Strange Tales (1951-1976 1st Series) comic books graded by CGC

Strange Tales (1951-1976 1st Series) 104 CGC 6.0

Paper: Off white to white

Label #4375737008

Cover pencils by Jack Kirby, inks by Dick Ayers. First appearance of Paste-Pot Pete (later called the Trapster) in "Paste-Pot Pete!", script by Stan Lee (plot) and Larry Lieber (script), pencils by Jack Kirby, inks by Dick Ayers; Human Torch stops Paste-Pot Pete from stealing an experimental missile from the military. "Venus!" text story. "Markham's Magic Crayon!", script by Stan Lee (plot) and Larry Lieber (script), art by Paul Reinman; A greedy factory owner fires a worker who claims to have made a magic crayon; He finds that the crayon really is magic, giving him the ability to draw fabulously. "The Frog-Man!", script by Stan Lee, art by Steve Ditko; An evil king is turned into a frog by a sorcerer; He hibernates for centuries hoping that the future will hold a cure, but Halloween costumes make him think that humans are now giant frogs and he goes to sleep forever. 36 pgs., full color. Cover price $0.12.

Strange Tales (1951-1976 1st Series) 115 CGC 5.5

Paper: Off white

Label #1362288007

Cover pencils by Jack Kirby, inks by Steve Ditko. Dr. Strange's 4th appearance finally provides his origin in "The Origin of Dr. Strange," script by Stan Lee (co-plot, script) and Steve Ditko (co-plot, un-credited), art by Steve Ditko; Dr. Stephen Strange, a top neurosurgeon, damages his hands in an accident and seeks out a mystic for help; He saves the seer from his treacherous student, becoming his pupil and finding a new purpose; First mentions of Dormammu and the All-Seeing Agamotto (though no actual appearances). Baron Mordo appearance. Second appearance (and brief origin) of the Sandman in "The Sandman Strikes!", script by Stan Lee (co-plot, script) and Dick Ayers (co-plot, un-credited), art by Dick Ayers; The Human Torch fights and defeats Spider-Mans old enemy Sandman. "Zero of Time" text story. 36 pgs., full color. Cover price $0.12.

Strange Tales (1951-1976 1st Series) 138 CGC 8.5

Paper: Off white to white

Label #4064961007

Cover pencils by Jack Kirby, inks by John Severin. "Sometimes the Good Guys Lose!", script by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby (co-plot), pencils by Jack Kirby (layouts) and John Severin, inks by John Severin; Aboard SHIELD's Intercontinental Ballistic Plane Fury uses the Televiewer Tube to locate the Betraton Bomb launch site; It is destroyed but the bomb was already launched; Agent G unsuccessfully implores her father, Imperial Hydra to come to his senses; He sends HYDRA's Fox Division to deliver his terms to every nation on Earth; Tony Stark prepares to show Fury the Braino-Saur,a new weapon when HYDRA agents capture him. "If Eternity Should Fail!", script by Steve Ditko (plot) and Stan Lee (dialogue), art by Steve Ditko; In another dimension that defies description, Dr. Strange comes face-to-face with Eternity, who learns that Strange is indeed worthy of The Ancient One's trust; He knows that if Mordo & Dormammu are not stopped, all mankind will be in jeopardy; But after all Strange has been through, Eternity tells him he already has the power he needs; First appearance of Eternity; Appearance by Clea. 36 pgs., full color. Cover price $0.12.

Strange Tales (1951-1976 1st Series) 157 CGC 8.0

Paper: Off white to white

Slab: Scuffing to inner well of case

Label #3774617005

Cover art by Jim Steranko. Nick Fury stars in "Crisis!", script and art by Jim Steranko; Strucker announces that the impregnable dome over Hydra Island will keep them safe from the "Death Spore" plague, and plans to use Fury's body as the basis for an army of HYDRA androids to "police" the world, once he's dead from the Alpha Ray beam; But Fury escapes!; As SHIELD searches the Heli-Carrier for the bomb with no result, Fury, "playing it by ear", takes on one group of HYDRA thugs after another, until Strucker faces him one-on-one. "The End of the Ancient One!", script by Stan Lee and Marie Severin (co-plot), pencils by Marie Severin, inks by Herb Trimpe; In order to pass his powers onto his disciple, The Ancient One allows Zom to defeat him; Before Strange's eyes, his mentor is fused with one of the giant rocks at Stonehenge, but not before he utters a warning; A battle ensues; First appearance of the Living Tribunal. Merry Marvel Marching Society info and coupon. 36 pgs., full color. Cover price $0.12.

