Cover: Gene Colan & George Klein

The Avengers #63

Apr 1969 · Marvel · 0.12 USD

📊 ~59,759 copies sold its debut month

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“And in This Corner... Goliath!”

About this Issue

Avengers #63 marks the first appearance of Clint Barton in the role of Goliath — a pivotal identity shift that proved the Avengers title under Roy Thomas was willing to shake up its cast in daring, character-driven ways rather than simply cycling through lineup changes for cosmetic reasons. Hawkeye abandoning his bow and arrows to gulp down Hank Pym's size-changing serum grew organically from months of accumulated humiliations that Thomas had quietly seeded into the run, giving the transformation genuine dramatic weight. The issue simultaneously retired Hank Pym from the Goliath identity — which Pym himself blamed for his psychological instability — while kicking off a three-title crossover with Captain Marvel and Sub-Mariner involving the villain triumvirate of Egghead, the Mad Thinker, and the Puppet Master, a rare 'stealth crossover' that Marvel executed without advance fanfare. It also inaugurated Gene Colan as the book's regular penciller, replacing John Buscema and ushering in a stylistically distinct new chapter for the series.

In "And in This Corner... Goliath!", Hawkeye takes on a shocking new role as the team's newest powerhouse when he dons the Goliath suit, while Yellowjacket and the Wasp return to active duty. Facing off against Egghead, the Thinker, and the Puppet Master, the Avengers must rally under pressure—especially as Hank Pym grapples with the lingering shadows of his fractured mind. Written by Roy Thomas and illustrated with striking intensity by Gene Colan, with inks by George Klein and lettering by A. Simek, this 1969 issue features a cover by Colan and Klein that captures the moment with dramatic flair.

writer Roy Thomas · artist Gene Colan · inker George Klein · letterer A. Simek · cover Gene Colan, George Klein

ComicBooks.com Value

Our Model is In Beta

Raw (VG) $9

CGC 9.8 · 16 in census $1,248

CGC 9.6 · 52 in census $309

CGC 9.4 · 61 in census $196

CGC 9.2 · 45 in census $102

CGC 9.0 · 41 in census $81

CGC 8.5 · 49 in census $72

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CGC 8.0 · 37 in census $52

CGC 7.5 · 39 in census $52

CGC 7.0 · 20 in census $30*

CGC 6.5 · 23 in census $30*

CGC 6.0 · 21 in census $30

CGC 5.5 · 9 in census $30*

CGC 5.0 · 10 in census $30

CGC 4.5 · 7 in census $30*

CGC 4.0 · 6 in census $30

CGC 3.5 · 2 in census $20*

CGC 3.0 · 1 in census $20*

CGC 2.5 · 1 in census $20*

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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NM $3.6 Newsstand $4.5 Newsstand $4.5 Newsstand $4.5 NM $4.99 NM $5.99 POOR $7.19 VG $18

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History

The issue was written by Roy Thomas, penciled by Gene Colan, inked by George Klein, lettered by Artie Simek, and edited by Stan Lee; it carried a cover date of April 1969 and an on-sale date of February 11, 1969. Thomas had been deliberately laying narrative groundwork for Hawkeye's identity change across several prior issues, making the transformation feel earned rather than abrupt. The new Goliath costume that debuted here was, according to Thomas's own 2007 introduction to Marvel Masterworks: The Avengers Vol. 7, actually designed by John Buscema before he departed the title to do layouts for Amazing Spider-Man — meaning the departing artist shaped the visual debut of the character who would replace the hero he had most associated with the run. Colan, moving over from Daredevil, largely worked within conventional rectangular panel grids on this first assignment, a measured approach that some contemporaneous readers attributed to his acclimating to a new cast of characters.

Trivia · 8 facts

First appearance of Clint Barton (Hawkeye) as the new Goliath, taking on the size-changing identity after drinking Hank Pym's growth serum.
Simultaneously marks Hank Pym's departure from the Goliath identity; Pym, now Yellowjacket, declares that repeated giant-size growth caused his bout of schizophrenia.
Written by Roy Thomas, penciled by Gene Colan, inked by George Klein, lettered by Artie Simek, and edited by Stan Lee; cover date April 1969, on-sale February 11, 1969.
Gene Colan's first issue as regular series artist, replacing John Buscema, who had penciled the title for most of the preceding two years.
The new Goliath costume was designed by outgoing artist John Buscema before he left the book, per Roy Thomas's introduction to Marvel Masterworks: The Avengers Vol. 7 (2007).
Launches a crossover arc with Captain Marvel and Sub-Mariner, featuring Egghead, the Mad Thinker, and the Puppet Master as a villain triumvirate who kidnap Black Widow — a 'stealth crossover' Marvel ran without advance editorial footnotes.
First appearance of the Mad Thinker's giant android, an adversary built around the Thinker's specialty of android creation.
The issue has been reprinted in Essential Avengers Vol. 3, Marvel Masterworks: Avengers Vol. 7, Avengers Epic Collection Vol. 4, Avengers Omnibus Vol. 3, Epic Collection: Black Widow Vol. 1, Black Widow Strikes Omnibus Vol. 1, and Epic Collection: Hawkeye Vol. 1.