Chronological Master Table of Comic Book Key Issues & First Appearances
Use this master reference to scan the most significant first appearances, milestones, and collector-significant issues across Marvel, DC, and Indie publishers. Each entry includes a Notes field with cameo/full info (if relevant), market consensus, iconic cover mentions, and an investment read (e.g., Blue Chip, Undervalued, Heat Risk).
Marvel Comics Keys (Chronological)
| Issue | Year | Key Event | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fantastic Four #1 | 1961 | First Fantastic Four | Launch of Marvel Silver Age. Foundational. Blue Chip. |
| Amazing Fantasy #15 | 1962 | First Spider-Man (Peter Parker) | Origin issue; top-tier grail with global fandom. Blue Chip. |
| Incredible Hulk #1 | 1962 | First Hulk | Banner origin; low high-grade census. Blue Chip. |
| Journey into Mystery #83 | 1962 | First Thor | Asgard begins. Kirby/Lee power key. Blue Chip. |
| Tales to Astonish #27 | 1962 | First Hank Pym | Pre-Ant-Man appearance. Early sci-fi anthology key. |
| Tales of Suspense #39 | 1963 | First Iron Man | Origin; MCU pillar; early suit design. Blue Chip. |
| Avengers #1 | 1963 | First Avengers | Team formation. Cross-franchise anchor. Blue Chip. |
| X-Men #1 | 1963 | First X-Men, Professor X, Magneto | Civil rights allegory roots; massive brand. Blue Chip. |
| Daredevil #1 | 1964 | First Daredevil | Silver Age solo launch; TV/streaming relevance. |
| Amazing Spider-Man #3 | 1963 | First Doctor Octopus | Top ASM villain key; iconic Ditko. |
| Amazing Spider-Man #14 | 1964 | First Green Goblin | Core Spidey antagonist; cover appeal. |
| Amazing Spider-Man #50 | 1967 | First Kingpin | “Spider-Man No More!” classic cover; TV synergy. |
| Avengers #4 | 1964 | First Silver Age Captain America | Cap revived; team cornerstone. Blue Chip. |
| Fantastic Four #48–50 | 1966 | First Silver Surfer; Galactus saga | “Galactus Trilogy”; cosmic cornerstone. Blue Chip. |
| Fantastic Four #52 | 1966 | First Black Panther | Wakanda debut; cultural significance. Blue Chip. |
| Strange Tales #110 | 1963 | First Doctor Strange | Mystic pillar; Ditko psychedelia. |
| Silver Surfer #3 | 1968 | First Mephisto | Evergreen speculation; villain mainstay. |
| Captain Marvel #1 | 1968 | First Mar-Vell solo | Thanos saga builds in #25–34 later. |
| Captain America #117 | 1969 | First Falcon (Sam Wilson) | MCU tie-in; Bronze-era favorite. |
| Amazing Spider-Man #121 | 1973 | Death of Gwen Stacy | Silver/Bronze watershed; storytelling shift. Blue Chip. |
| Amazing Spider-Man #122 | 1973 | Death of Green Goblin | Follows #121; key companion piece. |
| Marvel Spotlight #5 | 1972 | First Ghost Rider (Johnny Blaze) | Horror boom; cover heat. |
| Tomb of Dracula #10 | 1973 | First Blade | Movie/TV tailwinds; horror staple. |
| Marvel Premiere #15 | 1974 | First Iron Fist | Kung-fu wave; Bronze martial-arts key. |
| Incredible Hulk #180 | 1974 | First Wolverine (cameo) | Cameo last-panel; market consensus: #181 primary. |
| Incredible Hulk #181 | 1974 | First Wolverine (full) | Canada fight cover; Blue Chip. Consensus: #181 > #180. |
| Giant-Size X-Men #1 | 1975 | New X-Men team | Storm, Colossus, Nightcrawler; Wolverine joins. Blue Chip. |
| Uncanny X-Men #94 | 1975 | New team begins run | Post-GSXM #1; long Claremont era starts. |
| Uncanny X-Men #101 | 1976 | First Phoenix (Jean Grey) | Dark Phoenix saga seeds. |
| Iron Fist #14 | 1977 | First Sabretooth | Wolverine nemesis; 9.8 scarcity. |
| Captain Britain #8 | 1976 | First Betsy Braddock (Psylocke) | UK print scarcity; later X-Men icon. |
