Bad movies can destroy a key issue’s value, and Fantastic Four #45 is still reeling from the deplorable Inhumans adaptation. Some grades have lost more than 25% of their 2017 values since October, and they’re not done falling.

A few weeks ago in "Dark Phoenix is Going to Kill the Value of X-Men #101," I advised steering clear of X-Men #101 until after Dark Phoenix crashes and burns at the box office. Nothing about that movie looks like anything short of a catastrophe, and it will topple X-Men #101 values along with it. What’s fascinating is that people still argue that movies and television don’t negatively impact the prices of key issues. My friends, this cautionary tale is for you.

It’s been over a year since the Inhumans debuted on ABC, and the team’s first appearance in FF #45 has yet to bottom out. At this point, all indications are that it will continue to plummet well into 2019. Even after the values plateau, it could be years before the prices show any signs of life.

FF #45 peaked in 2017 before the show’s premiere that September. Up to that point, averages were up and the first two appearances of the Inhumans were at a premium and sales were red hot. Then came the first episode of the show, and collectors everywhere abandoned ship. That vessel has continued to sink for sixteen months and counting.

The fair market values have been particularly brutal over the past 90 days. Of the 12 universal grades that have traded hands on eBay in that span, nine have dropped compared to the 12-month average. One of the more impressive falls has been the 7.5. It’s lost $79 in fair market value, slipping from an average of $528 in 2018 to $449 since October. Even worse, that 7.5 had an FMV of $682 in 2017, which has it currently losing $233.

The lower grades aren’t safe, either. In 2017, the 3.5 had an FMV of $183. At the moment, it’s averaging just $106.

At least three grades have been making gains, right? Take that tidbit with a grain of salt. Those grades that have increased in the last 90 days - the 7.0, 5.0, and 4.5 - are still well below their 2017 averages. The 7.0, which had averaged $566 in 2017, is only $454 at the moment. Then there’s the 5.0 that is up to a $215 90-day fair market value. That sounds good until you compare it with the 2017 FMV of $258. Finally, there is the 4.5. Two years ago, it was averaging $238. Although it is up $10 compared to 2018, it still has a fair market value below $200.

Fans of X-Men #101 will want to take note of this huge drop. If it can happen to the Inhumans, then Dark Phoenix has the potential to be so bad that it will kill the Phoenix keys’ values. At the moment, those keys are spiking, but in a few months, things will change. On the bright side, that will mean the prices will come back to Earth as did those FF #45s.

It may be tempting to invest in the Inhuman keys now that the prices are down with the hope that Marvel will try their hand at another project with Black Bolt and the family. As a collector and fan, now is a great time to buy, certainly, but from an investment standpoint, that's a bad idea. Now that Marvel has the rights to the X-Men, they're going to get the exposure in film, television, and comics. Let's face the truth: the only reason there was the Inhumans had their push in the first place was because Marvel couldn't use mutants at that time. Now that rights are no longer an issue, the Inhumans will be on the back burner for years.