Approximate
Condition Profile
MARVEL COMICS · 10/77 · NEWSSTAND
UNIT ECA-009102
GODZILLA #3
Champions guest appearance as Godzilla rampages through San Francisco, by Doug Moench and Herb Trimpe
// Unit specification
| Publisher | Cover date | Era | Variant | Key attribute | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marvel Comics | October 1977 | Bronze | Newsstand | — | AVAILABLE |
// Run position
// Condition analysis
Cover shows strong gloss and vibrant color with sharp corners and no visible creases or spine stress. Slight edge wear is possible at the extreme corners but not clearly visible in this image; the barcode box and UPC are intact and clean. The book is protected in a plastic sleeve which slightly obscures fine surface detail. Interior and back cover were not assessed.
// Valuation — market reference
| Bracket | Grade | Est. market value | Marker |
|---|---|---|---|
| LOW_RAW | 0.5 – 1.5 | $3 | |
| MID_RAW | 4.0 – 6.0 | $8 | |
| HIGH_CERT | 9.8 SLAB | $180 |
// Archive commentary
Godzilla #3 continues Marvel's licensed kaiju series with writer Doug Moench and penciler Herb Trimpe sending the title monster through San Francisco, where he crosses paths with the Champions (Angel, Black Widow, Hercules, Iceman, and Iron Man) alongside S.H.I.E.L.D. regulars Dum Dum Dugan, Gabriel Jones, and Jimmy Woo. The crossover format was a hallmark of the series, tying Godzilla into the mainstream Marvel Universe through team-ups rather than isolated monster stories, and Trimpe's cover captures the scale contrast between the creature and the heroes that made these issues appealing to younger readers at the newsstand.
The book trades as a common Bronze Age title with a large certified population, over 180 CGC Universal copies recorded, and sales activity concentrated in the mid-to-high grade tiers. Pricing is essentially flat from grade 7 through 8.5, then climbs sharply from 9.2 upward, with the 9.6 and 9.8 tiers showing the clearest gap and the most recent sales activity. This pattern reflects a book with ample raw supply and modest intrinsic demand, where value is driven almost entirely by the premium collectors will pay for top-census condition rather than by character or story significance.
Collecting interest centers on Godzilla franchise completists and Champions team-up collectors rather than key-issue speculators, since the issue carries no first appearance or landmark creative milestone. Raw copies in low and mid grade remain inexpensive and readily available, appealing mainly to readers assembling a run, while the meaningful money is in near-mint to gem-mint certified slabs, where a thin population of true 9.8s commands a steep premium over everything below it.
// Copies in archive
| Unit | Grade | Variant | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| ECA-009102 | ~9.0 | Newsstand | AVAILABLE |
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