FANTASTIC FOUR #245

Graded at 9.0 (VF/NM) on 2026-11-03, from new photos taken out of the sleeve: front and back. Corners sharp on all four sides. Spine clean with no color-breaking ticks. Covers flat and glossy with no creases. G.I. Joe form on the back uncut and unfilled.

Fantastic Four #245 (August 1982) arrived during John Byrne's celebrated run as writer-artist on the title, a stretch widely regarded as one of the most influential creative tenures in the book's history. This issue continues the escalating conflict introduced with Terrax the Tamer, one of Galactus's rebellious former heralds, setting the stage for the larger "Trial of Galactus" arc that would culminate later in Byrne's run. While not a first appearance or origin issue, it represents a solid entry in a creative period that reshaped the team's mythology and elevated the title's storytelling ambitions.

Market data shows a book whose demand is concentrated almost entirely at the top of the grading scale. A deep certified population of nearly 490 copies and a large sales sample at CGC 9.8 reflect steady, ongoing collector interest in assembling complete high-grade Byrne-era runs, with values falling off sharply as grade declines. Mid- and low-grade copies see little dedicated sales activity, indicating that collectors chasing this specific issue are almost exclusively pursuing pristine, investment-grade slabs rather than reading or filler copies.

This is a run-completion book rather than a standalone key, appealing chiefly to Fantastic Four and John Byrne completists building out full sets from this acclaimed stretch of issues. Raw copies in low and mid grades trade as inexpensive commons, typically bought in bulk lots or as placeholders, while CGC 9.8 examples command a real premium driven by relative scarcity at the top of the census and consistent registry-set demand. Long-term value is tied closely to continued appreciation for the Byrne FF era rather than to any singular event within this issue itself.