Auctions: comic books 1972, graded by CGC

Avengers (1963 1st Series) 96 CGC 8.0

Paper: White

Inner well not fully sealed, book appears unaffected and secure.

Label #4355804001

"The Andromeda Swarm!" Part 8 of 9. Guest-starring Captain Marvel. Script by Roy Thomas. Pencils by Neal Adams. Inks by Tom Palmer. Cover by Neal Adams and Tom Palmer. Finally, the Avengers blast off into outer space to take the fight to the Kree and the Skrulls! On the edge of the Andromeda Galaxy, Earth's Mightiest Heroes engage the awesome Skrull armada! Cap, Shell-Head, Thor, and the Vision attack the armada's flagship hoping to turn back the entire fleet! During the ferocious battle inside, the Avengers hear about the Skrulls' secret plan to destroy the Earth! And as shown on the dynamic cover, an enraged Vision will do whatever it takes to uncover the devious plan (and rescue the Scarlet Witch)! Meanwhile on Hala, the Kree home planet; the power struggle between the Supreme Intelligence and Ronan the Accuser quietly rages behind the scenes...with Rick Jones caught in the middle! Cameo appearances by Nick Fury and Annihilus. Avengers Lineup: Captain America, Goliath, Iron Man, Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch, Thor, and the Vision. 32 pages. Cover price $0.20.

Avengers (1963 1st Series) 98 CGC 9.2

Paper: White

Label #4411810006

"Let Slip the Dogs of War!" Part 1 of 3. Script by Roy Thomas. Pencils by Barry Windsor-Smith. Inks by Sal Buscema. Cover by John Buscema and Barry Windsor-Smith. The remarkable Kree/Skrull war is over! But there isn't any time to rest for Earth's Mightiest Heroes! Ares, the Greek god of war, stokes a riot in downtown Manhattan by mind-controlling the nearby residents! When the Avengers and Rick Jones arrive to restore the peace, they fall under Ares' trance too! The only heroes left unaffected are Thor and the Vision! But before the Prince of Asgard and the synthezoid avenger can challenge Ares, they must first fend off their teammates! The Vision battles Shell-Head while Thor takes on Cap, Wanda, and Pietro! Everything is going Ares' way! How will the Avengers turn the tide? Cameo appearance by Hercules. Avengers Lineup: Captain America, Hawkeye, Iron Man, Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch, Thor, and the Vision. (Notes: Ares previously appeared in Avengers 50. Clint Barton returns to his Hawkeye identity. The letters page includes a lengthy letter from fantasy novelist Stephen R. Donaldson (of Chronicles of Thomas Covenant fame) and a letter from comics writer Michael P. Higgins. This three-part story was reprinted in Avengers (3rd series) 48.) 32 pages. Cover price $0.20.

Captain Marvel (1968 1st Series Marvel) 22 CGC 6.5

Paper: White

Label #4419920006

First 20-cent cover price. After a two-year hiatus (and Captain Marvel's appearances in the classic Kree-Skrull War issues of Avengers 89-97), the series returns with Cap facing Megaton, the Atomic Assassin in "To Live Again!" Script by Gerry Conway, pencils by Wayne Boring, inks by Frank Giacoia. Cameo by the Avengers (Thor, Captain America, Iron Man) and the Sub-Mariner. Gil Kane cover pencils. Cover price $0.20.

Captain Marvel (1968 1st Series Marvel) 23 CGC 6.5

Paper: White

Label #4419920009

Cover pencils by Gil Kane, inks by Joe Sinnott. "Death At the End Of the World!", script by Marv Wolfman, pencils by Wayne Boring, inks by Frank McLaughlin; Captain Marvel and Megaton begin to fight as Megaton radioactivity levels steadily increase; Marvel drops Megaton on a power station, which then explodes, weakening the pair; Megaton blacks out and Marvel's photon levels drop, causing him to turn back into Rick Jones; Rick makes to the club where Lou-Ann Savannah is performing, just before he passes out; Lou-Ann brings Rick back to her uncle, Benjamin Savannah, for another photon treatment; Megaton is arrested and put in jail, where he recovers and attacks his cellmate; Megaton thinks back to how he got his powers, from a machine in a Kree outpost in the Artic that subjected him to his worst fears; The other expedition members had saved him but then the base blew up, killing everyone but Megaton; Back in the present, Megaton drains his cellmate of his life force, killing the prisoner, before breaking out of prison. 36 pgs., full color. Cover price $0.20.

Defenders (1972 1st Series) 1 CGC 9.0

Paper: White

Label #1993847004

Hulk, Dr. Strange, and Sub-Mariner begin. See Marvel Feature for first Defenders. Also see Sub-Mariner # 34 & 35. Cover pencils by Sal Buscema, inks by Jim Mooney. I Slay By The Stars!, script by Steve Englehart, pencils by Sal Buscema, inks by Frank Giacoia; Necrodamus attempts to sacrifice Namor to The Nameless One; Omegatron starts its countdown again. 36 pgs. $0.20. Cover price $0.20.

