London, Jan 14 : Stan Lee, the creator of Spider-Man, is to unveil the world's first gay superhero, according to reports.

The 86-year-old, who has created the Hulk and the X-Men, will reportedly unleash the character in an hour-long TV drama being shot in the US.

TV execs hope it will rival the huge success of shows likes Heroes.

The former Marvel Comics boss developed the idea of a gay character from the award-winning novel Hero by Perry Moore.

"It was only a matter of time before we had our first gay superhero. And if there is one man who can make him a success it is Stan Lee," The Sun quoted a TV insider, as saying.

"There's a real buzz among comic book fans," the source added. (ANI)