Every Friday we track the week’s biggest gainers and losers among key issues, anchored to what buyers actually paid on eBay — completed sales only, not asking prices. It’s a keys-only board, and every move below is backed by multiple solds. With that filter in place, this week delivered a clean split: Silver/Bronze keys surged where character-firsts and franchise tentpoles intersected, while several long-running spec favorites cooled off after recent heat.
Top Gainers
| Title | Issue | Publisher | Current | Prev | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Mighty Thor (1966) | No. 137 | Marvel | $70 | $20 | +$50 / +250% |
| Strange Tales (1951) | No. 178 | Marvel | $80 | $40 | +$40 / +100% |
| The Uncanny X-Men (1978) | No. 136 | Marvel | $70 | $35 | +$35 / +100% |
| The Amazing Spider-Man (1963) | No. 365 | Marvel | $35 | $10 | +$25 / +250% |
| 1st Issue Special (1975) | No. 8 | DC Comics | $50 | $25 | +$25 / +100% |
| Batman (2011) | No. 1 | DC Comics | $75 | $50 | +$25 / +50% |
| Batman (2011) | No. 2 (Variant Cover) | DC Comics | $20 | $5 | +$15 / +300% |
| Marvel Super-Heroes Secret Wars (1984) | No. 6 | Marvel | $20 | $10 | +$10 / +100% |
| Batman (2011) | No. 1 (Variant Cover) | DC Comics | $25 | $15 | +$10 / +66.67% |
| The Amazing Spider-Man (1963) | No. 795 | Marvel | $15 | $10 | +$5 / +50% |
The Mighty Thor (1966) No. 137 — Marvel moved to $70, up +$50 / +250% on 3 recorded sales. The median at $67.50 corroborates the step-up, suggesting broad bids rather than a one-off outlier on Ulik’s first. Strange Tales (1951) No. 178 — Marvel doubled to $80, +$40 / +100% on 3 recorded sales; the $80 median matches the comp, and the cosmic cult of Warlock’s foes reportedly has renewed chatter behind the scenes.
The Uncanny X-Men (1978) No. 136 — Marvel climbed to $70, +$35 / +100% across 9 recorded sales, making it the week’s most liquid gainer; note the $59.99 median trails the new comp, a classic sign of buyers stretching for sharper copies. The Amazing Spider-Man (1963) No. 365 — Marvel printed $35, +$25 / +250% on 7 recorded sales, with a $34.99 median neatly confirming demand for Miguel O’Hara’s first; the move appears to be driven by speculator activity rotating back into 90s keys.
DC’s deep cut 1st Issue Special (1975) No. 8 — DC Comics hit $50, +$25 / +100% on 4 recorded sales; the $42.72 median sits below the comp, hinting condition or timing mattered on the highs as Warlord’s first picks up interest. Batman (2011) No. 1 — DC Comics advanced to $75, +$25 / +50% on 3 recorded sales with a $74 median, while Batman (2011) No. 2 (Variant Cover) — DC Comics jumped to $20, +$15 / +300% on 3 recorded sales and a $20 median. Court-of-Owls era keys reportedly remain on short lists for future adaptations, but even without news, New 52 nostalgia is doing some work.
On the Marvel event side, Marvel Super-Heroes Secret Wars (1984) No. 6 — Marvel added $10 to $20, +100% on 4 recorded sales; the $18.04 median is just under the new comp. The Batman (2011) No. 1 (Variant Cover) — DC Comics tracked to $25, +$10 / +66.67% on 3 recorded sales with a $25 median, reinforcing the across-the-board lift in early Snyder/Capullo variants. Rounding out the board, The Amazing Spider-Man (1963) No. 795 — Marvel ticked up to $15, +$5 / +50% on 3 recorded sales; its $14.75 median aligns, and the move appears to be driven by speculator activity around Red Goblin’s cameo.
Top Losers
| Title | Issue | Publisher | Current | Prev | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amazing Adventures (1970) | No. 11 | Marvel | $35 | $115 | -$80 / -69.57% |
| Black Panther (1977) | No. 1 | Marvel | $45 | $80 | -$35 / -43.75% |
| Nova (1976) | No. 1 | Marvel | $45 | $75 | -$30 / -40% |
| Booster Gold (1986) | No. 1 | DC Comics | $20 | $45 | -$25 / -55.56% |
| Marvel Super-Heroes Secret Wars (1984) | No. 7 | Marvel | $10 | $25 | -$15 / -60% |
Amazing Adventures (1970) No. 11 — Marvel retraced hard to $35, -$80 / -69.57% on 3 recorded sales. Despite that drop, its $95 median shows healthier typical closes than the new comp, suggesting the fall may be more air-pocket than trend. Black Panther (1977) No. 1 — Marvel eased to $45, -$35 / -43.75% on 5 recorded sales with a $44.98 median, and Nova (1976) No. 1 — Marvel slipped to $45, -$30 / -40% on 5 recorded sales with a $45.35 median. Both moves appear to reflect cooling speculator demand after prior run-ups.
DC’s Booster Gold (1986) No. 1 — DC Comics came off to $20, -$25 / -55.56% on 5 recorded sales, the $21.14 median sitting close to that level as DCU-related speculation appears to be fading. Finally, Marvel Super-Heroes Secret Wars (1984) No. 7 — Marvel fell to $10, -$15 / -60% on 5 recorded sales; notably, its $15 median still stands above the new comp, which could set up a mean-reversion bounce, especially with its paired cameo in No. 6 moving the other way this week.
On Our Radar
Marvel Super-Heroes Secret Wars (1984) No. 7 — Marvel is worth watching next week. It closed at $10 this round, -$15 / -60% on 5 recorded sales, yet carried a $15 median and sits opposite a strengthening No. 6. If the cameo/full dynamic rebalances, this one could tighten back toward the median.
What This Means For Collectors
Key-issue money is getting choosier, but not shy: character-firsts with storyline relevance and franchise adjacency continue to command quick premiums when a few determined buyers show up. At the same time, long-favored debuts and Bronze Age anchors are seeing sharper givebacks when momentum cools, with medians offering a better compass than a single low comp.
If you’re chasing heat, confirm that medians support the current ask and mind volume — this week’s leaders moved on 3–9 recorded sales each. If you’re buying the dip, look for losers where the median still sits well above the newest comp.