Home › Tales of Suspense › #76

Cover: Jack Kirby & John Romita

Tales of Suspense #76

Name: Tales of Suspense #76
Brand: Marvel
Availability: InStock

Apr 1966 · Marvel · 0.12 USD

☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join free

★ 1st appearance — Ultimo

About this Issue

Tales of Suspense #76 (April 1966) is a double-barreled Silver Age key that packs two significant debuts into a single split-book issue: the cameo introduction of Ultimo — the Mandarin's colossal alien android weapon and one of Iron Man's most durable recurring threats — in the Iron Man half, and the second appearance (plus first cover appearance) of Sharon Carter, Agent 13, in the Captain America half, cementing her as Steve Rogers' primary S.H.I.E.L.D. love interest for decades to come. Sharon's arc across issues #75–76 established the emotional template — a mysteriously familiar woman whose S.H.I.E.L.D. identity Cap cannot penetrate — that would anchor Captain America's solo mythology all the way through Ed Brubaker's celebrated 2000s run and the Marvel Cinematic Universe films. The issue also marks the point where John Romita Sr. took over penciling duties on the Captain America feature, bringing a warmer, more romantic figure style that would define Cap's look for several years.

In "Here Lies Hidden... the Unspeakable Ultimo!", Tony Stark faces a chilling new threat as the Mandarin abducts him mid-hearing, tossing his briefcase into a moat before unleashing Ultimo, a weapon of terrifying power. With Happy temporarily lost to amnesia and Pepper growing increasingly frustrated by Stark’s cool demeanor, the stakes rise as the inventor is trapped in the Mandarin’s castle. Written by Stan Lee and illustrated by Adam Austin with inks by Gary Michaels, this 1966 issue features a cover by Jack Kirby and John Romita that captures the menace of the moment.

Contains 2 stories

Here Lies Hidden... the Unspeakable Ultimo!

12 pp · Superhero

Iron Man [Tony Stark]Ultimo (introduction)MandarinTitanium Man [Boris Bullski] (flashback)Freak [Happy Hogan]Pepper PottsSenator Harrington Byrd

When the Freak reverts to Happy Hogan with no memory of his ordeal, tensions rise as Senator Byrd serves Iron Man a subpoena, demanding his presence in Washington. Pepper Potts watches in disbelief as Stark remains unfazed, unaware that the Mandarin is already moving—abducting him mid-escape with a teleportation device and setting his sights on unleashing Ultimo, his most terrifying creation, from a hidden fortress.

The Gladiator, the Girl, and the Glory!

10 pp · Superhero

Captain America [Steve Rogers]Batroc [Georges Batroc]Agent 13 [Sharon Carter]

In "The Gladiator, the Girl, and the Glory!", Captain America and Batroc find themselves locked in a tense, high-stakes chase across a crumbling fortress, each driven by conflicting loyalties and hidden agendas. As Captain America races to uncover the truth behind a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent’s mysterious mission, the line between ally and adversary blurs in the face of escalating danger.

