Marvel Masterworks Deluxe Library Edition Variant HC (1987-Present) 1st Edition comic books 2003-2005

Volume 21 - 2nd and later printings. "Fantastic Four: Book 4!" Collects Fantastic Four (1961-1996 1st Series) #31-40 and Annual #2.

Written by Stan Lee. Art and cover by Jack Kirby. Introduction by Stan Lee.

It was 1961 and out of the fertile imaginations of Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko and others emerged the Marvel Age. First came the Fantastic Four, soon to be followed by the Amazing Spider-Man, the Mighty Thor, the Incredible Hulk, Daredevil, Iron Man, and the Uncanny X-Men. These were Marvel's heroes, stalwart and true, ready to face any and all threats to mankind. Marvel Masterworks were created to give fans a chance to experience this phenomenon from the beginning.

Hardcover, 264 pages, full color.

Cover price $54.99.

1st Edition - Volume 33 - 1st printing. "Spider-Man: Book 6!" Collects The Amazing Spider-Man (1963-1998 1st Series) #51-61 and Annual #4.

Written by Stan Lee. Art by John Romita, Sr, Don Heck, and Larry Lieber. Cover by John Romita, Sr. Introduction by John Romita, Sr.

It was 1961 and out of the fertile imaginations of Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko and others emerged the Marvel Age. First came the Fantastic Four, soon to be followed by the Amazing Spider-Man, the Mighty Thor, the Incredible Hulk, Daredevil, Iron Man, and the Uncanny X-Men. These were Marvel's heroes, stalwart and true, ready to face any and all threats to mankind. Marvel Masterworks were created to give fans a chance to experience this phenomenon from the beginning.

Hardcover, 304 pages, full color.

Cover price $49.95.

Volume 34 - 1st printing. "FANTASTIC FOUR" Collects Fantastic Four #61-71 and Annual #5. Written by Stan Lee. Art by Jack Kirby. Introduction by Joe Sinnott. It was 1961 and out of the fertile imaginations of Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko and others emerged the Marvel Age. First came the Fantastic Four, soon to be followed by the Amazing Spider-Man, the Mighty Thor, the Incredible Hulk, Daredevil, Iron Man, and the Uncanny X-Men. These were Marvel's heroes, stalwart and true, ready to face any and all threats to mankind. Marvel Masterworks were created to give fans a chance to experience this phenomenon from the beginning. Hardcover, 304 pages, full color. NOTE: Limited to 707 copies. Cover price $54.99.

1st Edition - Volume 35 - 1st printing. "X-Men: Book 4!" Collects The Uncanny X-Men (1963-2011 1st Series) #32-42.

Written by Roy Thomas. Art by Werner Roth, and Don Heck. Cover by George Tuska. Introduction by Roy Thomas.

It was 1961 and out of the fertile imaginations of Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko and others emerged the Marvel Age. First came the Fantastic Four, soon to be followed by the Amazing Spider-Man, the Mighty Thor, the Incredible Hulk, Daredevil, Iron Man, and the Uncanny X-Men. These were Marvel's heroes, stalwart and true, ready to face any and all threats to mankind. Marvel Masterworks were created to give fans a chance to experience this phenomenon from the beginning.

Hardcover, 240 pages, full color.

Cover price $54.99.

Volume 36 - 1st printing. "GOLDEN AGE MARVEL COMICS" Collects Golden Age Marvel Comics #1-4. By Carl Burgos, Bill Everett, Ben Thompson, Al Anders, Paul Gustavson, and Paul Lauretta. Introduction by Roy Thomas. In celebration of 65 years in comic book publishing the House of Ideas is proud to present the first four issues of the comic series that launched Marvel Comics. This monumental hardcover volume re-masters and restores these first four historic issues and collects them for the first time. Return to the Golden Age of comics with the original tales of Sub- Mariner, the Human Torch, the Angel, and Ka-Zar. Hardcover, 264 pages, full color. Cover price $54.99.

Volume 37 - 1st printing. "UNCANNY X-MEN" Collects Uncanny X-Men #122-131 and Annual #3. Written by Chris Claremont. Art by John Byrne and George Perez. Introduction by Chris Claremont. It was 1961 and out of the fertile imaginations of Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko and others emerged the Marvel Age. First came the Fantastic Four, soon to be followed by the Amazing Spider-Man, the Mighty Thor, the Incredible Hulk, Daredevil, Iron Man, and the Uncanny X-Men. These were Marvel's heroes, stalwart and true, ready to face any and all threats to mankind. Marvel Masterworks were created to give fans a chance to experience this phenomenon from the beginning. Hardcover, 218 pages, full color. Cover price $54.99.

