Giant-Size X-Men #1 has reached the ridiculous value phase. When even the low grades are edging into the $1k range, things have gotten crazy.

Since last year, GSX #1 has become increasingly hotter, but the past 90 days have seen exceptional numbers. From the 9.8 down to the 0.5, every grade that has sold in that span has earned an impressive fair market value. The near-mint plus 9.8 set a new record high when one sold for $13,500 in April.

Since most of us don’t have nearly $14k lying around, let’s look closer at the 6.0, which has been the best seller since February. Out of the 15 that have changed hands in the last 90 days, 11 have sold for over $1,000. Prior to this year, it had never sold for more than $978.

The low grades tell the real story of GSX #1. An incomplete 0.5 recently sold for $300, and a 2.5 brought $540 in March. Even more impressive is the 3.0. After setting a new record high of $578 last year, it’s shattered that with an April sale of $685 followed by an astounding $825 sale on May 8. Just one grade higher, the 3.5 brought nearly $1,200 on April 22.

If it tells you anything about this comic’s popularity, even the 2017 True Believers Giant-Size X-Men #1 has been selling well. So far this year, the 9.8 has sold 13 times for as much as $50.  

It’s not surprising that collectors are seeking out any grade of GSX #1 they can find; that issue has been a holy grail for many fans. In fact, there are X-fans, myself included, who rank this comic above even X-Men #1. If it wasn’t for GSX #1, the X-Men franchise wouldn’t have made it into the bronze age and beyond.

As I’ve written before, I see this as the first appearance of the true X-Men. Back in the silver age, X-Men books simply weren’t selling. Beginning with X-Men #67, old issues were being reprinted with new numbers instead of Marvel putting the manpower into creating new stories.

The team was completely re-imagined for the 1970s, evolving from a discount Fantastic Four to a comic whose popularity would eventually overtake the FF. It helped tremendously when Len Wein decided to add Wolverine into the mix, and the intrigue over his second full appearance after Incredible Hulk #181 helped garner fan interest.

Now that the film and television rights for the X-Men franchise is with Disney/Marvel Studios, the anticipation for them to join the MCU grows by the day. Of course, there’s going to be plenty of time for the eagerness to build considering that Kevin Feige had said that it could be five years before the X-Men enter the MCU. Still, the internet keeps churning out the rumors despite Feige’s statement. The latest whispers claim that Charlie Hunnam, the star of Sons of Anarchy and Pacific Rim, is in talks to portray Wolverine. I don’t put much stock into that report since Feige has made it clear that he’s not rushing to put any of the X-Men on screen just yet. However, I can picture him as Logan, even if he is a bit taller than the comic version of the character.

All of this is driving the market for the X-Men keys, and this is arguably the biggest one of them all because GSX #1 is the team people actually cared about. The more rumors we get about the X-Men, especially Wolverine, the more expensive this issue gets. It also helps matters that Marvel is trying again to revive the comic version as Jonathan Hickman’s new run is introducing new titles. By next year, what will the prices be?