LOS ANGELES • Captain Marvel has earned a top salute from Hollywood.

Stan Lee, whose Marvel superheroes have dominated popular culture for half a century, was honoured on Tuesday when he plunged his hands and feet into cement at Hollywood's TCL Chinese Theater.

In a typically colourful comment, the 94-year-old comic book legend - whose characters include Spider-Man, the Hulk, Iron Man and Thor - joked that he "would have asked for a raise" if he had known how good he was. "I've been the luckiest man in the world because I've had friends. And to have the right friends is everything - people you can depend on, people who tell you the truth if you ask for something," he said.

He paid emotional tribute to his "wonderful" wife of nearly 70 years, Joan, who died less than two weeks ago at 93.

It has been a poignant week for Lee, who was celebrated as a Disney Legend during the D23 Expo in Anaheim last Friday, where he delivered a rousing speech and received a standing ovation.

Born Stanley Martin Lieber, he wrote under the name Stan Lee, which would later become his legal name.

More than two million of his comic books have been published in 75 countries and in 25 languages.

The Captain is responsible for creating or co-creating 90 per cent of Marvel Comics' army of characters.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE