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MARVEL MYSTERY #4
CGC VG-: 3.5
(Stock Image)
SOLD ON:  Thursday, 09/22/2022 7:25 PM
$48,000
Sold For
65
Bids
This auction has ended.
PUBLISHER: Timely
COMMENTS: ow/white pages
1st Sub-Mariner cover by Schomburg, bondage cover; 1st Nazi flag cover; 2nd swastika on comic cover; 1st app. Electro the Robot; 1st app. Dr. Manyac
Read Description ▼

DESCRIPTION
ow/white pages
1st Sub-Mariner cover by Schomburg, bondage cover; 1st Nazi flag cover; 2nd swastika on comic cover; 1st app. Electro the Robot; 1st app. Dr. Manyac


Timely Comics was ready for WWII action long before America got into the fight. This cover for Marvel Mystery Comics #4 has the Sub-Mariner manhandling Nazis on the newsstands in December of 1939, with the art featuring the first Nazi flag (and the second appearance of a swastika) on a comic book cover. The striking image is courtesy of Alex Schomburg, who’d soon become legendary for his Golden Age depictions of superheroes at war against the Axis.

This acclaimed comic is often considered to be the start of WWII action in the industry, with Prince Namor persuaded to stop Nazi U-boats from torpedoing supply ships in "The Sub-Mariner Goes to War." (Officially, however, Namor insists he’s staying neutral in surface-dweller affairs.) The Human Torch's story features the hero going up against Dr. Manyac, who’d be working for the Nazis by his second appearance in these pages.

Books from this era are beloved by collectors and noted for their scarcity, with Marvel Mystery Comics #4 rarely coming up for auction, There's the added attraction of Schomburg showcasing Prince Namor's early character design in the character's own first cover appearance — including light-brown hair that would eventually (briefly) become a fiery red.

From the #1 CGC Registry Set

Marvel Mystery Comics #4 contains a veritable Who’s Who of Golden Age contributors, Carl Burgos, Paul Gustavson, Al Anders, Bill Everett, Ben Thompson, and the greatly admired cover art of Alex Schomburg have all helped make a true classic of the era, a milestone WWII book. The census lists only a scant 57 copies of this issue, the first to ever display the swastika symbol on the cover, and as an important curio of the GA, is a consistently popular issue for collectors. This 3.5 copy presents at a much higher grade with a strong color palette and solid construction, a definite sleeper lot at auction.

Overstreet Guide 2022 VG- (3.5) value = $6,125.

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