Strange Tales (1951-1976 1st Series) 158 CGC 8.0

Paper: Off white

Label #3774617006

Cover pencils by Marie Severin. Nick Fury stars in "Final Encounter!", script and art by Jim Steranko; The battle between Fury & Strucker rages until Fury manages to remove his Satan glove; Minutes later, as HYDRA thugs enter the room, they discover 2 Strucker's! One of them is revealed to be wearing a mask, panics, and is incinerated in an Alpha-Particle Reactor Cube; The other orders Laura put aboard the Dyna-Soar and takes off from Hydra Island, despite the imminent detonation of The Death Spore bomb. "The Sands of Death," script by Roy Thomas and Marie Severin (co-plot), pencils by Marie Severin, inks by Herb Trimpe; The Living Tribunal decrees that because Doctor Strange has unleashed a menace to the cosmos Earth must be destroyed; Before he recites the Incantation of Oblivion he recounts events leading up to his decision, agreed upon by his 3 faces of Equity, Revenge & Necessity; Doctor Strange challenges the Tribunal to let him deal with the menace, having defeated the forces of darkness in the past. Strange is granted a reprieve for as long as it takes the Sands of Death to run out of a mystic Hourglass resting in the middle of Stonehenge; Cameos by Dormammu and Umar. Letter to the editor from comics writer Bill Mantlo. Merry Marvel Marching Society info and coupon. 36 pgs., full color. Cover price $0.12.

Strange Tales (1951-1976 1st Series) 163 CGC 7.5

Paper: Off white

Slab: Scuffing on front and back of case

Label #1573370003

Cover art by Jim Steranko. Nick Fury stars in "And the Dragon Cried... Death!", script and pencils by Jim Steranko, inks by Frank Giacoia; As Fury escapes the monster octopus, The Yellow Claw spies on A.I.M.; Torn by her conscience, Suwan contacts Jimmy Woo who tells Fury of the Claw's plans to steal The Ultimate Annihilator from A.I.M. Fury meets Clay Quartermain who joins him on his mission to tackle an A.I.M. squad; They retrieve a dragon statue which the Claw steals, unaware it was only a duplicate. "Three Faces of Doom!", script by Jim Lawrence and Dan Adkins (co-plot), art by Dan Adkins; The Living Tribunal learns that Nebulos' staff is a force of evil which he must destroy; As the Tribunal & Nebulos battle, Strange fears for the life of the missing Victoria; The Tribunal uses "Cosmic Lightning" to begin destroying Nebulos' home planet; As Nebulos refuses to hand over his staff to the Tribunal, Strange wrests it away as Nebulos is buried under an avalanche. Marvel Marching Society info and coupon. NOTE: 1st appearance of Clay Quartermain. 36 pgs., full color. Cover price $0.12.

Strange Tales (1951-1976 1st Series) 169 CGC 8.5

Paper: White

Label #4102698002

Cover art by John Romita. "Brother Voodoo," script by Len Wein, pencils by Gene Colan, inks by Dan Adkins; Part one of the origin of Brother Voodoo, who is the union of Daniel Drumm's spirit in twin brother Jericho Drumm's body; Drumm returns to Haiti to find his brother dying from the curse of Damballah This is the first Brother Voodoo story; The first appearance of the character occurred in an article in Tales of the Zombie 2. 36 pgs., full color. Cover price $0.20.

Strange Tales (1951-1976 1st Series) 180 CGC 8.5

Paper: Off white to white

Label #1219724008

Cover art by Jim Starlin. "The Judgment!", script by Jim Starlin (as Sam Jiltirn), pencils by Jim Starlin, inks by Jim Starlin (as J.L. Minirats) and Alan Weiss; While battling a couple of the Black Knights the Soul Gem almost takes control again and Warlock decides, that he must destroy it, however as he takes it off Warlock collapses and realizes, that he can no longer exist without the Gem as it has been sucking out Warlock's Soul in the last three Years thus becoming his life force; The Matriarch wants to make a Slave out of Warlock now instead of killing him; After trying to remove the Gem Warlock is invited by the Matriarch to the Sacred Palace, an obvious trap, but since she claims, that she knew that the gem would become a danger even to Warlock himself, Warlock decides to accept the invitation and ditches; Pip First appearance of Gamora. Spider-Man stars in a one-page Hostess ad, "The Trap." 36 pgs., full color. Cover price $0.25.