Approximate
Condition Profile
MARVEL COMICS · 10/86 · DIRECT EDITION
UNIT ECA-019454
AVENGERS #272
Roger Stern/John Buscema-era Avengers, part of the mid-1980s build toward the Masters of Evil's assault on the Mansion
// Unit specification
| Publisher | Cover date | Era | Variant | Key attribute | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marvel Comics | October 1986 | Copper | Direct Edition | — | AVAILABLE |
// Copies in archive
| Unit | Grade | Variant | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| ECA-019454 | ~9.2 | Direct Edition | AVAILABLE |
| ECA-022062 | ~9.2 | Direct Edition | AVAILABLE |
// Run position
// Condition analysis
Cover shows sharp corners, strong glossy surface, and bright unfaded color with no visible spine stress lines or ticks. No creases, tears, or stains are apparent, and the image is crisp with strong registration. The book is in a protective sleeve which limits full assessment of edges; interior pages and back cover were not evaluated.
// Valuation — market reference
| Bracket | Grade | Est. market value | Marker |
|---|---|---|---|
| LOW_RAW | 0.5 – 1.5 | $1 | |
| MID_RAW | 4.0 – 6.0 | $5 | |
| HIGH_CERT | 9.8 SLAB | $65 |
// Archive commentary
Avengers #272 (October 1986) arrived during Roger Stern's long, well-regarded run as writer, with art by John Buscema and inks by Tom Palmer, a creative team that defined the team's Copper Age identity. The issue falls within the run-up to the celebrated "Under Siege" storyline (Avengers #273-277), in which Baron Zemo's reorganized Masters of Evil overrun Avengers Mansion, and it functions as connective tissue rather than a stand-alone landmark: there is no first appearance, death, or origin attached to this specific number.
Market data reflects that status. Certified sales are sparse across the CGC population of just 45 census copies, with fair market values trailing off sharply below the 9.0 range and only a small cluster of 9.6-9.8 transactions establishing the top end near the mid-$60s. This is a book bought primarily by Avengers Copper Age completists and Stern/Buscema run readers rather than speculators, and pricing behaves accordingly: modest premiums for high-grade slabs, negligible value in the mid- and low-grade tiers where raw copies are essentially bulk-bin material.
Collecting demand centers on series runs rather than single-issue speculation; buyers are typically assembling the full Under Siege lead-in or a complete Stern-era Avengers set. Nine and mid-grade copies see occasional interest from grade-chasing census watchers, but the book carries no independent key status to sustain price growth on its own, and raw copies in low-to-mid grade trade for little beyond nominal back-issue-bin pricing.
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