FANTASTIC FOUR #265

Graded at 9.0 (VF/NM) on 2026-11-04, from new photos taken out of the sleeve: front and back. Cover clean and glossy with no color-breaking ticks along the spine. Corners sharp. Thin pale line along the upper right edge of the front. Back cover clean.

Fantastic Four #265 (April 1984) arrives at the midpoint of John Byrne's influential run as writer, penciler, and inker on the title, a stretch widely regarded as one of the most creatively cohesive periods in the book's history. The issue is best known for a significant roster shift: following the events of the concurrent Secret Wars, the Thing elects to remain behind on Battleworld, and Jennifer Walters, the She-Hulk, is brought in as his replacement, officially joining the Fantastic Four as a full member. It marks a rare and memorable lineup change for one of Marvel's flagship teams, executed with Byrne's characteristic attention to character dynamics and visual storytelling.

The market data reflects a book with a large certified population, over 300 CGC Universal copies on census, and correspondingly modest baseline values across most grades, with sales thin to nonexistent in the low and mid-grade tiers. Demand concentrates at the top of the grade spectrum, where the recent uptick in 90-day pricing well above the standing FMV points to renewed collector interest, plausibly connected to She-Hulk's increased visibility in film and streaming media over the past several years. This pattern, common commons at the bottom, sharp premiums at 9.8, is typical of well-preserved 1980s direct-market issues where high-grade survival is common but true gem copies remain a small fraction of the census.

Collecting interest in this issue comes from two overlapping bases: completists pursuing Byrne's acclaimed Fantastic Four run, and the broader and growing pool of She-Hulk collectors drawn to her team-roster milestones rather than her original 1980 debut. Raw copies in low and mid grades are inexpensive and plentiful, making the book an accessible entry point, while CGC 9.8 examples command a real premium and appear to be trending upward as demand outpaces the still-limited top-grade supply. It is a book that trades modestly in bulk but rewards patience and grade-chasing at the high end.