Volume 38 - 1st printing. "AVENGERS: Book 4!" Collects Avengers (1963-1996 1st Series) #31-40. Written by Stan Lee and Roy Thomas. Art by Don Heck. Cover by GIL KANE. Introduction by Roy Thomas. Avengers Assemble! Earth's Mightiest Heroes join the mighty Marvel Masterworks line with another top-notch volume of Silver Age classics! Hold on tight to your Avengers membership card as Captain America, Goliath, the Wasp and Hawkeye battle the villainous Sons of the Serpent, the Living Laser, Ultrana and no less than the scheming Sub-Mariner himself! Featuring guest appearances by Iron Man, Black Widow, Hercules, the Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver, this one's a packed-to-the-gills thriller! Hardcover, 214 pages, full color. NOTE: Limited to 1,250 copies. Cover price $54.99.

Volume 39 - 1st printing. "INCREDIBLE HULK" Collects Hulk from Tales to Astonish #59-79. Written by Stan Lee. Art by Steve Ditko, Jack Kirby, Bill Everett, Gil Kane, Bob Powell, and John Romita. Cover by John Romita, Sr. Introduction by Stan Lee. Hulk-inued at long last! After fifteen years the time has come for Marvel's Green Goliath to grace his second Marvel Masterworks collection! Kicking off with a Hulk/Giant-Man thrown down, and pulling no punches straight into a toe-to-toe with the mighty Hercules, Dr. Robert Bruce Banner's mean, green alter ego battles General Thunderbolt Ross, the Leader and his Humanoids, the Executioner and more communists than you can shake a tank at in this earth-shattering series of scintillating slobberknockers! Hardcover, 266 pages, full color. Cover price $54.99.

Volume 40 - 1st printing. "UNCANNY X-MEN" Collects Uncanny X-Men #132-140 and Annual #4. Written by Chris Claremont. Art by John Byrne, John Romita, Jr., and John Buscema. Cover by JOHN BYRNE. Introduction by Chris Claremont. In celebration of the 25th anniversary and presented here for the first time in full-archival color, including pages straight from the Byrne/Austin originals, the Dark Phoenix Saga! Gathered together by Professor Charles Xavier to protect a world that fears and hates them, the X-Men had fought many battles, been on adventures that spanned galaxies, grappled enemies of limitless might, but none of this could prepare them for the most shocking struggle they would ever face. One of their own members, Jean Grey, has gained power beyond all comprehension, and that power has corrupted her absolutely! Now they must decide if the life of the woman they cherish is worth the existence of the entire universe! Collecting X-Men #132-140, Annual #4 with special bonus features including the original X-Men #137 story where Jean Grey lived "Phoenix: The Untold Story" and the Claremont/Buscema Phoenix classic from Bizarre Adventures #27! And if that wasn't enough, brace yourself for a brouhaha with Wendigo and the seminal story of that furry blue elf Nightcrawler in "Nightcrawler's Inferno." Hardcover, 304 pages, full color. Cover price $54.99.

Volume 41 - 1st printing. "DAREDEVIL" Collects Daredevil #22-32 and Annual #1. Written by Stan Lee. Art by Gene Colan. Cover by GENE COLAN. Introduction by Gene Colan. Get a little devil to warm up the cold winter months, a little Daredevil! The Man Without Fear's next hot Masterworks installment is barreling your way with action-packed art by no less than "Gentleman" Gene Colan and the sensational stories of super-scribe Stan Lee. Let me tell ya, True Believer, these cats pull no punches! Hold on to your hats as Ol' Hornhead goes toe-to-toe with the Tri-Man and Gladiator, laughs it up at Leap Frog, sticks it to Stilt Man and then marches through a marathon of the Masked Marauder, Mr. Hyde and Cobra! And just when you thought we'd cut him a break, all the baddies go union as Electro's Emissaries of Evil! If even that's not enough for your frantic fingers don't forget guest appearances from Spider-Man, the Mighty Thor and Ka-Zar! And before we leave let's not forget Matt Murdock's swingin' twin brother, Mike Murdock? Twin brother?! Hardcover, full color. Cover price $54.99.

