Throughout his controversial tenure as editor-in-chief of legendary Marvel Comics, Joe Quesada has made history – and more than a few enemies.

The son of Cuban immigrants, Quesada was born in New York City and raised in Jackson Heights, Queens. After getting a degree in illustration from the School Of Visual Arts in Manhattan, he worked as a visual artist for Valiant Comics, penciling the titles Ninjak and X-0 Manowar. Wanting to break out on his own, he launched Event Comics in the mid '90s and a few years later, at the age of 34, he was sub-contracted to work on the Marvel Knights imprint.

Indirectly, he had achieved his lifelong dream of working with the publishing company that created Spider-man, X-Men and The Fantastic Four. But it was only the beginning.

Two years later, Quesada became Marvel's first Latino editor-in-chief. The company he took over was recovering from bankruptcy and struggling to maintain relevance with teenage readers. In response, Quesada created the revamped Ultimate universe and began publishing monthly trade paperbacks, eventually turning around the brand's finances and lifting sales by 75 percent.

Not all readers were happy with "Joe Q's" changes. Among others, he banned smoking in all Marvel comics, erased Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson's marriage in Spider-man and killed off Captain America. His Civil War saga, featuring a "Superhuman Registration Act" which echoes the USA Patriot Act, remains both popular and divisive. Crediting Marvel's ethnic diversity as a childhood inspiration, Quesada also created The Santerians, a short-lived but unprecedented all-Latino superhero team.

With Marvel properties under the halo of a half dozen Hollywood blockbusters, Quesada is undeniably at the right place at the right time. Quesada calls himself the "luckiest guy on earth," adding "[t]he worst thing we do in comics is kill some trees."