Nationwide -- Stan Lee cemented himself as a pop culture icon, turning Marvel Comics into a media empire that included television and film. Lee died at the age of 95 recently, but his fans said his legacy will live on forever.

“I think his enthusiasm, his love of the characters and his love of the fans is what propelled him to kind of that status,” Teresa Colegrove said.

Colegrove and her husband own Packrat Comics in Hilliard, near Columbus. The walls are lined with hundreds of comics, many of which are published by Marvel Comics including the Avengers, Iron Man and Captain America.

Colegrove has been a fan for decades. She said she was once given the opportunity to take a photograph with Lee.

“I thanked him so much for creating a universe that employed so many people, that gave me a career, that let me do something with my family and that we get to enjoy with all of the families that come in,” she said.

Her favorite character, which Lee helped to create is Daredevil which follows the life of Matt Murdock, a blind lawyer that fights injustice in the courtroom while taking down criminals in the night.

It's the idea of seemingly normal people overcoming large obstacles that Colegrove said made many of Lee's characters so popular. She said that is his legacy.

 “I mean what he taught us early on was that we could all be heroes. That positive message is something that transcends and it's going to live forever,” she said.

Lee was laid to rest by his family during a small, private ceremony.