Key Collector Comics

100 Modern Keys

🗝 The Top 100 Key Issues from The Modern Age Comic Books published from 1993 - Present

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Marvel 75th Anniversary Celebration #1

Marvel ⋅ 2014

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Marvel 75th Anniversary Celebration #1
 
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Key Facts

According to Tom Brevoort, Senior Vice President of publishing at Marvel, this issue includes Stan Lee's final published story, 'Captain America Foils the Traitor's Revenge'

Stan Lee's first published story for Marvel was a two-page text feature in Captain America Comics #3 (May 1941) of the same name

Stan Lee adapted the two-page text story from 1941 into a traditional comic script 73 years later and Bruce Timm illustrated the panels

Stan Lee's first published story was also his last

Wolverine #66

Marvel ⋅ 2008

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Wolverine #66
 
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Key Facts

1st appearance of Old Man Logan

1st appearance of Old Man Hawkeye

Avenging Spider-Man #9

Marvel ⋅ 2012

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Avenging Spider-Man #9
 
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Key Facts

1st appearance of Carol Danvers as Captain Marvel

Carol doesn't officially accept the codename until Captain Marvel #1 2012

Star Wars: Darth Vader #3

Marvel ⋅ 2015

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Star Wars: Darth Vader #3
 
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Key Facts

1st appearance of Doctor Aphra

1st appearance of 0-0-0 aka Triple Zero, a droid

1st appearance of BT-1, an assassin droid

Iron Man #282

Marvel ⋅ 1992

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Iron Man #282
 
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Key Facts

1st cover appearance of the War Machine armor, worn by Tony Stark

⚠ Misconception: cited by many as the first appearance of War Machine. "War Machine" is splashed across the IRON MAN title in reference to the armor’s incredible armaments but the name is not official. The armor, (piloted by Tony Stark in this issue, not James Rhodes) actually debuts in the previous issue, Iron Man #281. In Iron Man #284, James Rhodes suits up in the War Machine armor but does so as Iron Man and does not officially assume the War Machine codename until West Coast Avengers #94, though he is referred to as War Machine in X-Force #21 but as Iron Man in X-Force #20

Edge of Spider-Verse #2

Marvel ⋅ 2014

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Edge of Spider-Verse #2
 
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Key Facts

1st appearance of Spider-Gwen, Gwen Stacy in an alternate universe (Earth-65)

1st appearance of Em Jay Watson (Earth-65) who later bonds with the Carnage symbiote

1st team appearance of the Mary Janes: Em Jay Watson, Betty Brant, Glory Grant

30 Days of Night #1

IDW ⋅ 2002

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30 Days of Night #1
 
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Key Facts

A small Alaskan town is invaded by vampires during a naturally occurring, month-long absence of sunlight

First traditional comic book published by IDW

Copies ordered by retailers: 3,791

Y: The Last Man #1

DC Vertigo ⋅ 2002

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Y: The Last Man #1
 
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Key Facts

Premiere issue of a series created by Brian K. Vaughn about the last man on a female populated Earth

Birds of Prey: Black Canary / Oracle #1

DC ⋅ 1995

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Birds of Prey: Black Canary / Oracle #1
 
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Key Facts

1st team appearance of Birds of Prey: Black Canary and Oracle

Unofficial team appearance in Showcase 96 #3

Gotham City Sirens #1

DC ⋅ 2009

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Gotham City Sirens #1
 
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Key Facts

First Gotham City Sirens title featuring Harley Quinn, Catwoman and Poison Ivy

Batman #1

DC ⋅ 2011

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Batman #1
 
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Key Facts

Premiere issue of the second standalone Batman title

1st appearance of Lincoln March

1st cameo appearance of Harper Row, later becomes Bluebird

Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur #1

Marvel ⋅ 2016

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Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur #1
 
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Key Facts

1st appearance of Moon Girl, Lunella Lafayette

Venom #3

Marvel ⋅ 2018

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Venom #3
 
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Key Facts

1st full appearance of Knull,the creator of the Symbiote alien race

Knull's first cameo appearance is in Thor: God of Thunder #6

The spiral emblem associated with Knull is a reference to Chthulhu mythology

Knull was the first being that existed in nothingness that preceded the creation of the current Marvel Universe

[September 2024 - the latest Venom trailer revealed Knull to be a villain in the film]

