For lack of a better word, it's been an "amazing" career for Stan Lee, the Marvel Comics legend who not only created the "The Amazing Spiderman" in 1962 (with artist Steve Ditko), but "X-Men," "Daredevil," "The Incredible Hulk" and a host of others as well.

So, it's only appropriate that decades later, Lee not only executive produce the films, but appear in cameo roles in all the characters' big screen debuts. And while it's been a personal policy of Lee's to appear in only the first film of the movie series based on his creations, he couldn't help but get caught in director Sam Raimi's web again for "Spider-Man 2."

"It's a funny thing, I actually had a cameo where I said a bigger line, but then Sam called me later and said he couldn't use it because the lighting wasn't right or some damn thing," the playful Lee told me in a recent @ The Movies interview. "Now I ended up with a cameo where all I say is 'Look out!' But I think everyone who goes to the movie will admit that I say it magnificently."

Besides, Lee doesn't feel the need to be a movie star -- after all, his spirit breathes through each and every one of the characters. In the case of "Spider-Man" and its sequel, he told me he's glad Tobey Maguire is the one who embodies Peter Parker.

"When I saw him deliver a few lines (in the first movie) I said, 'He is Peter Parker' -- he was perfect," Lee recalled. "He brings a sincerity and credibility to the role that's wonderful."

Since the release of "X-Men" in 2000, Lee said it's been a thrill watching each of his Marvel babies come to life in the caring hands of such directors as Raimi, Bryan Singer, Mark Steven Johnson and Ang Lee. But what makes things complete for the 81-year-old comic book guru is those filmmakers' casting choices.

"I thought Ben Affleck was a good choice to play Daredevil, Tobey was a wonderful choice for Spider-Man, Bryan Singer did a great job casting the "X-Men" movies and I have no problem with the casting choices for 'The Hulk,'" Lee observed. "Eric Bana was good as Bruce Banner and certainly the computerized figure of the Hulk was sensational. I think we've been very lucky because we've been getting the very best people to do these movies and that's what it takes."

While Lee loves the casting choices of his heroes, he's just as fond of the villains. And while he hadn't seen "Spider-Man 2" prior to our interview, he's been impressed of what he's seen so far of Alfred Molina as Doc Ock.

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"What I've seen of him is wonderful -- he couldn't be better," Lee said. "He's the most perfect Doc Ock you could ever find."

Molina brings a human quality to Doc Ock in "Spider-Man 2" -- exactly as Lee first envisioned him prior to the character's debut in the "Amazing Spider-Man" #3 in 1963. Lee explained for me the origins of his four-tentacled villain.

"I remembered that I had seen pictures in some science magazine of some scientist working with fissionable material," Lee recalled. "There was big glass separating him and the material because it was radioactive and he had these artificial arms that went through the glass. They weren't attached to his body, but he could manipulate them and do what he had to but he was shielded by the glass."

But to get from point A to B, Lee needed to light a fuse to develop his character.

"Since I'm always thinking of accidents that cause a guy to get his superpower, "I thought, 'Boy, wouldn't it be something if the material blew up and in some incredible way, those arms would get attached to his body and become a part of him?' So that was what led me to think of it," Lee remembered. "I like the idea of normal people who weren't villains to start with. When he started out, he was just a normal scientist, but the explosion and the radioactivity changed him into a madman and he became Doc Ock."

Since he's appeared in "Spider-Man 2," it will be interesting to see if Lee will come back for one more spin. If the admirable director offers, Lee should be available: he doesn't plan on retiring anytime soon.

"I wouldn't know what to retire to," Lee said in a chipper tone. "Most people who retire say, 'Boy at last I can do what I've always wanted to do. But I'm doing what I've wanted to do so there's no point stopping."