Volume 42 - 1st printing. "Fantastic Four: Book 8!" Collects Fantastic Four (1961-1996 1st Series) #72-81 and ANNUAL #6. Written by Stan Lee. Art by Jack Kirby. Introduction by Stan Lee. Pony up, True Believer, the amazing eighth manic Masterworks featuring the First Family of Funnybooks is coming your way! Collecting an ironclad cadre of consecrated classics, this one's packed with more drama than you can shake a Skrull at! Let's break it down: the Silver Surfer pursued by none other than the world-devouring Galactus; the FF vs. Spidey, DD and Thor in a barnstorming brouhaha; a fantastic voyage into the Microverse to battle the Psycho Man; the Thing - cured!; the first appearance of Annihilus; Crystal, the Inhuman, joins the FF, and one of comics' most historic moments, the birth of Franklin Richards - it just doesn't stop! This one's a humdinger so chock-full of excitement it's ready to burst! And it's all brought to you by no less than the minds that made Marvel magnificent, Stan and Jack! ?Nuff Said! Hardcover, 272 pages, full color. NOTE: Limited to 1440 copies. Cover price $54.99.

Volume 43 - 1st printing. "GOLDEN AGE CAPTAIN AMERICA" Collects Captain America Comics #1-4. Written by Joe Simon. Art by Jack Kirby. Introduction by Roy Thomas. It was 1961 and out of the fertile imaginations of Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko and others emerged the Marvel Age. First came the Fantastic Four, soon to be followed by the Amazing Spider-Man, the Mighty Thor, the Incredible Hulk, Daredevil, Iron Man, and the Uncanny X-Men. These were Marvel's heroes, stalwart and true, ready to face any and all threats to mankind. Marvel Masterworks were created to give fans a chance to experience this phenomenon from the beginning. Hardcover, 264 pages, full color. Cover price $54.99.

1st Edition - Volume 44 - 1st printing. "Spider-Man: Book 7!" Collects The Amazing Spider-Man (1963-1998 1st Series) #62-67, ANNUAL #5 and The Spectacular Spider-Man (1968 Magazine) #1-2.

Written by Stan Lee. Art by John Romita Sr., Don Heck, Mike Esposito, and Jim Mooney. Cover by John Romita Sr. Introduction by John Romita, Sr.

Get ready for the biggest, the best, the single most amazing Marvel Masterworks ever!

Filled from stem to stern with heroic Spidey battles against the likes of the villainous Vulture, Mysterio and Medusa of the Inhumans, this one's a nail-biter if there ever was, and here's the real treat: The year was 1968 and the manic madmen who managed mighty Marvel met to make a new mega-magazine-THE SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN!

Tying directly into the long-running storylines in AMAZING, the new series exploded on the stands first with a marvelous graywash masterpiece, and then with a 58-page, Romita-illustrated Spider-Man/Green Goblin fight to the finish that is reprinted here and now for the first time ever! And no, we're not going to let you catch your breath before you leave because it all wraps up with the sensational origin of Peter Parker's parents as Spider-Man battles no less than the Red Skull!

Weighing in at a whopping 320 pages, you'll be glad you socked away your lunch money for this one!

Hardcover, 320 pages, PC/PB&W.

Cover price $54.95.

1st Edition - Volume 44 - 2nd and later printings. "Spider-Man: Book 7!" Collects The Amazing Spider-Man (1963-1998 1st Series) #62-67, ANNUAL #5 and The Spectacular Spider-Man (1968 Magazine) #1-2.

Written by Stan Lee. Art by John Romita Sr., Don Heck, Mike Esposito, and Jim Mooney. Cover by John Romita Sr. Introduction by John Romita, Sr.

Get ready for the biggest, the best, the single most amazing Marvel Masterworks ever!

Filled from stem to stern with heroic Spidey battles against the likes of the villainous Vulture, Mysterio and Medusa of the Inhumans, this one's a nail-biter if there ever was, and here's the real treat: The year was 1968 and the manic madmen who managed mighty Marvel met to make a new mega-magazine-THE SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN!

Tying directly into the long-running storylines in AMAZING, the new series exploded on the stands first with a marvelous graywash masterpiece, and then with a 58-page, Romita-illustrated Spider-Man/Green Goblin fight to the finish that is reprinted here and now for the first time ever! And no, we're not going to let you catch your breath before you leave because it all wraps up with the sensational origin of Peter Parker's parents as Spider-Man battles no less than the Red Skull!

