After a down year in 2017, all things X-Men (at least the classic issues) have been on the way up, and it's fitting that the early Chris Claremont issues are getting a boost, particularly those in the #94-100 range.
Back in the 1960s, the X-Men were barely staying afloat. Stan Lee and Jack Kirby collaborated on the original team, but it was not exactly their finest creation. Many critics of the time felt the X-Men were simply a variation on the Fantastic Four. For those initial years, the series was routinely on hiatus and on the verge of getting the publisher's axe. Then came Incredible Hulk #181 and Wolverine. The introduction of Wolverine and his instant popularity helped usher him from a Hulk villain into an anti-hero on a team in need of a makeover. With Giant-Size X-Men #1, Wolverine, Storm, Colossus, Nightcrawler, and Thunderbird were added to the team, and it was an immediate success.
Beginning with X-Men #94, Chris Claremont took over writing duties for the title, and the new lineup won over fans. By the 1980s, the X-Men were the premiere team in comics.
As an investor, you can't go wrong with putting your money into the early issues of the Claremont run, especially now that everyone is getting excited about their impending arrival in the MCU. For this article, I didn't include X-Men #101 because there's too much to say about it in this article. I'll give you an update on the Phoenix keys in the coming weeks.
X-MEN #94
Business is good when it comes to this key issue. The first of the Claremont-penned issues, this is truly where the new team gained traction with fans. Fair market values are up for most grades, particularly in the past 90 days. Even a lowly 2.0 is averaging $125, and a 4.5 recently sold for $249. As for the higher grades, a 7.5 has an FMV over $400, while a 9.0 sold for $1,000 on November 13.
Poor Thunderbird, we hardly knew ye.
In just his third appearance, the overtly-stereotypical Thunderbird met his doom in this issue. Not that we would miss him too much; Warpath, in his early days, looked exactly like him.
This isn't a major key in itself, aside from it being the fourth appearance of Wolverine, but it looks nice in a collection of those early Claremont comics. The numbers are all over the place when it comes to the FMV. Still, a 9.2 is averaging $250, and a 6.0 set a new record high when it sold for $76 earlier this year.
Everything about the cover of X-Men #98 epitomizes classic X-Men artwork, and it's one of my favorite Dave Cockrum pieces. There's so much action in this one cover. We've got the Sentinels appearing massive and unstoppable against the new team as Colossus is batted away with seeming ease.
From an investment standpoint, it's been paying off recently. Over the past 90 days, six of the nine different grades sold have been on the rise. The 9.8, 9.6, and 9.4 have all experienced drops, true, but everything from a 9.2 and below have gotten a boost in the last three months. In fact, that 9.2 brought $160 in its most recent sale.
If it wasn't for Len Wein, Cockrum, and Claremont, the X-Men likely wouldn't have made it to issue #100. Considering that, this is certainly a hallmark issue for the title with a lasting image on the cover. Don't forget that not only are we teased with the "old team versus the new team," but this comic also gives readers the beginning of the Phoenix origin. That connection to the Dark Phoenix Saga is definitely helping sales of X-Men #100. Almost all of the 90-day averages are up, and even the 5.0 is bringing more than $50 at the moment.
