Set Description:
I can recall being ten years old and looking forward to our family trip to the supermarket, but not because I enjoyed grocery shopping; instead, I loved hanging out in the magazine section where I would rotate the comic book carousel rack with my eyes gazed upon the vibrant colors and action-packed superhero masterpieces! I remember immersing myself into Todd McFarlane’s Amazing Spider-Man issues and getting hooked by his depictions of Spider-Man battling these badass villains including the menacing Venom!
As a result, I became an instant ASM fan and collector! Although I didn’t really read through my comics, I loved and appreciated the beautiful cover art, which inspired me to meticulously catalog, store and cherish each issue as I built up my collection.
However, as I developed as a teenager, I started to focus more on dating girls and hanging out with my friends. Unfortunately, I stopped collecting comics when I was 16 years old and did not purchase a single comic book until many years later into my adult life!
Fast forward to 2012, and this is when I learned about CGC graded comic books. It was like my passion for collecting was resurrected and I literally became a CGC collecting fiend! I learned really quickly after buying and selling in the comic book market that high-grade ASM Keys are some of the most coveted and highly sought-after books in the hobby! They certainly have a very high appreciation rate compared to most titles.
Moreover, I also did my research and not only learned about the most valuable key issues, but I also became enlightened about the history of all the writers and artists who contributed to the title, as well as the background information of all the key characters! Hands down, I believe that the Amazing Spider-Man title has the most expansive, intriguing, and diverse rogues’ gallery of villains in all of comics! Furthermore, although I love ALL of the legendary Amazing Spider-Man cover artists of their respected era such as Steve Ditko (#1-#38) and Todd McFarlane (#298-#328), my all-time favorite cover artist is John Romita Sr.! His work just stands out to me in a special way!
With that said, I absolutely LOVE collecting high-grade ASM books and writing thorough descriptions of each piece I acquire! I have previously assembled and auctioned several world class CGC collections since 2012 and actually took a hiatus from collecting in late 2017. However, I started 2020 with a BANG and I am BACK and all about building up my ASM Set—ARACHNOPHOBIA!
The focus of this set is to primarily showcase all of the 1st appearance issues within the Amazing Spider-Man title. In addition, each comic description will highlight the creators (writers, artists, etc.) and include background information (history) about that particular character, along with discussing the cover art, the rarity factor (CGC Census – updated weekly), the Overstreet Price Guide value and the aesthetic properties of each book featured in the gallery.
I take great pride in patiently waiting for the most perfect looking high-grade examples of each KEY issue to acquire. I am probably one of the most particular collectors within the hobby, but hopefully it will be appreciated, as every single book featured in ARACHNOPHOBIA contains PERFECT Centering, PERFECT Cover Wrap and PERFECT White Pages!
Although I typically stretch beyond my initial budget to acquire the highest possible CGC grade for each respective issue, I will NOT purchase a poorly wrapped and centered high-grade example, regardless of its scarcity! I would much rather invest in a slightly lower graded copy, but have the perfect to near perfect aesthetic qualities desired, especially because the book is already encapsulated and if I am only looking at the front and back covers, I want that view to be as pristine as possible!
On that note, please enjoy the high-resolution scans and thorough commentary of some of the world’s finest existing copies of issues #16 (1st Daredevil crossover), #50 (1st Kingpin), #124 (1st Man-Wolf), #129 (1st Punisher & Jackal), #134 (1st Tarantula), #149 (1st Spider-Man clone), #161 (1st Nightcrawler crossover), #162 (1st Jigsaw), #194 (1st Black Cat), #238 (1st Hobgoblin), #252 (1st black costume) and #361 (1st full Carnage)!
In closing, if you are wondering what prompted me to title this set "Arachnophobia," it's not because I am afraid of spiders. Rather, the title is symbolic in the sense that the ASM Complete Set can be quite intimidating in terms of completing it, due to the sheer volume of 700 + issues! I personally think it would take several generations to complete this set in high-grade—at least for the average middle class folk that people like myself fall into! So from the outside looking in, the "fear" of not being able to complete this set in a single lifetime, can evoke "Arachnophobia" to the Spider-Man enthusiast!
My solution is to simply focus on the KEY issues that mean the most to me; whether it be nostalgic, prime investment opportunities, a favorite character’s 1st appearance OR just because I LOVE that cover!
In the meantime ... let's enjoy the ride!
WELCOME TO ARACHNOPHOBIA!
-Professor Pecora
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| The gallery tab shows only items with images. Click the thumbnails to enlarge. |
| Slot: |
Amazing Spider-Man 16 |
| Item: |
Amazing Spider-Man 16 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
1347088001
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Owner Comments
Amazing Spider-Man #16 features the 1st Daredevil crossover + the 2nd appearance of the Ringmaster and the Circus of Crime!
Overstreet 2023 NM- 9.2 value = $3,400.
According to the CGC Census Report as of Tuesday, August 22, 2023, out of a total of 2,582 Universal copies graded, ONLY a mere 7 copies were graded in 9.8 with 0 copies graded higher!
With these statistics in mind, this represents an impressive rarity factor of ONLY 0.27% of the total population!
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It’s September of 1964, and the legendary duo of Stan “The Man” Lee and Steve Ditko made history once again, by featuring Daredevil’s 1st crossover appearance into another title! This historical landmark issue can easily get overlooked due to the plethora of major 1st appearances featured in the previous fifteen issues, but make no mistake that ASM #16 is definitely a legendary issue within the iconic Amazing Spider-Man Silver Age run!
For starters, the origin and 1st appearance of Daredevil (Matt Murdock) took place in April of 1964; merely five months prior to the release of ASM #16! You’ll notice that Daredevil is featured in a yellow and black suit, because he didn’t begin donning his modern red suit until April of 1965, when Daredevil #7 was published exactly one year later! It’s important to note that the Daredevil title was published bimonthly for the first 11 issues (1964-1965), and only started being published monthly with issue #12 in January of 1966. Therefore, this means that Amazing Spider-Man #16 features Daredevil’s “4th” overall appearance in the history of comics!
This is MAJOR! We are talking about two perennial Marvel superheroes facing off against each other for the very first time! In my personal opinion, ASM #16 is one of Steve Ditko’s most striking and appealing battle covers within his 38-issue run! For example, if you scan through the first fifteen issues and view the front covers, the most close-up depiction of Spider-Man is on ASM #10, which features the 1st appearance of the Big Man (Fred Foswell) and the Enforcers. However, Spider-Man is not in battle mode, but rather shown hanging on a web with the Enforcers standing in the background. In turn, ASM #16 presents the 1st issue in which we are presented with another close-up view of Spider-Man, but in the midst of battling Daredevil, who would later become one of Spider-Man’s greatest allies in fighting crime throughout NYC!
Stan Lee and Steve Ditko were also marketing geniuses of their time! To commemorate Spider-Man and Daredevil’s future alliance and partnership, in May of 1966, Spider-Man was featured in his first Daredevil crossover in Daredevil #16! How cool is that! These early crossover appearances laid the foundation for what would later become a cohesive and multidimensional Marvel Universe!
With the aforementioned information above, Amazing Spider-Man #16 is without a doubt a significant historical issue and is definitely one of the top 25 most valuable ASM issues of the entire run!
On that note, this stunning copy is WORLD CLASS in every way! For a book published in September of 1964, the vibrant colors radiate brightly as if the book was printed yesterday! It’s definitely RARE to find copies this old that are not only PERFECTLY WRAPPED & CENTERED with RAZOR SHARP CORNERS, but also contain MILK WHITE PAGES!
Moreover, this RARE GEM received the CVA Exceptional sticker, which certifies that it presents much better than your typical CGC 9.8! Therefore, this immaculate copy can be considered the BEST KNOWN COPY IN THE WORLD!
