Auctions: Strange comic books

Strange Tales (1951 1st Series) 174 CGC 7.0

Paper: White

Label #4638773013

First 25-cent cover price. Cover art by Gil Kane. First appearance and origin of the Golem in "There Walks the Golem!", script by Len Wein, pencils by John Buscema, inks by Jim Mooney; In the deserts of the Middle East, Professor Abraham Adamson is conducting an archeological dig to locate the long lost Golem, a living statue created by Judah Loew Ben Bezalel centuries ago; It was the champion of his people but eventually went to the desert and was lost in the sands; Accompanying him on this expedition are his grandchildren Jason and Rebecca, and Rebecca's fiance Wayne Logan; They succeed in uncovering the Golem prompting discussion about the creature's legend; Since the site of the dig was near a combat zone, the dig is visited by deserters of an Arabian army. Reprint of an old weird story, " "Foolproof!", script by Stan Lee, art by Russ Heath; A greedy landlord torches his building to collect the insurance but forgets one little detail in his plan. The letters page contains Marvel Value Stamp series A #44 (The Absorbing Man by Jack Kirby). 36 pgs., full color. Cover price $0.25.

Strange Tales (1951 1st Series) 178 FN- 5.5

Cover art by Jim Starlin. Warlock begins in this title in "Who Is Adam Warlock?", script and art by Jim Starlin; Sphinxor retells the Origin of Warlock, his encounters with Thor and the High Evolutionary, the Creation of Counter-Earth and Warlock's Battle against the Man-Beast; First appearance of the Magus; Cameo appearances by the Hulk. The story continues from Incredible Hulk 178. 36 pgs., full color. Cover price $0.25.

Strange Tales (1951 1st Series) 179 VG 4.0

Cover art by Jim Starlin. "Death Ship!", script and art by Jim Starlin; Warlock is captured by Autolycus of the Black Knights an brought aboard Magus' Flagship; His fellow prisoners tell Warlock, that survivors of the Wars of the Church are taken as slave laborers, those who refuse will be terminated and their remains will be chemically broken down and valuable elements that can be retrieved will be used to further the cause of the Church; They also tell him, that Non-Humanoids are not considered fashioned in the Magus' image and thus must be disposed of, this also holds true for some Humanoid types—such as Trolls; First appearance of Pip the Troll. 36 pgs., full color. Cover price $0.25.

Strange Tales (1951 1st Series) 180 CGC 9.8

Paper: White

Label #4606954006

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.

Strange Tales (1951 1st Series) 180 CGC 6.0 SS

Paper: Off white to white

Signed by Jim Starlin on 9/8/18

Label #1612354002

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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.

Strange Tales (1951 1st Series) 181 VG 4.0

Cover pencils by Jim Starlin, inks by Alan Weiss. "1000 Clowns!", script and pencils by Jim Starlin, inks by Al Milgrom; Warlock finds himself in a strange place and considers, that this is just an illusion but decides, that he is in a Reality unlike any he has ever seen before, the Head Clown states, that Warlock has always been in this Reality, he has just never seen it in quite this manner before and calls it the "Land of the Way it was"; A Technician states that something is wrong with visual and audio programming; The Clowns are trying to reprogram Warlock and Beautiful Jan paints a Clown's Mask on Warlock's Face because all the dark aspects have to go; Gamora and Pip the Troll are on their way to rescue Warlock and interrogate one of the Black Knights, and he is scared to death by Gamora; Len takes Warlock to a Renegade Clown who is being punished. Hulk comic book ad. The story continues in Warlock 9. Captain Marvel stars in a one-page Hostess ad, "The Big Bang!" 36 pgs., full color. Cover price $0.25.

