Auctions: comic books July 1966

Amazing Spider-Man (1963 1st Series) 38 CGC 3.5

Paper: Off white to white

Label #3941015010

Cover art by Steve Ditko. Second appearance of Mary Jane (cameo; face not shown) in Just a Guy Named Joe!, script by Steve Ditko (Plot) and Stan Lee, art by Steve Ditko; Average joe, Joe Smith, fails at being a fighter and tries his hand at acting; Dressed up as a robotic monster, he is zapped with electricity and chemicals which causes him to go on a violent spree against those who doubted his abilities; Meanwhile, Norman Osborn puts a price on Spidey's head and our hero is plagued with goons trying to bump him off; Pete narrowly misses meeting Mary Jane. This is Ditko's final issue of Spider-Man. Reprinted in Marvel Tales # 177. 32 pgs. $0.12. Cover price $0.12.

Avengers (1963 1st Series) 30 CBCS 7.0

Paper: Off white

Label #22-0F7594C-007

Cover pencils by Jack Kirby, inks by Frank Giacoia. "Frenzy in a Far-Off Land," script by Stan Lee, pencils by Don Heck, inks by Frank Giacoia; Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch take a leave of absence from the Avengers due to their dwindling powers; Goliath also sets off to South America to try and find a cure, hearing his old college professor Dr. Anton is there; Black Widow is ordered to destroy the Avengers again with the help of the Swordsman and Power Man; The Avengers find the Black Widow and co. but Hawkeye wants to go alone, as it is personal to him; Meanwhile, Goliath lands in South America and finds Dr. Anton has been captured by the Keeper of the Flame; He tries to save him, but is overwhelmed then brought to safety by Prince Rey, who leads a rebel force against the Keeper; Hawkeye defeats the Swordsman but is trapped by Power Man; The Black Widow saves him, finding herself unable to harm Hawkeye as she loves him; Captain America and the Wasp leave to help Goliath. Avengers roll call: Captain America, Hawkeye, Goliath, the Wasp, and, briefly, Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch. 36 pgs., full color. $0.12. Cover price $0.12.

Fantastic Four (1961 1st Series) 52 CGC 4.5

Paper: Off white

Label #0177586002

Cover pencils by Jack Kirby, inks by Joe Sinnott. First appearance of the Black Panther in The Black Panther!, script by Stan Lee, pencils by Jack Kirby, inks by Joe Sinnott; The Black Panther invites the FF to Wakanda and demonstrates his powers by attacking them. Cover price $0.12.

House of Mystery (1951-1983 1st Series) 160 CGC 7.5

Paper: Off white

Label #4400403005

Cover art by Jim Mooney. Batman ad. 1st Silver Age appearance of Plastic Man in the Dial H for Hero story "The Wizard of Light," script by Dave Wood, art by Jim Mooney; While staying with his cousin Ned, Robby Reed uses his H-Dial to battle the villainous Wizard of Light in various super-heroic guises, including that of Plastic Man! "Natural Beauty -- Everybody's Fight" public service announcement, script by Jack Schiff; excerpts from a speech by President Lyndon Johnson regarding the preservation of nature. Teen Titans ad. Letter to the editor from Irene Vartanoff. Statement of ownership--average print run 331,000; average print run 196,677. "Manhunter's New Secret Identity" starring J'onn J'onzz Manhunter from Mars, script by Jack Miller, art by Joe Certa; Manhunter agrees to infiltrate the criminal organization called VULTURE; He assumes the identity of Marce Xavier, a European playboy who recently died in an accident but whose death was not reported. Batman and Robin ad. 36 Pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.12.

Strange Tales (1951-1976 1st Series) 146 VG+ 4.5

Cover oxidation.

Cover art by Steve Ditko. Nick Fury stars in "When the Unliving Strike!", script by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby (co-plot), pencils by Jack Kirby (layouts) and Don Heck, inks by Mike Esposito (as Mickey Demeo); Aboard the Heli-Carrier Count Royale, a representative of A.I.M. (Advanced Idea Mechanics) a society of the world's greatest intellects, is offended by SHIELD's security measures; Fury uses a sonic vibrator to blast into an underwater base but is trapped between electric energy waves; A stalemate occurs when Fury reveals he has fission bombs that would blow up the base; Story continues in part from Tales of Suspense 78 and, to a lesser extent, #79. "The End--at Last!", script by Steve Ditko (plot) and Denny O'Neil (dialogue), art by Steve Ditko; Using his mystic powers to temporarily bind the sleeping Eternity Dormammu lures Strange to another dimension and challenges him but as they begin their mystical combat Eternity breaks free; He tells Dormammu to end the violence, but instead he attacks Eternity; Their encounter is brief and destructive as Dormammu is smashed between two colliding spheres; Eternity vanishes while Strange is hurled between dimensions and rescued by The Ancient One; Appearances by Baron Mordo and Clea (who is finally named in this issue!) Merry Marvel Marching Society info and coupon. NOTE: First appearance of A.I.M. (Advanced Idea Mechanics). 36 pgs., full color. Cover price $0.12.

Tales of Suspense (1959) 79 VG+ 4.5

Cover oxidation.

Cover pencils by Gene Colan, inks by Jack Abel. "Disaster!", script by Stan Lee and Gene Colan (co-plot), pencils by Gene Colan, inks by Jack Abel; On returning from the Orient, Tony Stark finds his money has been impounded, his factories shut down, and there's a warrant out for his arrest--all for failing to appear before Senator Byrd's Congressional committee; Weak and low on power, he goes to Pepper's apartment, but she's not home; In a stairwell, he dons his suit of armor and does an emergency charge; After having no better luck at Avengers HQ or Happy's apartment, he strolls down to the waterfront to think; But from the waters rises Warlord Krang's flagship; guest appearances by Sub-Mariner and Dorma. 1st modern-day appearance of The Red Skull, and the introduction of the Cosmic Cube in "The Red Skull Lives!", script by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby (co-plot), pencils by Jack Kirby, inks by Frank Giacoia; Captain America battles a squad of costumed assassins attacking a power station in the heart of NYC - but nobody else can see them; Red Skull plans to frame Cap for murder. 36 pgs., full color. $0.12. Cover price $0.12.

Tales to Astonish (1959-1968 1st Series) 81 CGC 9.2

Paper: Off white to white

Label #1057601007

Cover by Jack Kirby and Bill Everett. When a Monarch Goes Mad!, script by Stan Lee, art by Gene Colan and Dick Ayers; Namor is driven mad by the betrayal of Lady Dorma (she agreed to marry Krang last ish in order to protect the Sub-Mariner from the monstrous Behemoth); Dorma and Krang turn their skin to flesh color and head to the surface world to hide out. The Stage Is Set!, script by Stan Lee, art by Jack Kirby and Bill Everett; The Secret Empire hires Boomerang to obtain the plans for the Orion missile and the new bad guy on the block heads for gamma base; As Rick, Betty and Glenn are returned to the surface from the underground subterranean kingdom, Boomerang captures Betty to use as a bargaining chip for the missile. 36 pgs., full color. $0.12. Cover price $0.12.