I won this pristine copy in Comic Link’s Focused Auction in May of 2022! This book goes down in history as my very 1st Stan Lee/Steve Ditko ASM acquisition, and since I am also a huge Daredevil fan and absolutely LOVE the Marvel Daredevil Netflix TV Series (2015-2018), this was the perfect early ASM issue to add to the Professor Pecora Collection!
I want to give a special shout-out to Spencer of the Comic Link Billing Department for his excellent customer service skills and for even taking the time to read my CGC Bio! THANK YOU for connecting with me!
Happy Collecting & Enjoy the Hunt!
-Professor Pecora
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| Slot: |
Amazing Spider-Man 50 |
| Item: |
Amazing Spider-Man 50 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
1971308001
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Owner Comments
Amazing Spider-Man #50 features the 1st appearance of the Kingpin (Wilson Fisk)!
Overstreet 2023 NM- 9.2 value = $9,000.
According to the CGC Census Report as of Tuesday, August 22, 2023, out of a total of 6,024 Universal copies graded, ONLY a mere 54 copies were graded in 9.4 with ONLY 25 copies graded higher: 17 in 9.6 and 8 in 9.8!
With these statistics in mind, this represents an impressive rarity factor of ONLY 0.90% of the total population!
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The Kingpin was created by writer Stan “The Man” Lee along with cover and interior artist John Romita Sr. The famous cover has been paid homage to many times over the years, making it a certified classic, which depicts Peter Parker in an unusual and highly vulnerable state of being. With his head casting down into his shadow and his body hunched forward as he walks alone in despair, we see a discouraged Peter Parker abandoning his superhero duty as the large caption reads, “Spider-Man No More!”
What? No more Spider-Man? How could the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man just decide to call it quits? This cover imagery is a lasting one not only in the Amazing Spider-Man title, but in all of comics as it shows that superheroes, like every day human civilians, experience bad days and can even battle with internal issues such as self-doubt and depression.
Although Peter Parker was frustrated with his dual life and decided to resign from his Spider-Man duties, criminal activity increased throughout NYC’s Hell’s Kitchen, and a new threat emerged that would motivate and compel Spider-Man to come out of his early retirement.
After assassinating his former gangster boss Don Rigoletto, the man known as Wilson Fisk took over his criminal empire and became the biggest and most feared crime lord throughout the city—the Kingpin was born!
The Kingpin’s initial story arch would continue into the next two issues, with Amazing Spider-Man #51 featuring his 1st cover appearance. In addition, the Kingpin would not only plague Spider-Man as a recurring adversary throughout the years, but would also become known as the archenemy to Daredevil and a formidable foe to the Punisher.
Speaking of such, Wilson Fisk has been portrayed on the silver screen by actors John Rhys-Davies in The Trial of the Incredible Hulk (1989) and Michael Clarke Duncan in Daredevil (2003). However, it wasn’t until actor Vincent D'Onofrio embodied the Kingpin to perfection in the critically acclaimed Marvel Daredevil Netflix TV Series (2015-2018), that left viewers with the chills after witnessing his twisted and dark childhood upbringing that influenced his cold-hearted and homicidal nature!
If you have watched Daredevil on Netflix, you know exactly what I am talking about! We get to experience an adolescent Wilson Fisk who is exhausted and tormented from hearing his alcoholic father verbally and physically abuse his mother in a separate room, grab a hammer and smash his father’s skull to a pulp! As a grown man, after a Russian crime associate named Anatoly interrupted a dinner date with his future wife Vanessa, he had his right-hand man James Wesley pull over the SUV on a dark quiet street, where Wilson Fisk gave him a brutal beating followed by repeatedly smashing his head in between the car door and ultimately beheading him! The Kingpin is no joke!
Published in July of 1967, Amazing Spider-Man #50 is not only one of the most valuable ASM Silver Age (1956-1969) Keys, but it is “The” most valuable issue in the post Steve Ditko era! We can even take it a step further and argue that ASM #50 is one of the top 15 most valuable issues of the entire 700-issue Amazing Spider-Man run!
For instance, on April 30, 2020, Heritage Auctions sold a CGC 9.8 WP copy of ASM #50 (1 of 7 in CGC 9.8) for a record breaking $55,200! In that same auction, a CGC 9.8 OW-WP copy of ASM #12 (3rd appearance of Doctor Octopus) and only 1 of 4 in CGC 9.8, sold for $19,200!
In more recent times, on November 19, 2021, Heritage Auctions also sold a copy of ASM #50 CGC 9.6 with only “Off-White” page quality for a staggering new world record sale of $66,000! Therefore, ASM #50 can definitely compete with some of the early ASM issues in top grade!
I noticed this particular copy was special at first glance, but it was confirmation after reading the lot description: “An original-owner copy of the key first appearance of the Kingpin. You'll have to look very hard to find something to criticize on this very sharp example!” From this description, I knew that this copy was an exceptional CGC 9.4 WP example, so I had to bid aggressively during Heritage Comics & Comic Art Signature Auction #7224 in March of 2020 to acquire this pristine beauty!
On that note, this PERFECTLY WRAPPED & CENTERED copy is WORLD CLASS in every way! It is by far one of the cleanest and brightest examples in existence! Just look at how vibrant the colors pop on the front cover! Take a good look at the milk white background of the “Marvel Comics Group” section, “The Amazing Spider-Man” title, the background of the “Spider-Man No More!” caption and the “Comics Code Authority” stamp; they are super WHITE as if the book were perfectly preserved since July of 1967! The back cover looks MINT! It’s RARE to find copies that radiate colors as beautifully as this gem!
In closing, although I would love to eventually upgrade to a perfectly wrapped and centered CGC 9.6 WP copy, I have been reluctant to pull the trigger, because I still have not seen a 9.6 copy at auction that looks more exceptional! With that being said, I’m very thankful and blessed to proudly showcase this immaculate 9.4 WP copy in the Professor Pecora Collection!
Happy Collecting & Enjoy the Hunt!
-Professor Pecora
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| Slot: |
Amazing Spider-Man 124 |
| Item: |
Amazing Spider-Man 124 |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
1212349003
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Owner Comments
Amazing Spider-Man #124 features the 1st appearance of the Man-Wolf!
Overstreet 2023 NM- 9.2 value = $600.
According to the CGC Census Report as of Tuesday, August 22, 2023, out of a total of 1,771 Universal copies graded, ONLY a mere 35 copies were graded in 9.8 with 0 copies graded higher!
With these statistics in mind, this represents an impressive rarity factor of ONLY 1.98% of the total population!
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As the front cover depicts, the Man-Wolf is actually John Jonah Jameson III, the son of J. Jonah Jameson, the editor-in-chief of the Daily Bugle. He originally made his 1st appearance in Amazing Spider-Man #1, published in March of 1963, and was created by legendary writer Stan “The Man” Lee and his artistic counterpart Steve Ditko.
However, it was writer Gerry Conway who decided to turn John Jameson into the ferocious Man-Wolf in this 1973 September issue, in collaboration with John Romita Sr. providing the stunning visuals!
On the front cover, amidst a full moon triggering his powers, we see a raging Man-Wolf shattering the windows as he leaps through with his razor sharp claws ready to attack his father and Spider-Man!
In terms of color contrast, notice that the majority of Man-Wolf’s suit is yellow with green trimming; whereas J. Jonah Jameson’s suit is the same color green over a yellow shirt, which is very clever of John Romita Sr. to symbolize their father-and-son relationship! In addition, the Amazing Spider-Man title is also yellow with red trimming, which pops nicely above the light blue sky and Spider-Man’s red and blue suit! On the bottom left-hand corner, we see a light blue banner with the words presented in yellow font with red trimming that reads: “THE MARK OF THE MAN-WOLF!” What a beautiful cover!
