Before he became a staple of the MCU, one of Stan Lee's earliest movie cameos was straight out of his own comics. Back in 1965, Lee and legendary artist Jack Kirby depicted the marriage of Reed Richards and Susan Storm, putting the Fantastic Four through a gauntlet of villains and obstacles in the few hours before the big event. Lee and Kirby even made cameos in the comic itself as guests who were turned away for not having invitations - a cameo that Lee would reenact in his first cameo as himself in 2007's Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer.
In 1961, Lee and Kirby co-created the Fantastic Four, Marvel's First Family and flagship superheroes, who gained superpowers after a scientific mission in space bombarded them with cosmic rays. Turning out to be a critical and popular success, the duo's continued collaboration created many iconic characters and storylines which pushed the boundaries of the medium while establishing the creators' and Marvel's reputation. Fantastic Four Annual #3 saw Mister Fantastic and Invisible Girl finally getting married, a signature event whose global publicity not only drew a crowd but also guests from the superhero and celebrity community.
As the guest arrive, the wedding proves to be a perfect opportunity to attack the Fantastic Four, which their already impressive collection of villains attempt throughout the issue. Although Nick Fury and the agents of S.H.I.E.L.D do their best with security, other famous Marvel superheroes like the X-Men, the Avengers, Daredevil and Spider-Man pitch in as the onslaught of determined villains continues, orchestrated by their nemesis Doctor Doom. When the battle between heroes and villains becomes too much, Reed Richards gets a little help from the Watcher, whose nonchalant interference allows the wedding to commence. As Reed and Sue enjoy their first kiss as husband and wife, Nick Fury is notified of two party crashers who are trying to enter without invitations. Despite their threats, the two annoyed men are escorted out, revealing themselves to be Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.
Although the reader never sees their faces, Lee and Kirby declare themselves after they're escorted out, plotting to take revenge in the next issue. This hilarious meta moment became synonymous with Reed and Sue's wedding, and is occasionally referenced alongside it, such as in the background of artist Alex Ross' rendition of the event for the Marvels miniseries. When it came time to depict Reed and Sue's wedding on the big screen, Stan Lee recreated his comic cameo. In Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, Stan is in attendance but stopped by a security guard who doesn't recognize him and informs him that he isn't on the list. Unfortunately, Jack Kirby passed away in 1994, so while his influence is still felt heavily in today's pop culture, he wasn't available to recreate the comic.
Stan Lee's cameos in Marvel movies may have been a hilarious tribute to comic history, but they weren't a new idea, and the cameo in Fantastic Four Annual #3 proves it. A showman who didn't take himself too seriously, Stan Lee was crashing the lives of his comic characters way before they appeared in the movies.