The true origin of S.H.I.E.L.D. technology and Marvel’s iconic Life Model Decoys. First appearing in Strange Tales #135, these androids were the brainchild of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby to keep Nick Fury safe from Hydra. We break down the evolution of these gadgets from simple tactical tools to a major fixture in Marvel Comics history. Subscribe for more deep dives into classic comic lore.

To celebrate what would be Jack Kirby's 109th Birthday - lets look at the top 5 characters he had a hand in creating. Number 5 would be the T'Challa Black Panther, Kirby and Stan Lee’s 1966 creation has surged into the top tier through cultural importance, strong fan rankings, a 300,000+ copy launch for Black Panther #1 in 2016, and two solo films totaling roughly $2.19 billion worldwide, plus enormous modern licensing and merchandise exposure. Marvel itself included T’Challa among its ten greatest Kirby creations. Coming in 4th is Thor, Thor has more than six decades of continuous comics prominence and routinely places among Marvel’s most popular heroes; his four solo MCU films have grossed approximately $2.71 billion worldwide, while his hammer, helmet and costume have become instantly recognizable merchandising symbols. Kirby’s visual reinvention of Norse mythology was so extensive that Marvel ranks Thor among his signature creations. In 3rd place is The Hulk, Hulk edges Thor because he became a genuine household name decades before the MCU, through comics, television, cartoons, toys and merchandise, while ranking #9 on IGN’s all-time heroes list and #2 on Marvel’s own Kirby-character ranking. His original comic struggled, but the character ultimately sustained one of Marvel’s longest-running solo publishing histories and remains one of the company’s most recognizable visual brands. In second place is Tony Stark's Iron Man, Kirby co-created and designed the original armored Iron Man, and although Tony was historically a mid-tier comic seller, the MCU transformed him into one of the world's biggest superhero brands: his three solo films generated about $2.42 billion, and modern fan rankings routinely place him among Marvel’s top characters. His enormous movie, toy, game and licensed-merchandising footprint pushes him ahead of Hulk in the overall commercial calculation. But the number, and clear overall winner of Kirby creations has got to be Captain America, Kirby and Joe Simon’s creation, which sold nearly one million copies of 'Captain America Comics' #1, has endured for more than 85 years, ranks #6 on IGN’s all-time superhero list, and headlines a film franchise that has grossed roughly $2.65 billion before even counting his Avengers appearances and merchandising. Marvel’s own ranking of Kirby creations also puts Captain America at #1, making him the strongest combination of historical sales, longevity, popularity, media exposure and commercial value. King Kirby, indeed.