Key Collector Comics

100 Bronze Keys

🗝 The Top 100 Comic Books From The Bronze Age 💎 Thank you for utilizing the eBay links when making ANY purchase and contributing to the continued develpoment of Key Collector Comics

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Joker, The #1

DC ⋅ 1975

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Joker, The #1
 
Low
$18
Mid
$55
High
$160

Key Facts

First solo titled Joker series

Strange Tales #180

Marvel ⋅ 1975

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Strange Tales #180
 
Low
$30
Mid
$90
High
$300

Key Facts

1st appearance of Gamora

2nd appearance of Pip the Troll

3rd appearance of Magus

Debut of new Adam Warlock costume

Uncanny X-Men #94

Marvel ⋅ 1975

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Uncanny X-Men #94
 
Low
$315
Mid
$960
High
$3.3k

Key Facts

2nd team appearance of the X-Men that debuted in Giant-Size X-Men #1

2nd appearance of Storm, Nightcrawler, Colossus and Thunderbird

4th appearance of Wolverine

1st appearance of Dragonfly

Some resources refer to this as the 2nd full appearance of Wolverine and Hulk #182 a 2nd cameo appearance

Beginning of Chris Claremont's 16-year consecutive run on the title, ending with Uncanny X-Men #279

First new X-Men story following five years of reprints

Werewolf By Night #32

Marvel ⋅ 1975

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Werewolf By Night #32
 
Low
$135
Mid
$450
High
$1.4k

Key Facts

1st appearance and origin of Moon Knight

1st Issue Special #8

DC ⋅ 1975

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1st Issue Special #8
 
Low
$2
Mid
$8
High
$25

Key Facts

1st appearance and origin of Warlord

1st appearance of Tara Morgan, Warlord's wife

1st appearance of Deimos

Uncanny X-Men #96

Marvel ⋅ 1975

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Uncanny X-Men #96
 
Low
$40
Mid
$110
High
$240

Key Facts

1st appearance of Moira McTaggert, an Omega Level Mutant who retains her memory after death and reincarnation

Debut of Wolverine's berserker rage

1st appearance of Steven Lang, one of the Sentinel program pioneers

1st appearance of Kierrok, a demon created by Chthon

Marvel Preview #4

Curtis ⋅ 1976

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Marvel Preview #4
 
Low
$50
Mid
$150
High
$500

Key Facts

1st appearance of Star-Lord in a magazine

See: Marvel Spotlight Vol. 2 #6 for Star-Lord's first appearance in a standard comic book

1st appearance of Ragnar, Master of the Sun

1st appearance of Prince Wayfinder, later created the Microverse

All-Star Comics #58

DC ⋅ 1976

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All-Star Comics #58
 
Low
$40
Mid
$120
High
$400

Key Facts

1st appearance of Power Girl, a Kryptonian cousin of Earth-2 Superman

Daredevil #131

Marvel ⋅ 1976

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Daredevil #131
 
Low
$50
Mid
$150
High
$500

Key Facts

1st appearance and origin of Bullseye

American Splendor #1

Harvey ⋅ 1976

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American Splendor #1
 
Low
$25
Mid
$80
High
$175

Key Facts

Autobiographical comic book featuring stories about the author, Harvey Pekar and his life in Cleveland, Ohio

Adapted into a film starring Paul Giamatti as Harvey Pekar

American Splendor was a 16 issue series, published annually until 1993 when it was then acquired by Dark Horse

Marvel Spotlight #28

Marvel ⋅ 1976

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Marvel Spotlight #28
 
Low
$15
Mid
$50
High
$150

Key Facts

First solo Moon Knight story

Multiple personalities including Jake Lockley and Steven Grant are revealed

1st appearance of Marlene Alraune, a long-term love interest of Marc Spector

1st appearance of Bertrand Crawley, an informant

Marvel Preview #7

Curtis ⋅ 1976

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Marvel Preview #7
 
Low
$35
Mid
$110
High
$380

Key Facts

1st appearance of Rocky Raccoon, later renamed Rocket Raccoon

Eternals #1

Marvel ⋅ 1976

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Eternals #1
 
Low
$10
Mid
$30
High
$100

Key Facts

1st partial team appearance and origin of The Eternals and The Deviants

1st appearance of Ikaris

1st appearance of Kro and Brother Tode, Deviants and enemies of The Eternals

1st appearance of Margo Damian

Eternals #2

Marvel ⋅ 1976

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Eternals #2
 
Low
$2
Mid
$8
High
$25

Key Facts

1st appearance of Ajak, a member of the sub-group known as the Polar Eternals

1st appearance of Arishem the Judge, a Celestial

The Celestials sink the Kingdom of Lemuria and as a result, Atlantis is also sunk

