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100 Bronze Keys

🗝 The Top 100 Key Issues from The Bronze Age Comic Books published from 1970 - 1985

Western Mar 1970

Scooby-Doo #1

Scooby-Doo #1
View Series Variants (1)
Low
$200
Mid
$800
High
$2.2K
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1st appearance of Scooby-Doo in comics
Six months prior to the publication of this issue, Scooby-Doo appeared in Golden Comics Digest #7 in a one-page puzzle activity game, not in a story
[April 2024 - Greg Berlanti's production house has teamed with Warner Bros. for a live-action Scooby Doo Netflix series with writers Josh Applebaum and Scott Rosenberg (Cowboy Bebop)]
DC Apr 1970 Vol 2

Green Lantern #76

Green Lantern #76
View Series
Low
$85
Mid
$260
High
$850
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1st appearance of Appa Ali Apsa, a Guardian of the Universe
Retitled Green Arrow/Green Lantern
Issue considered by many to mark the end of the comic book Silver Age
Introduction of controversial social themes in comics - Green Lantern is reprimanded by a black man which was an expression of frustration by the creators for the lack of accurately presented black people in comics
Marvel Oct 1970

Conan the Barbarian #1

Conan the Barbarian #1
View Series Variants (3)
Low
$100
Mid
$300
High
$1K
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1st appearance of Conan the Barbarian
1st cameo appearance of King Kull
[March 2026 - A King Conan movie is moving forward at 20th Century Studios, with Christopher McQuarrie (Mission: Impossible) writing and directing, and Arnold Schwarzenegger returning to portray the aging barbarian]
DC Feb 1971

Forever People, The #1

Forever People, The #1
View Series
Low
$18
Mid
$60
High
$180
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1st full appearance of Darkseid
1st team appearance of The Forever People: Beautiful Dreamer, Mark Moonrider, Serifan, Big Bear, Vykin the Black
First mention of Mother Boxes, sentient supercomputers of vast power and the Anti-Life Equation
1st appearance of Infinity-Man, a protector of The Forever People
DC Mar 1971

New Gods #1

New Gods #1
View Series Variants (3)
Low
$18
Mid
$65
High
$180
View on eBay
1st appearance of Orion, son of Darkseid
1st appearance of Highfather, Leader of New Genesis
1st appearance of Metron, Boom Tube inventor
1st appearance of Kalibak. son of Darkseid
1st appearance of Lightray
1st team appearance of the Parademons
Introduction of New Genesis and Apokolips
Debut of the Mobius Chair
DC Mar 1971

Mister Miracle #1

Mister Miracle #1
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Low
$20
Mid
$80
High
$200
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1st appearance of Mister Miracle, Scott Free, the son of Highfather
1st appearance of Oberon, Mister Miracle's stage manager
1st appearance and death of Thaddeus Brown, the Miracle Man who preceded Scott Free
Marvel May 1971

Savage Tales Magazine #1

Savage Tales Magazine #1
View Series
Low
$80
Mid
$260
High
$850
View on eBay
1st appearance of Man-Thing, Ted Sallis, a scientist who developed a serum to protect soldiers from chemical warfare
The Super Soldier program known as Project Sulphur aka Weapon IV, had the unintended effect of transforming Ted Sallis into Man-Thing
1st appearance of Ellen Brandt
1st team appearance of the Femizons
DC Sep 1971 Vol 2

Green Lantern #85

Green Lantern #85
View Series Variants (1)
Low
$30
Mid
$120
High
$300
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Pioneering story arc that confronted the topic of drug addiction which led to more realistic and relatable stories in comics
Adams and Mr. O'Neil won a Shazam Award in 1971 for 'Best Individual Story' and recognized by NYC mayor, John Lindsay in a letter which was printed in issue #86
Marvel Apr 1972

Marvel Premiere #1

Marvel Premiere #1
View Series
Low
$45
Mid
$135
High
$450
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Rebirth of HIM, renamed Warlock by the High Evolutionary
Debut of Warlock's costume including an unnamed emerald, later revealed to be the Soul Infinity Stone
Marvel Apr 1972

