Approximate
Condition Profile
MARVEL COMICS · 3/86 · DIRECT EDITION
UNIT ECA-019389
AVENGERS #265
Roger Stern and John Buscema's Avengers face the Olympus Group in a mid-1980s team storyline
// Unit specification
| Publisher | Cover date | Era | Variant | Key attribute | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marvel Comics | March 1986 | Copper | Direct Edition | — | AVAILABLE |
// Copies in archive
| Unit | Grade | Variant | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| ECA-018897 | ~9.2 | Direct Edition | AVAILABLE |
| ECA-019405 | ~9.2 | Direct Edition | AVAILABLE |
| ECA-019428 | ~9.2 | Direct Edition | AVAILABLE |
| ECA-019389 | ~9.0 | Direct Edition | AVAILABLE |
| ECA-022076 | ~9.0 | Direct Edition | AVAILABLE |
| ECA-019303 | ~8.0 | Direct Edition | AVAILABLE |
// Run position
// Condition analysis
Cover shows strong gloss and sharp corners with no visible creases or color breaks; spine appears tight with only the faintest hint of stress at the top. Minor edge wear is visible at the lower right corner tip. The book is in a protective sleeve, and only the front cover was assessed—interior pages and back cover condition are unknown.
// Valuation — market reference
| Bracket | Grade | Est. market value | Marker |
|---|---|---|---|
| LOW_RAW | 0.5 – 1.5 | $2 | |
| MID_RAW | 4.0 – 6.0 | $5 | |
| HIGH_CERT | 9.8 SLAB | $36 |
// Archive commentary
Avengers #265 (March 1986) arrived during Roger Stern's long, well-regarded run as the title's writer, with art by John Buscema and inks by Tom Palmer. The issue is part of the multi-chapter "Assault on Olympus" arc, in which the team's lineup of the period – including Captain America, Hercules, She-Hulk, Captain Marvel (Monica Rambeau), Black Knight, Vision, and Scarlet Witch – contends with Zeus and the Olympus Group. It is a representative example of Stern and Buscema's meticulous, character-driven approach to the team book during a stretch widely admired by longtime Avengers readers, but the issue itself introduces no new characters and carries no first appearance, death, or other landmark event.
Market data reflects a book valued primarily as a mid-run Copper Age issue rather than a key. Certified sales top out modestly, with even the strongest 9.6 and 9.8 copies trading in the $30-$36 range and mid-grade certified copies well below that; the small census size (67-68 total graded) indicates limited collector demand for pursuing high-grade slabs of this specific issue, in line with its status as connective-tissue storytelling within a longer arc rather than a stand-alone attraction.
This is a book for Avengers series completists and Stern/Buscema-run readers rather than key-issue investors. Raw copies move at bulk or near-bulk prices regardless of grade band, since demand is driven by series-building rather than any single hallmark moment, while certified 9.6-9.8 slabs see modest premiums from condition-sensitive collectors rounding out a run. Expect steady, low-volume trading rather than speculative price movement.
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