| Marvel Preview #4 | 1976 | First Star-Lord | Magazine format; gamut of conditions. |
| Marvel Preview #7 | 1976 | First Rocket Raccoon (as “Rocky”) | Cameo/early; market often prefers Hulk #271 for trading. |
| Adventure into Fear #19 | 1973 | First Howard the Duck (cameo) | Weird-Marvel cult favorite. |
| Werewolf by Night #32 | 1975 | First Moon Knight | TV push; bronze horror/superhero blend. |
| Thor #337 | 1983 | First Beta Ray Bill | Simonson era begins; cover classic. |
| Daredevil #168 | 1981 | First Elektra | Miller key; crime-noir tone. |
| Secret Wars #8 | 1984 | Symbiote suit origin | Pre-Venom suit. Pair with ASM #252. |
| Amazing Spider-Man #252 | 1984 | Black suit debuts in ASM | Direct/newsstand variants matter. |
| Amazing Spider-Man #300 | 1988 | First full Venom (Eddie Brock) | Cameo in #299; McFarlane key. Blue Chip. |
| Incredible Hulk #340 | 1988 | Hulk vs Wolverine cover classic | McFarlane art; cover-driven key. |
| X-Factor #6 | 1986 | First Apocalypse | Villain grail of Copper Age. |
| Uncanny X-Men #266 | 1990 | First Gambit (market) | Annual #14 debate (earlier appearance). Consensus: #266 main. |
| New Mutants #87 | 1990 | First Cable | 90s nostalgia; strong 9.8 market. |
| New Mutants #98 | 1991 | First Deadpool | Breakout anti-hero; variant awareness. Blue Chip (modern tier). |
| Marvels #1 | 1994 | Ross/Busiek landmark | Prestige format; cultural resonance. |
| Ultimate Spider-Man #1 | 2000 | Ultimate line launch | Gateway for new readers; modern classic. |
| NYX #3 | 2004 | First X-23 (Laura Kinney) | Low print run; heat returns with media. |
| Captain America #6 | 2005 | First full Winter Soldier | Arc starts #1; Bucky return era. |
| Planet Hulk — Hulk #92 | 2006 | “Planet Hulk” begins | Modern storyline key; MCU echoes. |
| Ultimate Fallout #4 | 2011 | First Miles Morales | Modern mega-key; variant tiers. Blue Chip (modern). |
| Captain Marvel #14 | 2013 | Early Kamala Khan | Cameo/preview; Ms. Marvel #1 (2014) solo. |
| Thor: God of Thunder #2 | 2013 | First Gorr | Run popularity drives demand. |
| Edge of Spider-Verse #2 | 2014 | First Spider-Gwen | Variant hierarchy; fan-favorite. Blue Chip (modern). |
| Invincible Iron Man #9 | 2016 | First Riri Williams (Ironheart) | Media lift; cameo/full nuances with #7. |
| Venom (Vol. 4) #3 | 2018 | First Knull (debated) | Cameo/full debate across #3–4. Market prefers #3. |
| House of X #1 | 2019 | Hickman X-Men relaunch | Modern cornerstone; long tail. |
DC Comics Keys (Chronological)
| Issue | Year | Key Event | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Action Comics #1 | 1938 | First Superman | Start of superhero genre. Ultimate DC grail. Blue Chip. |
| Detective Comics #27 | 1939 | First Batman | Dark Knight debut; global icon. Blue Chip. |
| Superman #1 | 1939 | First Superman solo | Early origin retelling; mega-key. Blue Chip. |
| Batman #1 | 1940 | First Joker; First Catwoman | Villain double-debut; elite tier. Blue Chip. |
| Flash Comics #1 | 1940 | First Jay Garrick (Flash), Hawkman | Golden Age DC foundation. |
| All Star Comics #3 | 1940 | First Justice Society of America | First superhero team book. Blue Chip. |
| More Fun Comics #73 | 1941 | First Aquaman & Green Arrow | Dual debut; Golden Age favorite. |
| All Star Comics #8 | 1941 | First Wonder Woman | Iconic debut; top Golden Age key. Blue Chip. |
| Detective Comics #38 | 1940 | First Robin (Dick Grayson) | Early Bat-Family; major GA key. |
| Showcase #4 | 1956 | First Silver Age Flash (Barry Allen) | Start of DC Silver Age. Blue Chip. |
