So I'verecently read the great Marvel (first Impressions) history book by Les Daniels as well as "Tales to Astonish" by Ronin Ro. Joe Maneely is a name that comes up. Maneely was a young up and coming artist that worked with Stan Lee in the days just prior to the creation of the Marvel Universe. Lee was said in "Tales to Astonish" that "he would have been another Jack Kirby. He would have been the best you could imagine".

In 1958 Maneely tragically died when he fell between two moving subway cars as he made his way home. He was 32.

Now I wonder how he could have changed the Marvel universe if he had lived and continued to work with Stan Lee. Times were tight at Altas/Marvel. People were laid off and I wonder if Goodman would have hired Kirby to come back to Marvel if he already had a capable artist in Maneely. Maybe Stan wouldn't have worked with Kirby to create the Fantastic Four. Maybe Stan wouldn't have worked with Kirby at all. Maybe we would be reading Superheroes created by the famed duo of Lee-Maneely. Or maybe there would not have been the creation of the Marvel Universe at all. Makes you wonder...