Strange Tales #178
This is one of the most significant Marvel cosmic books out there. First off, it features the first appearance of the Magus, the evil future version of Adam Warlock. The Magus, and the fear of Warlock one day turning into him, would come to define many Warlock stories for decades. Much the same is true for the Matriarch and the Universal Church of Truth, who both make their respective first appearances in this issue as well. With Warlock now confirmed for the MCU, it only feels like a matter of time before the Magus and the Church show up as well.
Graded Analysis: This book experienced several years of explosive value growth, especially in grades 9.6 and 9.8. Some of those gains were tempered lately by inflationary and recessionary concerns, but it still speaks to the potential of the book. Prices for this book are lower now than they have been in a long time, meaning now is a great time to strike.
Thor #165
There are a lot of different books that could qualify for Warlock's first appearance (he had a lot of "cameos"), but Thor #165 seems to be where most of the market has settled.
Graded Analysis: This is a Silver Age Thor book created by Stan Lee, Artie Simek, and Jack Kirby, so it definitely does not come cheap. The FMV does not reach below $1,000 until grade 7.5. Values have been generally declining of late, but are still way above where they were 5 years prior. It is unknown, however, how much of that growth was fueled by MCU speculation and, therefore, how likely that growth is to continue.
Thor #165 is a high-risk proposition with a lot of factors in play. With so many of the MCU Cosmic's biggest players set to depart soon, there could certainly be an opening for Warlock to make a big impression on audiences and/or take a more central role in the MCU. Given how high the buy-in cost is on this one, I am not personally comfortable betting on that. Those who paid a premium for this book may want to consider selling now. Otherwise, they face the risk that the character does not really pop in the MCU and the book's FMV declines into the red.
Marvel Premiere #1
There is a lot to love here from a speculation and investing perspective. Up until this book was published, the character went by "Him" and had a fairly generic look. Then, in the pages of Marvel Premiere #1, "Him" was reborn as "Warlock" (the "Adam" part was in the next issue). Part of that rebirth was a radical change in design that would become iconic for the character. All of this, combined with the striking cover, makes this book one of the most important in Warlock's publication history.
Graded Analysis: This book has experienced over 100% growth in the last 5 to 10 years in nearly every single grade. In some cases, it is over 400%. This book has been a consistently phenomenal investment and the only real question mark is the MCU of it all. As with many silver and bronze age books, CGC 9.8 copies go for a significant premium. As of this writing, the FMV of a 9.8 copy of Marvel Premiere #1 is $19,000. Meanwhile, the FMV of 9.6 is $1,650.
