Key Collector Comics

Debatable Firsts

Featured in this category are comic books that are often debated, sometimes heatedly, with additional images to let you make the decision for yourself

Clicking on the eBay link and making a purchase may result in this site earning a commission from the eBay Partner Network.

Brave and the Bold, The #60

DC ⋅ 1965

View Details
Brave and the Bold, The #60
 
Low
$40
Mid
$120
High
$450

Key Facts

First use of the team name 'Teen Titans'

2nd team appearance of the Teen Titans

1st appearance of Wonder Girl, Donna Troy

Wonder Girl joins the Teen Titans

⚠️ Debatable Firsts: this issue could more appropriately be labeled the first official team appearance of the Teen Titans instead of Brave and the Bold #54 based on it being the first use of the name Teen Titans and Robin's explanation that the team was formed after events in Brave and the Bold #54

Hulk #1

Marvel ⋅ 2008

View Details  ⋅  View Variants (8)
Hulk #1
 
Low
$5
Mid
$15
High
$75

Key Facts

1st cover appearance of the Red Hulk, General 'Thunderbolt' Ross

Death of Abomination, initially suspected to have been shot to death by the Hulk but later revealed to be murdered by the Red Hulk

1st team appearance of a new Winter Guard roster: Red Guardian, Ursa Major, Crimson Dynamo, Darkstar

⚠️ Debatable Firsts: the interior story is about a murder perpetrated by, who is believed to be the Hulk, Bruce Banner. Doc Samson as an investigator is piecing together what occurred and the panels depict a recreation of events from his point-of-view with the belief that it is Bruce Banner, the green Hulk who is the killer

[October 2022 - Harrison Ford has been cast as General Ross in Thunderbolts / July 2024 - Red Hulk confirmed to appear in Captain America]

Star Wars: The High Republic #5

Marvel ⋅ 2021

View Details  ⋅  View Variants (8)
Star Wars: The High Republic #5
 
Low
$1
Mid
$2
High
$8

Key Facts

1st full appearance of Vernestra Rwoh

⚠️ Debatable Firsts: this issue is labeled Vernestrah Rwoh’s first full appearance because the story breaks away from the action to focus primarily on her and provide insight into her character which is noticeably different than previous issues. If interested in determining the first full of Rwoh by the parameters of your choosing, use character search to view her earlier appearances. Tap the cover image of each issue and swipe to view the panels in which she appears

Venom #4

Marvel ⋅ 2022

View Details  ⋅  View Variants (9)
Venom #4
 
Low
$1
Mid
$2
High
$4

Key Facts

1st appearance of Carson as Spearhead

2nd cameo appearance of Bedlam, revealed to be Meridius

Debut of new Venom emblem

⚠️ Debatable Firsts: Bedlam makes a cameo appearance in Venom #1 on one page. There is debate regarding Bedlam's appearance in this issue as the character appears on one splash page, a single image illustrated across two pages (tap cover and swipe to view both appearances)

Spider-Man 2099 #1

Marvel ⋅ 1992

View Details  ⋅  View Variants (4)
Spider-Man 2099 #1
 
Low
$2
Mid
$8
High
$20

Key Facts

1st appearance and origin of Spider-Man 2099

5-page preview in Amazing Spider-Man #365 and an advertisement in Web of Spider-Man #90

⚠️ Debatable Firsts: many sources cite Amazing Spider-Man #365 as the first appearance of Spider-Man 2099 despite text on the cover of the issue that refers to it as a five-page preview promoting Spider-Man 2099 #1

Moon Knight #1

Marvel ⋅ 2014

View Details  ⋅  View Variants (7)
Moon Knight #1
 
Low
$1
Mid
$3
High
$12

Key Facts

Marc Spector assumes the moniker of Mr. Knight

1st appearance of Ryan Trent, later becomes the second Black Spectre

⚠️ Debatable Firsts: some collectors consider Secret Avengers #19 the introduction of the Mr. Knight persona but it is only the debut of a similar costume design and not an identity

Saga of the Swamp Thing #25

DC ⋅ 1984

View Details  ⋅  View Variants (2)
Saga of the Swamp Thing #25
 
Low
$5
Mid
$20
High
$65

Key Facts

1st cameo appearance of John Constantine, Hellblazer

⚠️ Debatable Firsts: it is widely accepted that this is the first cameo appearance of John Constantine but the character in question is not identified as such nor does he wear the classic trenchcoat that is seen when Constantine first appears in full, 12 months later, in Swamp Thing #37

Iron Man #281

Marvel ⋅ 1992

View Details  ⋅  View Variants (2)
Iron Man #281
 
Low
$1
Mid
$3
High
$12

Key Facts

Debut of Tony Stark’s ‘War Machine’ armor, a heavy artillery suit

⚠️ Debatable Firsts: Tony dons the armor but continues to refer to himself as Iron Man. James Rhodes does not appear in this armor until Iron Man #284 and later assumes the codename War Machine in West Coast Avengers #94