NYX #3

Marvel ⋅ 2004

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NYX #3
 
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Key Facts

1st appearance of X-23, Laura Kinney

Laura Kinney debuted in the animated series X-Men: Evolution (2003)

Venom: Lethal Protector #1

Marvel ⋅ 1993

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Venom: Lethal Protector #1
 
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Key Facts

First solo series featuring Venom

1st cameo appearance of General Orwell Taylor

All-New Ghost Rider #1

Marvel ⋅ 2014

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All-New Ghost Rider #1
 
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Key Facts

1st appearance and origin of Ghost Rider, Robbie Reyes

Bloodstone #1

Marvel ⋅ 2001

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Bloodstone #1
 
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Key Facts

1st appearance of Elsa Bloodstone, daughter and successor of the famous monster hunter, Ulysses Bloodstone

1st appearance of Nosferatu in the Marvel Universe

Annihilation: Conquest #6

Marvel ⋅ 2008

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Annihilation: Conquest #6
 
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Key Facts

1st team appearance of the new Guardians of the Galaxy: Star-Lord, Rocket Raccoon, Quasar, Adam Warlock, Gamora, Drax the Destroyer and Groot

52 #11

DC ⋅ 2006

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52 #11
 
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Key Facts

1st full appearance of Batwoman, Kate Kane

Batman #656

DC ⋅ 2006

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Batman #656
 
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Key Facts

1st full appearance of Damian Wayne, in final panel

1st appearance of Jezebel Jet

Vengeance #1

Marvel ⋅ 2011

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Vengeance #1
 
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Key Facts

1st appearance of Miss America aka America Chavez

Copies ordered by retailers: 25,873

Spawn #9

Image ⋅ 1993

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Spawn #9
 
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Key Facts

1st appearance of Angela

later acquired by Marvel as Thor's half sister

1st appearance of Medieval Spawn

1st appearance of Cogliostro

Cover inspired by Wonder Woman #72

Superman: The Man of Steel #18

DC ⋅ 1992

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Superman: The Man of Steel #18
 
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Key Facts

1st full appearance of Doomsday, mostly obscured by a containment suit with one arm bound behind his back as he wreaks havoc across the countryside

Free Comic Book Day 2007: The Umbrella Academy #1

Dark Horse ⋅ 2007

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Free Comic Book Day 2007: The Umbrella Academy #1
 
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Key Facts

Written by Gerard Way, frontman of My Chemical Romance

Free Comic Book Day 2007 giveaway

1st team appearance of the Umbrella Academy: The Monocle (Sir Reginald Hargreeves), Spaceboy (Luther), Kraken (Diego), The Rumor (Allison),The Séance (Klaus), The Horror (Ben), Vanya

1st appearance of The Murder Magician

[Adapted for a Netflix TV series, premiered February 2019]

The Sentry #1

Marvel ⋅ 2000

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The Sentry #1
 
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Key Facts

1st appearance of the Sentry

1st appearance of The Void, the dark aspect of The Sentry

Captain America #6

Marvel ⋅ 2005

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Captain America #6
 
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Key Facts

1st full appearance of Bucky Barnes as the Winter Soldier

Hulk #1

Marvel ⋅ 2008

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Hulk #1
 
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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

Incredible Hulk #449

Marvel ⋅ 1996

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Incredible Hulk #449
 
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Key Facts

1st team appearance of The Thunderbolts: Citizen V (formerly Baron Zemo), Atlas (formerly Goliath), Mach-1 (formerly Beetle), Songbird (formerly Screaming Mimi), Meteorite (formerly Moonstone II), Techno (formerly Fixer)

New Avengers #7

Marvel ⋅ 2005

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New Avengers #7
 
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Key Facts

1st team appearance of the Illuminati: Professor X, Doctor Strange, Black Bolt, Iron Man, Namor

New X-Men #128

Marvel ⋅ 2002

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New X-Men #128
 
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Key Facts

1st appearance of Fantomex, Weapon XIII

1st team appearance of X-Corporation (Paris): Darkstar, Multiple Man, Rictor, Monet St. Croix, Cannoball, Siryn

