What Was Stan Lee's Cause of Death? Legendary Comic Creator Suffered From Heart Failure Among Other Ailments

Legendary comics creator Stan Lee died of heart failure, according to his death certificate, which was obtained and released by TMZ on Tuesday. The 95-year-old, who died on November 12, also suffered respiratory failure.

Lee, who was largely responsible for the creation of the Marvel Universe, also battled aspiration pneumonia—which is contracted when food, stomach acid or saliva is inhaled in the lungs—when he died at Cedars-Sinai hospital in Los Angeles. Lee had been rushed to the hospital a month earlier.

Lee had endured a number of health ailments in recent years. In addition to battling pneumonia earlier in 2018, Lee had been hospitalized in early February for shortness of breath and an irregular heartbeat. He also had problems with his vision.

Lee's death certificate stated that the Spider-Man creator had been cremated. His ashes were given to his daughter, Joan Celia Lee.

It was 1961 when Lee first launched Marvel comics with partner Jack Kirby, introducing the masses to some of the most popular superheroes to date—including not only Spider-Man but the X-Men, the Incredible Hulk, Black Panther and the Avengers. His comics inspired numerous movie franchises and TV shows. Lee was named publisher of Marvel in 1972 and continued to remain an important figure in the company throughout his life.

Lee's later years were plagued with legal woes. Following the death of his wife, Joan Lee, in 2017, Lee sued the board of Pow! Entertainment, which he created to develop TV shows, movies and video games in 2001. The $1 billion lawsuit was dropped a few weeks after it was filed in July 2017.

Lee is survived by his daughter and younger brother, Larry Lieber, who was also a writer and artist for the Marvel Universe.