The Man-Wolf is a very intriguing and unique character. Although his origin story takes place in the following issue—Amazing Spider-Man #125, John Jameson is an astronaut who acquired the mystical Godstone, an interdimensional ruby that eventually grafted itself into his throat after wearing it as a pendant! John Jameson had already received superhuman powers on a previous space mission that strained his mind and body, after radioactive spores invaded his space suit and hence why he had to wear a state-of-the-art, strength-restraining Jupiter suit to harness and control his enhanced power. As a result, John Jameson referred to himself as Colonel Jupiter, and you can see a beautiful John Romita Sr. depiction of him battling Spider-Man on the front cover of Amazing Spider-Man #42!
Now, after the Godstone activated under a full moon and turned John AKA Colonel Jupiter into the Man-Wolf, his strength, agility and senses increased yet again, although he was unable to speak and retain his human intelligence. Therefore, the Man-Wolf would attack anyone in his path with his bestial behavior!
Furthermore, his character gets more complex and interesting when the radioactive Godstone transports Man-Wolf to another dimension, where he becomes known as Stargod! In this realm, known as the Other Realm, John can fully transform into the Man-Wolf while retaining his speech and human intelligence; he also possesses new powers such as telepathy and energy manipulation! As Stargod, he is also highly skilled in using weaponry such as the broadsword, dagger and longbow!
With all that being said, I truly believe that high-grade copies of Amazing Spider-Man #124 are going to significantly increase in value, especially because there is a possibility that the Man-Wolf will be incorporated in an upcoming Morbius film! If this actually takes place, it would make sense because according to the comics, Morbius uses Man-Wolf as a pawn to distract Spider-Man as he searches for a cure for his vampire condition. Plus, having a vampire coupled with a werewolf is complimentary of the horror villain theme, which would make for an interesting twist in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)!
This stunning copy is WORLD CLASS in every way! Published in September of 1973, it predates Amazing Spider-Man #129 (1st appearance of the Punisher) by 5 months! Due to the bordering black and brown colors on the front cover that expose the slightest of defects, high-grade copies like this gem will be difficult to acquire. Moreover, it’s also very RARE to find a PERFECTLY WRAPPED & CENTERED copy, as this beautiful specimen exhibits! In addition, the corners are razor sharp and the colors are super bright with internal MILK WHITE PAGES!
I won this pristine copy in Comic Link’s Focused Auction in June of 2020! I was ecstatic when I was notified as the winning bidder and I’m proud to showcase this immaculate copy in Arachnophobia!
Happy Collecting & Enjoy the Hunt!
-Professor Pecora
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| Slot: |
Amazing Spider-Man 125 |
| Item: |
Amazing Spider-Man 125 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
0990843009
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Owner Comments
Amazing Spider-Man #125 features the origin & 2nd appearance of the Man-Wolf!
Overstreet 2023 NM- 9.2 value = $180.
According to the CGC Census Report as of Tuesday, August 22, 2023, out of a total of 1,252 Universal copies graded, only 79 copies were graded in 9.8 with ONLY 1 copy graded higher in 9.9!
With these statistics in mind, this represents a rarity factor of only 6.31% of the total population!
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I feel like you can’t just own Amazing Spider-Man #124—1st appearance of the Man-Wolf, without owning the follow-up issue, as it features his origin story!
To complement the previous issue, John Romita Sr. created another dynamic classic cover that embodies so much superb movement within a single image, that it plays out like a scene in a movie!
After Spider-Man connected the dots and realized that John Jameson was indeed the Man-Wolf, he went to pay him a visit at his apartment around the same time John’s girlfriend Kristine was on her way over for a date. However, by the time both Spider-Man and Kristine arrived, John had already morphed back into the Man-Wolf and grabbed Kristine as hostage!
Feeling guilty for the tragic death of Gwen Stacy that occurred just four issues previously in Amazing Spider-Man #121, Spider-Man frantically yells “NO! NO! I WON’T LET YOU DIE—NOT LIKE GWEN!” As Spider-Man leaps towards the Man-Wolf to protect Kristine from being harmed on a moving vehicle, the Man-Wolf violently back fists Spider-Man in the head, sending him flying backwards in midair as he cries out “NOT LIKE GWENNN!”
A few frightened pedestrians in the background are seen fleeing the scene as they witness the vicious attack, and the vulnerable Kristine, feeling as if she is destined to be the Man-Wolf’s lunch, yells out “SPIDER-MAN—STAY BACK! YOU CAN’T SAVE ME!”
All of this action is captured on this phenomenal John Romita Sr. cover that pops nicely against the bright yellow, red and blue color hues! The movement and attention to detail is precise and realistic, captivating both Amazing Spider-Man readers and unfamiliar viewers to take notice that: “THE MAN-WOLF STRIKES AGAIN!”
This stunning copy is definitely WORLD CLASS! It’s extremely difficult to locate a copy that doesn’t show a slight overlap of the front or back cover appearing on the opposite side. With that being said, this beautiful 1973 specimen is 99.9% PERFECTLY WRAPPED and CENTERED and contains PERFECT WHITE PAGES!
In closing, I won this pristine copy in Comic Link’s Focused Auction in January of 2021! I was ecstatic when I was notified as the winning bidder and I’m proud to showcase this immaculate copy in Arachnophobia!
Happy Collecting & Enjoy the Hunt!
-Professor Pecora
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| Slot: |
Amazing Spider-Man 129 |
| Item: |
Amazing Spider-Man 129 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
2106817001
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Owner Comments
Amazing Spider-Man #129 features the 1st appearance of the Punisher (Frank Castle) and the Jackal!
Overstreet 2023 NM- 9.2 value = $4,000.
Currently Ranked #10 on Overstreet's list of Top 25 Bronze Age Comics.
According to the CGC Census Report as of Tuesday, August 22, 2023, out of a whopping total of 14,997 Universal copies graded, only a mere 173 copies were graded in 9.8 with 0 copies graded higher!
With these statistics in mind, this represents an amazing rarity factor of ONLY 1.15% of the total population!
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The Punisher was created by writer Gerry Conway and artists John Romita, Sr. and Ross Andru, with publisher Stan Lee providing the name.
The classic cover art displaying the “Different and Deadly” Punisher was drawn by legendary artists Gil Kane and John Romita Sr. The most lethal hired assassin is featured in his iconic skull-imprinted black suit with an arsenal of weaponry, including an automatic assault rifle in which he is unloading a full clip of ammunition directly at Spider-Man.
The close-up view of the Punisher’s sniper scope depicts a defenseless and aerial bound Spider-Man avoiding bullets exploding against the surrounding brick buildings, with cross hairs aimed precisely at his heart! Couple this action on a commanding bright yellow cover, and you have one of the most sought-after and treasured comics in the history of the Amazing Spider-Man title!
Moreover, what made the Punisher unique is that although he was originally created as a villain; he gradually developed into a crime-fighting antihero. It was characters like the Punisher and Ghost Rider (1st introduced in Marvel Spotlight #5 in August of 1972), that would influence the industry in creating more violent and grittier material.
Since the Punisher’s inception in February of 1974, he has starred in 3 feature films. The first Punisher movie premiered in the USA on July 8, 1990, at the Los Angeles Comic Book and Science Fiction Convention, and was characterized by actor Dolph Lundgren.
It wasn’t until 14 years later; on April 16, 2004, in which The Punisher had a reboot and was played by actor Thomas Jane with John Travolta playing the antagonistic character Howard Saint. The setting took place in Florida, which was not true to the comics as Frank Castle’s origins take place in Queens, New York.
The most recent installment, Punisher: War Zone, released on December 5, 2008, was played by actor Ray Stevenson. In addition, actor Dominic West played the Punisher’s arch enemy Jigsaw (William “Billy” Russo), which is true to the comics as Jigsaw was introduced in Amazing Spider-Man #162 and plays a significant and enduring role throughout the Punisher’s storyline.
Unfortunately, none of the aforementioned Punisher films were able to cement the character’s image and brand to the likes of Hugh Jackman playing Wolverine. There were a number of reasons why none of the films gave the Punisher’s character justice; they ranged from inconsistencies in the comics to corny representations of the characters to not finding the “right” actor to emulate and embody the Punisher to perfection.
