For 13-year-old Kutter Brown, a spot in Stan Lee’s Super Kid competition carries a deeply personal connection to reading, perseverance and possibility.
In the small town of Bunker, Missouri, 13-year-old Kutter Brown is hoping to see himself become a superhero in a comic book. For a boy who has spent much of his childhood working to read the words on a page, the opportunity holds special meaning.
Kutter has reached the quarterfinals of Stan Lee’s Super Kid competition, which offers one winner the chance to take on a superhero identity and star in a new Stan Lee Universe comic book. Voting in this round closes Thursday, November 5, 2026.
His mother, Ashlee, hopes sharing his story will encourage people across Missouri to support him—and help other children who face learning challenges feel seen.
According to Ashlee, Kutter survived a serious brain infection as a baby that changed how he learns, processes and remembers information. Reading has since been one of his greatest challenges.
Recognizing words, retaining what he has learned and understanding written information can take tremendous effort, repetition and patience, she explained. Those struggles are not always apparent to the people around him.
But they are only one part of Kutter’s story.
He is a kindhearted, determined young man who loves animals, spending time outdoors and working on his own 3D-printing business. Creative and curious, he has ideas to explore and dreams for his future.
For his family, the competition brings those strengths together with something he has worked hard to achieve: a connection to the written word.
“A boy who has worked so hard to read someone else’s story could have the opportunity to see his very own story brought to life,” Ashlee wrote in an email to Missouri Magazine.
The competition’s support for literacy makes the experience especially meaningful to her. She sees the possibility of a comic book featuring Kutter as a chance for her son to recognize himself as someone whose story matters.
“Sometimes the children who have to work the hardest to read a story have the most powerful stories to tell,” she wrote.
Ashlee hopes Kutter’s journey reminds other children who struggle academically that their challenges do not determine their worth, creativity or what they can accomplish.
As the quarterfinal deadline approaches, his family is inviting communities across Missouri and beyond to learn about the young entrepreneur from Bunker and cheer him on.
For Ashlee, the hope behind it all is simple.
“Every child deserves to see themselves as the hero of a story.”
How to Support Kutter
Quarterfinal voting ends Thursday, November 5, 2026, at 9 p.m. Central Time. Eligible supporters can cast one free vote every 24 hours after verification; no donation is required. The competition also offers optional donation-based voting.
For his story, competition updates and voting reminders, follow Kutter’s Facebook page.
