The Marvel Cinematic Universe has grossed over $35 billion at the box office since Iron Man’s debut in 2008. MCU synergy is at an all-time high, as character traits from the movies have made their way into the comics rather than the other way around.
With the MCU’s immense popularity has also come a resurgence of interest in Marvel comics. This has led to quite a few jaw-dropping comic sales at auction in recent years.
Tales of Suspense #39 ($3.89 million)
Right off the bat, this might be a bit of cheating. This is because the most expensive piece of Marvel Comics memorabilia ever sold is not a full comic but rather a mere splash page.
Tales of Suspense issue 39 marks the debut of Iron Man, a superhero who has shot up the ranks of popularity over the past two decades due to Robert Downey Jr.’s timeless portrayal mixed with Kevin Fiege’s vision for the character on the big screen.
Art by the legendary Don Heck, Splash Page 1 from the aforementioned issue reads “Iron Man Is Born” and showcases Tony Stark’s iconic Mark I armor emerging from a crevice.
This original artwork, a single page, sold at Heritage Auction in July 2026 for an incredible $3.89 million, setting a record.
Amazing Fantasy #15 ($3.6 Million)
The Amazing Spider-Man comic line just crossed 1,000 issues. Peter Parker is the only character in Marvel Comics history to have an uninterrupted main line comic series pass the four-digit mark.
Combine this with Spider-Man Brand Day grossing over $2.5 billion at the box office, and it’s clear that Spidey is the most popular character Marvel has to offer.
So, it would make sense that his first appearance comic would lead to a record sale.
September 2021, a few months before Spider-Man: No Way Home’s release, Heritage put up a near-mint CGC 9.6 graded copy of ‘Amazing Fantasy #15’ for auction. It went for a whopping $3.6 million, making it the most expensive Marvel comic that has ever sold.
The comic’s significance lies in its featuring Spider-Man’s debut.
Written by Stan Lee and illustrated by Steve Ditko, the book was an immediate success among young readers who believed teenagers in comics were only ever meant to be sidekicks à la Dick Grayson or Bucky Barnes.
Marvel Super-Heroes Secret Wars #8 ($3.36 Million)
Once more, we bear witness to not only another Spider-Man appearance on this list but also the sale of a singular page.
1984’s Secret Wars was a major crossover event for Marvel Comics as it transported most of the company’s most iconic superheroes and villains to ‘Battleworld’ at the hands of the Beyonder. The 12-issue miniseries reshaped the way the comic industry treated crossovers for decades to come.
One of the most pivotal moments from the run was when Spider-Man acquired his symbiote black suit. Page 25 of issue eight saw Parker hit the iconic spread-out pose after bonding with the suit for the first time.
This singular page, with artwork by Mike Zeck, sold at Heritage Auctions in 2022 for a whopping $3.36 million.
Captain America #1 ($3.12 Million)
Captain America, debuting in 1941, emerged during an incredibly sensitive time in World War II.
So, to see the star-spangled man socking ol’ Hitler in the jaw on the face of a comic cover certainly led to the character’s popularity skyrocketing.
The issue, along with the first-ever appearance of Steve Rogers/Cap, also showcased the debut of Bucky Barnes (who would later become the Winter Soldier) and the Red Skull, Cap’s arch-nemesis.
A near-mint CGC 9.4-rated copy of this comic sold in April 2022 at Heritage Auctions for $3.12 million. This is the most pristine copy of the Jack Kirby/Joe Simon masterpiece, so it makes sense that it would command a price such as this.
Marvel Comics #1 ($2.4 Million)
It does feel a bit strange for a comic that started the Marvel universe to be at the bottom of this list. It goes to show just how well the characters created by the company have transcended the company that made them.
However, being at the “bottom” of this list is no shabby feat at all.
This comic sold in 2022 via Comic Connect for $2.4 million after being rated a CGC 9.2. It features the debut of Namor the Sub-Mariner and the Human Torch.
The copy that sold has been labeled a ‘Pay Copy,’ meaning the editor utilized seven pages in the book to track check payments.
