Was Stan Lee Really Quoting From a Comic Book in Mallrats?

Comic Book Questions Answered – where I answer whatever questions you folks might have about comic books (feel free to e-mail questions to me at brianc@cbr.com).

Reader Charles H. wrote in to ask a question about Stan Lee's famous scene in 1995's “Mallrats”, where he gives Jason Lee's character, Brodie, a lesson in love, by telling Brodie about his biggest regret:

STAN LEE: Yeah. The girl that got away.

Look, do yourself a favor, Brodie. Don't wait. Because all the money, all the women, even all the comic books in the world, They can't substitute for that one person.

BRODIE: I don't know. All the comics in the world?

STAN LEE: Trust me, true believer. Well, good talking to you.

BRODIE: Keep up all the good work.

STAN LEE: You keep reading 'em, I'll keep writing 'em.

BRODIE: Hey, Stan.

STAN LEE: Yeah?

BRODIE: She really meant–

STAN LEE: I'd give it all up, all of it, for just one more day with her.

Lee then bumps into Brodie's friend, T.S. (played by Jeremy London). As it turned out, T.S. had asked Lee to give Brodie the speech. When T.S. asked Lee what he had told Brodie, Lee explained that he had given him the “Vulture's Soliloquy” from the “Amazing Spider-Man” anniversary issue story, “Love be a Vulture Tonight.”

Charles, then, wanted to know if that was an actual comic book quote or not.

Simply put, it was not, Charles.

There is no comic book story called “Love be a Vulture Tonight.”

Amazingly enough, there was a classic Valentine's Day issue of “Tangled Web” written and drawn by the late, great Darwyn Cooke and J. Bone that involved the Vulture, but that was years after “Mallrats”…

So it was just an amusing piece of writing by Kevin Smith, the writer and director of “Mallrats”.

Sorry to disappoint, Charles!

If anyone else has a question, feel free to drop me a line at brianc@cbr.com

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