Ghost Rider
\When Marvel granted Werewolf by Night his own title after three popular appearances in Marvel Spotlight, the character given the starring role was none other than Ghost Rider. A reboot of a former western character, the new Ghost Rider was granted a flaming skull and motorcycle.
While Marvel had experienced tremendous success turning monsters into heroes (see the Hulk and the Thing), this was different. Johnny Blaze was granted his powers by none other than Satan himself, when he gives up his soul to save the life of his father.
Created by Roy Thomas, Gary Friedrich, and Mike Ploog, the character became the cornerstone of Marvel’s occult offerings. Ghost Rider’s first appearance in Marvel Spotlight #5 has proven to be a key bronze age comic. Many would easily place it in the top three of all bronze age books in terms of value and investment potential.
A June 19 sale of a 9.8 copy of Marvel Spotlight #5 – one of only four in the CGC census – made headlines when it went for $264,000 in a Heritage Auction. This jaw-dropping sale affected sales in all grades initially. For example, a 6.0 sold for $1,740 in a May 3 Heritage Auction. Two months later, that same grade sold for $2,499 on eBay. Since the end of August, however, the price has dropped back down to the mid-$1,700 to mid-$1,800 range.
Even with the price drop in the mid-grades, Marvel Spotlight #5 is clearly considered a milestone issue by most collectors. Historically, Marvel had created something new via a tweaking of their standard superhero formula, and they would use that same formula to create other characters.
Son of Satan
Introduced in Ghost Rider #1, Daimon Hellstrom would go on to star in 13 issues of Marvel Spotlight, as well as eight issues of his own series. The character proved to be initially popular, yet controversial. This, in turn, led to strong sales. However, the popularity quickly waned and Son of Satan was canceled in 1977.
Ghost Rider #1 is clearly the go-to Son of Satan issue for collectors, although it’s hard to determine whether this is due to this issue being the first appearance of the Son of Satan or the first issue in Ghost Rider’s first regular series. In any event, the current FMV for a 9.8 is $10,000 while a 6.0 is at $450. Other Son of Satan keys include Marvel Spotlight #12 (9.8 FMV - $3,700, 6.0 FMV - $65) and Son of Satan #1 (9.8 FMV - $925, 6.5 FMV - $34).
Brother Voodoo
For the most part, the character languished in obscurity after his five issues of Strange Tales until Brian Michael Bendis featured him in his Avengers run. However, what’s really driving the price for collectors is MCU rumors. Ten years ago, you could have had a 9.8 copy of Strange Tales #169 for $260. Even a year ago, you could get a 9.8 for $4,200. Now? A May 10 Heritage Auction featured a 9.8 selling for $21,600. It’s not as if this is a rare book. It will be interesting to see what happens with the price if the rumors turn out to be true or false.
Thanks for Reading
Hope you’ve enjoyed reading this series on the 1970s horror comics boom. Some great characters were created in a time when restrictions were lifted. Many of these characters have caught the eye of collectors. That's helped drive the prices for some of these bronze age classics ever higher. There are many comics that had to be skipped for purposes of brevity. What are some of your favorites not featured in this series?