Fantastic Four (1961 1st Series) 120 CGC 9.0

Paper: Off white to white

Label #4022369004

First appearance of the Air-Walker Automaton in "The Horror That Walks on Air!" Part 1 of 4. Script by Stan Lee. Pencils by John Buscema. Inks by Joe Sinnott. Cover by John Buscema and Frank Giacoia. The Air Walker has come to Earth! Is he friend or foe? The FF would like to know! So they lure the alien to the Baxter Building in order to study the mysterious visitor! But the U.S. military provokes the Air Walker into action, and the man who walks on air wipes out the soldiers with an awesome display of power! And then makes short work of the Fantastic Four too! This script seems eerily familiar...a mighty being wielding the power cosmic comes to Earth trumpeting the impending doom of the world. Could someone else, perhaps galactic in nature, be following in the Air Walker's wake? First appearance of the Air Walker automation. Cameo appearances by Mary Jane Watson , Agatha Harkness and General Thunderbolt Ross. (Note: This four-part story was reprinted in Marvel Treasury Edition 21.) 32 pages Cover price $0.20.

Fantastic Four (1961 1st Series) 123 CGC 9.4

Paper: Off white to white

Label #1276395011

The Silver Surfer and Galactus guest star in "This World Enslaved! " Part 4 of 4 . Script by Stan Lee. Pencils by John Buscema. Inks by Joe Sinnott. Cover by Sal Buscema. With a bold maneuver, Reed Richards turns the tables on the Devourer of Worlds! After sneaking onboard Galactus' starship, Mr. Fantastic threatens to destroy it unless the cosmic Ravager departs from Earth immediately! Will Reed's gallant gamble succeed? Possibly so, but first Mr. Fantastic has to convince the Silver Surfer, Agatha Harkness, General Thunderbolt Ross, and President Richard Nixon to trust him! The FF are going "all in" vs. Galactus! Will it be blackjack or bust? Cameo appearance by Franklin. (Notes: Galactus appears next in Thor 225. The Fantastic Four tangle with Galactus again in FF 172 thru 175. This four-part story was reprinted in Marvel Treasury Edition 21. The letters page includes a letter from comics editor David McDonnell. This issue includes a full-page ad for the first issue of the Hero For Hire series, later renamed Power Man and Iron Fist.) Cover price $0.20.

Iron Man (1968 1st Series) 47 CGC 8.0

Paper: Off white to white

Label #4419920015

Barry Smith art. Origin retold. "Why Must There Be An Iron Man?" Story by Roy Thomas. Art by Barry Smith and Jim Mooney. Cover by Gil Kane. These are difficult days for Tony Stark as many people around him are questioning the purpose of Iron Man following the death of Kevin O'Brien. However, after lengthy soul-searching, Tony decides he is not going to quit being Iron Man. (Note: This issue features the retelling of the origin of Iron Man.) 32 pages Cover price $0.20.

Marvel Feature (1971 1st Series) 2 CGC 9.6

Paper: White

Label #0124484001

Giant-size issue. 2nd appearance of the Defenders. Cover pencils by John Buscema and John Romita (alterations), inks by Frank Giacoia and John Romita (alterations). "Nightmare On Bald Mountain!", script by Roy Thomas, pencils by Ross Andru, inks by Sal Buscema; Dr. Strange, Hulk and Namor travel to Rutland, VT to stop a cult from releasing Dormammu into our dimension. "The Hidden World" featuring Betty Dean, Namora, and Princess Fen, script and art by Bill Everett. 52 pgs., full color. $0.25. Cover price $0.25.

Marvel Premiere (1972) 1 CGC 7.5

Paper: Off white

Label #4323252003

Origin of Warlock and Counter-Earth in "And Men Shall Call Him Warlock!" Script by Roy Thomas, pencils by Gil Kane, inks by Dan Adkins. This is the first appearance of Warlock, who was previously the character "Him" in Fantastic Four (see issues 66 and 67) and Thor (issues 165, 166) comics. High Evolutionary guest stars. Brief appearances by the Hulk and Thor. Kane/Adkins cover. Cover price $0.20.

Sub-Mariner (1968 1st Series) 56 CGC 9.6

Paper: White

Label #0635473007

Cover art by Alan Weiss and John Romita (alterations). "Atlantis Mon Amour," script by Dan Adkins and Mike Friedrich, art by Dan Adkins; A young Atlantean woman, Coral, finds the Sub-Mariner and seeks his help to help a threatened Atlantis; Namor reluctantly agrees and returns to his realm to confront the monstrous Haab creatures; The battle ends when their alien masters make first contact and announce that they come in peace; Namor leaves them behind as he no longer has any interest in Atlantis; However, a barbarian raiding force kills them all including Coral. 36 pgs., full color. $0.20. Cover price $0.20.

Sub-Mariner (1968 1st Series) 56 CGC 9.0

Paper: White

Slab: Significant scuff(s) front or back

Label #4345061016

Cover art by Alan Weiss and John Romita (alterations). "Atlantis Mon Amour," script by Dan Adkins and Mike Friedrich, art by Dan Adkins; A young Atlantean woman, Coral, finds the Sub-Mariner and seeks his help to help a threatened Atlantis; Namor reluctantly agrees and returns to his realm to confront the monstrous Haab creatures; The battle ends when their alien masters make first contact and announce that they come in peace; Namor leaves them behind as he no longer has any interest in Atlantis; However, a barbarian raiding force kills them all including Coral. 36 pgs., full color. $0.20. Cover price $0.20.