The Thunderbolts are coming to the MCU, and the movie hype is quickly filtering into the team’s key issues. Without further ado, let's dive into some of those Thunderbolts Keys and see what's worth keeping an eye on.

After years of rumors, Marvel confirmed its Thunderbolts movie is officially in development. Similar to DC’s Suicide Squad, they are a government-operated team of mostly supervillains, though lately they have been leaning more toward being the good guys. 

The announcement may be new, but Marvel fans have suspected this was the studio’s direction since The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. After Valentina Allegra De Fontaine seemingly recruited U.S. Agent John Walker to her covert team, it was apparent that the Thunderbolts were incoming. Now that the movie is on the slate, it’s sending shockwaves through the secondary market. Take a look at these three keys that are already feeling the MCU heat.

INCREDIBLE HULK #449

No surprise here. As soon as Marvel announced Thunderbolts, buyers took to eBay for the team’s first appearance. This has long been the favorite collectible, and prices soared a year ago based on rumors. Last April and May, speculators were routinely spending four figures for a graded 9.8, and it ended in a record $1,150 sale on May 6. By this past spring, the prices were falling below the $500 mark. Within an instant, the movie hype has inflated those values, reaching $700 twice on Thursday. 

THUNDERBOLTS #1 (1997)

Those first issues of a character’s initial self-titled series are hit collectibles in today’s market. The prices are generally higher for a single character’s first self-titled comic, but it is proving to be a similar case for the Thunderbolts as a team.

Thunderbolts #1 from 1997 doesn’t compete with Hulk #449 in any aspect, but the lower prices make it a prime target for investors on a budget. However, the price tags are inflating. Following the MCU news, a graded 9.8 sold for $220 after staying in the $100-$150 range since the end of April.

STRANGE TALES #159

Although Val had little to do with the Thunderbolts in the comics, she is the odds-on favorite to lead the team into the MCU. That will tie her first appearance in 1967’s Strange Tales #159 directly to those other Thunderbolts keys. She originally appeared as Nick Fury’s love interest, though she would evolve into a supervillain in her own right as Madame Hydra. Still, there’s nothing quite like that first appearance in the land of comic investing. 

With the prospect of MCU glory will come higher prices. The latest graded ST #159 to sell online is the 6.0, which earned $160 on May 13. Prior to that, it had sold for $320 in February after averaging below $100 in 2020.

SO IT BEGINS

The hype train is leaving the station, and Thunderbolts will be the hottest name in Marvel Comics in short order. Fans have been anxiously awaiting this moment, and the countdown is on for the official lineup to be revealed. That should keep the team in the social media headlines at least for a time. Of course, this is the MCU, and news grows stale in an instant. Until the next round of Marvel announcements hit the wire, get ready to be swarmed with everything Thunderbolts.

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*Any perceived investment advice is that of the freelance blogger and does not reflect advice on behalf of GoCollect.