Marvel Age #1

Name: Marvel Age #1
Brand: Marvel
Availability: InStock

Apr 1983 · Marvel · 0.25 USD

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★ 1st appearance — Crystar★ 1st appearance — Moltar

artist, inker SEV · cover Walt Simonson

ComicBooks.com Value

Our Model is In Beta

Raw (Fine) $3

CGC 9.8 · 25 in census $139

CGC 9.6 · 12 in census $58*

CGC 9.4 · 17 in census $34*

CGC 9.2 · 7 in census $22

CGC 9.0 · 11 in census $20*

CGC 8.5 · 5 in census $20*

Show all 14 grades ▾

CGC 8.0 · 2 in census $20

CGC 7.5 · 5 in census $20

CGC 7.0 · 2 in census $20*

CGC 6.5 · 3 in census $20*

CGC 6.0 · 1 in census $20*

CGC 5.5 · 2 in census $20*

CGC 5.0 none in existence

CGC 4.5 · 1 in census $20*

* 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 9.8 ▾ $175–$217 2 listings

CGC 9.8 · Signed $175 CGC 9.8 $217.24

CGC 9.6 $42.01 1 listing CGC 7.5 $79.99 1 listing Raw — MINT $20 1 listing Raw — VF+ $20.5 1 listing

Raw — VF ▾ $9.99–$11.4 2 listings

VF $9.99 VF $11.4

Raw / ungraded ▾ $2–$55 8 listings

Raw / ungraded $2 Raw / ungraded $5 Raw / ungraded $9.99 Raw / ungraded $10.99 Raw / ungraded $11.96 Raw / ungraded $13.99 Raw / ungraded $13.99 Raw / ungraded $55

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Trivia · 8 facts

Published with a cover date of April 1983 (on-sale date January 11, 1983); written by Larry Hama, pencilled by Marie Severin, with a cover by Walt Simonson.
Issue #1 inaugurated Marvel Age as an ongoing promotional magazine — essentially an expanded, standalone edition of the Bullpen Bulletins — that would publish 140 issues across an eleven-year run through September 1994.
The premiere issue's lead feature was 'The Story Behind Crystar,' with commentary from writer/editor Mary Jo Duffy, explaining that Crystar was an original Marvel-owned concept (developed by Mark Gruenwald, Ralph Macchio, and John Romita Jr.) that was then licensed out to toy manufacturer Remco — inverting the era's usual model of adapting third-party toy licenses.
Issue #1 contained 'Guidebook to the Cosmos: The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe,' an early preview and promotional feature for the then-forthcoming OHOTMU series — characters including Ka-Zar (Kevin Plunder) and his sabretooth companion Zabu were among those indexed in the OHOTMU's scope.
The issue assembled editorial notes from nearly the entire 1983 Marvel editorial staff, including Jim Shooter (Editor-in-Chief), Tom DeFalco, Denny O'Neil, Ralph Macchio, Louise Jones, Mark Gruenwald, Larry Hama, Archie Goodwin, and Al Milgrom — a snapshot of the Bullpen's leadership at a pivotal creative moment.
A 'Conan the Comedian' mock-cover cartoon by Paul Smith appeared in the issue, representing the humor features that would become a recurring fixture of the series, later anchored by Fred Hembeck's regular strip.
The series acknowledged Marvel's earlier fan-communication experiment (the 1970s FOOM magazine) and openly admitted its own promotional purpose, distinguishing Marvel Age as an 'official' publication rather than a fanzine.
Kull the Conqueror and his return to Marvel publishing were spotlighted in Marvel Age #2 (May 1983) under the feature 'Life Among the Barbarians,' not in issue #1 — his indexing here relates to the OHOTMU preview content that crossed multiple early issues.