| Showcase #22 | 1959 | First Silver Age Green Lantern (Hal Jordan) | SA revival; Corps era begins. Blue Chip. |
| The Brave and the Bold #28 | 1960 | First Justice League of America | SA team formation; TV/film resonance. Blue Chip. |
| Action Comics #252 | 1959 | First Supergirl (Kara Zor-El) | Key SA female hero origin. |
| Detective Comics #225 | 1955 | First Martian Manhunter | Undervalued SA pillar. |
| Detective Comics #359 | 1967 | First Batgirl (Barbara Gordon) | TV era tie-in; enduring demand. |
| Green Lantern #59 | 1968 | First Guy Gardner | Later GL mythos staple. |
| House of Secrets #92 | 1971 | First Swamp Thing | Horror renaissance; Wrightson art. Blue Chip (Bronze). |
| Batman #232 | 1971 | First Ra’s al Ghul | O’Neil/Adams classic; film relevance. |
| Detective Comics #411 | 1971 | First Talia al Ghul | Pairs with #232; Bat-mythos key. |
| Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen #134 | 1970 | First Darkseid (cameo) | Fourth World begins; consensus full in Forever People #1. |
| Forever People #1 | 1971 | First full Darkseid | Kirby Fourth World. Blue Chip (Fourth World set). |
| New Gods #1 | 1971 | First Orion, Highfather | Fourth World foundation; long-term hold. |
| Mister Miracle #1 | 1971 | Scott Free begins | Kirby creation; set builder key. |
| Batman #251 | 1973 | Joker classic (Adams) | Iconic cover/story; evergreen demand. |
| All-Star Comics #58 | 1976 | First Power Girl | Bronze female key; variants exist. |
| DC Comics Presents #26 | 1980 | First Raven, Starfire, Cyborg (preview) | New Teen Titans launchpad; pair with NTT #1–2. |
| New Teen Titans #2 | 1980 | First Deathstroke | Evergreen villain; TV/game tie-ins. |
| Detective Comics #400 | 1970 | First Man-Bat | Bronze creature-feature favorite. |
| Watchmen #1 | 1986 | Modern classic begins | Moore/Gibbons; cultural touchstone. Blue Chip (modern literary tier). |
| Batman: The Dark Knight Returns #1 | 1986 | Miller redefinition | Prestige format; genre-shaping. Blue Chip. |
| Batman: Year One (Batman #404) | 1987 | Definitive origin retelling | Collector-favorite run #404–407. |
| Batman: The Killing Joke | 1988 | Joker origin (arg.) / Barbara paralyzed | One-shot; heavy reprints; watch editions. |
| Batman #357 | 1983 | First Jason Todd | Leads to Red Hood arc; Copper staple. |
| Batman #635 | 2005 | First Red Hood (Jason returns) | Modern Bat-family key. |
| Batman #655–656 | 2006 | First Damian Wayne (cameo/full) | Grant Morrison run; modern pillar. |
| Detective Comics #880 | 2011 | Iconic Joker cover (Jock) | Modern cover grail; 9.8 premium. |
| Superman: The Man of Steel #17–18 | 1992 | First Doomsday (cameo/full) | Event lead-in; pair with Superman #75. |
| Superman #75 | 1992 | Death of Superman | Mass-market phenomenon. Sealed polybag variants. |
| Green Lantern #48–50 | 1994–95 | Emerald Twilight / Kyle Rayner | Hal becomes Parallax; modern GL turning point. |
| Flash (Vol. 2) #92 | 1994 | First Impulse (Bart Allen) | 90s speedster key. |
| Batman (New 52) #1 | 2011 | Court of Owls begins | #2–3 Talon; Snyder/Capullo modern staple. |
| Dark Nights: Metal #1 | 2017 | Batman Who Laughs era | Firsts/cameos spread across TT #12 / Metal #2; hot modern villain. |
Indie Publisher Keys (Chronological)
| Issue | Year | Key Event | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 (Mirage) | 1984 | First TMNT | Indie grail; small print; multiple prints; counterfeits exist. Blue Chip. |
| Albedo Anthropomorphics #2 | 1984 | First Usagi Yojimbo | Low print; anthro icon; Stan Sakai classic. Blue Chip (indie). |