[July 2022 - Marvel recently trademarked the title Celestials: End of Time]

Eternals #3

Marvel ⋅ 1976

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Eternals #3
 
Low
$8
Mid
$20
High
$80

Key Facts

1st appearance of Sersi

In Strange Tales #109, a blonde version of the character appeared briefly referred to as 'Circe'

1st cover appearance of Ikaris

Nova #1

Marvel ⋅ 1976

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Nova #1
 
Low
$12
Mid
$45
High
$130

Key Facts

1st appearance and origin of Nova, Richard Rider

1st appearance of Rhomann Dey, Corpsman of the Nova Corps

1st appearance of Robbie Rider, brother of Nova

[January 2021 - the MCU maintains their intention to use Nova (Alexander & Rider) in a film / March 2022 - Deadline reports a source confirms a Nova project is in development]

Uncanny X-Men #101

Marvel ⋅ 1976

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Uncanny X-Men #101
 
Low
$80
Mid
$200
High
$800

Key Facts

Debut of new powers, Jean Grey is reborn as the Phoenix

Ten years later this moment would be further developed where the Phoenix is an actual cosmic entity of vast power that copied Grey’s physical form while placing her body in a cocoon to heal from her injuries

1st full appearance of Black Tom Cassidy

Captain Britain #1

Marvel ⋅ 1976

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Captain Britain #1
 
Low
$35
Mid
$100
High
$350

Key Facts

1st appearance of Captain Britain

1st cameo appearance of Roma

Debut of the Sword of Might

Bonus item included inside of the issue of a Captain Britain mask

Eternals #5

Marvel ⋅ 1976

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Eternals #5
 
Low
$4
Mid
$12
High
$40

Key Facts

1st appearance of Makkari

1st appearance of Domo

1st appearance of Thena

1st appearance of Zuras

Captain Britain #8

Marvel ⋅ 1976

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Captain Britain #8
 
Low
$50
Mid
$150
High
$500

Key Facts

1st appearance of Betsy Braddock, later becomes Psylocke

First mention of Jamie Braddock Jr., later becomes Monarch

Ms. Marvel #1

Marvel ⋅ 1977

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Ms. Marvel #1
 
Low
$5
Mid
$15
High
$75

Key Facts

1st appearance of Carol Danvers as Ms. Marvel

Carol first appears without powers in Marvel Super-Heroes #13 and gains powers in Captain Marvel #18

Marvel Spotlight #32

Marvel ⋅ 1977

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Marvel Spotlight #32
 
Low
$18
Mid
$60
High
$180

Key Facts

1st appearance and origin of Spider-Woman, Jessica Drew

1st appearance and death of Otto Vermis

[June 2021 - Issa Rae will voice Spider-Woman in Into The Spider-Verse 2 / May 2023 - an animated Spider-Woman movie is in development]

Star Wars #1

Marvel ⋅ 1977

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Star Wars #1
 
Low
$30
Mid
$90
High
$300

Key Facts

Issues #1 - #6 are an adaptation of 'Star Wars: A New Hope'

1st appearance of Darth Vader

1st appearance of Luke Skywalker

1st appearance of Princess Leia

1st appearance of C-3PO and R2-D2

1st appearance of Grand Moff Tarkin

1st appearance of Beru and Owen Lars

Introduction of Stormtroopers

1st cover appearance of Obi Wan Kenobi and Han Solo (not in story)

📖 Reading Order: read Star Wars (1977) #1 - #6, then Princess Leia #1

Iron Fist #14

Marvel ⋅ 1977

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Iron Fist #14
 
Low
$55
Mid
$150
High
$550

Key Facts

1st full appearance and cover of Sabretooth, a mutant who becomes the primary nemesis of Wolverine

Avengers Annual #7

Marvel ⋅ 1977

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Avengers Annual #7
 
Low
$8
Mid
$20
High
$85

Key Facts

Death of Warlock

Death of Pip the Troll

Death of Gamora

1st appearance of all six Infinity Gems: Soul, Time, Space, Mind, Reality, Power

First battle of Thanos and Warlock

Uncanny X-Men #107

Marvel ⋅ 1977

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Uncanny X-Men #107
 
Low
$18
Mid
$60
High
$180

Key Facts

1st full team appearance of the Starjammers: Corsair, Ch'od, Hepzibah, Astra and Raza

