In this feature, I share with you three comic book "easter eggs." An easter egg is a joke/visual gag/in-joke that a comic book creator (typically the artist) has hidden in the pages of the comic for readers to find (just like an easter egg). They range from the not-so-obscure to the really obscure. So come check 'em all out and enjoy! Also, click here for an archive of all the easter eggs featured so far! If you want to suggest an easter egg for a future column, e-mail me at bcronin@comicbookresources.com (do not post your suggestion in the comments section!).

Stan Lee is famous for making cameos in nearly every Marvel film release. Today, though, we take a look at his COMIC BOOK cameos! Note that I'm specifically not counting stories that revolved around Lee (like the various "Behind the Scenes" stories that Marvel would include in their comics during the 1960s), stories that Lee served as the "host" of the issue (like all of Marvel's #-1 issues) or stories that revolved around Marvel characters visiting the offices of Marvel Comics (I recently spotlighted a few of those stories here - although since two of those stories didn't really revolve around their visit to Marvel's offices, I'm counting them here). I just mean stories where Lee makes a quick appearance in a story otherwise not about him, just like what he does in the Marvel films.

Stan Lee's first appearance in a comic book story (I believe he was referenced in a text piece during the Golden Age) was in 1951's Astonishing #4, in a story by Hank Chapman and Wayne Boring. In it, Chapman depicts himself as a writer who eventually gets trapped in his horrific dreams. Before that happens, though, he sells a story based on his ideas to his editor, Stan Lee...



Next up, we have 1962's Kid Colt: Outlaw #107 (by Stan Lee and Jack Keller), where Colt sacrifices himself to save a stranded alien. The alien resurrects the Kid with some special alien medicine and then is picked up by his people. They erase the memory of the events from everyone involved, but say that they'll come back in the future to let SOMEone know what happened. That someone? Stan Lee!



1962's Fantastic Four #10 (by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby and Dick Ayers) is a bit tricky, since it is a somewhat extended sequence, but I still think it counts...







In 1963, Carl Burgos (creator of the Human Torch) returned to Marvel and illustrated a Human Torch and Thing story in Strange Tales #123 (written by Lee with inks by Dick Ayers), and Burgos and Lee admire the events of the issue...



In 1965's Fantastic Four Annual #3 (by Lee, Kirby and Vince Colletta), Stan and Jack are famously turned away from the wedding of Reed Richards and Sue Storm...



Lee was up to his self-deprecating best when he and Dick Ayers made cameos back during their war days in 1965's Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos #22 (by Lee and Ayers, natch, with inks by Carl Hubbell)...



1967's Daredevil #29 (by Lee, Gene Colan and John Tartaglione) shows Matt Murdock being thrilled about proposing to Karen Page. On the way to getting back to Karen, he bumps into a familiar face...





Fifty issues later, ol' hornhead bumped into Stan again in 1971's Daredevil #79 (by Gerry Conway, Gary Friedrich, Gene Colan and Tom Palmer)...



Go the next page for the next eight cameos!

In December of 1975, there were two, count 'em, TWO, Stan Lee cameos!

First, in Iron Man #85 (by Len Wein, Roger Slifer, Herb Trimpe and Marie Severin), Stan is in the crowd marveling at Iron Man's roller skates...



Next, in X-Men #98 (by Chris Claremont, Dave Cockrum and Sam Grainger), Stan and Jack comment on the modern X-Men...



In 1977's Amazing Spider-Man #169 (by Len Wein, Ross Andru and Mike Esposito), Stan is among a crowd admiring Spider-Man...



In 1982's Contest of Champions #1 (by Mark Gruenwald, Bill Mantlo, Steven Grant, John Romita Jr. and Pablo Marcos), that sure seems to be Stan seeing Spidey disappear...



In 1983's Marvel Team-Up #137 (by Mike Carlin, Greg LaRocque and Mike Esposito), Stan is one of a few people who is thrilled that Aunt May only became Galactus' new herald in a dream...



In 1984's Amazing Spider-Man Annual #18 (by Tom DeFalco, Ron Frenz, Bob Layton and Butch Guice), Stan attends the wedding of J. Jonah Jameson...



In 1985's Secret Wars II #3 (by Jim Shooter, Al Milgrom and Steve Leialoha), Stan is one of many people who are bowing down to the Beyonder...



In 1990's Web of Spider-Man #73 (by John Byrne, Alex Saviuk and Keith Williams), Stan Lee and his wife attend an Alicia Masters gallery exhibit opening...



Go the next page for the last eight cameos!

In 1991's Avengers #332 (by Larry Hama, Paul Ryan and Tom Palmer), Stan Lee is a guest at an Avengers function...



In 1998's Fantastic Four #9 (by Chris Claremont, Salvador Larroca and Art Thibert), Stan is working as a vendor...



In 1999's Daredevil #8 (by Kevin Smith, Joe Quesada and Jimmy Palmiotti), Stan attends Karen Page's funeral, along with Bill Everett and Frank Miller (and more)...



In 2000's Fantastic Four #27 (by Chris Claremont, Salvador Larroca and Art Thibert), Stan is one of many Marvel workers stunned by the Invisible Woman seemingly marrying Doctor Doom...



In 2006's New Avengers Annual #1 (by Brian Michael Bendis and Olivier Coipel), Stan Lee officiates Luke Cage and Jessica Jones' wedding...





In 2007's Thunderbolts #112 (by Warren Ellis and Mike Deodato), Stan Lee is hosting a TV series!



In 2010's In Amazing Spider-Man Annual #37 (by Karl Kesel and Paulo Siqueira), Stan Lee happens to be there for the first ever meeting of Spider-Man and Captain America…



Finally, in 2014's Fantastic Four #16 (in a story by Karl Kesel, Lee Allred, Joe Quiones and Mike Allred), Stan and Jack show up with everyone else to say goodbye!



I'm sure there are more than these twenty-four, but, well, two dozen is a lot!

If YOU have a suggestion for a future installment of Comic Book Easter Eggs, drop me a line at bcronin@comicbookresources.com!