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Cover: Jack Kirby & Dick Ayers

Fantastic Four #16

Name: Fantastic Four #16
Brand: Marvel
Availability: InStock

Jul 1963 · Marvel · 0.12 USD

📊 ~28,045 copies sold its debut month

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“The Micro-World of Doctor Doom!”

About this Issue

Fantastic Four #16 marks the first time Ant-Man (Hank Pym) crossed over into the pages of the Fantastic Four, a pivotal moment in the early construction of the shared Marvel Universe — demonstrating that Stan Lee and Jack Kirby's interconnected titles were becoming a genuine fictional world rather than isolated publications. The story also introduced Doctor Doom's Sub-Atomica, a microscopic realm that expanded the cosmic scope Lee and Kirby were quietly building issue by issue, foreshadowing the grander world-building to come. Beyond the narrative, this issue carries an easily overlooked but permanent editorial change: beginning with its cover, the title officially dropped the article 'The' and became simply Fantastic Four, the form the logo would carry for decades. Together, these elements make issue #16 a small but precisely dateable milestone in the architecture of the early Marvel Age.

In "The Micro-World of Doctor Doom!", the Fantastic Four respond to a desperate plea from a tiny inhabitant of a hidden realm, only to find themselves inside a vast, unseen world where Doctor Doom rules with an iron will. Written by Stan Lee and brought to life with dynamic art by Jack Kirby, this classic 1963 issue features inks by Dick Ayers, colors by Stan Goldberg, and lettering by Art Simek, with a cover by Kirby and Ayers that captures the scale and mystery of the microscopic realm.

writer Stan Lee · artist Jack Kirby · inker Dick Ayers · colorist Stan Goldberg · letterer Art Simek · cover Jack Kirby, Dick Ayers

ComicBooks.com Value

Our Model is In Beta

Raw (VG) $206

CGC 9.8 · 1 in census $31,132*

CGC 9.6 · 4 in census $18,447*

CGC 9.4 · 22 in census $4,790

CGC 9.2 · 25 in census $2,947

CGC 9.0 · 31 in census $2,947*

CGC 8.5 · 36 in census $1,027*

Show all 22 grades ▾

CGC 8.0 · 54 in census $1,016

CGC 7.5 · 74 in census $845

CGC 7.0 · 77 in census $548

CGC 6.5 · 73 in census $482

CGC 6.0 · 98 in census $399

CGC 5.5 · 66 in census $392

CGC 5.0 · 105 in census $341

CGC 4.5 · 111 in census $255

CGC 4.0 · 105 in census $226

CGC 3.5 · 96 in census $226

CGC 3.0 · 63 in census $161

CGC 2.5 · 33 in census $122

CGC 2.0 · 14 in census $122

CGC 1.5 · 6 in census $111*

CGC 1.0 · 3 in census $91*

CGC 0.5 · 19 in census $72

* estimate — limited direct-sales data at this grade

Our model’s value — refined as new sales data arrives · CGC census counts shown where available

This exact issue on ebay

CGC 9.4 $7,700 1 listing CGC 6 $539 1 listing CGC 5.5 $700 1 listing

CGC 5 ▾ $185–$580 2 listings

CGC 5 $185 CGC 5 $580

CGC 4 ▾ $495–$530 2 listings

CGC 4 $495 CGC 4 $529.99

CGC 3.5 $330 1 listing CGC 2.5 $200 1 listing CGC 1 $600 1 listing CGC $380 1 listing

Raw — NM ▾ $6.99–$24 2 listings

NM $6.99 NM $24

Raw — VF $7.95 1 listing Raw — VG+ $240 1 listing

Raw — VG ▾ $141–$400 5 listings

VG $141.31 VG $150 VG $350 VG $370.5 VG $400

Raw — GOOD $160 1 listing

Raw — GD ▾ $123–$250 2 listings

GD $123 GD $250

Raw — FR $150 1 listing

Raw / ungraded ▾ $3.99–$523 12 listings

Raw / ungraded $3.99 Raw / ungraded $3.99 Raw / ungraded $4.5 Raw / ungraded $4.74 Raw / ungraded $4.99 Raw / ungraded $7.95 Raw / ungraded $107 Raw / ungraded $129.99 Raw / ungraded $130 Raw / ungraded $175 Raw / ungraded $175.5 Raw / ungraded $522.5

Verified matches for Fantastic Four #16 · eBay asking prices, seen 28 days ago

More listings for this title

FF 16 1st Parliament Of Dr Doom Multiverse MCU Fantastic Four Gemini Ship Marvel $5.99 U Choose FANTASTIC FOUR comics MARVEL Empyre $34.99 Marvel - FANTASTIC FOUR (1961-96; 2003-12) #16 - Grade 4.5 - Comic Book $330

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History

The issue was written by Stan Lee and penciled by Jack Kirby under the 'Marvel Method' — Kirby plotting out pages from a broad outline and Lee adding dialogue and captions afterward, with letterer Artie Simek completing the text. Dick Ayers served as inker, the same core creative team producing the title monthly by mid-1963. The GoCollect database lists the publication date as April 9, 1963, while the GCD (Grand Comics Database) and the indicia identify the distributor as Canam Publishers Sales Corp.; some secondary sources cite a cover date of July 1963, which was the standard Marvel practice of dating covers two to three months ahead of actual sale.

Trivia · 8 facts

First crossover appearance of Ant-Man (Hank Pym) in Fantastic Four, marking one of the earliest inter-title hero team-ups in the formative Marvel Universe.
Also features a cameo appearance by the Wasp (Janet Van Dyne), noted on multiple sources as a background appearance alongside Ant-Man's exit from the story.
Introduces Princess Pearla, her father the King of Sub-Atomica, and the Lizard Men of Tok — all first appearances within this issue.
Doctor Doom's microscopic realm Sub-Atomica is featured as the primary setting; Doom has conquered it by impressing its king with his scientific genius and installed himself as its ruler.
Beginning with this issue's cover, the title permanently dropped 'The' from its logo, becoming simply 'Fantastic Four' — a change confirmed by both Wikipedia's Fantastic Four article and the GCD.
The story is titled 'The Return of Doctor Doom!' — Doom's ongoing appearances in the early run had already established the pattern of serialized villainy that distinguished Marvel from competitors.
Written by Stan Lee and penciled by Jack Kirby, with inks by Dick Ayers and lettering by Artie Simek; Stan Lee also served as editor.
Reprinted in numerous collected editions including Marvel Masterworks: The Fantastic Four Vol. 2 (2003), Fantastic Four Omnibus Vol. 1 (2005), Fantastic Four Epic Collection Vol. 1 (2014), Mighty Marvel Masterworks: The Fantastic Four Vol. 2 – The Micro-World of Doctor Doom (2021), and Doctor Doom Epic Collection Vol. 1 (2025).