Marvel Studios has been churning out the hits for Disney+ one after another. So far, WandaVision, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and, most recently, Loki have all been massively successful for Marvel and Disney. That leads into the next sure-fire hit for the studio, She-Hulk.
Marvel, basically owns the patent on action-comedies over the past decade. Now, it is expanding its repertoire and venturing into the realm of legal comedy. Of course, it wouldn’t be Marvel without some action to join the Ally McBeal-esque courtroom antics. That’s where the villains come into play.
Along with Jessica Walters/She-Hulk, the series will introduce Titania and re-introduce Abomination after a 13-year absence, and rumor has it that the Wrecking Crew could antagonize Jessica as well.
That leaves several key issues for collectors to track down before She-Hulk premieres. Here is your shopping list.
MARVEL SUPER-HEROES SECRET WARS #3
Jameela Jamil has been cast as Mary McPherran, the second character to use the name Titania. She is a super-powered villain with enhanced strength that makes her a suitable match for She-Hulk.
Her origin is interesting because it involves one of the most anticipated characters in the greater MCU, Doctor Doom. As the story goes, Mary, who had pretended to be Spider-Woman, became trapped in Battleworld by the Beyonder. After being chased into a forest, Doom discovered Mary. He then conducted experiments on her, giving rise to her new form, the brutish Titania.
The current FMV of a CGC graded 9.8 is sitting at a reasonable $190. However, sales from the past five+ months are giving us insight into what collectors are thinking. The book has been climbing steadily in price. The last three sales have realized $429.99 (eBay, 7/7/21), $$549.99 (eBay, 7/4/21), and $499.99 (eBay, 6/11/21). There are currently 424 Blue Labels in the CGC census. I'll be surprised if that number doesn't begin to jump as well.
TALES TO ASTONISH #90
The internet exploded when Abomination was revealed in the second trailer for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Before that, he will be a featured character in She-Hulk and played by the original Emil Blonsky, Tim Roth, from 2008’s Incredible Hulk. With the excitement generated by the trailer, fans are sure to take notice when Roth takes the stage in either his human or CGI-monster form.
Abomination first appeared in 1967’s Tales to Astonish #90, but he would be featured on his first cover art battling the Hulk in the following issue.
DEFENDERS #17
The show-stealers for She-Hulk could be the Wrecking Crew. They have been featured many times in the animated Marvel series. Yet, the criminal team has yet to be cast for live-action. Once that changes, their key issues could become very hot in a short time.
The Wrecking Crew is led by the Wrecker, who first appeared in 1968’s Thor #148. He gained his powers when his crowbar was enchanted with Asgardian magic when he was mistaken for Loki. Fast forward to 1974 when the Wrecker’s crowbar was struck by lightning, which gave magic powers to his underlings, Thunderball, Piledriver, and Bulldozer in Defenders #17. They appeared as a team in the closing panel of the issue, and the Wrecking Crew would be in full force on the cover of Defenders #18.
There are only 5 Blue Labels in the CGC census, and only a handful more than that in 9.6 or 9.4. Given the rarity of the graded books, sales data isn't as plentiful as the others on this list. It's definitely one to keep an eye out for at auction.