Tomb of Dracula #1

Tomb of Dracula #1
View Series Variants (5)
Low
$60
Mid
$180
High
$600
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1st appearance of Dracula, created by Gerry Conway and Gene Colan, inspired by Bram Stoker’s classic character
1st appearance of Van Helsing
1st appearance of Frank Drake, a descendant of Dracula
Marvel Jun 1972

Hero for Hire #1

Hero for Hire #1
View Series Variants (2)
Low
$40
Mid
$120
High
$400
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1st appearance and origin of Luke Cage, the first black superhero to headline a title in mainstream comics
Luke Cage became invincible to harm through a Super Soldier program called Project Power aka Weapon VI
1st appearance of Diamondback, Comanche and Shades
DC Aug 1972

Demon, The #1

Demon, The #1
View Series
Low
$15
Mid
$60
High
$175
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1st appearance and origin of Etrigan the Demon
1st appearance of Morgaine Le Fay, the sister of Madame Xanadu
1st appearance of Randu Singh
Marvel Aug 1972

Marvel Spotlight #5

Marvel Spotlight #5
View Series
Low
$200
Mid
$800
High
$2K
View on eBay
1st appearance and origin of Ghost Rider, Johnny Blaze
1st appearance of Roxanne Blaze, the wife of Johnny who later becomes the demon Black Rose
DC Oct 1972

Swamp Thing #1

Swamp Thing #1
View Series Variants (9)
Low
$30
Mid
$90
High
$300
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1st appearance and origin of the second Swamp Thing, Alec Holland
1st cameo appearance of Anton Arcane
1st appearance of Matt Cable, later becomes the Sandman's raven
1st cameo appearance of the Un-Men
1st appearance of Nathan Ellery, the man who caused the explosion that created Swamp Thing
First ongoing Swamp Thing solo title
Marvel Jan 1973

Iron Man #54

Iron Man #54
View Series Variants (1)
Low
$45
Mid
$135
High
$480
View on eBay
1st appearance of Madame MacEvil, daughter of Drax, later referred to by the name Moondragon
Madame MacEvil becomes Moondragon in Daredevil #105
[April 2023 - speculation that the child named ‘Love’ in Thor 4 is a young Moondragon who will later appear as an adult]
Marvel Feb 1973

Iron Man #55

Iron Man #55
View Series Variants (2)
Low
$135
Mid
$480
High
$1.4K
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1st appearance of Thanos, an Eternal from Titan born with the Deviants gene
1st cameo appearance of Eros aka Starfox, brother of Thanos
1st appearance of Kronos, Grandfather of Thanos
1st appearance of Mentor, father of Thanos
1st appearance of Drax the Destroyer, created by Kronus to kill Thanos
1st appearance of the Blood Brothers
Marvel Feb 1973

Conan the Barbarian #23

Conan the Barbarian #23
View Series Variants (1)
Low
$30
Mid
$90
High
$345
View on eBay
1st appearance of Red Sonja
⚠ Misconception: cited by many resources as a cameo appearance of Red Sonja but she appears in over 20 panels, fights and is introduced by name
[August 2022 - filming is scheduled to begin with Matilda Lutz cast in the main role]
DC Feb 1973

Shazam #1

Shazam #1
View Series Variants (1)
Low
$6
Mid
$20
High
$75
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DC begins publishing Shazam after licensing the Captain Marvel character from Fawcett who they had successfully sued 20 years earlier for copyright infringement due to the character's similarities to Superman
1st appearance of Captain Marvel, Captain Marvel Jr. and Mary Marvel since the Golden Age
1st appearance of Doctor Sivana and family since the Golden Age
Origin of Captain Marvel retold
Marvel Oct 1973

Marvel Spotlight #12

Marvel Spotlight #12
View Series Variants (2)
Low
$20
Mid
$80
High
$200
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1st full appearance and origin of Son of Satan
Thought many sources cite Ghost Rider#2 as the first full appearance of Damion Hellstrom he is obscured by shadows throughout the issue
Marvel Dec 1973