Fortunately, after decades of failed attempts to portray the character and build a successful franchise, in March of 2016, the Punisher was played by The Walking Dead alum Jon Bernthal (Shane Walsh) in season 2 of the critically acclaimed Daredevil Netflix TV series! Prior to his big screen debut and adding fuel to the hype, Marvel Head of Television Jeph Loeb said in the initial announcement on Marvel.com: “Jon Bernthal brings an unmatched intensity to every role he takes on, with a potent blend of power, motivation and vulnerability that will connect with audiences. Castle's appearance will bring dramatic changes to the world of Matt Murdock and nothing will be the same.”
Since then, the Punisher has been kicking ass and captivating the audience into his psyche that depicts pain and vengeance amidst his fragmented memories of being a former loving husband and father of two, before the mob tragically killed them. Furthermore, on November 17, 2017, the Punisher made his phenomenally successful debut in his self-titled series on Netflix!
Finally, it looks like the Punisher is getting justice on the silver screen! In turn, this has translated into increased demand for high-grade copies of Amazing Spider-Man #129, as the Punisher’s stock has surged!
In terms of the Amazing Spider-Man title, ASM #129 is “The” most valuable and expensive issue of the entire Bronze Age (1970-1979)! For example, on March 16, 2022, a copy of ASM #129 CGC 9.8 WP sold on Comic Connect for a record-breaking $57,000!
Considering the rarity factor, the vast number of copies that have already been professionally graded and the fact that many 9.8 copies are stashed away in private collections, it is going to become increasingly difficult to locate pristine 9.8 examples like this gem!
Furthermore, a significant percentage (I would say over 80%) of ASM #129 copies were wrapped at an angle in which you can see part of the white back cover from the front, which is the culprit of most copies displaying the classic Gil Kane and John Romita Sr. cover off-centered. In contrast, there are many copies that do not display any part of the back cover from the front, but if you view the back cover, you’ll notice part of the edge of the front cover on the back. This “miswrap” often displays the “S” in Spider-Man (green font) located on the bottom left-hand corner to be obscured, as well as a part of Spider-Man’s boot near the upper left-hand corner.
In addition, there are lots of copies that have a black ink smudge where it reads “The Punisher,” which also takes away from the aesthetic appeal of such a beautiful cover. If you are interested, just browse through all of the current lots and past sales of ASM #129 on eBay and on other various auction houses; you’ll see for yourself that it is exceedingly RARE to locate a copy that doesn’t exhibit these manufacturing flaws.
With that in mind, this particular CGC 9.8 copy sports PERFECT COVER WRAP, PERFECT CENTERING, and PERFECT WHITE PAGE QUALITY along with being PERFECTLY CUT! The color saturation is deep and bright and the corners are razor sharp!
On the back cover, there is an arrival date of “11-4” written in blue pen on the upper right-hand corner. Although it’s very minute and unobtrusive, I actually appreciate it because it gives the book “character” and differentiates the “Professor Pecora” copy from any other CGC 9.8!
It’s definitely an exceptional copy that perfectly represents one of my favorite covers in all of comics! I will cherish it for a long time to come!
In closing, I won this pristine beauty during a Pedigree Comics Grand Auction in April of 2020! I was very blessed to end up with the winning bid and I’m looking forward to watching it appreciate in value each year!
Happy Collecting & Enjoy the Hunt!
-Professor Pecora
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| Slot: |
Amazing Spider-Man 134 |
| Item: |
Amazing Spider-Man 134 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
1205815006
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Owner Comments
Amazing Spider-Man #134 features the 1st appearance of the Tarantula & the 2nd appearance of the Punisher in cameo on last page!
Overstreet 2023 NM- 9.2 value = $350.
According to the CGC Census Report as of Tuesday, August 22, 2023, out of a total of 1,355 Universal copies graded, ONLY 49 copies were graded in 9.8 with 0 copies graded higher!
With these statistics in mind, this represents an impressive rarity factor of ONLY 3.62% of the total population!
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In July of 1974, writer Gerry Conway and artist Ross Andru introduced us to a new animal-themed supervillain known as the Tarantula! Inspired by the political events that were taking place in South America (especially in Chile) during the early 1970’s, Mr. Antonio "Anton" Miguel Rodriguez served as a revolutionary against dictatorship in the fictional Republic of Delvadia. However, Anton became desensitized to committing homicides and was forced to resign.
As a way to get back at the republic, he became a bounty hunter and joined forces with those he initially fought against. During this time, he developed a battle suit with retractable steel claws in his gloves and spikes in his boots that could smash through hard surfaces and eject poison into his opponents. He called himself the Tarantula and donned a huge black tarantula logo in the middle of his chest to mimic Spider-Man’s suit, but with his ultimate goal of capturing him!
At this point, the Tarantula became obsessed with killing as if it were a hobby, which he ended up assassinating a fellow officer and was banned from the country. He decided to flee South America and made his way to New York City to begin his criminal career, where he encountered both Spider-Man and the Punisher.
Although the Tarantula demonstrated exceptional acrobatic and combative skills in which he even stabbed Spider-Man with his spiked boot, he was ultimately defeated and sentenced to jail. In an attempt to use the Tarantula as a pawn to get back at Spider-Man, the Jackal broke him out of prison, which would eventually lead into The Original Clone Saga in issues #139-#150.
Overall, the original Tarantula appeared in the following ASM issues: #134-#135, #147-#148 and #233-#236. In December of 1976, he was also the villain featured on the historic front cover of Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #1!
Unfortunately, after injecting himself with the Brand Corporation's mutagenic serum, he developed superhuman powers stronger than Spider-Man’s, but became unstable to the point in which his limbs could not support weight. As a result, in ASM #236, after mutating into a giant-sized tarantula with his mental stability impaired, he committed suicide by jumping off a building and landing onto the street and begging a bunch of police officers to shoot him, which resulted in the Tarantula being gunned down to his untimely death.
Since then, there have been several characters who have taken on the Tarantula identity, which include: Luis Álvarez, Jacinda Rodríguez, María Vásquez and Kaine Parker.
The Tarantula is often considered a Forgotten Spider-Man Rogue, due to his short life span and not having a significant appeal with the readers. However, you never know what can happen if the Tarantula is one day brought to life on the silver screen within the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)!
In terms of the cover art—I absolutely LOVE IT! As I mentioned in my Arachnophobia set description, John Romita Sr. is my favorite Amazing Spider-Man cover artist, and this bright and appealing 1974 battle cover between Spider-Man and the Tarantula does not disappoint! The yellow background with deep reds and contrasting black and blue highlights really POP together nicely! I also love how the two characters are battling on a cargo ship with the Hudson River in the background. The movement captured is superb; Spider-Man is blocking the Tarantula’s arm as he misses his target with his ejected spiked boot shredding into the steel ship! In addition, instead of Spider-Man’s shadow being casted underneath him, you see a shadow of a tarantula, which John Romita drew to emphasize the caption on the lower right-hand corner, “DANGER IS A MAN CALLED TARANTULA!”
UNDER VALUE ALERT! Although most collectors and investors are familiar with the Punisher’s 2nd “full” appearance in the history of comics in ASM #135; his true “2nd appearance” is contained within the last page of ASM #134!
When I think about the reasons why this book has been slept on, it starts to make sense. For starters, the CGC label only notes “Punisher cameo on last page,” without making any reference that it is indeed his “2nd appearance.” In addition, the Punisher is not featured on the front cover, as he is on ASM #135. Therefore, when you combine not having the proper label credit with the character not appearing on the front cover, you can easily understand how this book has gone under the radar!
However, on the front cover, there is a special caption located on the lower left-hand corner that reads: “EXTRA! Don’t miss the shocking return of a SURPRISE super-villain – in this issue’s STARTLING Last Panel!” Furthermore, this caption serves as “code language” that translates to: “The Punisher Returns,” which is actually printed on the cover of ASM #135, although he first returned in ASM #134!
