Stan Lee's former manager pleads not guilty to elder abuse of late Marvel Comics legend

Keya Morgan accused of stealing more than $100,000 in goods and property from superhero creator

Stan Lee's former manager has pleaded not guilty to charges of elder abuse against the Marvel Comics legend.

Keya Morgan is accused of stealing more than $100,000 in goods and property from the superhero creator, whose estate was worth an estimated $50m (£39m).

The New York-based memorabilia collector also faces five counts of elder abuse, including false imprisonment, fraud and forgery. He denies all of the charges.

Lee, the co-creator of Spider-Man, Iron Man, The Hulk and dozens of other Marvel superheroes, died last November at age 95.

Mr Morgan, who was also Lee's caregiver, began working for him in February 2018 following the death a few months earlier of his wife of 70 years, Joan.

The 43-year-old was arrested in Arizona last month and is bail was set at $300,000 (£236,000).

Los Angeles police said in a statement last month that in June 2018, Mr Morgan removed Lee from his Hollywood Hills home late at night and took him to an apartment in Beverly Hills in a bid to convince the comic book creator that he was in danger.

Lee's family obtained a restraining order against Mr Morgan after the incident.

The court documents filed in support said Lee's sight and hearing was failing, his judgment was impaired and he was unable to resist "undue influence."

Police also accused Mr Morgan of pocketing more than $262,000 (£206,000) from autograph signing sessions Lee did in May 2018.

After his arrest Mr Morgan's attorney Alex Kessel said he had never abused or taken advantage of Lee.

He also claimed that his client was preparing to hand himself in when police swooped in and arrested him.