Auctions: comic books in 'Thanos: The Final Threat'

Iron Man (1968 1st Series) 55 CGC 5.5

Paper: Off white to white

Label #4652009022

"Beware the Blood Brothers!" First appearance of Thanos. Story by Jim Starlin. Art by Jim Starlin and Mike Esposito. Cover by Jim Starlin and Joe Sinnott. One of the landmark Marvel issues of the Bronze Age. Drax the Destroyer is a prisoner of Thanos at the evil Titan's Earth-fortress. In an effort to escape, Drax telepathically reaches out to Tony Stark for assistance; but before Iron Man can come to the rescue, Shell-Head is ambushed by the Blood Brothers! Can Drax and the golden avenger defeat the Blood Brothers and Thanos? Also first appearances of Drax the Destroyer, Starfox (in a flashback), and Mentor. (Note: Iron Man 55 was reprinted as a Marvel Milestone Edition in 1992.) 36 pages Cover price $0.20.

Iron Man (1968 1st Series) 55 VG 4.0

Centerfold detached at one staple.

"Beware the Blood Brothers!" First appearance of Thanos. Story by Jim Starlin. Art by Jim Starlin and Mike Esposito. Cover by Jim Starlin and Joe Sinnott. One of the landmark Marvel issues of the Bronze Age. Drax the Destroyer is a prisoner of Thanos at the evil Titan's Earth-fortress. In an effort to escape, Drax telepathically reaches out to Tony Stark for assistance; but before Iron Man can come to the rescue, Shell-Head is ambushed by the Blood Brothers! Can Drax and the golden avenger defeat the Blood Brothers and Thanos? Also first appearances of Drax the Destroyer, Starfox (in a flashback), and Mentor. (Note: Iron Man 55 was reprinted as a Marvel Milestone Edition in 1992.) 36 pages Cover price $0.20.

Iron Man (1968 1st Series) 55 CGC 4.0

Paper: Off white to white

Label #4652009014

"Beware the Blood Brothers!" First appearance of Thanos. Story by Jim Starlin. Art by Jim Starlin and Mike Esposito. Cover by Jim Starlin and Joe Sinnott. One of the landmark Marvel issues of the Bronze Age. Drax the Destroyer is a prisoner of Thanos at the evil Titan's Earth-fortress. In an effort to escape, Drax telepathically reaches out to Tony Stark for assistance; but before Iron Man can come to the rescue, Shell-Head is ambushed by the Blood Brothers! Can Drax and the golden avenger defeat the Blood Brothers and Thanos? Also first appearances of Drax the Destroyer, Starfox (in a flashback), and Mentor. (Note: Iron Man 55 was reprinted as a Marvel Milestone Edition in 1992.) 36 pages Cover price $0.20.

Iron Man (1968 1st Series) 55 CGC 3.5

Paper: Off white to white

Label #1257954001

"Beware the Blood Brothers!" First appearance of Thanos. Story by Jim Starlin. Art by Jim Starlin and Mike Esposito. Cover by Jim Starlin and Joe Sinnott. One of the landmark Marvel issues of the Bronze Age. Drax the Destroyer is a prisoner of Thanos at the evil Titan's Earth-fortress. In an effort to escape, Drax telepathically reaches out to Tony Stark for assistance; but before Iron Man can come to the rescue, Shell-Head is ambushed by the Blood Brothers! Can Drax and the golden avenger defeat the Blood Brothers and Thanos? Also first appearances of Drax the Destroyer, Starfox (in a flashback), and Mentor. (Note: Iron Man 55 was reprinted as a Marvel Milestone Edition in 1992.) 36 pages Cover price $0.20.

Marvel Feature (1971 1st Series) 12 FN 6.0

"The Bite of the Blood Brothers!" Guest-starring the Thing and Iron Man. Script by Mike Friedrich. Pencils by Jim Starlin. Inks by Joe Sinnott. Cover by Jim Starlin and John Romita. Ben Grimm is stranded in the Arizona desert after his battle against the Leader last issue! And looking for anyone or anything that can help him return home! In a stroke of luck, the golden avenger streaks overhead! But Shell-Head doesn't stop for Ben, he flies on to an abandoned military base! In a matter of minutes though, Iron Man will regret not stopping to pick up the strongest member of the Fantastic Four! Because far across the universe on Titan, Thanos commands the Blood Brothers to ambush the golden avenger! And just like that…the twin galactic vampires pounce on the unsuspecting Shell-Head! Fortunately for Tony Stark's alter-ego, the Thing eventually reaches Thanos' old base…and the rock'em sock'em battle erupts! The Invincible Iron Man and the blue-eyed idol of millions vs. the savage Blood Brothers! It's clobberin' time! Cameo appearances by Eros, Mentor, and Death. Flashback cameos by Drax the Destroyer and the Controller. (Notes: This issue is part of the classic Thanos storyline that ran though Captain Marvel 25-33. From a continuity standpoint, this story fits in and around Captain Marvel 30. The Blood Brothers previously appeared in the landmark Iron Man 55. The bloodthirsty brothers return in Iron Man 88. The Avengers visit Thanos' Arizona installation years later in Avengers 252. This is the final issue of the Marvel Feature 1st series. The letters page indicates that there was going to be a 13th issue featuring the Thing and the Man-Thing, but that story actually became the 1st issue of the Marvel Two-in-One series. This issue was reprinted in the Life of Captain Marvel limited series published in 1985.) 32 pages Cover price $0.20.

Avengers (1963 1st Series) Annual 7 FN 6.0

"The Final Threat" Part 1 of 2. Guest-starring Captain Marvel and Adam Warlock. Script by Jim Starlin. Art by Jim Starlin (breakdowns) and Joe Rubinstein (finishes). Cover by Jim Starlin. One of the epochal annuals of the bronze age! A stormy night at Avengers Mansion is interrupted by the sudden arrival of Captain Marvel and Moondragon. The duo feels that the universe is in imminent danger! Their fears are confirmed moments later when Adam Warlock also arrives and delivers troubling news: Thanos has a new plan for obliterating the universe! The evil Titan sends a giant space armada to attack Earth, while he prepares to blow up the sun via his massive star gem! However, the mightiest heroes on Earth intercept the fleet and set their sights on destroying Thanos' instrument of stellar genocide! Tragically though, Warlock falls in battle vs. the mad Titan. Leaving the trio of Iron Man, Thor, and Captain Marvel as the final hope of the universe! Can the Kree warrior, thunder god, and golden avenger triumph over Thanos? Story continues in Marvel Two-in-One Annual 2. Deaths of Gamora, Pip, and Warlock. Avengers lineup: Beast, Captain America, Iron Man, Scarlet Witch, Thor, and the Vision. (Notes: First appearances of the Space Gem, the Mind Gem, and the Reality Gem, and the first time all six Infinity Gems were in a story. Thanos previously appeared in Warlock 15. This annual was reprinted in 1993 in the trade paperback: The Greatest Battles of the Avengers.) 52 pgs. Cover price $0.60.