On that note, I believe that it’s only a matter of time until collectors and investors start catching on and placing higher demand to acquire this issue, which will cause its value to SPIKE dramatically! I view ASM #134 having a similar market growth as Incredible Hulk #180, which contains the 1st appearance of Wolverine in a cameo on the last page! For decades, IH #180 was overlooked because like ASM #134, there is no image or mention of Wolverine on the front cover. Moreover, IH #180 was constantly cast in the shadow by the follow-up issue, which contains Wolverine’s 1st “full” appearance in a famous battle against the Incredible Hulk! (Are you seeing the parallels now?)
Over the years, more and more collectors and investors realized the historical value of Wolverine’s 1st true appearance and CGC 9.8 copies went from selling around 6K to 15K almost overnight! Now, IH #180 is considered a highly valued Bronze Age Key and you will have to pay a lofty penny to acquire a high-grade copy!
With that being said, let’s put all of this into perspective; on May 25, 2021, a Massachusetts Pedigree copy of ASM #129 CGC 9.8 WP sold on Comic Link for a record-breaking $55,111! In turn, on May 12, 2021, a copy of ASM #134 CGC 9.8 WP sold on Pedigree Comics for a record-breaking $5,101! Since ASM #134 contains the Punisher’s 2nd appearance in the history of comics, the question is…how long do you think it’s going to take until ASM #134 skyrockets in value?
This stunning copy is WORLD CLASS in every way! It’s PERFECTLY WRAPPED and CENTERED and contains PERFECT WHITE PAGES! I have honestly not seen a nicer looking copy! This blazer has a super tight spine with no visible stresses or color breaks, deep color saturation that looks like it was printed yesterday and perfectly inserted staples! This copy truly looks MINT!
Furthermore, due to portions of the spine containing jet black ink (i.e., the Marvel Comics Strip, the circle behind the Spider-Man logo and on the bottom left-hand corner), which exposes the slightest of defects, finding high-grade copies like this gem will be difficult to acquire.
In closing, I purchased this pristine beauty from monk215 (via eBay) in February of 2021! The transaction and communication went extremely well and I’m proud to showcase this immaculate copy in Arachnophobia!
Happy Collecting & Enjoy the Hunt!
-Professor Pecora
|
| Slot: |
Amazing Spider-Man 149 |
| Item: |
Amazing Spider-Man 149 Modern |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
1292384002
|
Owner Comments
Amazing Spider-Man #149 features the 1st appearance of the Spider-Man clone + the origin & “death” of the Jackal!
Overstreet 2023 NM- 9.2 value = $325.
According to the CGC Census Report as of Tuesday, August 22, 2023, out of a total of 1,879 Universal copies graded, ONLY 40 copies were graded in 9.8 with 0 copies graded higher!
With these statistics in mind, this represents an impressive rarity factor of ONLY 2.13% of the total population!
___________________________________________________________
The original Spider-Man Clone Saga is one of the most CLASSIC storylines within the Amazing Spider-Man title! It collects Amazing Spider-Man #139-#150; Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man (1976) #25-#31, #149, #162-#163 & Annual #8!
Therefore, it’s only a matter of time until the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) produces a film to showcase this exciting content on the silver screen! Once the Spider-Man clone makes his MCU debut, exceptional looking copies like this gem are going to skyrocket in value!
This stunning copy is WORLD CLASS in every way! It’s PERFECTLY WRAPPED and CENTERED and contains PERFECT WHITE PAGES! I have honestly not seen a nicer looking copy! This blazer has a super tight spine with no visible stresses or color breaks, deep color saturation that looks like it was printed yesterday and perfectly inserted staples! This copy truly looks MINT!
In closing, I won this pristine beauty during a Pedigree Comics Grand Auction in May of 2021! I was ecstatic when I was notified as the winning bidder and I’m proud to showcase this immaculate copy in Arachnophobia!
Happy Collecting & Enjoy the Hunt!
-Professor Pecora
|
| Slot: |
Amazing Spider-Man 161 |
| Item: |
Amazing Spider-Man 161 Modern |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
0096141008
|
Owner Comments
Amazing Spider-Man #161 features the 1st Nightcrawler crossover!
Overstreet 2023 NM- 9.2 value = $90.
According to the CGC Census Report as of Tuesday, August 22, 2023, out of a total of 914 Universal copies graded, only 114 copies were graded in 9.8 with 0 copies graded higher!
With these statistics in mind, this represents an impressive rarity factor of only 12.47% of the total population!
___________________________________________________________
What you’re looking at here is a highly undervalued historical KEY issue! With that said, let’s delve right into it!
In the Summer of 1975, the new X-Men made their 1st appearance in Giant-Size X-Men #1, which consisted of Storm, Nightcrawler, Colossus, & Thunderbird! After a powerful debut, they made their 2nd appearance in X-Men #94 in August of 1975, which relaunched the title after 4+ years of bi-monthly reprint issues that span from #67-#93!
Carrying on with the bi-monthly publishing format, the new X-Men would continue to make appearances every two months until X-Men #113, when Marvel decided to start publishing the title monthly. Considering this background information, both Amazing Spider-Man #161 and X-Men #101 were published in October of 1976, which ties for Nightcrawler’s 9th appearance in the history of comics!
More importantly, ASM #161 features the 1st time Nightcrawler crossed over into another title, which is also the 1st time his name was written on a cover and the 1st time in which a story was dedicated to him: “...And the Nightcrawler Came Prowling, Prowling!”
Furthermore, even though CGC did not include this important historical information on the CGC label, rest assured that ASM #161 has the potential to SPIKE in value, as it appeals to both Amazing Spider-Man & X-Men collectors—two of the most collected titles in the hobby! With an awesome Gil Kane & John Romita Spider-Man vs. Nightcrawler battle cover to boot, I predict that it’s only a matter of time until we see high-grade copies appreciate exponentially!
This stunning copy is WORLD CLASS in every way! It’s PERFECTLY WRAPPED and CENTERED and contains PERFECT WHITE PAGES! I have honestly not seen a nicer looking copy! This blazer has a super tight spine with no visible stresses or color breaks, deep color saturation that looks like it was printed yesterday and perfectly inserted staples! This copy truly looks MINT!
In closing, I won this pristine beauty during a Heritage Sunday & Monday Comic Books Weekly Select Auction in June of 2021! I was ecstatic when I was notified as the winning bidder and I’m proud to showcase this immaculate copy in Arachnophobia!
Happy Collecting & Enjoy the Hunt!
-Professor Pecora
|
| Slot: |
Amazing Spider-Man 162 |
| Item: |
Amazing Spider-Man 162 Modern |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
1214552019
|
Owner Comments
Amazing Spider-Man #162 features the 1st appearance of Jigsaw (William Russo) & Doctor Marla Madison!
Overstreet 2023 NM- 9.2 value = $115.
According to the CGC Census Report as of Tuesday, August 22, 2023, out of a total of 1,339 Universal copies graded, only 133 copies were graded in 9.8 with 0 copies graded higher!
With these statistics in mind, this represents an impressive rarity factor of only 9.93% of the total population!
___________________________________________________________
In November of 1976, legendary writer Len Wein and artist Ross Andru combined their creative forces and introduced us to the supervillain known as Jigsaw!
If you are unfamiliar with Jigsaw’s background, please enjoy his origin story in which I pulled from ** Wikipedia (Marvel Comics):
** Billy Russo was born to a poor Italian-American family, kicked out and abandoned as an orphan by his abusive father at the age of ten, and went on to become a hitman for New York's Italian criminal underworld, where his good looks garnered him the nickname "Billy the Beaut.”
He married a woman named Susan, and would beat both her and their son, Henry, once forcing Henry to drown his pet cat's kittens by threatening to shoot Susan.
