Auctions: comic books August 1974

Amazing Spider-Man (1963 1st Series) 135 VG+ 4.5

Second (full) appearance of the Punisher in "Shoot-Out in Central Park!" Part 2 of 2. Guest-starring the Punisher. Script by Gerry Conway. Pencils by Ross Andru. Inks by Frank Giacoia. Cover by John Romita. Out of the blue, the Punisher appears on the deck of the day-liner...with the Amazing Spider-Man dead in his sights! Oh no! Does Frank Castle know the Tarantula is the actual bad guy onboard? After a brief scuffle, the web-slinger and the Punisher agree to work together; but the Tarantula has already jumped ship. Several hours later in Central Park, the wall-crawling hero and the gun-toting anti-hero join forces...to tame the Tarantula! In the meantime, Harry Osborn discovers a spider-suit in Peter Parker's dresser. And big trouble is ahead next issue! Origin of the Tarantula. Cameo appearances by Mary Jane Watson, Flash Thompson, Liz Allan, J. Jonah Jameson, and Joe Robertson. (Notes: The Punisher returns in Giant-Size Spider-Man #4. The letters page includes a letter from comics editor Steve Saffel. The letters page also includes Marvel Value Stamp series A #4 Thing (of the FF) by John Buscema and Joe Sinnott. This issue was reprinted in Marvel Tales 112 and again in issue 211.) 32 pages. Cover price $0.25.

Daredevil (1964 1st Series) 112 FN+ 6.5

Cover pencils by Gil Kane, inks by Frank Giacoia. Death of a Nation?, script by Steve Gerber, pencils by Gene Colan, inks by Frank Giacoia; DD invades Black Spectre's airship but is captured; DD and Shanna are guarded by the brainwashed Black Widow while Mandrill carries out his plans of U.S. conquest; With America's heroes paralyzed by the threat of atomic bombs, Mandrill moves into the White House and takes over; DD breaks Widow's conditioning and Shanna joins them in invading the Oval Office and taking Mandrill down for good. The letters page contains Marvel Value Stamp series A # 63 (the Sub-Mariner by John Romita Sr.). 36 pgs. Cover price $0.25. Cover price $0.25.

Doctor Strange (1974 2nd Series) 2 FN- 5.5

Cover art by Frank Brunner. A Separate Reality!, script by Steve Englehart, pencils by Frank Brunner, inks by Dick Giordano; Strange battles the Soul-Eater; Tea party at the White Queen's (Valkyrie) castle, with Silver Surfer, Hulk, Sub-Mariner, Hawkeye, Spider-Man, Black Panther, Nick Fury, Ant-Man...Green Lantern?!; First appearance of the Knights of the Rostrum [unreal versions of Spider-Man, the Defenders (the Silver Surfer, the Sub-Mariner, the Hulk), Hawkeye, Nick Fury, the Black Panther, Ant-Man, and Captain Midnight] and the White Queen (an unreal version of the Valkyrie); Silver Dagger appearance. Considered an unofficial Crossover due to gloved hand wearing Green Lantern Ring on page 16 Cover price $0.25.

Ghost Rider (1973 1st Series) 7 FN- 5.5

"...And Lose His Own Soul" Guest-starring Stunt Master. Story by Tony Isabella. Art by Jim Mooney and Jack Abel. Ghost Rider chases Taurus through the streets of San Francisco, but can even the Spirit of Vengeance stop a man that has the power of the entire Zodiac at his disposal? 32 pages, FC. Cover price $0.25.

Giant Size Man-Thing (1974) 1 FN 6.0

Signed by Steve Gerber (Splash page). No autograph certification is included.

Cover art by Mike Ploog. "How Will We Keep Warm When the Last Flame Dies?" starring Man-Thing, The Glob, Paul Benton, Professor Marshall, Akar, Yagzan, Kamar, The Entropists and Richard Rory, script by Steve Gerber, pencils by Mike Ploog, inks by Frank Chiaramonte; Man-Thing gets down and dirty with the Glob. "Ice-Monster Cometh!" (reprinted from Amazing Adult Fantasy #11), script by Stan Lee, art by Steve Ditko; A criminal pretends to be the ice-monster when the real thing comes to call. "I Was the Invisible Man!" (reprinted from Strange Tales #67), pencils by Jack Kirby, inks by Christopher Rule; A scientist invents a device that allows him to run faster than light, becoming invisible; He uses this ability to anonymously show off, planning to soon reveal his discovery and become rich; However, traveling so fast ages him rapidly, so that after only a few weeks he is elderly and near death. "Goom! The Thing from Planet X!" (reprinted from Tales of Suspense #15), pencils by Jack Kirby, inks by Dick Ayers; An astronomer sends radar waves to communicate with aliens, unfortunately attracting the attention of the hideous Goom who tries to conquer earth. 68 pgs., full color. Cover price $0.50.

