Auctions: comic books February 1974

Amazing Spider-Man (1963 1st Series) 129 CGC 8.5 SS John Romita

Paper: Off white to white

Signed by John Romita on 4/22/21.

Label #2640365002

First appearances of the Punisher and the Jackal in "The Punisher Strikes Twice!" Script by Gerry Conway. Pencils by Ross Andru. Inks by Frank Giacoia and Dave Hunt (backgrounds). Cover by Gil Kane and John Romita. One of the landmark issues of the bronze age! The Punisher, the legendary gun-toting vigilante, makes his first appearance in the Marvel Universe! And his first target...is none other than your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man! But before Frank Castle can locate the web-slinger, he needs directions from a mysterious new super-villain called the Jackal! Once the dastardly Jackal tells the sharpshooting anti-hero where to find the wall-crawler, the inaugural battle between the Punisher and the Amazing Spider-Man erupts! The first of many classic confrontations! Cameo appearances by Mary Jane Watson, Harry Osborn, Betty Brant, Joe Robertson, and J. Jonah Jameson. (Notes: The Punisher appears next in Amazing Spider-Man 134 (cameo) and 135. The letters page includes a letter from comics writer Ralph Macchio. This story was reprinted in Marvel Tales 106 and again in Marvel Tales 209.) 32 pages. 20 cent cover price. Cover price $0.20.

Fantastic Four (1961 1st Series) 143 CGC 9.8

Paper: White

Label #4327331010

"The Terrible Triumph of Doctor Doom!" Part 2 of 3. Script by Gerry Conway. Pencils by Rich Buckler. Inks by Frank Giacoia. Cover by Gil Kane and Joe Sinnott. Victor Von Doom crashes his college reunion and captures Mr. Fantastic and Medusa! And now the Latverian monarch is set to unleash Operation Babel (and the vibration bomb) on Earth's population! The rocket-launched bomb will destroy the personality of every person on the globe and transform them into a mindless subject of Doctor Doom! However, the FF's long-time foe may have made a critical mistake by bringing Darkoth and Ben Grimm back from the Balkans in order to witness his stateside triumph! Could there be a traitor in the midst? Meanwhile in upstate New York, Wyatt Wingfoot and Johnny Storm run into trouble with the local police and end up in jail. Cameo appearances by the Invisible Girl and Franklin. (Note: The cover of Fantastic Four 143 was used as the cover for the 1977 Fantastic Four pocket book with one modification: the Invisible Girl replaced Medusa in the background.) 32 pages Cover price $0.20.

Special Marvel Edition (1971) 16 FN- 5.5

Final issue of the series. Story continues in Master of Kung Fu. Cover art by Jim Starlin. Midnight Brings Dark Death! starring Master of Kung Fu, script by Steve Englehart and Jim Starlin (co-plot), pencils by Jim Starlin (layouts, credited as "artist"), Al Milgrom (finished art, credited as "co-artist"), inks by Al Milgrom; Chi finds himself fighting against his father, and his father's thugs and dacoits. 36 pgs. $0.20. Cover price $0.20.

Uncanny X-Men (1963 1st Series) 86 VG+ 4.5

Cover art by Dan Adkins. The Sinister Shadow of Doomsday, script by Roy Thomas, pencils by Don Heck, inks by George Roussos; Mutant Master tells the Changeling about his plans to initiate the human in a third world war; Marvel Girl, Beast and Angel go to Europe; Iceman and Cyclops go to Washington; reprinted from issue 38. The Spirit of Swami River, script by Stan Lee, pencils by Steve Ditko; reprinted from Amazing Adult Fantasy #9. Cover price $0.20.