After the botched gangland execution that inadvertently led to the Castle family being massacred, Russo was hired by Frank Costa to cover up their deaths by killing all of their friends and loved ones. Russo killed all of his targets except for Frank Castle, who survived a bomb planted by Russo. Hours later, Frank, now the vigilante Punisher, tracked Russo down to a Maggia nightclub. He gunned down all of Russo's men, but left him alive to send a message to organized crime after knocking him through a glass window pane, an act that reduced Russo's face to a jigsaw puzzle-like mess of scars.
Taking advantage of his hideous visage, Russo adopted the identity of "Jigsaw," and attempted to frame the Punisher for murder. However, the plan failed due to the intervention of Spider-Man and Nightcrawler; Spider-Man witnessed one of Jigsaw's murders, and one of his victims was an old friend of Nightcrawler's. Jigsaw later battled Spider-Man again ** (in Amazing Spider-Man #188).
With his origin story in mind, please enjoy the following image taken from a page within Amazing Spider-Man #162, which depicts the 1st time we see Jigsaw in the history of comics:
Like I mentioned previously in my commentary for Amazing Spider-Man #161; Amazing Spider-Man #162 is also a highly undervalued KEY issue! We’re talking about the 1st appearance of the Punisher’s arch nemesis! With that being said, I view Jigsaw to the Punisher as I do Bullseye to Daredevil and Sabretooth to Wolverine! Without great villains, there would be no great superheroes or antiheroes; the most ruthless and powerful antagonists allow each superhero’s character to be tested—bringing out the best in them!
In terms of the cover art, Ross Andru & John Romita created a phenomenal 1976 Bronze Age classic! The setting takes place on the Roosevelt Island Ariel Tramway in NYC, where we see the Punisher crouched on top of a crowded tram with his pistols aimed directly at Spider-Man & Nightcrawler! To bring this action-packed scene to life, the comic dialogue bubble above the Punisher reads: ONLY ONE OF US IS COMING DOWN FROM HERE ALIVE!
In addition, the geometric positioning of Spider-Man and Nightcrawler is quite intriguing! Spider-Man’s ejected web runs parallel to the Tramway cable on the left-hand side with his face positioned upwards; while Nightcrawler is dangling off the cable with his tail on the opposite side and his face positioned towards the East River below. If you look really carefully at the motion depicted, you’ll notice that Spider-Man & Nightcrawler’s bodies are curved in a circular position central to the cover, which almost resembles the structure of a yin-yang symbol!
When you add in the intricate details like the life-like structure of the Queensboro Bridge, the frightened faces of the passengers in the tram with the Roosevelt Island decal, and the Punisher’s iconic skull-imprinted black suit near the center of the cover coupled with a beautiful orange background to symbolize the sunset…you have yourself a unique classic cover!
Of historical significance, not only does ASM #162 feature the 1st appearance of Jigsaw, but it also features Nightcrawler’s 2nd crossover appearance into another title and his 10th appearance in the history of comics! In addition, the Punisher makes only his 5th overall appearance and this is also the first time these 3 characters graced a cover together: SPIDEY…NIGHTCRAWLER—AND THE PUNISHER MAKES THREE!
Furthermore, actor Dominic West portrayed Jigsaw in Punisher: War Zone (2008), which was released by Marvel Knights Pictures; an offshoot of Marvel Studios dealing with movies for mature audiences. In more recent times, actor Ben Barnes starred as William “Billy” Russo in the critically acclaimed Punisher Netflix TV Series (2017-2019), which is a spin-off of Marvel’s Daredevil Netflix TV Series (2015-2018) and takes place within the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
Moreover, once they announce that a new Punisher movie or TV series will be released, it’s more than likely that we’ll see Jigsaw on the silver screen again. Therefore, ASM #162 still has a ton of growth potential on the CGC market!
This stunning copy is WORLD CLASS in every way! It’s PERFECTLY WRAPPED and CENTERED and contains PERFECT WHITE PAGES! I have honestly not seen a nicer looking copy! This blazer has a super tight spine with no visible stresses or color breaks, deep color saturation that looks like it was printed yesterday and perfectly inserted staples! This copy truly looks MINT!
In closing, I won this pristine beauty during a Pedigree Comics Grand Auction in May of 2021! I was ecstatic when I was notified as the winning bidder and I’m proud to showcase this immaculate copy in the Professor Pecora Collection!
Happy Collecting & Enjoy the Hunt!
-Professor Pecora
|
| Slot: |
Amazing Spider-Man 188 |
| Item: |
Amazing Spider-Man 188 Modern |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
2573182011
|
Owner Comments
Amazing Spider-Man #188 features the 1st cover appearance of Jigsaw!
Overstreet 2023 NM- 9.2 value = $45.
According to the CGC Census Report as of Tuesday, August 22, 2023, out of a total of 620 Universal copies graded, 131 copies were graded in 9.8 with ONLY 1 copy graded higher in 9.9!
With these statistics in mind, this represents a rarity factor of 21.13% of the total population.
___________________________________________________________
Happy Collecting & Enjoy the Hunt!
-Professor Pecora
|
| Slot: |
Amazing Spider-Man 194 |
| Item: |
Amazing Spider-Man 194 Modern |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
3718113002
|
Owner Comments
Amazing Spider-Man #194 features the 1st appearance of the Black Cat (Felicia Hardy)!
Overstreet 2023 NM- 9.2 value = $525.
According to the CGC Census Report as of Tuesday, August 22, 2023, out of a total of 10,109 Universal copies graded, only 526 copies were graded in 9.8 with ONLY 4 copies graded higher in 9.9!
With these statistics in mind, this represents an impressive rarity factor of ONLY 5.20% of the total population!
___________________________________________________________
The Bronze Age (1970-1979) of Comics is known for ushering in more realistic, dark and controversial characters and storylines. From the introduction to popular antiheroes such as Ghost Rider (1972), the Punisher and Wolverine (1974), to killing off major characters like Gwen Stacy and the Green Goblin (1973), the Black Cat’s debut in July of 1979 carries this tradition with a multilayered character that is driven by her father’s criminal influence and her emotionally painful past.
Felicia Hardy was born and raised in Queens, New York. Felicia’s father, Walter Hardy, posed as a traveling salesman, but made a lifelong career as a professional cat burglar. Since she was exposed to her father’s hidden identity and criminal activity from an early age, the idea of using deception to acquire a desired possession seemed normal and was embedded into her psyche.
Her father would often emphasize that she should never settle for second best. For example, in Amazing Spider-Man #195, which features the Black Cat’s origin story, Walter expresses his philosophy by telling her: “If you love basketball, you should work to become a basketball player and not just a cheerleader.” In other words, Felicia’s father didn’t want her to feel limited to her full potential because of her gender, and also implies that if she can do the job just as good or better than a man, that she should go for it! This was groundbreaking material for the time period, as women were still viewed as inferior to men and often did not work in certain professions, although they may have been equally or overqualified. The irony in Walter’s independence statement is that women were not able to play basketball professionally back then, so in other words, he spoke a parable to “fight against the system or the law.”
In addition to growing up with a criminal mindset, Felicia’s fundamental character traits were also birthed through deep personal pain. For example, in Spider-Man/Black Cat: The Evil that Men Do, Felicia confesses that while she was attending Empire State University as a freshman, that she was raped by her boyfriend Ryan! Taking heed to the ideals that were instilled by her father, Felicia refused to live with a victim mentality and decided to take control of the situation, by training in various combat disciplines and acrobatics with the intent to kill him! Unfortunately, after several months of meticulous planning and preparation, Ryan was killed in a DUI car accident.
With a strong distaste for men and her desire to feel totally independent and not restrained by the powers that be, coupled with her intrinsic ability to remain elusive, Felicia decided to follow in her father’s footsteps and became a successful international cat burglar. After quickly amassing a fortune in stolen items, she started wearing her iconic suit (which is later state-of-the-art enhanced by the Tinkerer) and adopted her new identity and persona as the Black Cat!
