FANTASTIC FOUR #26

Graded at 4.0 (VG) on 2026-10-30, from new photos taken out of the sleeve: front, back and interior page. Ink flaking off the upper-left corner box over the Thing's face and the top line of type. Small tear and chips at the upper right corner of the back, with rubbing and gray soiling there. Rust stain spreading from a staple onto the pages. Ragged top edges and blunted corners. Cream to tan pages.

Fantastic Four #26 closes the two-part battle begun in issue #25, pitting the Thing against the Hulk in a brawl that levels much of Manhattan before the Avengers intervene to bring the rampage to an end. Written by Stan Lee and drawn by Jack Kirby, the issue is part of Marvel's early experiments in shared-universe continuity, folding the Avengers roster (Iron Man, Thor, Giant-Man, and the Wasp) directly into the Fantastic Four's title and including a brief Spider-Man cameo tying into his own book's concurrent Hulk storyline. The issue stands as one of the more heavily cross-referenced Silver Age Marvel comics, prized for its dense guest-star lineup and the conclusion of a fight sequence widely reprinted in retrospectives of Kirby's action staging.

Demand tracks the broader Silver Age Marvel market, with pricing driven primarily by Kirby cover and art quality rather than a single definitive first appearance. The FMV curve shows a gradual mid-grade market (roughly $100-$500 across VG to VF) before accelerating sharply above NM, where certified population thins and premiums compound quickly — a pattern typical of crossover-heavy issues that draw both Fantastic Four and Avengers collectors into competition for top copies. Sales activity across the certified census remains active and consistent, indicating steady rather than speculative demand.

The book trades as a solid mid-tier Silver Age Marvel: affordable in low and mid grades for readers and run-builders, but commanding a real premium at the top of the census where Avengers crossover appeal, Kirby art, and condition scarcity intersect. Entry-level collectors typically acquire it as part of assembling a complete Lee-Kirby Fantastic Four run, while high-grade specialists chase it for its guest-star significance and cover composition rather than any landmark first appearance.