Marvel Comics #1

Timely ⋅ 1939
Low
$68k
Mid
$400k
High
$1.2M

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Key Facts

1st appearance of the Human Torch, Jim Hammond

2nd appearance of Namor the Sub-Mariner - 8 pages of the 12-page story reprinted from Motion Picture Funnies Weekly #1

1st appearance of Dorma, Namor's cousin

1st appearance of Ka-Zar, David Rand

1st appearance of Angel, Thomas Halloway, a private detective and vigilante

1st appearance of the Masked Raider, Jim Gardley

1st comic book published by Timely, later becomes Marvel

Retitled Marvel Mystery Comics after this issue

80,000 copies were produced of the first printing with an October 1939 date on the cover

The second printing could be identified by the October 1939 date blacked out, replaced with November 1939

The first printing sold out within a week and was quickly reprinted at a quantity of 800,000, the same as Superman #1

Although published in October, the cover date was changed to have a longer on-sale period at newsstands

💰 In March 2022, a 9.2 known as the Pay Copy due to publisher notations that tracked creator payouts sold for $2.42 million

Issue Details

Publisher

Timely

Writer

Ray Gill

Published

November 1939

Synopsis

A collection of stories including, "Origin of the Human Torch" (feat. the Human Torch), "The Six Big Men" (feat. the Angel), "Origin of the Sub-Mariner" (feat. the Sub-Mariner) and "Origin of Ka-Zar" (feat. Ka-Zar).

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