X-Factor #23

Marvel ⋅ 1987

View Details  ⋅  View Variants (1)
X-Factor #23
 
Low
$1
Mid
$5
High
$15

Key Facts

1st full team appearance of the Horsemen of Apocalypse: Death, Famine, War, Pestilence

1st full appearance of Angel as the Horseman Death, later named Archangel in X-Factor #38

⚠️ Debatable Firsts: Angel's first appearance as Archangel is often cited as X-Factor #24. The Horseman Death, formerly known as Angel, becomes Archangel in X-Factor #38

Inhumans #5

Marvel ⋅ 1999

View Details
Inhumans #5
 
Low
$4
Mid
$12
High
$40

Key Facts

1st appearance of Black Widow, Yelena Belova

[September 2022 - confirmed for the Thunderbolts movie]

⚠️ Debatable Firsts: it is disputed whether this is a full or cameo appearance. CGC labels this issue "1st appearance of the new Black Widow (Yelena Belova, face not shown)"

Star Wars: Kanan - The Last Padawan #1

Marvel ⋅ 2015

View Details  ⋅  View Variants (7)
Star Wars: Kanan - The Last Padawan #1
 
Low
$5
Mid
$15
High
$50

Key Facts

1st cameo appearance of Sabine Wren, a Mandalorian warrior

1st cameo appearance of Ezra Bridger

1st cameo appearance of Hera Syndulla

1st appearance of Kanan Jarrus

⚠️ Debatable Firsts: CGC labels Kanan #1 the first appearance of the above listed characters without distinction of cameo or full. View additional images of the single panel appearance

📖 Reading Order: next read Kanan The Last Padawan #2, then read Darth Vader #1 (2017 series)

Amazing Spider-Man #299

Marvel ⋅ 1988

View Details  ⋅  View Variants (1)
Amazing Spider-Man #299
 
Low
$12
Mid
$45
High
$140

Key Facts

2nd cameo appearance of Venom

A copy of Amazing Spider-Man #299 is seen in the movie Elvira: Mistress of the Dark (1988) being read by Jeff Conaway

⚠️ Debatable Firsts: Todd McFarlane explains in an interview that he considers The Amazing Spider-Man #299 the first full appearance of Venom but various comic book resources changed it to The Amazing Spider-Man #300

View additional images by tapping the cover image and swiping left

X-Men Annual #14

Marvel ⋅ 1990

View Details  ⋅  View Variants (1)
X-Men Annual #14
 
Low
$5
Mid
$15
High
$50

Key Facts

1st appearance of Gambit

⚠️ Debatable Firsts: this issue is often cited as a cameo of Gambit which would imply that the appearance is brief although he appears in 15 panels throughout the book with at least 10 instances of dialogue

This includes a full page-and-a-half interaction with Storm where she addresses him by name and refers to him as a thief (see images by tapping cover and swiping left)

Later Gambit appears in his classic suit and then again in an X-Men uniform

This issue went on sale June 19th whereas X-Men #266 went on sale July 10th

Uncanny X-Men #266 was written as if it were to be published prior to the annual

CGC recognizes this issue as a cameo appearance of Gambit and Uncanny X-Men #266 as his first full appearance

Incredible Hulk #180

Marvel ⋅ 1974

View Details  ⋅  View Variants (3)
Incredible Hulk #180
 
Price Trend
Low
$300
Mid
$1k
High
$3.2k

Key Facts

1st cameo appearance of Wolverine

2nd appearance of Wendigo

Marvel Value Stamp Series A #67 - Cyclops

⚠️ Debatable Firsts: this issue, by far, is the most debated "cameo versus full" book and likely the main reason "cameo" became such a significant yet loosely defined term in comic book collecting

Theoretically, The Incredible Hulk #180 being labeled "cameo" of Wolverine was due to an oversight by Overstreet (see additional images)

In the 1980/1981 edition of Overstreet, Hulk#181 is labeled - 1st app of Wolverine and Hulk#180 is without a descriptor, commanding the same value as issues #151 - #176

In the 1981/1982 Overstreet, the description had been amended to read #180 - 1st app. Wolverine but mislabeled #181 and #182 - Wolverine cameo

Finally, in 1982/1983, Overstreet labeled Hulk #180 - 1st app. Wolverine (cameo) and #181 - Wolverine app. #182 - Wolverine cameo

In recent years, Marvel has taken a stance on Hulk #180 as the first appearance of Wolverine, wanting to eliminate the term "cameo" altogether, presumably to avoid this exact debate

But in years past, official Marvel guidebooks and trading cards would often trade-off which issue was given the coveted 1st (full) appearance designation (see additional images)

Batman #357

DC ⋅ 1983

View Details  ⋅  View Variants (6)
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

Adjust Your Filters To See More Comics!

By default Key Collector searches for Standard Cover Key Issues.

Adjust the "Variants" search filter above for additional content:

  • Variant Covers ([[totalVariants]])

At Key Collector, our primary focus is on unearthing those rare Standard Cover Key Issues for you. However, the world of comic collectibles is vast and varied. We want to make sure you have the tools to explore it all!