Weighing in at a whopping 320 pages, you'll be glad you socked away your lunch money for this one!

Hardcover, 320 pages, PC/PB&W.

Cover price $54.99.

Volume 45 - 1st printing. "IRON MAN" Collects Iron Man from Tales of Suspense #51-65. Written by Stan Lee. Art by Don Heck. Cover by DON HECK. Introduction by Stan Lee. Marvel's Man of Metal makes his triumphant return to the Masterworks! Yes, it's time to fess up and Face Front, True Believers: After a thirteen-year vacation, the iron-clad Avenger's back with his sophomore effort at long last. But it's guaranteed to be one harrowing homecoming! This tome's classic tales pit Tony Stark against a virtual who's who of adversaries in the mighty Marvel manner that could only be brought to you by Stan Lee and the lavish pen of "Dashing" Don Heck! There's the return of Iron Man's arch-nemesis, the Mandarin, and said vile villain's origin, followed up by the first appearance of the long-loved Avenger, Hawkeye -- but he's not playing on the side of angels here. No, he's teamed-up with the Black Widow against ol' Iron Boots! And finally, Iron Man must test his mettle against no less than Captain America and his own Iron Man armor as the new Iron Man fights the old! It's a slam-bang barrage of Marvel classics with drama galore and a little '60s Russkie "Red Scare" that can't be beat. Reserve your copy today! Hardcover, 240 pages, full color. Cover price $54.99.

Volume 46 - 1st printing. "CAPTAIN AMERICA" Collects Captain America from Tales of Suspense #82-99 and Captain America #100. Written by Stan Lee and Roy Thomas. Art by Jack Kirby, Gil Kane, and Jack Sparling. Cover by JACK KIRBY. Introduction by Stan Lee. Who loves seconds? We love seconds - a second sensational serving of the Sentinel of Liberty! Yes, that's right, the Mighty Minions of Marvel are chipping the next Cap Masterworks free from its icy fifteen-year slumber and you're invited to the homecoming party. So strap on your shield and prepare for a barrage of Stan and Jack's best as Cap (with a little help from his friends, the Avengers) battles a bevy of baddies like the strange Super-Adaptoid?the super-powered robot with the combined powers of the Avengers. And if an android passing himself off as Cap was as odious as you thought, the Red Skull tries to convince the people of America that Cap's turned traitor. Yikes! Don't crawl into your fallout shelter in shame, though. Our boy will bounce back to take on a hearty helping of that horrendous head, M.O.D.O.K.., in his first-ever appearance, before taking it home in a scintillating struggle against Baron Zemo, guest-starring Nick Fury, the Black Panther and Cap's super-spy gal, Sharon Carter! Hardcover, 240 pages, full color. Cover price $54.99.

Volume 47 - 1st printing. "GOLDEN AGE SUB-MARINER" Collects Sub-Mariner Comics (Golden Age) #1-4. Written by BILL EVERETT. Art by BILL EVERETT. Cover by ALEX SCHOMBURG. Introduction by Roy Thomas. Marvel continues collecting its classic Golden Age material, reprinting early adventures of Namor! This monumental hardcover volume remasters and restores the first four historic issues of SUB-MARINER from 1941. See the Sub-Mariner battle Nazis in defense of his underwater kingdom; also featuring the adventures of the Angel! Hardcover, 280 pages, full color. Cover price $54.99.

Volume 48 - 1st printing. "X-MEN" Collects Uncanny X-Men #43-53, Avengers #53, selections from Ka-Zar #2-3 and Marvel Tales #30. Written by ROY THOMAS, GARY FRIEDRICH, ARNOLD DRAKE & JERRY SIEGEL. Art by JIM STERANKO, BARRY SMITH, DON HECK, JOHN BUSCEMA, WERNER ROTH and GEORGE TUSKA. Cover by JIM STERANKO. Introduction by Stan Lee. Buckle down your mortarboards, students of Marvel's merry mutants, 'cause we've got a summer crash course in X-Men classics coming your way! Lesson #1: It ain't easy being an X-Man. No sooner has their mentor, Professor X, died than who shows up but Magneto and the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants! Only a study in teamwork with Earth's Mightiest Heroes can help our grieving heroes make the grade! Lesson #2: Think twice before inviting family over. A friendly house call from the Juggernaut or Polaris, the daughter of Magneto himself, isn't the summertime bliss the brochure may have described! Lesson #3: Battling a bevy of baddies including Mesmero, Blastaar, the Red Raven, Warlock and Computo may cause cramps. Be sure to stretch before jumping into this pool! And for extra credit you can pull an all-nighter with the origins of Iceman and Beast, along with a rare solo story featuring the Angel! Consult guest instructors Jim Steranko, Barry Smith and John Buscema this July or risk failure at the end of the term. Dismissed! Hardcover, 304 pages, full color. Cover price $54.99.

