FANTASTIC FOUR #162

Graded at 7.5 (VF-) on 2026-11-03, from new photos taken out of the sleeve: front, back and interior page. Top right corner rounded, and the pages round with it. Tiny white tick at the bottom left corner. Strong color and gloss on the front. Cream to tan pages.

Fantastic Four #162, cover-dated September 1975, arrived during Roy Thomas's tenure as writer with George Perez handling art chores early in his career, continuing the multi-issue "Sphinx" storyline that saw the ancient Egyptian villain gain cosmic power. The issue is a solid entry in a celebrated Silver and Bronze Age series but does not carry a first appearance, origin story, or other landmark distinction that collectors and price guides recognize as a true key.

Market activity reflects this status: certified sales are modest in volume across all grades, with only a handful of transactions recorded even at the top of the census. Demand is driven primarily by completists building runs of the title and by admirers of Perez's early Marvel work rather than by speculation on a specific character debut. Pricing climbs steeply only at the highest end of the grade curve, a pattern typical of Bronze Age Marvel issues where population at 9.6 and 9.8 remains thin relative to overall surviving copies.

This is a book that trades as a reading and run-filling copy in low-to-mid grade, commanding only modest premiums until a buyer specifically wants a high-grade certified example for a complete Fantastic Four collection. Runs assembled by series specialists and George Perez collectors represent the core buyer base, while casual buyers are better served by mid-grade raw copies given the steep dropoff in value below near-mint condition.