Even though most people panned the theatrical release of Justice League, many fans were thrilled to see Darkseid appear in the trailer for Zack Snyder's Justice League. Since Darkseid appeared in the trailer, sales volume for Darkseid's keys picked up substantially. Fortunately, there are still some good great deals out there, including Darkseid's first full appearance in Forever People #1.

In some situations, the difference between a cameo and a first full appearance is quite clear; however, sometimes the line can be blurry. This rule is critical for investors since, as we all know, first full appearances are usually more valuable than cameo appearances. Let's discuss cameos vs. first appearances as they apply to Darkseid.

Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen #134: Darkseid's First Cameo Appearance

Darkseid First CameoGoCollect recently changed its description of Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen #134; it now states SPJO #134 contains Darkseid's "1st appearance of Darkseid in cameo on last page." This change makes sense since, on the very last page of this issue, you see only Darkseid's face on a television monitor. That's it. To me, that's even less of an appearance than Wolverine's cameo in Incredible Hulk #180 or Venom's cameo in Amazing Spider-Man #299.

And yet the market highly favors this book. According to GoCollect, the FMV for a CGC 9.8 copy of SPJO #134 is $11,000. $11,000 is a lot of money for: (1) a mere cameo appearance; (2) a character that may never appear on the big screen and is associated with a failed movie franchise; and (3) a villain (it's generally better to invest in heroes than villains).

Nonetheless, in spite of these headwinds, the value of this comic has risen substantially over the past three years. For example, during the past three years, sellers on eBay have sold 43 CGC 6.5 copies of this book. During those three years, the value of the book rose by nearly 38%.

Forever People #1: The First Full Appearance of Darkseid?

After another brief cameo in Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen #135 (he appears on two panels on a video screen on the final page of this issue), Darkseid makes his first full appearance in Forever People #1. This book has a lot more going for it besides the first full appearance of Darkseid, including the first appearances of Beautiful Dreamer, Mark Moonrider, Serifan, Big Bear, Vykin the Black, Infinity-Man, and the first mention of the Mother Boxes, the MacGuffins that drive the story in the Justice League film.

Like SPJO #134, this book has also risen in value over the past three years but is much more affordable. Specifically, the FMV of a CGC 9.8 copy of SPJO #134 is more than four times the FMV of FP #1. According to the CGC Census, CGC 9.8 copies of SPJO #134 are more rare, but CGC 9.8 copies of FP #1 are also hard to find (CGC has only graded 56 of these). You can purchase a raw, high-grade copy of this book for around $175 on eBay.

If the Justice League franchise does recover, I personally think FP #1 is a great buy. Most investors are focused on the MCU right now and DC's brand is hurting. Even if DC films don't recover, Darkseid is still an iconic villain comparable to Magneto, Dr. Doom, or the Joker.

What do you think? Do you think the market may have misfired on SPJO #134? Tell us in the comments below!

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