Special Marvel Edition #15

Special Marvel Edition #15
View Series Variants (1)
Low
$35
Mid
$120
High
$350
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1st appearance of Shang-Chi, the Master of Kung-Fu
1st appearance of Sir Dennis Nayland-Smith
1st appearance of Fu Manchu, father of Shang-Chi, later renamed Han, then Zheng Zu
1st team appearance of Si-Fan, a secret society with allegiances to Fu Manchu
1st appearance of Shang-Chi's unnamed mother, an American - later retconned in Shang-Chi #4 (2021)
Marvel May 1974

Marvel Premiere #15

Marvel Premiere #15
View Series Variants (1)
Low
$45
Mid
$120
High
$450
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1st appearance and origin of Iron Fist, Daniel Rand
1st appearance of Yu-Ti, a Dragon Lord
1st team appearance of the Dragon Kings
Introduction of K'un-Lun, one of the Seven Capital Cities of Heaven
1st appearance of Wendell Rand, father of Daniel Rand
[May 2026 - Finn Jones confirmed to reprise the role of Iron Fist in Daredevil: Born Again season 3]
Marvel Aug 1974

Astonishing Tales #25

Astonishing Tales #25
View Series Variants (1)
Low
$15
Mid
$50
High
$150
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1st appearance of Deathlok, Luther Manning
1st appearance of Major Ryker
First published artwork for Marvel by George Perez, interior two-page backup story
Prior to the publication of this issue, George Perez was published in the science-fiction magazine Hot Stuf'
Marvel Oct 1974

Incredible Hulk #180

Incredible Hulk #180
View Series Variants (4)
Low
$230
Mid
$800
High
$2.3K
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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)
Marvel Jan 1975

Giant-Size Defenders #3

Giant-Size Defenders #3
View Series Variants (1)
Low
$15
Mid
$50
High
$150
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1st appearance of Korvac
Marvel Value Stamp
[April 2020 - two inside sources have confirmed that Korvac will be in multiple upcoming Marvel projects. Although the sources are independent from one another and close to Marvel Studios this is still unconfirmed until official word is released]
Marvel Feb 1975

Strange Tales #178

Strange Tales #178
View Series Variants (2)
Low
$30
Mid
$95
High
$315
View on eBay
Ongoing stories featuring Adam Warlock begin
1st appearance of Magus, an evil version of Adam Warlock from the future
1st team appearance of The Universal Church of Truth
1st appearance of The Matriarch, a leader of The Universal Church of Truth
Marvel May 1975

Giant-Size X-Men #1

Giant-Size X-Men #1
View Series Variants (11)
Low
$350
Mid
$1.1K
High
$3.4K
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1st appearance of the new X-Men: Storm (1st), Nightcrawler (1st), Colossus (1st), Thunderbird (1st), Wolverine (3rd)
Many resources label this the 2nd full appearance of Wolverine and The Incredible Hulk #182 a second cameo
1st appearance of Illyana Rasputin as a child, later becomes Magik
Introduction of Krakoa, the Living Island
First use of the sound effect 'snikt' associated with Wolverine's claws
Marvel Aug 1975

Uncanny X-Men #94

Uncanny X-Men #94
View Series Variants (5)
Low
$80
Mid
$200
High
$820
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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 3rd 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
Marvel Dec 1975

Uncanny X-Men #96

Uncanny X-Men #96
View Series Variants (3)
Low
$40
Mid
$110
High
$240
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1st appearance of Moira MacTaggert, 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
Curtis Jan 1976

Marvel Preview #4

Marvel Preview #4
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Low
$20
Mid
$80
High
$200
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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
1st appearance of Meredith Quill, the mother of Star-Lord
Harvey May 1976

American Splendor #1

American Splendor #1
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Low
$25
Mid
$80
High
$175
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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 Jun 1976

Marvel Spotlight #28

Marvel Spotlight #28
View Series Variants (3)
Low
$15
Mid
$50
High
$150
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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 Jul 1976

Eternals #1

Eternals #1
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Low
$10
Mid
$30
High
$100
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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
Marvel Aug 1976

