Marvel's Rare First Comics Pack A Punch, Fetching $2.4 Million

Last week, a rare annotated first copy of Marvel Comics, then known as Timely Comics, sold for a staggering US$2.4 million at auction. 

The 68-page book was first released in October 1939, featuring the original Human Torch and Namor, the Submariner, long before Stan Lee created the iconic Spider-Man, Avengers, Fantastic Four, and X-Men stories.

The publisher printed 80,000 copies in the first month of the edition’s release, followed by 800,000 more in the month after, alluding to the fact that it was in high demand. 

However, the copy that went under the hammer was even more special because it was a “pay copy” annotated by the publishers, which was used to jot down the payments due to artists—such as Bill Everett, Carl Burgos, and Paul Gustavson—who worked on the book. 

Interestingly, it showed that Frank R. Paul, the hand behind the cover, was paid just US$25 (US$510 in today’s equivalent). Plus, the book itself was kept in great shape, receiving a 9.2 grade from the Certified Guarantee Company. 

As Robb Report posited, the special annotations on the book could be why it broke the previous sales price of US$1.26 million for a 9.4-grade edition in 2019. 

Maybe it’s time to rummage through your dad’s comic collection from high school and see if there are any million-dollar gems hidden in the stacks of superheroes. 

[via Robb Report and Nerdist, cover image via ComicConnect]