Volume 49 - 1st printing. "DR. STRANGE" Collects Strange Tales #142-168. Written by STAN LEE, ROY THOMAS, and DENNIS O'NEIL.. Art by STEVE DITKO, BILL EVERETT, MARIE SEVERIN, DAN ADKINS & GEORGE TUSKA. Cover by STEVE DITKO. Introduction by Stan Lee. Time to toss out that rabbit's foot at last, True Believer! After thirteen years around the cauldron your luck has paid off - we're conjuring up a sensational second Doctor Strange Masterworks! Featuring the mind-blowing ocular occult of Steve Ditko teamed with Stan "The Man" Lee, you'll want to make sure you nail down your ouija board before breaking this sacred tome open. They're aided and abetted by Roy Thomas, Dennis O'Neil, Bill Everett, Marie Severin and Dan Adkins. With a roll call like that this one's anything but cursed! We've got the climactic battle with the dread Dormammu and the cataclysmic intervention of Eternity; in his first-ever appearance the Living Tribunal lays his judgment upon the Earth, and if that's not enough reality-threatening thrills for you, we pit him head-to-head with Nebulous, Lord of the Planets Perilous. It's guaranteed to rattle your astral fillings! The origin of the Ancient One, the return of Baron Mordo, Strange's struggle against Kaluu while Clea's life hangs in the balance, and an otherworldly odyssey into deadly dimensions to save the lovely Victoria Bentley are the final incantations in this spell unlike any other ever uttered! Includes a gallery of Doctor Strange's cover appearances across the entire Strange Tales run! Hardcover, full color. Cover price $54.99.

Volume 50 - 1st printing. "CAPTAIN MARVEL" Collects Marvel Super Heroes (1966-1982 1st Series) #12-13 and Captain Marvel (1968-79 1st Marvel) #1-9. Written by STAN LEE, ROY THOMAS & ARNOLD DRAKE. Art by GENE COLAN & DON HECK. Cover by GENE COLAN. Introduction by Roy Thomas. There's no question we're back and better than ever, so brace yourself for the fabulous 50th Masterworks volume featuring a brand new Silver Age success story-Captain Marvel! That's right, True Believers, the space-born super hero is coming at you with scintillating science fiction in the Mighty Marvel Manner! Crafted by the titanic talents of Stan Lee, Roy Thomas, Gene Colan with a hearty helping from inheritors Arnold Drake and Don Heck, you're going to need your breathing potion to keep up with the Kree Captain! Branded a traitor by the vicious Colonel Yon-Rogg of the Kree for defending the people of Earth, Captain Mar-Vell assumes the human identity of Walter Lawson and becomes the planet's protector against an awesome array of interstellar baddies! Prepare to batten down the hatches for battles with the massive Sentry #459, the savage Super-Skrull, Prince Namor of Atlantis himself and Quasimodo the Living Computer! While you're at it don't forget to grab some tissues for the heartbroken Medic Una as the good Captain falls for Avenger-to-be Carol Danvers in her first-ever appearance! Here's to another 50 volumes of Masterworks magic! Hardcover, full color. Cover price $54.99.

Add to cart VF+ 8.5 $60.00 View scans Consignment. 3% buyer's premium charged at checkout. Graded by MCS, not consignor.

Volume 51 - 1st printing. "GOLDEN AGE HUMAN TORCH" Collects Human Torch (1940) #2-5a. Written & Illustrated by CARL BURGOS, BILL EVERETT, and JOE SIMON. Cover by ALEX SCHOMBURG. Introduction by Roy Thomas. Marvel presents more Golden Age goodness, reprinting the first four issues of HUMAN TORCH, 2-5a, from 1940-41. (Yes, folks, odd numbering was not solely the province of modern comic books; the Torch's solo book started with issue 2 and had two 5s.) This hardcover collection remasters and restores these early adventures, including the introduction and origin of Toro, the Flaming Torch Kid. See the Torch and Toro fight side-by-side with the Sub-Mariner, as he once again crashes into New York City! Also featuring the adventures of Microman, Mantor the Magician, the Fiery Mask and the Patriot. Hardcover, full color. Cover price $54.99.

