The Avengers #301

Name: The Avengers #301
Brand: Marvel
Availability: InStock

Mar 1989 · Marvel · 1.00 USD; 1.25 CAD; 0.50 GBP

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“Super-Nova Unbound! (The Super-Nova Saga part 1)”

★ 1st appearance — Garthan Saal

About this Issue

Avengers #301 (March 1989) is the first appearance of Garthan Saal as Super-Nova — a Xandarian survivor who absorbed the combined power of the entire Nova Corps after Nebula's destruction of Xandar — making it the foundational chapter of the Nova mythos that would eventually be developed through New Warriors, the Nova solo series, and the Annihilation event. The issue also marks the first in-continuity combat mission featuring Reed Richards and the Invisible Woman as full Avengers members, a short-lived but narratively rich experiment in cross-team membership that immediately surfaced creative tension between Reed's instinct to lead and Captain America's authority as team chairman. As the opening chapter of the three-part 'Super-Nova Saga,' the issue launched one of the few genuinely cosmic story arcs of the Avengers' late-1980s era, tying together consequences from Avengers #260 (Nebula's destruction of Xandar) and planting seeds that grew into the expanded Nova Corps mythology decades later.

In "Super-Nova Unbound! (The Super-Nova Saga part 1)," Starfox returns to the Avengers with a desperate plea: rescue Firelord from the cosmic menace known as Super-Nova. As the team launches into space, tensions rise aboard the ship—Captain America quietly observes that Mister Fantastic keeps stepping into leadership, a role that doesn’t belong to him. Written by Mark Gruenwald and Ralph Macchio, with art by Bob Hall and inks by Don Heck, this pivotal issue sees the Avengers venturing into the unknown, guided by a new mission and old conflicts. The cover, penciled by Bob Hall and inked by Tom Palmer, captures the moment of cosmic tension just before the storm breaks.

writer Mark Gruenwald · writer Ralph Macchio · artist Bob Hall · inker Don Heck · colorist Christie Scheele · letterer Bill Oakley · cover Bob Hall, Tom Palmer

ComicBooks.com Value

Our Model is In Beta

Raw (VF) $2

CGC 9.8 · 18 in census $41*

CGC 9.6 · 10 in census $20*

CGC 9.4 · 6 in census $20*

CGC 9.2 · 2 in census $20*

CGC 9.0 · 1 in census $20*

CGC 8.5 · 2 in census $20

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CGC 8.0 none in existence

CGC 7.5 · 1 in census $20*

CGC 7.0 none in existence

CGC 6.5 · 1 in census $20*

CGC 6.0 none in existence

CGC 5.5 · 1 in census $20*

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

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History

The issue was plotted by editor Mark Gruenwald and scripted by Ralph Macchio, with layouts by Bob Hall and finishing inks by Don Heck — notably the last Avengers artwork Heck would contribute to the series. It was cover-dated March 1989 and went on sale November 15, 1988, under editor-in-chief Tom DeFalco. The issue was produced in the immediate aftermath of Avengers #300's landmark anniversary issue, which had reshuffled the roster and formally inducted Reed Richards and the Invisible Woman into the team, so #301 functions as the first 'regular' mission of that new lineup.

Trivia · 8 facts

First appearance of Super-Nova (Garthan Saal), a Xandarian Nova Corps centurion who was driven mad after being imbued with the accumulated Nova Force of the entire Corps following Nebula's destruction of Xandar (established in Avengers #260).
Also the first appearance of the Brain Leeches, pseudo-biological electrical creatures encountered aboard Super-Nova's Xandarian battle cruiser.
Titled 'Super-Nova Unbound!' and labeled Part 1 of the three-part Super-Nova Saga, which continued through Avengers #302–303 (April–May 1989).
Creative team: plot by Mark Gruenwald, script by Ralph Macchio, layouts by Bob Hall, finishes by Don Heck (his final Avengers work), colors by Christie Scheele, letters by Bill Oakley; cover penciled by Bob Hall and inked by Tom Palmer.
Active Avengers lineup in this issue: Captain America (Steve Rogers), Thor, Gilgamesh, Mister Fantastic (Reed Richards), and Invisible Woman (Susan Storm Richards) — Reed and Sue's first combat mission as full Avengers following their induction in #300.
The issue opens with Thor towing Hydrobase — now renamed Avengers Island — into New York Harbor, establishing the team's new permanent headquarters closer to Manhattan, with Michael O'Brien simultaneously appointed as the island's first head of security.
Super-Nova's characterization pivots on a case of mistaken complicity: he blames the Avengers for Nebula's crimes because a figure presenting as Nebula had briefly been on their team — a deception later revealed to be Ravonna in disguise.
The issue was reprinted in Avengers vs. Fantastic Four (Marvel, 2019) and Avengers Epic Collection #18: Heavy Metal (2020), reflecting its importance to both team's shared history.