CGC-certified First Appearance of Hulk Muscles to Six Figures
Posted on 10/30/2023
A comic book certified by Certified Guaranty Company® (CGC®) that features the first appearance of the Incredible Hulk had buyers seeing green. A Silver Age key, the Incredible Hulk #1 graded CGC 8.0 realized $112,500 in a ComicLink auction on October 24, 2023.
 |
 |
| Click images to enlarge. | |
In 1962, Marvel Comics released a groundbreaking comic that introduced readers to the iconic character of the Hulk, marking the genesis of a legendary superhero franchise. Stan Lee and Jack Kirby were the creative minds behind this debut issue, which unraveled the origin story of Dr. Bruce Banner. Following a gamma radiation mishap, Dr. Banner underwent a transformation into an uncontrollable green behemoth whenever consumed by intense anger.
Interestingly, the initial depiction of the Hulk in this first appearance was in a shade of gray. However, this choice of color caused printing complications as the gray hues frequently appeared inconsistent due to the technological limitations of the era's printing process. Consequently, in the second issue of The Incredible Hulk, published just a few months later, the character's color was altered to the now-iconic green hue.
Other CGC-certified comics that were sold in this auction include:
- an Incredible Hulk #1 graded CGC 6.5 that realized $48,500
- an Amazing Fantasy #15 graded CGC 3.5 - Signature Series (signed by Stan Lee) that realized $33,300
- an Amazing Fantasy #15 graded CGC 7.0 Restored that realized $32,000
- a Giant-Size X-Men #1 graded CGC 9.8 that realized $23,065
- a Fantastic Four #1 graded CGC 4.5 that realized $22,250
- an X-Men #1 graded CGC 6.5 that realized $19,500
- an Incredible Hulk #181 graded CGC 9.6 that realized $18,805
- a Fantastic Four #5 graded CGC 7.5 that realized $18,258
- an Ultimate Fallout #4 graded CGC 9.8 Variant Edition that realized $16,550
- a Fantastic Four #1 graded CGC 4.0 that realized $16,000
About CGC
Since revolutionizing comic book grading in 2000, CGC has grown to include certification services for many other types of pop culture collectibles. These divisions include CGC Cards, CGC Video Games and CGC Home Video. CGC Cards provides expert card grading for TCGs, sports cards and non-sports cards. CGC Video Games is dedicated to video game grading for the most popular consoles, including Nintendo, Sega, Atari, PlayStation and more. The newest division of CGC, CGC Home Video, provides expert VHS grading in addition to other types of videocassettes.
Stay Informed
Want news like this delivered to your inbox once a month? Subscribe to the free CGC eNewsletter today!