Auctions: comic books June 1965

Amazing Spider-Man (1963 1st Series) 25 CGC 6.5

Paper: White

Label #2074482011

Cover art by Steve Ditko. First appearance of Mary Jane Watson (cameo; face not shown) in "Captured by J. Jonah Jameson," script by Steve Ditko (plot) and Stan Lee (script), art by Steve Ditko; As Peter goes to sell pictures of a crime to J. Jonah Jameson, an inventor named Smythe comes in with a robot guaranteeing the destruction of Spider-Man; Since Peter needs money bad, he eggs Jameson on to hear out the wacky inventor; Smythe shows how his robot instantly shoots out steel tentacles at the hint of a spider's presence and grabs a hold of Peter, much to his surprise; Jameson is given a remote control and they agree to a deal; Betty is furious with Peter for trying to trap Spider-Man, not understanding his true reasons; Peter shows up at school and has Flash Thompson waiting to fight him as he hangs around Liz Allan too much to his liking; As Peter exits school, he sees the robot and begins to run; Flash, thinking he's running away from a fight runs after Peter; First appearance of Spencer Smythe. Reprinted in Marvel Tales #20 and #163. 36 pgs., full color. Cover price $0.12.

Fantastic Four (1961 1st Series) 39 CGC 3.0

Paper: Off white to white

Label #4059142017

Cover pencils by Jack Kirby, inks by Chic Stone and Wally Wood (on Daredevil figure). A Blind Man Shall Lead Them!, script by Stan Lee, pencils by Jack Kirby, inks by Frank Giacoia [as Frank Ray] and Wally Wood (Matt Murdock and Daredevil figures); Reed devises mechanical devices to enable the FF to duplicate their vanished super-powers; Matt Murdoch visits the FF and Dr. Doom attacks; Daredevil assists the FF in battling Doom. Cameos by Medusa, the Wizard, the Sandman, and the Trapster. 36 pgs. $0.12. Cover price $0.12.

Strange Tales (1951-1976 1st Series) 133 VG- 3.5

Cover oxidation.

Cover pencils by Jack Kirby, inks by Mike Esposito. The Human Torch and the Thing star in "The Terrible Toys!", script by Stan Lee (plot, dialogue) and Bob Powell (plot), pencils by Bob Powell, inks by Mike Esposito (as Mick Demeo); Deciding to switch his M.O., The Puppet Master builds robotic "statues" he can control, and undergoes plastic surgery so no one will recognize him; The masquerade is short-lived, as he lures Johnny & Ben into a trap in a department store. "A Nameless Land, a Timeless Time!", script by Steve Ditko (plot) and Stan Lee (dialogue), art by Steve Ditko; After escaping from Mordo, Strange plummets thru dimension after dimension, finally coming to a stop in a world ruled by Shazana, a female tyrant who once conned a wizard into giving her some of his powers, which she repaid by destroying him; Believing her sister has recruited Strange to overthrow her she battles Strange into submission; Appearances by Clea, Dormammu, and Baron Mordo. 36 pgs., full color. Cover price $0.12.

Tales to Astonish (1959-1968 1st Series) 68 VG/FN 5.0

Cover by Jack Kirby, Bob Powell, and Vince Colletta. Peril From the Long-Dead Past!, script by Stan Lee, art by Bob Powell and Vince Colletta; Realizing that the strain of growing and shrinking so much is doing damage to his body, Hank adjusts his helmet so he can only grow to one size--the 35 foot height of Giant-Man; With the Ant-Man side of his abilities out of his bag of tricks, he adjusts Jan's helmet so she can cybernetically communicate with wasps; Oh, and the Human Top attacks too. Back from the Dead!, script by Stan Lee, art by Jack Kirby and Mike Esposito (as Mickey Demeo); Saving Talbot and himself from plunging to their deaths, the Hulk decides he is tired of world travel and leaps home; Waking up in gamma base, Bruce is once again jailed as a traitor and the president once again sets him free (Rick told the commander in chief the secret of the Hulk a few issues ago); Banner and Talbot are once again sent to Astra Island to continue a test of the absorbatron but the leader sends an army of Humanoids who finally succeed in capturing the Hulk. 36 pgs., full color. $0.12. Cover price $0.12.