Volume 52 - 1st printing. "MIGHTY THOR" Collects JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY #121-125 and THOR #126-130. Written by STAN LEE. Art & Cover by JACK KIRBY. Introduction by Stan Lee. Holy Mjolnir, True Believer! 'Tis time for another monolithic masterpiece of Mighty Thor mania! And how! We lieth not, we're preparing an assaulting assemblage of Asgardian artifacts as only Stan and Jack could articulate them. Featuring the one and only Thunder God in the tales that put the cosmic in comics. It all kicks off with a slobbernocker of knock-down, drag-out proportions with the Absorbing Man in the very halls of Asgard! While in the outskirts of outer Mongolia (yes, that far out) a Demon powered by a mystic Norn stone dwells. Thor may be able to handle this magical miscreant, but how will he fare in a toe-to-toe with the Prince of Power, Hercules-especially when the All-Father Odin has cut the Thunder God's power in half? All we'll say is it's safer than betting on the ponies! It all leads to a battle of epic proportions that takes the Thunder God to the depths of the Underworld itself to fight the legions of Pluto! And lest we forget the titanic Tales of Asgard! Nay, we dare not! Prepare yourself to learn the secrets of Ragnarok and more. Hardcover, full color. Cover price $54.99.

Volume 53 - 1st printing. "Fantastic Four: Book 9!" Collects Fantastic Four (1961-1996 1st Series) #82-93. Written by STAN LEE. Art by JACK KIRBY. Cover by JACK KIRBY. Introduction by Stan Lee. FIELD TRIP! That's 'Field Trip' as defined in the Lee/Kirby Dictionary, which means you'd better pack that bag lunch in unstable molecules and strap yourself in for a trip around the universe beyond your wildest imagination! First stop: A little visit to the neighbor's place, and hanging with the incomparable Inhumans and titanic team-up against Maximus the Mad! Second stop: Europe. Paris is beautiful in the springtime, but that's nothing. According to the brochure, Latveria's lovely year round. You might want to take that visitor's guide with a grain of salt, though. The savvy traveler never trusts a Chamber of Commerce run by Doombots. Third stop: Down under. Way down under for a big-time battle with the Mole Man! Last stop: Now here's a trip that's far out. The ever lovin' blue-eyed Thing gets whisked away on a galactic tour as a gladiator in the scurrilous Skrulls' slave arena! If that's not enough outer-space exotica for ya, then welcome yourself to a world wrapped in the Roarin' Twenties! With tour guides like Stan and Jack, you'd best make those travel plans today, True Believer. Tickets for this trip are guaranteed to sell out! Hardcover, 264 pages, full color. NOTE: Limited to 1,614 copies. Cover price $54.99.

Volume 54 - 1st printing. "AVENGERS" Collects Avengers #41-50 and Annual #1. Written by ROY THOMAS. Art by JOHN BUSCEMA, DON HECK & GEORGE TUSKA. Cover by DON HECK. Introduction by Roy Thomas. The year was 1967, and what a year it was to be an Avengers fan. Why? Because Earth's Mightiest Heroes gained one of Earth's Mightiest artists-the one and only John Buscema! If an artist like Big John teaming up to create the titanic Thomas/Heck/Buscema triumvirate isn't enough to wet your whistle for amazing tales of the adventurous Avengers, then get a load of the manic Marvel Masterworks they have in store for you: Prince of Power, Hercules goes mano-a-mano with the Dragon Man; Captain America mixes it up with the Russian Red Guardian for the Red, White and Blue; the entire dag-blamed Avengers battle the Super-Adaptoid; Goliath and the Wasp face a blast from their shrinking past as they fight the Whirlwind. And a hero redeems the role of the Black Knight only to have the Avengers lose their teammates, Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch, to Magneto and the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants-it's a cosmic balance, bub! And let us not forget, Avengers past and present joining together in combat against a sextet of baddies built up by the Mandarin. It's a story so huge it could only be contained in the first-ever Avengers Annual! Remember, True Believer, there's no guarantee that a yuletide gift this hot won't ignite, so don't forget to fireproof the ol' fir tree. Cover price $54.99.