Strange Tales (1951 1st Series) Annual 2 CGC 5.0

Paper: White

Label #4646452007

New 18-page Human Torch versus Spider-Man (4th appearance) story , "On the Trail of the Amazing Spider-Man!" Script by Stan Lee, pencils by Jack Kirby, inks by Steve Ditko. Sue Storm appearance. The rest of the issue contains reprints: "I Was the Invisible Man!" Script by Lee, pencils by Kirby, inks perhaps by Paul Reinman (from Strange Tales 67); "I Was a Prisoner on the Planet of Plunder!" Art by Don Heck (from Strange Worlds 2); "I Am Robot!" Art by Joe Sinnott (from SW 1); "Worlds Within Worlds" (from World of Fantasy 16); "I Was the Man Who Lived Twice!" Art by John Buscema (from SW 3); "I Fly to the Stars!" Script by Lee, pencils by Kirby, inks perhaps by Dick Ayers (from SW 3); "Prisoner 2000 A.D." Script by Lee, pencils by Kirby, inks perhaps by Ayers (WOF 16); "I Am the Scourge of Atlantis!" Art by Ayers (from SW 2); "Nightmare Planet!" Art by Sinnott (from WOF 16); and "I Captured the Abominable Snowman!" Script by Lee, art by Ditko (from SW 1). Kirby/Ditko cover. 76 pages, full color. Cover price $0.25.

Strange Worlds (1950 Avon) 9 FR 1.0

Full length spine split.

Art by Everett Raymond Kinstler, Syd Shores, Michael Becker, Vince Alascia, and Gene Fawcette. Cover by Gene Fawcette. Science fiction adventure from Avon, featuring stories and art from legends in the comics and sci-fi fields. A man discovers by robots in the fourth dimension that are holding humans captive; Space agent Mike Gordon is assigned to rescue the daughter of Earths president from a space bandit; Space criminals are mutated by the planetoid they use as a hideout. Also featuring the finest contents page yet, illustrated by Everett Raymond Kinstler on the inside front cover. The Radium Monsters; Mystery of Asteroid 9; World of the Monster Brain!; Ransom — One Million Decimars!; Interplanetary Safari; Revenge at Callisto Orbit. Issues #10 through #17 were not published. 36 pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.10.

Strange Worlds (1963 I.W. Reprint) 5 CGC 8.0

Paper: Off white to white

Label #4339879014

Stories reprinted from Strange Worlds (1950 Avon) #9. In order of appearance: "Radium Monsters!", "Ransom--One Million Decimars!" art by Everett Raymond Kinstler, and "World of the Monster Brain!", all further reprinted in Out of This World (1989) #1; and "Mystery of Asteroid 9!" art by Gene Fawcette and Vincent Alascia further reprinted in Strange Worlds (1990 Malibu) #1. "Interplanetary Safari" and "Revenge at Callisto Orbit" text stories. 36 pages. Full color. Cover price $0.12.

Trinity of Sin Phantom Stranger Futures End (2014) 1A CGC 9.8 March Lenticular

Paper: White

Label #4663569007

3-D cover, image changes. Written by Dan DiDio and J. M. DeMatteis. Art by Phil Winslade. Cover by Guillem March. With one coin of redemption left, the Phantom Stranger faces his final challenge - in front of the new Council of Eternity! 32 pages, full color. Cover price $3.99.

Trinity of Sin Phantom Stranger Futures End (2014) 1A CGC 9.8 March Lenticular

Paper: White

Label #4663569008

3-D cover, image changes. Written by Dan DiDio and J. M. DeMatteis. Art by Phil Winslade. Cover by Guillem March. With one coin of redemption left, the Phantom Stranger faces his final challenge - in front of the new Council of Eternity! 32 pages, full color. Cover price $3.99.

Trinity of Sin Phantom Stranger Futures End (2014) 1A CGC 9.8 March Lenticular

Paper: White

Label #4663569009

3-D cover, image changes. Written by Dan DiDio and J. M. DeMatteis. Art by Phil Winslade. Cover by Guillem March. With one coin of redemption left, the Phantom Stranger faces his final challenge - in front of the new Council of Eternity! 32 pages, full color. Cover price $3.99.