Stan Lee vs. Chris Claremont. Who contributed more to X-Men?

Question

Stan Lee created the X-Men with Jack Kirby, it's true. He created Prof X., Jean Grey, Cyclops, Archangel, Iceman and Beast, and Juggernaut with Jack Kirby. Stan Lee also created Magneto with Jack Kirby though some say that it was Chris Claremont who did much to develop the character.

Chris Claremont created the following characters:

Rogue - created by Chris Claremont and Michael Golden
Gambit - created by Chris Claremont and Jim Lee
Psylocke - created by Chris Claremont and Herb Trimpe
Cannonball - created by Chris Claremont and BobMcLeod
Kitty - created by Chris Claremont and John Byrne
Jubilee - created by Chris Claremont and Marc Silvestri
Mystique - created by Chris Claremont and Jim Mooney
Mr Sinster - created by Chris Claremont and Marc Silvestri
White Queen - created by Chris Claremont and John Byrne
Sabretooth - created by Chris Claremont and John Byrne

Claremont and Byrne also did much to develop wolverine into the character he is today.

Answer 1

It's got to be Claremont. He took a failed title and turned it into the #1 franchise.

Big deal if Lee invented a few characters...they weren't that original (check out Doom Patrol and many other titles) and Claremont would have done just as well from scratch.

In fact if you read the early X-Men, the writing is atrocious.

Claremont brought personalities to the characters...they were no longer just the caricatures that were common from the golden and silver ages. He brought complex storylines to the title, but they were engaging, not just "long".

His only real problem is trying to out-do himself...and too many revisions to history to get it done. Phoenix effectively killed Emma Frost and Mastermind, but they were brought back. The original Phoenix concept was terrific, but then it changed to Dark Phoenix...wh/ was acceptable. Finally that was even trashed by having Phoenix be an energy being.

Lee was said to have changed comics in the 60s and 70s, but his work never matched his vision. He had alot going for him (demographics) but in the end, he mostly just created new titles that were written like the old ones.

Claremont changed comics in a lasting way: they started telling stories. And this was in an era where people were cynical, the demographics worked against him, and new media were presenting much competition.

Claremont hands down.

Answer 2

Considering that the X-Men series was a failed project and cancelled in the 60's, then brought back bigger and better by Dave Cockrum and Chris Claremont -- I would have to go with the Dave and Chris.

Also, Chris wrote some of the best and most memorable storylines of the X-Men (Dark Phoenix saga, Days of Future Past, etc) without which much of the X-Men's best stories wouldn't even exist.

Stan is the Man, but Chris saved the franchise and put the X-Men on the map as the flagship Marvel comic book earning WAY more money than any other Marvel comic out there (except maybe Spider-Man).

Answer 3

Who contributed more? Claremont, hands down.
Who had the best good to bad contributions? Stan the Man.
Chris gave us lots of stuff, But allot of it was crap. Stan had class. He also had stricter Comics Code rules. I do not know if this is the reason. I just know that preClaremont the girls seemed to keep their clothes on more. The guys were not always trying to hop in bed with the others

Answer 4

Well, Stan The Man and King Kirby created The X Men, as well as Magneto and Juggernaut.

Len Wein and Dave Cockrum created the new team seen in Giant Size 1.

But Chris is responsible for putting the X on the map. Look at The Phoenix Saga or Days Of Future Past. Need I say any more?

Answer 5

You are right Claremont contributed more to the X-Men and put them on the map.

But Stan Lee put in the foundation of what we has fans love about the mutan group.

Answer 6

I've always loved the X-men but I have to say that Stan Lee's original characters are outdated. The X-men were meant to mirror the Civil Rights movement of the 60's

Prof X. was modeled after the guilty everyday American who knew about Nazi Germany but did nothing, his guilt now propels him to make a better world for everyone.

Jean Grey was born out of the women's movement showing a woman could do anything, once she put he mind to it.

Cyclops was the orphaned boy scout/ brown noser who is willing to do anything to please a father figure. He is also in love with the aforementioned woman.

Archangel is the wealthy heir to a fortune who discovers there are things much more important than money. I

ceman was the hot headed rebel (without the claws)

Beast an intelligent and agile seemingly perfect except for his looks. He still hasn't come to terms with his mutation. Although his face was not shown in the original comics he was just a masked man with large hands and feet.

Juggernaut, the unstopable force kind of like how Nazism was unstoppable during WWII and technically not a mutant. Juggs was also a familial link to Charles' past and his unbrideled hatred was a contrast to Chuck.

Magneto has got to be one of the best villians in the Marvel Universe. I love the juxaposition of the Holocaust and Anit-mutant movement. Kudos to Stan for Magneto.

The other characters including my favourite Rogue are modern and classic. Rogue, a woman with no name an everywoman if you will is blessed with strength, indestructability, intelligence and beauty but cannot touch another person for fear of killing them. That is some deep sh it. Talk about the ultimate form of tactile sensory deprivation. She is in love with a dishonest, troubled man (Gambit) who who despite his faults and there are many truly loves her.

Shadowcat is cool always hated Jubilee and Emma and Cannonball. Always thought Mystique was cool and almost as tragic as Rogue (her stepdaughter). Sabretooth never held much interest until it was revealed he was the father of the biggest mutant hater ever (I forgot his name). Mr Sinister reminded me of Mengele (sicko) and so did The High Evolutionary
As you can see I tend to focus on the American good guys.
Anyway it seems like Stan dropped the ball way before he sold out to those horrible X-Men movies. Perhaps he should focus on that ridiculous reality show.

PS He allowed the Hulk and Daredevil to be ruined as well. Thank God Spiderman didn't suck. Ok the first Spiderman...

Answer 7

Wellll, I guess if there wasn't Stan Lee there wouldn't BE X-Men. But Chris Clairemont created The best story of all: The Dark Phoenix Saga. If there was no Dark Phoenix, I would never have become interested in the X-Men.

Answer 8

Just by creating Xavier and Magneto, the winner becomes Stan Lee. He created the template and everything else involved becomes a derivation no matter how good it is.

It's like saying Edison invented the lightbulb, but the guy who created flourescent lights gets the real credit because they're brighter. It doesn't make sense. He couldn't have created ANYTHING if it weren't for the guy that did all the hardest work.

Answer 9

stan lee created the x-men to start with. without him, chris claremont wouldnt be the well known name he is today. 'nuff said

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