The late Stan Lee has made some legendary cameos across the pages of Marvel Comics and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But no cameo is as good as the time he officiated the wedding between two Marvel heroes. In the New Avengers Annual #1, Jessica Jones and Luke Cage finally tied the knot, with Lee marrying off the two powerful characters in a fantastic cameo.
Stan Lee, alongside the likes of Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, and other legends in the comic industry, was instrumental in creating both Marvel and many of the iconic characters who still appear in the comics today. Over time, Stan Lee became the face of the publisher, and once comics were adapted to the big screen, he made a cameo in pretty much every Marvel movie. Lee famously has played everyone from a Smithsonian guard in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, a barber on Sakaar in Thor: Ragnarok, and an informant for the Watcher's in Guardians of the Galaxy 2. He's made a handful of cameos in the comics as well, including meeting his own creations a handful of times.
In New Avengers Annual #1 by Brian Michael Bendis, Olivier Coipel, and Jose Villarrubia, Luke Cage reveals to his fellow Avengers that he and Jessica Jones are getting married. After working with the Avengers in stopping Adaptoid, Luke and Jessica tie the knot. The man officiating the wedding is clearly Stan Lee - although he's not named in the issue. Naturally, conflict arises when Jessica stops him and proceeds to explain why they are so much better together than they are apart, and that Luke inspires her in the crazy world of superheroes and villains. Once Jones finishes, Lee asks her, "are you done?" before pronouncing them, man and wife.
Stan Lee seems readily prepared for the moment, as he's completely unphased by Jessica's speech. He gets right back to proceedings and makes sure the wedding ends with "I do's" and a passionate kiss before the issue ends.
Over the years, Stan Lee became a more prominent presence in the comics and movies he helped create or influenced, so to see him marry off two characters was a nice touch by Bendis and Coipel. Anybody could have officiated the wedding as it would be easy to use an unnamed stand-in to marry Luke and Jessica. But, by choosing Lee, it makes a beautiful moment even more enriched in Marvel's history. Thankfully, Lee rolled with the punches and Jessica Jones' surprising speech and made sure the pair ended up finally tying the knot. It's one of Stan Lee's best cameos ever.