The Black Cat’s first mission was to break her father out of prison, but in an attempt to do so, encounters Spider-Man for the very first time! This historic scene is depicted on the beautiful front cover by artist Al Milgrom! We see Spider-Man captured in the spotlight by the prison guard tower with his Spidey Senses fully engaged, while the Black Cat makes her elusive descent attack with her claws ready to rip into Spider-Man’s suit! The black cover works perfectly to represent the nighttime hour while symbolizing “A Startling NEW Villainess” introduced as the “Black” Cat! In addition, the bright yellow spotlight and Amazing Spider-Man title provide the perfect color contrast, and with the text caption in white font stating, “Never Let The BLACK CAT Cross Your Path!” – Makes up a stunning front cover masterpiece of one of the landmark issues in The Amazing Spider-Man title!
The Black Cat was created by writer Marv Wolfman and artist Dave Cockrum, and although the Black Cat was not interested in dating anybody, because Spider-Man is a “Superhero” and also keeps a mystique and secret identity, the pair developed a friendship that evolved into a romantic relationship. This especially occurred after her father died and faking her own death; she maintained her secret identity as the Black Cat and developed a trust with Spider-Man, which gave her the hope that she can still fall in love with someone. Spider-Man also saw the good in Felicia beyond her criminal history, and gave forth his best effort to have her criminal record expunged.
After Spider-Man saved the Black Cat’s life after being shot multiple times by Dr. Octopus, it was in the hospital in which Spider-Man had an epiphany of how much he cared for Felicia. However, their lover days eventually went sour after Spider-Man revealed his true identity as Peter Parker; he wanted to connect with Felicia Hardy on a “human” level with hopes of having a future together. Unfortunately, the Black Cat was not interested in having a “normal” civilian relationship with Peter, and was only interested in his alter ego as Spider-Man.
As a result, they both gradually grew apart from each other. Their rollercoaster relationship became highly complicated as they went back-and-forth from being allies and enemies to everything in between! The Black Cat also went through a chemical procedure (the same one used to create the Scorpion and the Human Fly), which was initiated by the Kingpin that gave her enhanced powers and abilities. The procedure served as a repayment by the Kingpin after she successfully committed a crime for him, and the Black Cat did not disclose this information with Spider-Man. She thought by acquiring superhuman abilities, that she could connect with Spider-Man as his equal and he wouldn’t have to worry about her getting hurt as easily. However, Spider-Man felt an accumulation of secrets being kept from him, and decided to breakup with Felicia.
The Black Cat thought that maybe they could rekindle their romantic interest, but several factors did not prevent this from happening. In turn, she began her antihero quest of robbing the rich and elite and giving it to the poor!
Spider-Man and the Black Cat would continue their ebb and flow relationship patterns throughout the years. Moreover, the Black Cat is one of the most heavily used and important supportive characters within the entire ASM run! With that said, IGN (Imagine Games Network) ranked her as Spider-Man’s 24th greatest enemy!
In terms of the significance of Amazing Spider-Man #194, it is the most valuable issue after #135 (2nd full appearance of the Punisher) until issue #300 (Origin and 1st full appearance of Venom)! Furthermore, it remains the most in demand Amazing Spider-Man issue of the late Bronze Age!
This stunning copy is WORLD CLASS in every way! Due to the majority of the cover being black, which exposes the slightest of defects, high-grade copies like this gem will be difficult to acquire. Moreover, it’s also very RARE to find a PERFECTLY WRAPPED & CENTERED copy, as this beautiful specimen exhibits! In addition, the corners are razor sharp and the colors are super bright with internal MILK WHITE PAGES!
I won this pristine copy in Comic Link’s Focused Auction in October of 2020! I was ecstatic when I was notified as the winning bidder and I’m proud to showcase this immaculate copy in Arachnophobia!
Happy Collecting & Enjoy the Hunt!
-Professor Pecora
|
| Slot: |
Amazing Spider-Man 201 |
| Item: |
Amazing Spider-Man 201 Modern |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
4200086023
|
Owner Comments
Amazing Spider-Man #201 features a Spider-Man & Punisher team-up on a classic bullseye cover!
Overstreet 2023 NM- 9.2 value = $80.
According to the CGC Census Report as of Tuesday, August 22, 2023, out of a total of 999 Universal copies graded, 231 copies were graded in 9.8 with 0 copies graded higher!
With these statistics in mind, this represents a rarity factor of 23.12% of the total population.
However, this is the much RARER Newsstand Edition Variant, which means that you can estimate that ONLY 2-4% of all 9.8s are Newsstand Edition copies!
___________________________________________________________
Published in February of 1980, the legendary John Romita Sr. (penciller) & Bob McLeod (inker) rendered a classic bullseye cover featuring Spider-Man & the Punisher battling the underworld!
Reflecting to Amazing Spider-Man #129, when Spidey & the Punisher first met in February of 1974, it was Spider-Man caught between the Punisher’s deadly crosshairs, as he was originally created as a villain!
Now, exactly six years later and having developed a respect for each other—although sharing a drastic philosophical perspective in fighting crime, they both stand side by side as the main target to bullet sprayin’ street thugs!
Featured boldly on the cover, Spider-Man is slinging his webs while the Punisher is blasting bullets violently in multiple directions at the assailants! The entire background consists of a giant, bullet-ridden white and magenta colored bullseye target area, which POPS vibrantly and easily grabs your attention!
Therefore, this badass John Romita Sr. Bronze Age cover is a MUST-HAVE for any Spider-Man or Punisher fan and/or collector!
In closing, I purchased this PERFECTLY WRAPPED & CENTERED Newsstand Edition Variant copy from Paradise Comics in February of 2023! I am super proud to own this immaculate copy and look forward to watching it appreciate each year!
Happy Collecting & Enjoy the Hunt!
-Professor Pecora
|
| Slot: |
Amazing Spider-Man 208 |
| Item: |
Amazing Spider-Man 208 Modern |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
3721772014
|
Owner Comments
Amazing Spider-Man #208 features the 1st appearance of Lance Bannon & Fusion, the Twin Terror (Hubert & Pinky Fusser)!
Overstreet 2023 NM- 9.2 value = $20.
According to the CGC Census Report as of Tuesday, August 22, 2023, out of a total of 383 Universal copies graded, 128 copies were graded in 9.8 with 0 copies graded higher!
With these statistics in mind, this represents a rarity factor of 33.42% of the total population.
___________________________________________________________
In this 1980 September issue, we are introduced to the character Lance Bannon, who would become Peter Parker’s competition in taking photographs of Spider-Man for the Daily Bugle. Due to the toxic relationship between J. Jonah Jameson and Spider-Man, Jameson favored Bannon’s photographs over Peter Parker’s because they often portrayed Spider-Man in a negative perspective.
Unfortunately, after Lance Bannon snapped a photo of an unknown individual wearing the highly classified, state-of-the-art body armor known as Full Acclimation Combat And Defence Explo-skeleton (F.A.C.A.D.E.), he was mysteriously murdered before he was able to release the photos to the general public!
Furthermore, ASM #208 also introduced the characters Hubert & Pinky Fusser, who were a pair of identical twins living two totally different lives. For example, although both of them worked for the same research firm; Hubert worked as a scientist while Pinky worked as a janitor. This makes for an interesting character concept, as you don’t typically think of identical twins being so far apart in their overall lifestyles.
While Hubert was operating one of his radiation experiments in the laboratory, something went wrong causing a freak explosion, which sent Hubert running towards his brother Pinky for safety! Once he reached his brother, the two of them strangely merged into one being; creating Fusion, the Twin Terror!
Legendary artists John Romita Jr. & Al Milgrom created an action-packed cover depicting Fusion, the Twin Terror standing in the middle of the George Washington Bridge with clinched fists causing a multicar crash, while Spider-Man swings towards his supercharged opponent from above!
