First appearance

Iron Man's first appearance: Tales of Suspense #39

Iron Man first appeared in Tales of Suspense #39, cover dated March 1963, published by Marvel and created by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, Don Heck and Jack Kirby.

Why it matters

Tony Stark's debut and origin, building his first bulky gray armor to escape captivity. The films made Iron Man one of the best-known heroes in the world, and this is one of the top Silver Age Marvel keys.

Related key issues

• Tales of Suspense #40 (April 1963), the first appearance of the gold armor.
• Iron Man #1 (May 1968), the start of his own series.

Before you buy or sell, check

• Reprints and facsimile editions exist. An original has a 12-cent cover price.
• Check the cover for detached staples and color touch-ups, which are common on this issue.

Then look up what copies in similar condition actually sold for. Prices for keys like this move with grade and with news about the character, so a recent sale tells you far more than a printed guide. Our guides on the grading scale and spotting reprints help you compare like with like.

More first appearances

• Black Widow: Tales of Suspense #52 (April 1964)
• Thanos: Iron Man #55 (February 1973)
• Black Panther: Fantastic Four #52 (July 1966)
• Spider-Man: Amazing Fantasy #15 (August 1962)
• Wolverine: The Incredible Hulk #181 (November 1974)

Questions