| Cerebus #1 | 1977 | First Cerebus | Indie milestone; condition sensitive; long run. |
| Bone #1 (Cartoon Books) | 1991 | First Bone | Multiple prints; 1st print premium; all-ages classic. |
| Spawn #1 (Image) | 1992 | First Spawn | Huge print but enduring demand; Newsstand/Direct differences. |
| Spawn #9 | 1993 | First Angela | Later moves to Marvel; lawsuit history adds lore. |
| Savage Dragon #1 | 1993 | First ongoing Savage Dragon | Image founder key; #1 mini-series earlier. |
| WildC.A.T.s #1 | 1992 | Jim Lee Image launch | 90s moment; variant covers plentiful. |
| Youngblood #1 | 1992 | Liefeld Image launch | High print; nostalgia-driven spikes. |
| Hellboy: Next Men #21 (Dark Horse) | 1993 | First full Hellboy | Prototype earlier; pair with Seed of Destruction #1. |
| Hellboy: Seed of Destruction #1 | 1994 | First Hellboy solo | Mignola signature character; movie tailwinds. |
| Sin City #1 (DH) | 1992 | Frank Miller neo-noir launch | Prestige minis; cover appeal drives value. |
| 300 #1 (DH) | 1998 | Historical mini begins | Media heat cycles; high-grade premiums. |
| Star Wars: Dark Empire #1 (DH) | 1991 | EU cornerstone | Return of Palpatine arc; foil variants. |
| Star Wars: Heir to the Empire #1 (DH) | 1995 | First Mara Jade | Fan-favorite; renewed interest with media. |
| Star Wars: The Clone Wars #1 (DH) | 2008 | First Ahsoka Tano (digest/variant) | Edition/format matters; research specific print. |
| Invincible #1 (Image) | 2003 | First Invincible | Animated series boost; print/variant hierarchy. Blue Chip (modern indie). |
| Saga #1 (Image) | 2012 | First Alana, Marko, Hazel | Modern indie grail; heat returns with seasons. |
| The Walking Dead #1 (Image) | 2003 | First Rick Grimes | TV phenomenon; 1st print premium; counterfeits exist. Blue Chip. |
| The Walking Dead #19 | 2005 | First Michonne | Core modern key; media synergy. |
| The Walking Dead #27 | 2006 | First the Governor | Villain anchor; print awareness. |
| The Walking Dead #100 | 2012 | First Negan | Multiple variants; 9.8 volatility. |
| Locke & Key #1 (IDW) | 2008 | First Locke family | Modern horror grail; low initial print. |
| Monstress #1 (Image) | 2015 | First Maika Halfwolf | Award-winning series; strong art market. |
| Paper Girls #1 (Image) | 2015 | Series debut | BKV/Chiang; nostalgia/sci-fi blend. |
| Something Is Killing the Children #1 (BOOM!) | 2019 | First Erica Slaughter | Variant/print craziness; modern horror juggernaut. Blue Chip (modern indie tier). |
| Department of Truth #1 (Image) | 2020 | Conspiracy thriller launch | Heat Risk; option cycles affect pricing. |
| Harbinger #1 (Valiant) | 1992 | Team debut | Valiant grail; #0 mail-away key companion. |
| Rai #0 (Valiant) | 1992 | Bloodshot proto/tease | Valiant #0 culture; ties to Eternal Warrior #4. |
| Eternal Warrior #4 (Valiant) | 1992 | Bloodshot preview | Debated firsts; market splits across #4 / Rai #0 / Bloodshot #1. |
How to Use This Table (Collector Notes)
- Cameo vs Full: When disputed, Notes call out which issue the market generally treats as the primary key.
- Blue Chip: Long-term, historically important keys with deep, resilient demand.
- Variants/Prints: Some modern books are “variant markets.” Verify edition, print, and newsstand vs direct.
- Condition: For investment, prioritize eye appeal and trusted grading (CGC/CBCS). Silver/Bronze in high grade command exponential premiums.
- Authenticity: Be wary of counterfeits on mega-keys (e.g., TMNT #1, TWD #1). Use provenance and certification.