John Byrne's Next Men #21

Dark Horse ⋅ 1993

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John Byrne's Next Men #21
 
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Key Facts

1st appearance of Hellboy in color

Justice League #31

DC ⋅ 2014

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Justice League #31
 
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Key Facts

1st full appearance of Jessica Cruz

Jessica Cruz chosen by Volthoom to become Power Ring

Stormwatch #4

Image ⋅ 1998

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Stormwatch #4
 
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Key Facts

1st appearance of Apollo

1st appearance of Midnighter

Amazing Spider-Man #4

Marvel ⋅ 2014

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Amazing Spider-Man #4
 
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Key Facts

1st full appearance of Silk, a Korean-American girl who was bitten by the same radioactive spider as Peter Parker

📖 Spider-Verse Reading Order: read The Amazing Spider-Man #4 and #5

Invincible Iron Man #7

Marvel ⋅ 2016

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Invincible Iron Man #7
 
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Key Facts

1st cameo appearance of Riri Williams, later becomes Ironheart

1st appearance of Tomoe, an Inhuman who manipulates machinery through technopathy

Young Avengers #1

Marvel ⋅ 2005

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Young Avengers #1
 
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Key Facts

1st team appearance of the Young Avengers: Kate Bishop, Patriot, Asgardian aka Wiccan, Hulkling, and Iron Lad, who is later revealed to be a young variant of Kang

Amazing Spider-Man #36

Marvel ⋅ 2001

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Amazing Spider-Man #36
 
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Key Facts

September 11th, 2001 tribute issue depicting various Marvel teams and characters working alongside emergency services as New York native, Spider-Man narrates the experience

Thanos #13

Marvel ⋅ 2017

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Thanos #13
 
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Key Facts

1st appearance of Cosmic Ghost Rider, who was once the Punisher until he became a Herald of Galactus

1st appearance of King Thanos

All-New, Marvel Now Point One #1

Marvel ⋅ 2014

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All-New, Marvel Now Point One #1
 
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Key Facts

1st full appearance of Kamala Khan as Ms. Marvel in-story

1st appearance of Bruno Carrelli

1st appearance of Tanalth the Pursuer

1st appearance of Dawn Greenwood, an ally of the Silver Surfer

Copies ordered by retailers: 32,929

Black Panther #2

Marvel ⋅ 2005

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Black Panther #2
 
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Key Facts

1st appearance of Shuri, T'Challa's sister and future Black Panther

1st appearance of S'yan, the uncle of T'Challa who held the throne after T'Chaka's assassination

Batman #635

DC ⋅ 2005

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Batman #635
 
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Key Facts

1st appearance of Jason Todd as Red Hood

Batman: Vengeance of Bane #1

DC ⋅ 1993

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Batman: Vengeance of Bane #1
 
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Key Facts

1st appearance, cover and origin of Bane

📖 Knightfall Reading Order: next Batman #484

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

Alias #1

Marvel ⋅ 2001

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Alias #1
 
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Key Facts

1st appearance of Jessica Jones

Marvel Super-Heroes #8

Marvel ⋅ 1992

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Marvel Super-Heroes #8
 
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Key Facts

1st appearance of Squirrel Girl

Avengers, The #684

Marvel ⋅ 2018

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Avengers, The #684
 
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Key Facts

Origin of Voyager

Revelation that the Hulk is immortal - many refer to this being the first appearance of the Immortal Hulk but as the story explains, the Hulk has always been immortal

Amazing Spider-Man #361

Marvel ⋅ 1992

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Amazing Spider-Man #361
 
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Key Facts

1st full appearance of Carnage, spawned from the extraterrestrial parasite known as the Venom symbiote

Spawn #1

Image ⋅ 1992

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Spawn #1
 
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Key Facts

1st appearance of Spawn

1st appearance of Sam & Twitch

1st appearance of Malebolgia

1st cameo appearance of Jason Wynn

Pin-up of Pitt

Teen Titans #12

DC ⋅ 2017

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Teen Titans #12
 
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$60
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Key Facts

1st full appearance of The Batman Who Laughs

Part of the Dark Multiverse, The Batman Who Laughs is an alternate version of Batman depicted as a hybrid of the Joker & Batman

Superman #75

DC ⋅ 1993

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Superman #75
 
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Key Facts

Death of Superman

Death of Doomsday

Every page of this issue is a full or double-splash page

Six-million issues sold

X-Men #4

Marvel ⋅ 1992

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X-Men #4
 
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Key Facts

1st full appearance of Omega Red, a Russian serial killer, captured and experimented on by the government

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