CGC-certified Keys from Early Spider-Man Spin Excitement in Heritage Auction

Momentum is building around a slate of high-grade early Silver Age milestones certified by CGC®, with wall-crawling cornerstones ready to spin a bidding frenzy in Heritage Auctions’ Key Comics Showcase Auction on April 23, 2026.

Among the classics in this auction is an Amazing Fantasy #15 graded CGC 4.0 (lot 82013). The 1962 book features the first appearance of Marvel Comics’ Spider-Man by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko as a teenage hero Peter Parker, who gains spider-like abilities after a radioactive bite and learns that power comes with responsibility. The hero stands out for balancing everyday struggles like money, loss and identity with his superhero responsibility. After the character’s immediate success in Amazing Fantasy #15, Marvel rushed Spider-Man into his own monthly series, and he has become one of the most recognizable superheroes of all time.

There are 4,182 examples of Amazing Fantasy #15 in the CGC Population Report, and the book is among the top 5 most valuable comics of all time, with a high-grade example achieving $3.6 million.

Another spider-story climbing the sale is an Amazing Spider-Man #50 graded CGC 9.2 (lot 82031) by Stan Lee and John Romita Sr. that marks the first appearance of Kingpin. The story introduces Wilson Fisk as a calculating crime lord whose power comes from intellect, influence and sheer presence. The issue, famously titled “Spider-Man No More!,” pairs Fisk’s debut with Peter Parker temporarily abandoning his role as Spider-Man, reinforcing the contrast between street-level heroism and organized crime control. Kingpin would go on to become one of Marvel’s most enduring antagonists, later serving as a central foe for Daredevil as well, and appearing in Daredevil film and television projects.

There are more than 8,700 examples of Amazing Spider-Man #50 in the CGC Population Report, but only about 1% are graded higher than this copy.

Other CGC-certified comics in this sale include:

• an Action Comics #23 graded CGC .5 (lot 82001)
• an Amazing Spider-Man #1 graded CGC 3.0 (lot 82014)
• an Amazing Spider-Man #129 graded CGC 9.8 (lot 82034)
• a Batman #227 graded CGC 9.0 (lot 82061)
• a Batman #251 graded CGC 9.8 (lot 82063)
• a Flash Comics #1 graded CGC .5 (lot 82109)
• a Giant-Size X-Men #1 graded CGC 9.8 (lot 82115)
• an Incredible Hulk #181 graded CGC 9.8 (lot 82130)
• a Silver Surfer #1 graded CGC 9.6 (lot 82178)
• a Star Wars #1 35-cent Variant graded CGC 6.0 (lot 82191)

About CGC

Since revolutionizing comic book grading in 2000, CGC has grown to include certification services for a vast variety of pop culture collectibles. These divisions include CGC Cards, CGC Video Games and CGC Home Video. CGC Cards provides expert card grading for sports cards, TCGs 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. CGC Home Video provides expert VHS grading in addition to other types of videocassettes, DVD, Blu-ray and more. CGC also offers seamless solutions for autograph collectors with CGC Signature Series and JSA Authentic Autograph services.

CGC is part of the Certified Collectibles Group, a global provider of expert and impartial authentication and grading services for collectibles. Since 1987, the Certified Collectibles Group companies have certified more than 110 million collectibles, including coins, banknotes, comic books, cards, autographs and stamps.