House of Secrets (1956 1st Series) 122 CGC 9.4

Paper: White

Label #4630413024

Cover art by Luis Dominguez. "Requiem for Igor," script by Jack Oleck, art by Alfredo Alcala; The 2nd best pianist makes a deal with a witch for the hands of the best, but the thugs that the witch hired to murder the victim burn the body and Satan places the charred hands on to the would-be pianist. "The Centaur," script by Sam Glanzman and Martin Pasko, art by Sam Glanzman; Three hunters split up in the woods in order to look for a deer when one of them encounters a centaur; The centaur offers to take the man through a light portal to a paradise and the man agrees. "Grave Business," script by David Michelinie, art by Ruben Yandoc (as Rubeny); A widow tells the funeral director that her dead husband had all of his money placed inside his casket and offers to share it with him if he unseals the casket; At first the man refuses, but after the man is buried, he decides to dig it up; The widow covers him with a gun when he finishes, but he flings dirt in her face and then kills her with the shovel. "There He Is Again!", script by Don Kaar, art by Alfredo Alcala; Ushers are startled to see a boy who sneaks into the theater fall backwards into the movie screen and become part of the horror movie after they surround him. 36 Pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.20.

Planet of the Apes (1974 Marvel) Magazine 1 CGC 8.5

Paper: White

Label #4525336002

"Terror on the Planet of the Apes" (script by Doug Moench from an idea by Gerry Conway, art by Mike Ploog) and part one of an adaptation of the "Planet of the Apes" movie (script by Moench, pencils by George Tuska, inks by Mike Esposito). The rest of the issue consists of articles (with photos) and an interview with Rod Serling (who wrote the screenplay for the first Apes movie). Bob Larkin painted cover. Cover price $1.00.

Savage Sword of Conan (1974 Marvel) 1 CGC 6.5

Paper: Off white to white

Label #4642076002

Painted cover art by Boris Vallejo. Conan and Red Sonja star in "Curse of the Undead-Man," script by Roy Thomas, pencils by John Buscema, inks by Pablo Marcos; Conan and Red Sonja put an end to the undead sorcerer Costranno; Adapted from the story "Mistress of Death" by Robert E. Howard and Gerald Page; continued in part from Conan the Barbarian 42. "Red Sonja" (3rd appearance), script by Thomas, art by Esteban Maroto, Neal Adams, and Ernie Chan (as Ernie Chua); When Red Sonja returns with a tiara she was sent for by King Ghannif she learns her "reward" is to be made a part of his harem. "Blackmark," script and art by Gil Kane (reprinting chapter 1 from the Bantam Books paperback); a Conan reprint from Savage Tales 1 (plus the additional splash page from Conan the Barbarian 16). "The Frost Giant's Daughter," script by Thomas, art by Barry Windsor-Smith (adapted from the Howard story); Conan chases Atali across the snow, slays her two frost giant brothers, and catches her; Her father, Ymir then takes her from Conan. "Conan's Women Warriors," an article by Fred Blosser illustrated by Esteban Maroto, Steve Gan, Hugh Rankin (original Weird Tales art), and Roy Krenkel; and "An Atlantean in Aquilonia," a Kull article by Glenn Lord illustrated by John Severin and Ross Andru. Alfredo Alcala pin-up. Maroto frontispiece. 84 pgs., B&W. Cover price $1.00.

Savage Sword of Conan (1974 Marvel) 1 FN 6.0

Painted cover art by Boris Vallejo. Conan and Red Sonja star in "Curse of the Undead-Man," script by Roy Thomas, pencils by John Buscema, inks by Pablo Marcos; Conan and Red Sonja put an end to the undead sorcerer Costranno; Adapted from the story "Mistress of Death" by Robert E. Howard and Gerald Page; continued in part from Conan the Barbarian 42. "Red Sonja" (3rd appearance), script by Thomas, art by Esteban Maroto, Neal Adams, and Ernie Chan (as Ernie Chua); When Red Sonja returns with a tiara she was sent for by King Ghannif she learns her "reward" is to be made a part of his harem. "Blackmark," script and art by Gil Kane (reprinting chapter 1 from the Bantam Books paperback); a Conan reprint from Savage Tales 1 (plus the additional splash page from Conan the Barbarian 16). "The Frost Giant's Daughter," script by Thomas, art by Barry Windsor-Smith (adapted from the Howard story); Conan chases Atali across the snow, slays her two frost giant brothers, and catches her; Her father, Ymir then takes her from Conan. "Conan's Women Warriors," an article by Fred Blosser illustrated by Esteban Maroto, Steve Gan, Hugh Rankin (original Weird Tales art), and Roy Krenkel; and "An Atlantean in Aquilonia," a Kull article by Glenn Lord illustrated by John Severin and Ross Andru. Alfredo Alcala pin-up. Maroto frontispiece. 84 pgs., B&W. Cover price $1.00.

Werewolf by Night (1972 1st Series) 20 CGC 7.5

Paper: Off white to white

Label #4697724008

Marvel Value Stamp. Eye Of The Wolf!, script by Doug Moench, pencils by Don Perlin, inks by Vince Colletta; Jack saves his sister Lissa from Baron Thunder and Ma Mayhem; continued in part from Giant-Size Creatures #1. 36 pgs. $0.25. Cover price $0.25.