Eternals #2

Eternals #2
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Low
$2
Mid
$8
High
$25
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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]
Marvel Sep 1976

Nova #1

Nova #1
View Series Variants (2)
Low
$12
Mid
$45
High
$130
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1st appearance and origin of Nova, Richard Rider
1st appearance and death of Rhomann Dey, Corpsman of the Nova Corps
1st appearance of Robbie Rider, brother of Nova
[March 2022 - Deadline reports a Nova project is in development]
Marvel Sep 1976

Eternals #3

Eternals #3
View Series Variants (1)
Low
$8
Mid
$20
High
$80
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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
Marvel Oct 1976

Captain Britain #1

Captain Britain #1
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$20
Mid
$80
High
$200
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1st appearance of Captain Britain
1st cameo appearance of Roma
Debut of the Sword of Might
Captain Britain mask included inside of this issue as a bonus item
Marvel Oct 1976

Uncanny X-Men #101

Uncanny X-Men #101
View Series Variants (10)
Low
$50
Mid
$150
High
$500
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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
Marvel Nov 1976

Eternals #5

Eternals #5
View Series Variants (1)
Low
$4
Mid
$12
High
$40
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1st appearance of Makkari, an Eternal speedster
1st appearance of Domo,
1st appearance of Thena, an Eternal who acted as a liaison to mankind
1st appearance of Zuras, the Prime Eternal and father of Thena
Marvel Dec 1976

Captain Britain #8

Captain Britain #8
View Series
Low
$50
Mid
$150
High
$500
View on eBay
1st appearance of Betsy Braddock, later becomes Psylocke
First mention of Jamie Braddock Jr., later becomes Monarch
Marvel Jan 1977

Ms. Marvel #1

Ms. Marvel #1
View Series Variants (1)
Low
$5
Mid
$15
High
$75
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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 Feb 1977

Marvel Spotlight #32

Marvel Spotlight #32
View Series
Low
$18
Mid
$60
High
$180
View on eBay
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]
DC Mar 1977

Shazam #28

Shazam #28
View Series
Low
$15
Mid
$50
High
$150
View on eBay
2nd appearance of Black Adam in an original story
There was a fanzine published prior to this issue called Alter Ego where Black Adam appears on the cover but the interior is a text article recapping the Marvel Family and Black Adam written by prominent Marvel architect Roy Thomas before his tenure at Marvel began
Marvel Jul 1977

Star Wars #1

Star Wars #1
View Series Variants (23)
Low
$30
Mid
$90
High
$300
View on eBay
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
1st appearance of General Tagge
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
Marvel Aug 1977

Avengers Annual #7

Avengers Annual #7
View Series
Low
$8
Mid
$20
High
$85
View on eBay
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
Marvel Oct 1977

Uncanny X-Men #107

Uncanny X-Men #107
View Series Variants (1)
Low
$18
Mid
$60
High
$180
View on eBay
1st full team appearance of the Starjammers: Corsair, Ch'od, Hepzibah, Raza, Cr'reee
Debut of Wolverine's Fang costume
1st team appearance of the Shi'ar Imperial Guard: Electron, Fang, Hobgoblin, Smasher, Quasar, Starbolt, Tempest, Scintilla, Titan, Vril-Rokk, Magic, Mentor, Nightside, Oracle, Impulse
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
Aardvark-Vanaheim Dec 1977

Cerebus the Aardvark #1

Cerebus the Aardvark #1
View Series Variants (2)
Low
$420
Mid
$1.2K
High
$4.2K
View on eBay
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
Marvel Apr 1979

Marvel Premiere #47

Marvel Premiere #47
View Series Variants (2)
Low
$15
Mid
$50
High
$150
View on eBay
1st appearance and cover 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
Marvel Apr 1979

Uncanny X-Men #120

Uncanny X-Men #120
View Series Variants (1)
Low
$20
Mid
$80
High
$215
View on eBay
1st cameo team appearance of Alpha Flight
1st cameo appearance of Sasquatch
1st cameo appearance of Aurora
1st cameo appearance of Northstar
1st cameo appearance of Shaman
1st cameo appearance of Snowbird

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