While Black superheroes are now a mainstream idea in comic books, that was not always the case. Jim Crow segregation laws were in effect in 1938 when Action Comics #1 made it debut. That law would not be overturned until 1965 – Black Panther would make his debut in a comic one year later.
That was not a happy accident.
Key comics featuring the first appearances of major Black superheroes are underappreciated in the collectible comics community. Here are seven that you should consider investing in now. These key comics have historically proven to maintain their value and remain a good inclusion in your financial portfolio.
Or they could be a great addition to the collection of sentimental comic book collectors.
1. Luke Cage
Luke Cage, Hero for Hire #1 came out in 1972. Actor Mike Colter made the character popular in the 2010s on Netflix’s Luke Cage and Defenders shows. Black superheroes leading their own comic books were not mainstream in 1972. The character was made in an era of Blaxploitation action and vigilante films, and Luke Cage was a direct reflection of the 1970s.
A 9.8 CGC copy of this comic is currently worth about $22,500.
2. Blade
In the 1970s, horror films featuring Dracula were just as popular as vigilante action films. Tomb of Dracula was a 1970s Marvel comic that had a rotating cast of characters in each comic, battling Dracula. Blade would make his debut in Tomb of Dracula #10 in 1973 and would prove to be the breakout character.
In the comic books, Eric Brooks, also known as Blade, was born to a mother who was bitten by a vampire during birth. Blade was born half-vampire with a constant thirst for blood, which he fights against. As an adult, he would dedicate his life to fighting vampires.
While Wesley Snipes would play Blade in the late 1990s and early 2000s, the unmade Mahershala Ali Blade project is just as well-known.
A 9.8 CGC grade of this comic is worth about $12,314 on the collectibles market.
3. Sam Wilson
Sam Wilson is one of the most well-known Black superheroes, but not for the right reasons. The character made his debut in Captain America #117 in 1969 as his sidekick, Falcon. Sam Wilson was the Falcon in the comics until 2014, when he became Captain America. Anthony Mackie plays Sam Wilson in the MCU and is now Captain America; however, his tenure has been divisive with fans.
Still, the first appearance of Sam Wilson in a comic has historically kept its value. A 9.8 CGC copy of this comic has a collectibles market value of $14,240.
4. John Stewart (Green Lantern)
John Stewart is widely seen as one of the first major Black superheroes at DC Comics in the early 1970s. Stewart was the first Black character to become a Green Lantern member. Stewart made his debut in Green Lantern #87 in 1971. (The comic is also known as Green Lantern/Green Arrow #87 since the duo was co-leads.)
If you can find a 9.8 CGC copy of this comic, grab it. It is worth about $8,400 on the collectibles market.
5. Black Lightning
While John Stewart is technically the first Black superhero at DC Comics, Black Lightning was the first one to headline his own solo series. Black Lightning #1 came out in 1977. Jefferson Pierce was a teacher in Suicide Slum, an impoverished section of Metropolis. Pierce at first wore a belt that gave him his electricity powers as Black Lightning.
Later on, Pierce would imbue the powers of electricity into his body. A 9.8 CGC copy of this comic is worth about $650.
6. Miles Morales
One of the most ubiquitously known Black superheroes in comics, film, and video games is Miles Morales. A new generation of young video gamers and comic book film fans, many of whom don’t read comics, are unaware that Peter Parker is the prime Spider-Man because of Miles’ popularity.
Morales made his debut in Ultimate Fallout #4 2011. It is a very rare comic and hard to find. The Marko Djurdjevic cover variant as a 9.8 CGC grade, is worth over $8,749.
7. Black Panther
T’Challa, the Black Panther, became the first of several Black superheroes to debut at Marvel Comics in the 1960s. Black Panther made his first comic book appearance in Fantastic Four #52 in 1966. T-Challa’s creators were two White men, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, but it was still an important moment in comics history. Black Panther made his debut one year after Jim Crow laws in the United States were repealed.
A 9.2 CGC copy of this historic key comic is worth almost $7,000. The 9.8 CGC grade of this comic is worth over $46,000.
Landmark Debuts of Black Superheroes
Race politics and politics have always been a part of comic books. Captain America punched Adolf Hitler on the first cover of Captain America Comics #1 in 1940. Marvel’s Invaders superhero team, including Captain America and Namor, fought Nazis. DC Comics’ Weird War Tales ran from 1971 to 1983 and featured fantasy and horror tales with war as the main theme. Marvel’s 1980s comic, The ‘Nam, was about the Vietnam War.
The point is that until the mid 1960s and 1970s, giving Black superheroes prominent and starring roles in comic books was a political hot potato. It has not been until the last 20 years that seeing Black superheroes in prominent roles in comics became normal.
A lot of comic book investors overlook these comic books, not appreciating the value of these landmark debuts of Black superheroes. Don’t make the same mistake.
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The post These 7 Landmark Debuts of Black Superheroes Could Heat Up the Market appeared first on Personal Finance Advice.
