Jessica Mathews / Dan Martin / News@whmi.com


An Owosso high schooler and Commerce Elementary student may soon find that “with great power comes great responsibility” - and possibly star in their own comic book.

14-year-old Jacob Baillie is a freshman at Owosso High School and 8-year-old David Sanders from Commerce, are currently competing in the 2026 Stan Lee’s Super Kid competition. Both made it into the Top 20, with public voting running through September 24th.

Jacob and his father Chris Baillie chatted with WHMI on Wednesday.

Jacob has always loved superheroes and Marvel since he was little. Spider-Man is his favorite, and he has attended Motor City Comic Con and previously had the opportunity to meet Stan Lee and Lou Ferrigno. Chris - a self-proclaimed nerd himself - said he’s “been pumping Jacob full of Marvel since he was born”, along with taking him to all the different events.

Chris said he had just been scrolling through social media when he saw the contest logo and said “it screamed Jacob”. He actually entered Jacob but didn’t tell him. Chris said he received an email about a week later stating that Jacob had been selected as one of the 500 to be voted on – and that’s when he told him.

Jacob said he was surprised his dad signed him up, but really surprised to see he was in 6th place out of 500, saying “I’m pretty excited to see how far I’ll go”.

Jacob said his favorite superhero has always been Spiderman, probably because he feels like he’s the most relatable out of all of them. Outside of all the super powers, Jacob said he’s a high schooler who gets bullied, which is something he honestly can relate to as he used to get bullied in school. Jacob said he has also lost people in his life, which makes it easier to understand the character and how he feels. When asked about the bullying situation, Jacob did say “things are definitely getting better”.

Meanwhile, David Sanders is currently in 12th place.

"He's a kind-hearted kid with a superpower for making people smile. He’s running for student council, is a proud Cub Scout, and loves video games—especially Zelda—as much as he loves spending time with his family. Sweet, caring, and naturally friendly, David has a way of bringing people together wherever he goes. His mission is simple: spread joy, show kindness, and make the world around him a little brighter," according to David's mother Amanda Vesper.

The competition page states “Jacob is autistic and misunderstood by most of his peers. Bullying and hate a constant, yet it never phases him. Strongest kid I’ve ever met”.

For the online voting process, there’s one free vote every day. Chris said if people are open to it, they ask that they use their daily vote at least once to support Jacob, and every day if they’re willing.

The winner will get the opportunity to star in a Stan Lee Universe comic book, receive VIP tickets to L.A. Comic Con 2027, and take home $25,000.

A link to the competition page is provided.