His name is Armes. Jay J. Armes. At the age of 12, he lost both hands while playing with dynamite. He overcame his handicap, and with the help of interchangeable metal claws, became one of the most flamboyant private investigators in the world.

And he truly does exist. The man is now living in retirement in El Paso Texas, on a 14-acres estate with his family, nine tigers and one chimpanzee.

Film Stew reports that Stan Lee, with his Purveyors Of Wonder banner, is developing a movie based on Armes’ autobiography, with hopes for a tentpole franchise coming out of the character.

"When I first met Jay, I was bowled over,” says Lee. “I couldn't believe that a real live person could have the incredible powers that he possesses. He even resembles my own fictional comic book heroes in the respect that most of them gained their super power through some sort of accident. Spider-Man had been bitten by a genetically altered spider. The Hulk was the product of a gamma ray experiment gone wrong and Daredevil was blinded by radioactive chemical. As for Jay J. Armes, he lost both his hands in a childhood accident at the age of twelve."

The site also reports that “Generation X” creator Scott Bodell has already turned in a first draft treatment for the potential movie.

Armes isn’t the only ‘real life Superhero’ to get the Stan Lee honour treatment. Earlier in the month, Lee and partner Gill Champion announced a partnership with a company called ‘Celebreties In Action’ (yes, CIA, I know) to create a series of 25 characters, inspired from the clientele of Diverse Talent Group, a Century City based talent group. The honourees would be immortalized on a series of DVD titles and related merchandise.