ComicBooks.com Value

Our Model is In Beta

Raw (VG) $14

CGC 9.8 · 9 in census $2,395

CGC 9.6 · 22 in census $614

CGC 9.4 · 32 in census $307

CGC 9.2 · 47 in census $167

CGC 9.0 · 51 in census $127

CGC 8.5 · 38 in census $104

Show all 21 grades ▾

CGC 8.0 · 40 in census $91

CGC 7.5 · 38 in census $89

CGC 7.0 · 24 in census $63

CGC 6.5 · 23 in census $48

CGC 6.0 · 18 in census $43

CGC 5.5 · 15 in census $31*

CGC 5.0 · 15 in census $31*

CGC 4.5 · 7 in census $25*

CGC 4.0 · 12 in census $25*

CGC 3.5 · 5 in census $20*

CGC 3.0 · 7 in census $20*

CGC 2.5 · 1 in census $20*

CGC 2.0 · 1 in census $20*

CGC 1.5 none in existence

CGC 1.0 · 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 $150 1 listing

CGC 7.5 ▾ $125–$215 2 listings

CGC 7.5 $124.95 CGC 7.5 $215

CGC 6.5 $73 1 listing CGC 5 $70.87 1 listing CGC $95 1 listing

CBCS 9 ▾ $129–$200 2 listings

CBCS 9 $129 CBCS 9 $200

Raw — NM $200 1 listing

Raw — VF ▾ $44.99–$80 4 listings

VF $44.99 VF $50 VF $79.97 VF $80

Raw — VERY FINE $45 1 listing Raw — F/VF $99.99 1 listing

Raw — FN+ ▾ $32–$75 3 listings

FN+ $32 FN+ $35.99 FN+ $75

Raw — FN ▾ $22.95–$85 4 listings

FN $22.95 FN $34.99 FN $39.95 FN $85

Raw — FINE $25.99 1 listing

Raw — VG+ ▾ $23.95–$40 3 listings

VG+ $23.95 VG+ $39.5 VG+ $40

Raw — VG ▾ $17.99–$43 11 listings

VG $17.99 VG $18.75 VG $19.33 VG $19.95 VG $21 VG $22 VG $22.49 VG $23 VG $30 VG $32.93 VG $43

Raw — VERY GOOD $14.08 1 listing Raw — GOOD $9.23 1 listing

Raw / ungraded ▾ $9.95–$126 29 listings

Verified matches for Tales of Suspense #76 · eBay asking prices, seen 25 days ago

More listings for this title

Marvel Comics Tales of Suspense featuring Iron Man & Captain America 76 Apr $40

Related listings we couldn't confirm as this exact issue · 1 total · seen 25 days ago

🏪 Real comic shops near you sell this issue on eBay — from our directory:

BamPowComics & Collectibles · Chesterland, OH1 on eBay ↗

Listings on eBay · clicking supports comicbooks.com

Read it digitally

Marvel Unlimited Marvel’s subscription reader ▸ Amazon Kindle Buy the digital edition ▸

Opens a search on each platform — digital availability varies by title.

Sell my copy

Have this issue — or a whole collection? Get a fair offer from us, skip the marketplace fees and the hassle.

We Buy Collections ▸

Fast, fair offers · we handle grading & shipping

History

Both stories were scripted by Stan Lee under the bullpen's trademark Marvel Method, with Gene Colan (credited under his house pseudonym Adam Austin, inked by Jack Abel under the alias Gary Michaels) handling the Iron Man feature, while John Romita Sr. stepped in to pencil and ink the Captain America story — his first full issue on that feature. The cover was penciled by Jack Kirby and inked by John Romita. The issue carries an on-sale date of January 11, 1966, with a cover date of April 1966, as recorded in the Catalog of Copyright Entries. A UK edition with a 10d cover price was published simultaneously, identical in content to the US version.

Trivia · 8 facts

First appearance (cameo) of Ultimo — the Mandarin's gigantic alien android — in the Iron Man story 'Here Lies Hidden… the Unspeakable Ultimo!'; his first full appearance follows in Tales of Suspense #77.
Second appearance of Sharon Carter (Agent 13) and her first cover appearance; she debuted in the preceding issue, Tales of Suspense #75 (March 1966), created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.
Second appearance of Batroc the Leaper (Georges Batroc), who first appeared in Tales of Suspense #75 alongside Sharon Carter.
The Captain America story is titled 'The Gladiator, the Girl, and the Glory!' — scripted by Stan Lee with art by John Romita Sr., marking Romita's takeover of penciling duties on the Captain America feature.
The Iron Man story is scripted by Stan Lee with pencils by Gene Colan (credited as Adam Austin) and inks by Jack Abel (credited as Gary Michaels), continuing Marvel's common Silver Age practice of house pseudonyms.
The cover was penciled by Jack Kirby and inked by John Romita Sr.
Sharon Carter was originally written as the younger sister of Peggy Carter; later stories retconned her into Peggy's grand-niece to account for the unaging nature of Marvel's characters.
Both the Iron Man and Captain America stories from this era — including this issue — have been collected in Essential Captain America Vol. 1, Marvel Masterworks: Captain America Vol. 1, the Captain America Omnibus Vol. 1, and Essential Iron Man Vol. 2, giving the issue wide reprint exposure.