Debut of Wolverine's Fang costume

1st team appearance of the Shi'ar Imperial Guard

1st appearance of the M'Krann Crystal

1st appearance of Gladiator, leader of the Imperial Guard

1st full appearance of D'Ken Neramani, a Shi’ar royal

Cerebus the Aardvark #1

Aardvark-Vanaheim ⋅ 1977

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Cerebus the Aardvark #1
 
Low
$420
Mid
$1.2k
High
$4.2k

Key Facts

1st appearance of Cerebus the Aardvark

Print run: 2,000 copies

Counterfeit copies exist - to identify the difference between a real copy and counterfeit, tap the cover image and swipe left

Fantasy Quarterly #1

IPS ⋅ 1977

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Fantasy Quarterly #1
 
Low
$25
Mid
$110
High
$250

Key Facts

1st appearance of ElfQuest

[January 2024 - an ElfQuest animated series is in development from Fox]

Ms. Marvel #18

Marvel ⋅ 1978

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Ms. Marvel #18
 
Low
$15
Mid
$50
High
$150

Key Facts

1st full appearance of Mystique, revealed without disguise

[April 2021 - when keying in a number sequence on the Buccaneer Bay section of Marvel’s exploremadripoor.com, an image with the name Mystique appears in a boat charter reservation]

What If…? #10

Marvel ⋅ 1978

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What If…? #10
 
Low
$8
Mid
$20
High
$80

Key Facts

1st appearance of Thordis, an alternate reality version of Jane Foster who found Mjolnir

Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man #27

Marvel ⋅ 1979

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Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man #27
 
Low
$8
Mid
$20
High
$80

Key Facts

First artwork on Daredevil by Frank Miller

Avengers, The #181

Marvel ⋅ 1979

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Avengers, The #181
 
Low
$10
Mid
$35
High
$110

Key Facts

1st appearance of Scott Lang, later becomes the second Ant-Man

New Avengers roster: Captain America, Iron Man, Beast, Vision, Scarlet Witch, Falcon and Wasp

Uncanny X-Men #120

Marvel ⋅ 1979

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Uncanny X-Men #120
 
Low
$20
Mid
$80
High
$215

Key Facts

1st cameo team appearance of Alpha Flight: Sasquatch, Aurora, Northstar, Shaman, Snowbird

[June 2020 - Alpha Flight rumored to make an appearance in the MCU]

Marvel Premiere #47

Marvel ⋅ 1979

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Marvel Premiere #47
 
Low
$15
Mid
$50
High
$150

Key Facts

1st appearance of Scott Lang as Ant-Man, in costume

1st appearance of Cassie Lang, daughter of Scott Lang, later becomes Stature and then Stinger

[January 2023 - Cassie Lang expected to appear in a Young Avengers project]

1st appearance of Darren Cross, later becomes Yellowjacket

Amazing Spider-Man #194

Marvel ⋅ 1979

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Amazing Spider-Man #194
 
Low
$35
Mid
$90
High
$350

Key Facts

1st appearance of the Black Cat

Iron Man #128

Marvel ⋅ 1979

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Iron Man #128
 
Low
$9
Mid
$35
High
$100

Key Facts

Iconic cover art by Bob Layton

"Demon in a Bottle" part 9

Uncanny X-Men #129

Marvel ⋅ 1980

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Uncanny X-Men #129
 
Low
$50
Mid
$125
High
$350

Key Facts

The Dark Phoenix Saga Part 1

1st appearance of Kitty Pryde

1st appearance of Emma Frost, the White Queen

1st cameo team appearance of The Hellfire Club, in shadows

Savage She-Hulk #1

Marvel ⋅ 1980

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Savage She-Hulk #1
 
Low
$12
Mid
$40
High
$120

Key Facts

1st appearance and origin of She-Hulk, the cousin of Bruce Banner

DC Comics Presents #26

DC ⋅ 1980

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DC Comics Presents #26
 
Low
$25
Mid
$90
High
$250

Key Facts

1st team appearance of the new Teen Titans: Robin, Wonder Girl, Kid Flash, Cyborg, Raven, Beast Boy, Starfire

1st appearance of Raven

1st appearance of Cyborg

1st appearance of Starfire

Beast Boy becomes Changeling

New Teen Titans #2

DC ⋅ 1980

View Details  ⋅  View Variants (1)
New Teen Titans #2
 
Low
$40
Mid
$115
High
$350

Key Facts

1st appearance of Deathstroke the Terminator

1st appearance and death of Ravager, son of Deathstroke - appears in issue #1, not in costume

