys.
The Boys' Writer Dislikes Stan Lee’s Writing So Much, He’s Never Finished Any of His Comics (Despite Trying To)
In an interview, Garth Ennis – creator of “The Boys” – declared that he has never read one Stan Lee comics “cover to cover,” despite having tried.
While the Legend’s very existence is meant as an insult to Stan Lee, Garth Ennis didn’t include himself in the joke untilButcher, Baker, Candlestickmaker, whereThe Boyscreator gives himself a clever cameo (loosely based on a real-world experience) that hilariously takes a shot atStan Lee.
The Boys
The Boysfranchise is a satirical and dark superhero series based on the comic book by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson. It explores a world where superheroes, or “Supes,” are corrupt, violent, and morally bankrupt, all controlled by the powerful corporation Vought International. The story centers around two opposing groups:The Boys, a vigilante team aiming to expose and defeat the corrupt heroes, andThe Seven, Vought’s elite team of Supes led by the ruthless Homelander.
