Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 forms September 15

Venerable Marvel Comics' honcho Stan Lee has made a tradition out of appearing in the studios' recent films, turning up in unlikely places as an Easter egg of sorts. Now, the cocreator of such dynamos as the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, and the Hulk will be carrying over that tradition to the interactive medium, making his first game cameo in Activision's Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2.

Along with announcing Lee's cameo, Activision confirmed for GameSpot today that the superhero-themed action role-playing game will be available at retail on September 15. Vicarious Visions is crafting the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 editions of the game, while n-Space handles Wii, DS, and PlayStation 2 development. Savage Entertainment has been tasked with crafting the PSP installment of Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2.

Activision did not mention which specific role Lee will fill in the game, saying only that his voice and likeness would be used for "a character whose role is significant to the game's storyline." Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 in part follows the highly acclaimed Marvel Civil War comics storyline, in which a schism erupts within the mutant community over the Superhuman Registration Act.

Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 will feature a ranging list of the comics company's stable of superheroes and villains, including the Hulk, Wolverine, Venom, Human Torch, Thor, Spider-Man, Deadpool, Iron Man, and the Green Goblin, to name but a few. The game also incorporates elements of the well-regarded original Marvel Ultimate Alliance, with players able to choose how they level up their mutants as they gain experience points and progress through the game.

For more information, check out GameSpot's previous coverage of Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2.