A 15% BUYER'S PREMIUM WILL BE ADDED TO THIS ITEM AT CONCLUSION OF THE AUCTION ow/white pages
1st appearance of Fantastic Four, w/ origin; 1st app. Mole Man; Jack Kirby cover/art; the Marvel Age begins here (11/61) COMIC BOOK IMPACT rating of 10 (CBI)
Fantastic Four #1 didn't just make history with the first appearance of Mister Fantastic, the Thing, Human Torch, and Invisible Girl (along with the debut of the tragically evil Mole Man). This artifact of a first issue also marks when Stan Lee and
Jack Kirby secured the Silver Age of Comics and launched the Marvel Age of Storytelling. Their bold vision for the
Fantastic Four would provide an unexpected depth to this tale of an experimental space flight gone wrong.
The Mole Man's sad backstory was just one of the many signs that Marvel was out to redefine superhero comics. For starters, this first issue of
Fantastic Four was fully dedicated to a single story. That included an epic origin establishing that the Fantastic Four didn't bother with secret identities. The generous page count also allowed for plenty of petty infighting amongst the team — who didn't even wear costumes, although Stan would give in to public demand over that by the third issue.
Fantastic Four would also redefine the Marvel Comics Group, which was literally a set of comics that distributors sent to retailers. Marvel's monster books (including
Tales to Astonish and
Tales of Suspense) began selling as well as
Fantastic Four once characters like
Thor,
Iron Man,
and Ant-Man began to take over their pages.
The pop-culture passion for the Fantastic Four has seen an impressive revival since Marvel Studios recovered the film rights to the company's first super team. After the debut of
Fantastic Four: First Steps featuring the Silver Surfer and Galactus, the latest big-screen Fantastic Four will be joining Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom in both 2026's
Avengers: Doomsday and 2027's
Avengers: Secret Wars.
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This 3.5
Fantastic Four #1 presents an outstanding investment opportunity, with the book presenting high above its grade. Just look into the maw of the Mole Man's monstrous minion to appreciate how the focal point of Jack Kirby's legendary cover has endured for over 63 years. Johnny Storm's flames also still reflect a wide range of fiery tones, and the quality continues down to the far corners featuring Mr. Fantastic and the Thing!
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1st appearance of Fantastic Four, w/ origin; 1st app. Mole Man; Jack Kirby cover/art; the Marvel Age begins here (11/61) COMIC BOOK IMPACT rating of 10 (CBI)
1st appearance of Fantastic Four, w/ origin; 1st app. Mole Man; Jack Kirby cover/art; the Marvel Age begins here (11/61) COMIC BOOK IMPACT rating of 10 (CBI)