First appearance

Venom's first appearance: The Amazing Spider-Man #300

Venom first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #300, cover dated May 1988, published by Marvel and created by David Michelinie and Todd McFarlane.

Why it matters

Eddie Brock's first full appearance as Venom, in an anniversary issue drawn by Todd McFarlane. It's one of the most popular Copper Age keys, and demand rises with every Venom film.

Related key issues

• The Amazing Spider-Man #299 (April 1988), a cameo on the final page.
• The Amazing Spider-Man #252 (May 1984) and Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #8 (December 1984), the black costume's first appearance and origin.

Before you buy or sell, check

• Newsstand (with a UPC barcode) and direct edition (with the Spider-Man head in the barcode box) copies both exist. Collectors often pay more for newsstand.
• Facsimile editions exist and carry a modern price and markings.

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

• Spider-Man: Amazing Fantasy #15 (August 1962)
• Carnage: The Amazing Spider-Man #361 (April 1992)
• Miles Morales: Ultimate Comics Fallout #4 (October 2011)
• Wolverine: The Incredible Hulk #181 (November 1974)
• Deadpool: The New Mutants #98 (February 1991)

Questions