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

Captain Marvel (1968 1st Series Marvel) 28 GD 2.0

Signed by Jim Starlin. No autograph certification is included. Water damage.

Thanos defeats Drax the Destroyer and obtains the Cosmic Cube--and that can't be a good thing! The Avengers (Captain America, Iron Man, the Scarlet Witch, the Vision, and the Black Panther) guest star in "When Titans Collide!" Plot, pencils, and script (chapter 2) by Jim Starlin, script (chapters 1 and 3) by Mike Friedrich, inks by Dan Green. (Splash page art retouches by John Romita Sr.). Captain Marvel battles the Controller. Drax the Destroyer appearance. Starlin cover pencils. Cover price $0.20.

Marvel Feature (1971 1st Series) 12 CGC 9.6

Paper: White

Label #0992445016

"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.

Daredevil (1964 1st Series) 105 FN- 5.5

Cover pencils by John Romita, inks by Mike Esposito. Menace From the Moons of Saturn!, script by Steve Gerber, pencils by Don Heck (pages 1-16, third tier of 26, 27-32) and Jim Starlin (pages 17-26 except bottom tier of 26), inks by Don Perlin; Kraven throws DD off of a cliff to his death but the hornhead disappears before he strikes bottom; DD finds himself in an elaborate underwater domain inhabited by Moondragon; She accuses him of being a thrall of Thanos and then tells him her origin to let him know what this means; Touching DD's mind, Moondragon discovers that she has been lied to and that Daredevil is one of the good guys; The real villain appears as none other than Kerwin J. Broderick, Matt's law partner and he gloats as he unleashes Terrex on the world; Thanos War tie-in; appearances by Dark Messiah and Angar the Screamer; cameos by Iron Man and the Sub-Mariner. 36 pages. Cover price $0.20. Cover price $0.20.

Daredevil (1964 1st Series) 105 VG- 3.5

Cover pencils by John Romita, inks by Mike Esposito. Menace From the Moons of Saturn!, script by Steve Gerber, pencils by Don Heck (pages 1-16, third tier of 26, 27-32) and Jim Starlin (pages 17-26 except bottom tier of 26), inks by Don Perlin; Kraven throws DD off of a cliff to his death but the hornhead disappears before he strikes bottom; DD finds himself in an elaborate underwater domain inhabited by Moondragon; She accuses him of being a thrall of Thanos and then tells him her origin to let him know what this means; Touching DD's mind, Moondragon discovers that she has been lied to and that Daredevil is one of the good guys; The real villain appears as none other than Kerwin J. Broderick, Matt's law partner and he gloats as he unleashes Terrex on the world; Thanos War tie-in; appearances by Dark Messiah and Angar the Screamer; cameos by Iron Man and the Sub-Mariner. 36 pages. Cover price $0.20. Cover price $0.20.

Warlock (1972 Marvel 1st Series) 9 VG/FN 5.0

First 25-cent cover price. Cover pencils by Jim Starlin, inks by Alan Weiss. "The Infinity Effect," script and pencils by Jim Starlin, inks by Steve Leialoha; The story picks up after Strange Tales #181, where Warlock, Gamora, and Pip have just come face to face with the deadly Magus!; First mention of the In-Betweener (no actual appearance); At the end Thanos shows up telling that he was behind Gamora's plan to defeat Magus all the time; This issue also tells the story about Magus being an old version of Warlock and about Universal Church of Truth. Letter to the editor from comics historian Peter Sanderson. Starlin cover. Note: First appearance of the In-Betweener. 36 pgs., full color. $0.25. Cover price $0.25.

Avengers (1963 1st Series) Annual 7 CGC 8.5

Paper: White

Label #4728754001

"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.

Marvel Two-in-One (1974 1st Series) Annual 2 CGC 9.8

Paper: Off white to white

Label #4380416014

"Death Watch!" Part 2 of 2. Guest-starring Spider-Man, the Thing, Captain Marvel, and the Avengers. Script by Jim Starlin. Art by Jim Starlin (breakdowns) and Joe Rubinstein (finishes). Cover by Jim Starlin. Story continues from Avengers Annual 7. After Captain Marvel, Iron Man, and Thor destroyed Thanos' synthetic power gem, victory appeared close at hand for Earth's Mightiest Heroes. But the evil genius' back up plan has worked to perfection and knocked out the Avengers! Before succumbing to unconsciousness though, Moondragon sends a desperate plea for help back to Earth, specifically to Peter Parker! The web-slinger knows that cosmic battles in outer space are not his specialty, so he swings by the Baxter Building to scoop up a friend. After a quick pow-wow, the blue-eyed idol of millions and your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man blast off to save the galaxy! It's an epic encounter onboard the mad Titan's space ark as the Thing, Thor, Spider-Man, and finally Adam Warlock test their mettle vs. Thanos! Simply a fantastic annual! First appearances of Master Order and Lord Chaos. Avengers Lineup: Beast, Captain America, Iron Man, Scarlet Witch, Thor, and the Vision. (Note: Besides a surreal appearance in the Death of Captain Marvel Graphic Novel (1982), Thanos does not appear again until Silver Surfer (2nd series) #34 thirteen years later.) 48 pages Cover price $0.60.

Marvel Two-in-One (1974 1st Series) Annual 2 CGC 9.6

Paper: White

Label #4363182019

"Death Watch!" Part 2 of 2. Guest-starring Spider-Man, the Thing, Captain Marvel, and the Avengers. Script by Jim Starlin. Art by Jim Starlin (breakdowns) and Joe Rubinstein (finishes). Cover by Jim Starlin. Story continues from Avengers Annual 7. After Captain Marvel, Iron Man, and Thor destroyed Thanos' synthetic power gem, victory appeared close at hand for Earth's Mightiest Heroes. But the evil genius' back up plan has worked to perfection and knocked out the Avengers! Before succumbing to unconsciousness though, Moondragon sends a desperate plea for help back to Earth, specifically to Peter Parker! The web-slinger knows that cosmic battles in outer space are not his specialty, so he swings by the Baxter Building to scoop up a friend. After a quick pow-wow, the blue-eyed idol of millions and your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man blast off to save the galaxy! It's an epic encounter onboard the mad Titan's space ark as the Thing, Thor, Spider-Man, and finally Adam Warlock test their mettle vs. Thanos! Simply a fantastic annual! First appearances of Master Order and Lord Chaos. Avengers Lineup: Beast, Captain America, Iron Man, Scarlet Witch, Thor, and the Vision. (Note: Besides a surreal appearance in the Death of Captain Marvel Graphic Novel (1982), Thanos does not appear again until Silver Surfer (2nd series) #34 thirteen years later.) 48 pages Cover price $0.60.