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Cover: Ross Andru & Frank Giacoia

The Amazing Spider-Man #172

Name: The Amazing Spider-Man #172
Brand: Marvel
Availability: InStock

Sep 1977 · Marvel · 0.30 USD

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“The Fiend from the Fire!”

★ 1st appearance — Rocket Racer

About this Issue

The Amazing Spider-Man #172 marks the debut of Rocket Racer (Robert Farrell), a Black teenager from Harlem whose motivation for crime—supporting his younger siblings after a family crisis—gave Marvel's Bronze Age a rare street-level social dimension that ran deeper than pure villainy. Unlike most new antagonists of the era, Farrell was written from the outset with enough moral complexity to sustain a multi-year redemption arc spanning several Spider-Man titles, eventually landing him a scholarship to Empire State University and a spot on the reformed-criminals roster known as the Outlaws. The issue also advances two of the longest-running soap-opera threads of Len Wein's tenure—Liz Allan's increasingly erratic behavior (tied to the return of her half-brother, the Molten Man) and J. Jonah Jameson's budding romance with Marla Madison—demonstrating the book's ability to balance action-driven new characters with dense, character-led continuity.

In "The Fiend from the Fire!", Spider-Man dives into a mystery when Liz Allan’s sudden behavior raises red flags, leading him to investigate her half-brother—only to confront the terrifying return of Molten Man. As Peter uncovers unsettling truths, J. Jonah Jameson’s odd conduct around Marla Madison adds another layer of intrigue, while Rocket Racer proves to be a surprisingly swift opponent. Written by Len Wein and brought to life with dynamic art by Ross Andru, inks by Frank Giacoia, and colors by Glynis Wein, this 1977 issue delivers a gripping mix of personal drama and high-stakes action, with a cover by Ross Andru and Frank Giacoia.

writer Len Wein · artist Ross Andru · inker Frank Giacoia · inker Mike Esposito · colorist Glynis Wein · letterer John Costanza · cover Ross Andru, Frank Giacoia

ComicBooks.com Value

Our Model is In Beta

Raw (Fine) $12

CGC 9.8 · 123 in census $271

CGC 9.6 · 188 in census $111

CGC 9.4 · 139 in census $75

CGC 9.2 · 85 in census $56

CGC 9.0 · 56 in census $50

CGC 8.5 · 53 in census $41

Show all 19 grades ▾

CGC 8.0 · 35 in census $38

CGC 7.5 · 25 in census $32*

CGC 7.0 · 27 in census $30

CGC 6.5 · 20 in census $25

CGC 6.0 · 15 in census $25*

CGC 5.5 · 9 in census $24

CGC 5.0 · 10 in census $24*

CGC 4.5 · 9 in census $24

CGC 4.0 · 6 in census $20*

CGC 3.5 · 3 in census $20*

CGC 3.0 · 1 in census $20*

CGC 2.5 none in existence

CGC 2.0 · 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

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CGC 9.8 $595 1 listing

CGC 9.6 ▾ $145–$150 2 listings

CGC 9.6 $145 CGC 9.6 $150

CGC 9.4 ▾ $75–$79.99 2 listings

CGC 9.4 $75 CGC 9.4 $79.99

CGC 9.2 $58.99 1 listing CGC 8.5 $500 1 listing CGC 6.5 $100 1 listing CGC 6 $99.99 1 listing Raw — NM+ $70 1 listing

Raw — NM ▾ $19.95–$29.99 2 listings

NM $19.95 NM $29.99

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VF+ $14.95 VF+ $19.59 VF+ $29.95

Raw — VF ▾ $10.25–$25 8 listings

VF $10.25 VF $15 VF $15 VF $17.95 VF · Newsstand $18 VF $20 VF $20.89 VF $25

Raw — VERY FINE $15 1 listing

Raw — FN/VF ▾ $11.25–$26.4 3 listings

FN/VF $11.25 FN/VF · Newsstand $22 FN/VF $26.4

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FN+ $10.95 FN+ $54

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Raw — VG ▾ $5.99–$14.99 5 listings

VG $5.99 VG $6.99 VG $9.99 VG $9.99 VG $14.99

Raw / ungraded ▾ $3.24–$69.99 35 listings

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Amazing Spider-Man (1977) #172 1st App. Of Rocket Racer Marvel $9.99 The Amazing Spider-Man comic book, issue #172 $15.15

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History

Issue #172 falls squarely in the middle of writer-editor Len Wein's run on the title, which began with issue #151, and in the final stretch of Ross Andru's celebrated penciling tenure, which stretched from #125 (1973) all the way to #185 (1978). Wein served the unusual dual role of both writer and editor on the issue, with Frank Giacoia inking, Glynis Wein (Oliver) on colors, and John Costanza handling lettering. The issue was published during a transitional pricing moment for Marvel: it carried a standard cover price of thirty cents but was simultaneously distributed with a thirty-five-cent cover price variant, reflecting an industry-wide price hike then being rolled out across standard 32-page Marvel books. Editor-in-chief Archie Goodwin oversaw the broader line at the time of publication.

Trivia · 8 facts

First appearance of Rocket Racer (Robert Farrell), a Black scientific prodigy from Harlem who turns to crime aboard a self-designed, rocket-powered skateboard to support his six younger siblings after his mother's health fails.
Written and edited by Len Wein, with pencils by Ross Andru, inks by Frank Giacoia, colors by Glynis Wein (Oliver), and lettering by John Costanza.
Story title: 'The Fiend from the Fire!' — cover date September 1977, released June 7, 1977.
Also features the return of the Molten Man (Mark Raxton), whose reappearance is tied to Liz Allan's secretive and erratic behavior, setting up a multi-issue subplot.
Exists in two cover-price variants: a standard 30-cent edition and a 35-cent variant, as well as a Whitman edition, all sharing identical interior content.
The issue contains a continuity error noted in the Marvel Database: Liz Allan's surname is misspelled as 'Allen' throughout the story.
Rocket Racer would go on to appear in the 1995 Spider-Man animated series and numerous Marvel video games including Lego Marvel Super Heroes (2013) and Marvel Strike Force (2018).
Reprinted in Essential Spider-Man Volume 8 and included in both the 40 Years of the Amazing Spider-Man DVD-ROM and the Amazing Spider-Man: The Complete Collection DVD-ROM.