The first thing that catches the eye when walking into Stan Lee’s Beverly Hills office is the life-size Spider-Man mannequin crouching in the corner, apparently ready to jump out of the window and scale the wall outside.

The 86-year-old Mr Lee, whose comic-book conceptions include Spider-Man, X-Men, Fantastic Four and The Incredible Hulk, looks similarly sprightly, leaping out of his seat to shake hands. With his tinted glasses and debonair moustache he fits the mould of a Hollywood jet-setter.