How much credit do Stan Lee and Jack Kirby deserve for X-Men?

[useridgoeshere]

There was also that time he beat colossus in a bar, another story he and tom paid arcade to kill the x-men, that time with nimrod and my favorite Juggernaut story vs Dazzler and the new x-men after mutant massacre.

And Rachel one-shotting him in Excalibur. "Hi, I'm Phoenix. Guess what I do?" "Oh no." "Oh yes."

[MyriVerse]

Credit? I blame them for Scott, Jean, Bobby, and Warren. But Hank makes up for it.

Seriously though, they deserve some credit. Sentinels are from them.

[Electricmastro]

I think Stan Lee and Jack Kirby definitely deserve a solid share of credit for creating the X-Men. At the same time, I think they get more credit than the should compared to the likes of Chris Claremont, Len Wein, Louise Simonson, and Dave Cockram. While Lee and Kirby created the X-Men, they weren't the ones who made them so popular and iconic.

I don’t think it’s a matter of credit for making it popular or iconic. I think what many others here have echoed is that they should get credit for laying down the foundation (and possibly Neal Adams’ run with Roy Thomas for helping give a cult status post-cancellation, which helped justify a return), but I get the impression some people here are attempting to undermine that because of Claremont’s contributions, which I don’t think should be the case.

Really though, people could spend here all day saying things like “Fantastic Four wasn’t good or that popular until John Byrne came along” or “Spider-Man wasn’t that good or popular until Gerry Conway came along” leading to all sorts of debates/argument and not really get anywhere. I think that everyone should just get credit for the contributions that they were responsible for, regardless of long-lasting popularity, and leave it at that if you ask me.

[616MarvelYear is LeapYear]

If you ask me, I think that house foundation builders should always get credit for building the foundation of the house, while later people like Chris Claremont, Len Wein, David Cockrum, and John Byrne helped add all sorts of walls, furniture, and decorations.

Outstanding description!!!

Those tend to be noticed first before noticing the foundation, but Stan and Jack's foundation isn't any less deserving of credit at the same time.

Hear! Hear!

[Alan2099]

The created the original team, characters that are still used prominently today. Cyclops, Jean, Beast, Xavier. While the characters have changed over the years, their basic powers and personalities remain more or less intact.

The created the idea of mutants being normal people that develop super powers on their own.

They created Magneto, his Brotherhood, and the ideas of mutant supremacy.

For that matter, the ideas of mutant racism and mistrust.

They made Sentinels and the Juggernaut. Foes STILL heavily in use.

They put Xs on everybody's belt buckles.

Now, just try imagining the X-men WITHOUT any of those things.