The green Amazing Spider-Man title pops nicely with the green vehicle to the right, and the orange, yellow and white colors of Fusion coordinate well with the advertisement banner, the background of the Spider-Man logo and the gentleman’s shirt who is leaning outside of his car window!
Moreover, if any of these characters are ever introduced in a future Spider-Man film or animated series, this book’s value is going to rise exponentially!
Although ASM #208 is not considered rare, as the combined total of Universal 9.6 and 9.8 copies equals more than half the entire population on the CGC Census, this particular 9.8 copy is exceptional because it is 99.9% PERFECTLY WRAPPED and CENTERED and contains PERFECT WHITE PAGES!
In addition, the staples are perfectly inserted into the spine, the corners are razor sharp and the color saturation is deep and vibrant; as if the book was printed yesterday!
In closing, I won this pristine copy in Comic Link’s Focused Auction in February of 2021! I was ecstatic when I was notified as the winning bidder and I’m proud to showcase this immaculate copy in Arachnophobia!
Happy Collecting & Enjoy the Hunt!
-Professor Pecora
|
| Slot: |
Amazing Spider-Man 212 |
| Item: |
Amazing Spider-Man 212 Modern |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
3719335002
|
Owner Comments
Amazing Spider-Man #212 features the origin & 1st appearance of Hydro-Man (Morrie Bench)!
Overstreet 2023 NM- 9.2 value = $70.
According to the CGC Census Report as of Tuesday, August 22, 2023, out of a total of 1,883 Universal copies graded, 468 copies were graded in 9.8 with ONLY 1 copy graded higher in 9.9!
With these statistics in mind, this represents a rarity factor of 24.85% of the total population.
___________________________________________________________
To kick-off the new year in January of 1981, writer Dennis O’Neil and artist John Romita Jr. combined their creative forces and introduced us to Mr. Morris “Morrie” Bench, who would become another major addition to Spider-Man’s world class rogues’ gallery!
His origin story takes place upon the U.S.S. Bulldog cargo ship, where he worked as a crewman for the United States Navy. However, after clashing with Namor the Sub-Mariner, Spider-Man accidentally knocked Morrie Bench overboard in which a powerful experimental generator was being tested! While he was submerged deep into the ocean, the unknown radiation coupled with primitive bacteria altered Morrie’s DNA, turning him into Hydro-Man!
After discovering that he became a man-of-water and would never be able to live a normal life again, Morrie blamed Spider-Man for his accident and used his new powers to seek out and destroy him! With the ability to shape shift, Hydro-Man traveled through the sewers, valves and pipelines until he finally found Spider-Man, but was defeated in battle after Spidey dissipated his liquid form amidst the hot sunshine of the New York City rooftops!
However, just like the T-1000 android assassin featured in Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991), who is composed of liquid metal and can reform itself after any physical damage; Hydro-Man’s scattered particles bonded back together making him fully regenerated!
After his quick recovery, Hydro-Man decided to wage war against Spider-Man and lived a life of crime. He eventually became a member of the supervillain team known as the Sinister Syndicate, which was led by the Beetle and also included Boomerang, the Rhino, the Shocker and Speed Demon.
John Romita Jr. and Al Milgrom created a phenomenal action-packed Spider-Man vs. Hydro-Man battle cover! The showdown is depicted on a one-way street in the heart of NYC, with Hydro-Man having busted through a fire hydrant with his feet completely in water form and shape-shifting his arm into a super powered water cannon! Spider-Man is featured in the center of the cover dodging the oncoming water blast that smashes into a residential building, and a small crowd of captivated spectators are seen watching the fight in the background!
The majority of the cover is bright yellow, which pops nicely with the surrounding light orange and brown buildings, and the red fire hydrant coordinates well with Spider-Man’s suit and the red arrow-shaped caption that reads: SPIDEY FACES THE WET THREAT OF HYDRO-MAN!
Furthermore, Hydro-Man made his Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) debut in Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019). However, Hydro-Man primarily battled Mysterio instead of Spider-Man and there wasn’t much character development involved, so that leaves a lot of opportunity for writers and producers to include him in a future Spider-Man film to do his character justice!
After all, IGN (Imagine Games Network) ranked him as Spider-Man’s 25th greatest enemy! Moreover, legendary artist Todd McFarlane chose to feature Hydro-Man on the cover of Amazing Spider-Man #315, which also depicts Venom’s historic 1st cover appearance! Therefore, there is still LOTS of room for ASM #212 to appreciate over time!
Although ASM #212 is not considered rare, as the combined total of Universal 9.6 and 9.8 copies equals more than half the entire population on the CGC Census, this particular 9.8 copy is exceptional because it is PERFECTLY WRAPPED and CENTERED and contains PERFECT WHITE PAGES!
In addition, the staples are perfectly inserted into the spine, the corners are razor sharp and the color saturation is deep and vibrant; as if the book was printed yesterday!
In closing, I won this pristine copy in Comic Link’s Focused Auction in February of 2021! I was ecstatic when I was notified as the winning bidder and I’m proud to showcase this immaculate copy in Arachnophobia!
Happy Collecting & Enjoy the Hunt!
-Professor Pecora
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| Slot: |
Amazing Spider-Man 238 |
| Item: |
Amazing Spider-Man 238 Modern |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
3707425010
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Owner Comments
Amazing Spider-Man #238 features the 1st appearance of the Hobgoblin!
Overstreet 2023 NM- 9.2 value = $500.
Currently Ranked #13 on Overstreet's list of Top 25 Copper Age Comics.
According to the CGC Census Report as of Tuesday, August 22, 2023, out of a total of 8,920 Universal copies graded, only 703 copies were graded in 9.8 with ONLY 2 copies graded higher in 9.9!
With these statistics in mind, this represents a rarity factor of only 7.88% of the total population!
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Writer Roger Stern and artist John Romita Jr. created the Hobgoblin. When avid Spider-Man readers first viewed this now classic cover in March of 1983, they truly had no clue as to who this new character could possibly be.
Drawn by legendary artists John Romita Sr. and Jr., the cover depicts a mysterious and evil looking villain cloaked in a medieval style robe, standing on a mechanical glider reminiscent of the Green Goblin and ripping Spider-Man’s suit in half! With his face shrouded in darkness and his demonic red eyes piercing at the captivated reader, coupled with the caption “IN THE SHADOW OF EVILS PAST,” the creation of one of Spider-Man’s most wicked foes was born!
The Hobgoblin terrorized Spider-Man heavily throughout the 1980’s and 1990’s, and like the Green Goblin, would take on various identities ranging from the initial Roderick Kingsley to Norman Osborn and Kingsley’s butler, Claude. In 2009, the Hobgoblin was ranked by Imagine Games Network (IGN) as the 57th Greatest Comic Book Villain of All Time!
In terms of the significance of Amazing Spider-Man #238, after issue #194 (1st appearance of the Black Cat), there isn’t a single issue more valuable until issue #300 (Origin and 1st full appearance of Venom)!
Although ASM #238 is not as rare in CGC 9.8 compared to the Silver and Bronze Age Keys featured in ARACHNOPHOBIA, the exceptional aesthetic properties that this particular copy exhibits make it VERY RARE!
For example, the cover alignment and wrap is absolutely PERFECT! The staples are perfectly inserted into the spine and there is not even a slight overlap of the front or back cover appearing on the opposite side! The corners are razor sharp and the color saturation is unbelievable as if the book were printed yesterday! The beautiful purple background pops vibrantly with the bright yellow ASM title and the deep red, orange and blue colors in both Spider-Man and the Hobgoblin’s suits! Now throw in the internal milk WHITE PAGES and this copy can compete with any CGC 9.8 copy out there! It actually looks like it should be a CGC 9.9 MINT Copy!
In closing, I purchased this pristine beauty from Eric of Monster Comic Shop (via eBay/Instagram) in October of 2020! I couldn’t be more pleased with the purchase, and I’ll never feel the need to find a better-looking copy!
Happy Collecting & Enjoy the Hunt!
-Professor Pecora
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