Stan Lee, creator of the Spider-Man character, poses at the premiere of "Spider-Man 2," in Los Angeles, June 22, 2004. REUTERS/Fred Prouser

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Stan Lee, co-creator of some of the world’s most famous superheroes, is creating a new comic book series -- and writing a leading role for himself.

Lee, 87, who helped create Spider-Man, Iron Man, and The Incredible Hulk, is working on a multimedia series called “Super Seven” for print, online broadcast and retail in late 2010, Lee and his business partners said on Wednesday.

The series is about seven aliens who find themselves stranded on Earth after their spaceship crashes and are befriended by Lee himself.

Lee becomes their leader and enables them to resume their lives as superheroes on earth.

“Nothing is more exciting to me, as a writer, than creating a new type of story or introducing a new theme. Although I’ve briefly appeared in other comics, ‘Super Seven’ is the first time that I’ll actually be a continuing character in a far-out, original superhero series,” Lee said in a statement.

Lee and his then collaborator Jack Kirby appeared as themselves on the cover of a 1963 “Fantastic Four” comic book, and Lee has appeared in cameo roles in many of the movies based on the characters he helped to create for Marvel Comics.

“Super Seven” is to be introduced as a comic book and an animated series in the fall of 2010. Lee’s POW! Entertainment is working with Archie Comics, whose franchises include “Sabrina The Teenage Witch”, and Los Angeles-based multimedia brand company A Squared Entertainment on the project which will also have a digital component.