One of Stan Lee's weirder projects wasn't just a comic he was writing. It was a comic he starred in: Stan Lee's Mighty 7, published by, believe it or not, Archie Comics. Launched in 2012 with a concept by Lee, Mighty 7 was billed as "the world's first reality comic book," although its relationship to reality was only slightly less tenuous than most comics. Lee also provided help with the script, working alongside writers Tony Blake and Paul Jackson and veteran artist Alex Saviuk.
The premise was pretty simple: Seven aliens, two cops, and five criminals, crash-land on Earth and become superheroes. The difference is that the first person they meet on the planet is Stan Lee — the actual, "real-life" Stan Lee, who wrote comic books. Lee decides that the super-powered aliens would make a great team of heroes, and, in a very Funky Flashman-esque move, decides to mentor them in the fine art of power and responsibility.
Mighty 7 was initially meant to be the first title in a line called Stan Lee Comics, and, at first, it looked to be going well. In addition to the comic, the concept was shopped around for an animated series, and the Hub, the network owned by Hasbro that also launched My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, ordered a pilot in 2014. Unfortunately for Stan and the 7, the series was never picked up, and while the comic was slated for six issues, only three were released, leaving the series unfinished without ever getting to the part where the team comes together. No other Stan Lee Comics titles were ever put out.