1st appearance of Wintergreen, Deathstroke's mentor

1st cameo appearance of Trigon, as demonic eyes

🔮 DC Possibilities: Yet another character who could hold his own as an anti-hero in a standalone project and a few extra years on Joe Manganiello would do well for Deathstroke

[September 2024 - James Gunn’s DCU is developing a Bane and Deathstroke super-villain team-up film based on a script by Matthew Orton]

Uncanny X-Men #141

Marvel ⋅ 1981

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Uncanny X-Men #141
 
Low
$15
Mid
$50
High
$160

Key Facts

"Days of Future Past" part 1

1st team appearance of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants: Mystique, Destiny, Pyro, Avalanche and Blob

1st appearance of Destiny

1st appearance of Avalanche

1st appearance of Pyro

1st appearance of Rachel Summers, daughter of Scott and Jean

Daredevil #168

Marvel ⋅ 1981

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Daredevil #168
 
Low
$35
Mid
$125
High
$380

Key Facts

1st appearance and origin of Elektra

1st cameo appearance of Robert 'Goldy' Goldman, dialogue only

First solo written work on Daredevil by Frank Miller - previous co-writer credit first occurred in issue #165

Elektra misspelled 'Elecktra' on the cover

Amazing Spider-Man Annual #16

Marvel ⋅ 1982

View Details  ⋅  View Variants (2)
Amazing Spider-Man Annual #16
 
Low
$4
Mid
$12
High
$40

Key Facts

1st appearance of Captain Marvel, Monica Rambeau later becomes Photon, then Spectrum

Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man #64

Marvel ⋅ 1982

View Details  ⋅  View Variants (1)
Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man #64
 
Low
$5
Mid
$20
High
$65

Key Facts

1st appearance and origin of Cloak and Dagger

Incredible Hulk #271

Marvel ⋅ 1982

View Details  ⋅  View Variants (2)
Incredible Hulk #271
 
Low
$20
Mid
$80
High
$215

Key Facts

2nd appearance and first cover of Rocket Raccoon, formerly Rocky Raccoon in Marvel Preview #7

1st appearance of Judson Jakes

1st appearance of Lylla, an otter and the love interest of Rocket

1st appearance of Wal Rus

1st appearance of Blackjack O'Hare

DC Comics Presents #47

DC ⋅ 1982

View Details  ⋅  View Variants (3)
DC Comics Presents #47
 
Low
$25
Mid
$90
High
$260

Key Facts

1st appearance of He-Man in standard comic book format

1st appearance of Skeletor in standard comic book format

Wolverine #1

Marvel ⋅ 1982

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Wolverine #1
 
Low
$15
Mid
$55
High
$175

Key Facts

First solo Wolverine title

1st cameo appearance of Yukio

First use of the phrase, 'I'm the best there is at what I do'

Comico Primer #2

Comico ⋅ 1982

View Details
Comico Primer #2
 
Low
$65
Mid
$190
High
$685

Key Facts

1st appearance of Grendel, Hunter Rose

1st appearance of Argent the Wolf

Batman #357

DC ⋅ 1983

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Batman #357
 
Low
$15
Mid
$50
High
$180

Key Facts

1st cameo appearance of Jason Todd

2nd cameo appearance of Killer Croc

⚠️ Debatable Firsts: this issue is cited as the first full appearance of Killer Croc but there is no difference in his depiction as a gangster in a trenchoat and fedora as first seen in Detective Comics #523, released one month before #357. In Detective Comics #524, he is revealed to have crocodile features for the first time

It should also be noted that this version of Jason Todd is not visually accurate to later versions and his origin is retconned in Batman #408

CGC recognizes this issue as the first full appearance of both Killer Croc and Jason Todd

Amazing Spider-Man #238

Marvel ⋅ 1983

View Details  ⋅  View Variants (7)
Amazing Spider-Man #238
 
Low
$40
Mid
$135
High
$450

Key Facts

1st appearance of the Hobgoblin, Roderick Kingsley

A complete issue includes the ‘Tattooz' giveaway insert, found between the final page and the back cover. See additional images - be aware that the insert may be there but the tattoos might still be missing

[Feb 2021 - a social media account associated with Sony seemingly teased the transformation of Ned Leeds into the Hobgoblin / June 2022 - Jacob Batalon reshared photo holding a Hobgoblin action figure which caused future movie speculation on social media / May 2023 - speculation Spider-Man 4's villain will be Hobgoblin]

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