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Cover: Bret Blevins & Tom Palmer & Al Williamson

Star Brand #1

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

Oct 1986 · Marvel · 0.75 USD; 0.95 CAD; 0.40 GBP

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“The Star Brand”

★ 1st appearance — Star Brand

In Star Brand #1, writer Jim Shooter and artist John Romita Jr. introduce Ken Connell, a man whose life changes in an instant when the enigmatic "Old Man" bestows upon him the Star Brand—a mysterious tattoo that grants him superhuman strength, flight, and near-invulnerability. As Ken grapples with his new powers, he faces an immediate threat from an alien assailant determined to claim the Brand for himself. The issue, with its dynamic art by Romita Jr. and striking cover by Bret Blevins and Tom Palmer, sets a bold tone for a story of power, responsibility, and the cost of becoming something more than human.

writer Jim Shooter · artist John Romita Jr. · inker Al Williamson · colorist Christie Scheele · letterer Joe Rosen · cover Bret Blevins, Tom Palmer, Al Williamson

ComicBooks.com Value

Our Model is In Beta

Raw (VF) $3

CGC 9.8 · 52 in census $128

CGC 9.6 · 38 in census $59*

CGC 9.4 · 16 in census $39

CGC 9.2 · 12 in census $38*

CGC 9.0 · 7 in census $38*

CGC 8.5 · 11 in census $38

Show all 17 grades ▾

CGC 8.0 · 2 in census $29*

CGC 7.5 · 4 in census $26*

CGC 7.0 · 3 in census $21

CGC 6.5 · 2 in census $21*

CGC 6.0 · 1 in census $20*

CGC 5.5 · 1 in census $20*

CGC 5.0 none in existence

CGC 4.5 none in existence

CGC 4.0 none in existence

CGC 3.5 none in existence

CGC 3.0 · 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 ▾ $200–$276 3 listings

CGC 9.8 $200 CGC 9.8 $219.95 CGC 9.8 $275.99

CGC 9.6 ▾ $72.95–$75 2 listings

CGC 9.6 $72.95 CGC 9.6 $75

CGC 9 $20 1 listing CGC 7 $40 1 listing CBCS 9.2 $75 1 listing Raw — MINT $12 1 listing

Raw — NM ▾ $1.99–$14.33 3 listings

NM $1.99 NM $3.99 NM $14.33

Raw — VF/NM $8.5 1 listing

Raw — VF+ ▾ $2.24–$4 2 listings

VF+ · Newsstand $2.24 VF+ $4

Raw — VERY FINE ▾ $8–$9 2 listings

VERY FINE $8 VERY FINE $9

Raw — VF ▾ $5–$100 4 listings

VF · Newsstand $5 VF $6 VF $16 VF $100

Raw — FN ▾ $3.2–$4.99 2 listings

FN $3.2 FN $4.99

Raw — VG $2.9 1 listing

Raw / ungraded ▾ $1.41–$150 30 listings

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Star Brand (Marvel 1986) #1 New Universe! 1st Appearance! $13.77

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Trivia · 8 facts

First appearance of Kenneth 'Ken' Connell, the mechanic-turned-powerhouse who becomes the Star Brand's reluctant bearer, along with supporting cast members the Old Man, Myron Feldman, Debbie, and Barbara Petrovic — all introduced in this issue.
First appearance of the Star Brand itself: a black, star-shaped tattoo-like mark described as a near-omnipotent alien artifact whose powers are limited only by the wielder's imagination, conferring flight, immense strength, near-invulnerability, and explosive force.
Launch issue of Marvel's New Universe imprint (Earth-148611), one of eight titles debuting in October 1986 to mark Marvel's 25th anniversary; the New Universe was explicitly designed to be a self-contained, realistic world separate from the mainstream Marvel Universe.
Written by Jim Shooter (Marvel's editor-in-chief at the time) and pencilled by John Romita Jr., with inks by Al Williamson, colors by Christie Scheele, and lettering by Joe Rosen; edited by Michael Higgins.
Shooter's run introduced a then-uncommon narrative technique: the story is told solely through Ken Connell's first-person perspective, with no omniscient narration — a structural departure from virtually all superhero comics of the period.
The first issue introduces the White Event mythology — a universe-altering paranormal phenomenon dated July 22, 1986 in-story — which served as the shared origin event uniting all New Universe titles.
The issue has been reprinted multiple times: in Star Brand Classic Vol. 1 TPB (December 2006, collecting issues #1–7); in Marvel Milestones: Star Brand & Quasar (2006); and in Star Brand: New Universe Vol. 1 TPB (2016, collecting issues #1–10 plus the Annual and a Spitfire crossover).
The Star Brand concept was later integrated into mainstream Marvel continuity: Mark Gruenwald used the artifact in Quasar and the Starblast crossover in the 1990s; Jonathan Hickman reintroduced the concept in Avengers (2013); and Jason Aaron's Avengers (2018–2019) further developed Star Brand lore in the main universe.