"I'm really quite thrilled and quite honored and I just hope that someday I don't get a knock on the door saying we made a mistake, that was for someone else," said Lee.
The big celebration came one week after Lee's 88th birthday and 70 years after his comic book career began.
"I just don't want people walking on my name. I think I'll put a little fence around this thing, or something," said Lee. "I love it, I never in a million years could have thought I'd get something like this for writing a few comic books stories."
It's been more than a few. Lee created or co-created 90 percent of Marvel Comics' characters, including Spider-Man, The Incredible Hulk, X-Men, The Fantastic Four, Iron Man, Daredevil, The Avengers, Silver Surfer and Dr. Strange.
His unique brand of superheroes was the first of its kind, more human with flaws and vulnerabilities.
"I think it's pretty exciting that /*Stan Lee*/ gets to wake up every morning and know that he's touched so many people. And it's not just here, it's everywhere," said Laurel Wianilos of San Diego.
More than 2 million of Lee's comic books have been published in 75 nations and in 25 languages. His characters have been featured in 24 animated television series and several live-action movies.
"The character I'd most like to be [is] probably Iron Man because he's the richest and the girls like him the most," said Lee.
The "Maestro of Marvel" had these words of advice for budding comic creators.
"All you have to do is think what hasn't been done before? I shouldn't tell that to people, now I'll have too much competition, but that's the secret. What hasn't been done before and you do it," advised Lee.
At 88 years of age, Lee is still going strong. He serves as chairman emeritus of Marvel Enterprises and is still developing new characters, comic books, movies and television projects for his own company, POW! Entertainment.
Marvel Comics is owned by Disney, the parent company of ABC7.