Tales to Astonish (1959-1968 1st Series) 68 VG+ 4.5

Cover by Jack Kirby, Bob Powell, and Vince Colletta. Peril From the Long-Dead Past!, script by Stan Lee, art by Bob Powell and Vince Colletta; Realizing that the strain of growing and shrinking so much is doing damage to his body, Hank adjusts his helmet so he can only grow to one size--the 35 foot height of Giant-Man; With the Ant-Man side of his abilities out of his bag of tricks, he adjusts Jan's helmet so she can cybernetically communicate with wasps; Oh, and the Human Top attacks too. Back from the Dead!, script by Stan Lee, art by Jack Kirby and Mike Esposito (as Mickey Demeo); Saving Talbot and himself from plunging to their deaths, the Hulk decides he is tired of world travel and leaps home; Waking up in gamma base, Bruce is once again jailed as a traitor and the president once again sets him free (Rick told the commander in chief the secret of the Hulk a few issues ago); Banner and Talbot are once again sent to Astra Island to continue a test of the absorbatron but the leader sends an army of Humanoids who finally succeed in capturing the Hulk. 36 pgs., full color. $0.12. Cover price $0.12.

Tales to Astonish (1959-1968 1st Series) 68 VG 4.0

Pencil marking inside front cover.

Cover by Jack Kirby, Bob Powell, and Vince Colletta. Peril From the Long-Dead Past!, script by Stan Lee, art by Bob Powell and Vince Colletta; Realizing that the strain of growing and shrinking so much is doing damage to his body, Hank adjusts his helmet so he can only grow to one size--the 35 foot height of Giant-Man; With the Ant-Man side of his abilities out of his bag of tricks, he adjusts Jan's helmet so she can cybernetically communicate with wasps; Oh, and the Human Top attacks too. Back from the Dead!, script by Stan Lee, art by Jack Kirby and Mike Esposito (as Mickey Demeo); Saving Talbot and himself from plunging to their deaths, the Hulk decides he is tired of world travel and leaps home; Waking up in gamma base, Bruce is once again jailed as a traitor and the president once again sets him free (Rick told the commander in chief the secret of the Hulk a few issues ago); Banner and Talbot are once again sent to Astra Island to continue a test of the absorbatron but the leader sends an army of Humanoids who finally succeed in capturing the Hulk. 36 pgs., full color. $0.12. Cover price $0.12.

Uncle Scrooge and Donald Duck (1965 Gold Key) 1 CGC 7.5

Paper: Off white to white

Label #4391056007

# on cover: 30026-509. 25c. A 68-page giant size comic with non-slick paper covers reprinting a variety of Donald Duck and Scrooge McDuck stories including two long classic stories by the grand old Duck man, writer/artist Carl Barks: "Only A Poor Old Man," (from Four Color #386) in which Scrooge, Donald, and Huey, Dewey, and Louie move Scrooge's money to a new hiding place when the Beagle Boys start construction in the lot next to the money bin (This story has the famous Scrooge McDuck philosophy: "NO man is poor who can do what he likes to do once in a while! And I like to dive around in my money like a porpoise! And burrow through it like a gopher! And toss it up and let it hit me on the head!"), and the Four Color #29 reprint, "Donald Duck and the Mummy's Ring" in which a mysterious ring with three serpents on it lead Donald, Huey, Dewey, and Louie into a perilous adventure to Egypt. Issue also has three untitled Donald and Scrooge stories and two one-page gag strips. The gag strips are by Barks and story/art credits are unknown on the untitled stories. NOTE: This comic is very rare in the higher grades. This saddle-stitched (with three staples) reprints Four Color #386 (Uncle Scrooge #1) and the first story from Four Color #29. Rather than being printed on slick paper, the cover is newsprint. Gold Key briefly experimented with newsprint covers on several of their giant comics and Uncle Scrooge and Donald Duck #1 was one of them. As might be expected, the results were less than satisfactory, and the experiment was soon dropped. Cover price $0.25.