Lot # 35: 1962 Marvel The Incredible Hulk #1 First Appearance of Hulk - CGC 3.5 Restored

A major Silver Age key issue alert is sounded for this 8/62 Marvel The Incredible Hulk #1 comic book. When puny human Dr. Bruce Banner was exposed to gamma rays during a bomb test, he took the Jekyll and Hyde thing way beyond what potions or performance-enhancing drugs could render. As faithful readers know, the result was the Incredible Hulk.

Marvel's mighty behemoth made his fascinating debut in this important #1 issue, as a gray-skinned brute with a propensity to smash things, and more than 60 years later, Hulk is a big, green pop culture icon with legions of fans. At the time of publication for this high-profile first appearance issue, Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and company were in the early days of a Silver Age superhero wave that would see Marvel rise to the top of the comic book industry — and Hulk is one of the characters that got them there.

Long held by a passionate collector, this Hulk #1 comic has just returned from CGC grading submission, with a Restored grade of 3.5, Off-White to White Pages, Slight A-1 Restoration. With high-grade examples of this celebrated issue selling for the price of a house or more, this decently attractive comic is a nice fit for those searching for an example that has a price tag more in line with the cost of a car. A permanent fixture on the Top Silver Age Comics list, this one is a must for Marvel collectors.

Label notes are "Restoration includes: staples replaced. Top edge of cover trimmed. Stan Lee story, Jack Kirby and Paul Reinman, art Jack Kirby and George Roussos cover. Origin and 1st appearance of the Incredible Hulk. 1st appearance of Rick Jones, Betty Ross and General Ross.".

This comic book comes from a determined collector, who took many years to round up the original first six Incredible Hulk issues, every issue of Tales To Astonish featuring Hulk as a star character from #60-101, every issue of the 1968-1999 Incredible Hulk Volume 1 run from #102-474, a group of The Defenders including the first eleven issues, and a wide variety of Modern Age Hulk titles. This entire collection can be found in this current auction, including eight CGC graded issues of the Incredible Hulk Volume 1, offered on an individual basis with #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #180, and #181. The other Hulk comics are offered in runs of Incredible Hulk Volume 1, Tales To Astonish, The Defenders, and a bundle of Modern Age titles featuring an Incredible Hulk Volume 2 run, and some Red Hulk issues.