IRON MAN #164

Cover shows strong gloss and sharp corners with no visible creasing or color breaks. Spine appears tight with no stress lines visible in this photo. Book is in a protective sleeve with some glare obscuring fine detail; interior and back cover were not assessed. Minor handling wear cannot be ruled out due to plastic sleeve reflections.

Iron Man #164 (November 1983) arrived during Denny O'Neil's run as writer, with art by Luke McDonnell, and wraps up a crossover-style clash pitting Tony Stark against Doctor Spectrum, the Power Prism-wielding adversary borrowed from the Squadron Supreme corner of Marvel's cosmic-villain roster. The issue is notable chiefly for depicting Rokk taking up the Power Prism as its new host, a minor but trackable footnote in the artifact's long publication history rather than a true first appearance of a major character.

Market data shows a shallow price curve across the certified grade spectrum, with sales at 7.0, 9.2, 9.4, and 9.6 all clustering within a narrow band before a modest step up at 9.8. This pattern is typical of a well-distributed direct-market Bronze Age issue that was never scarce and carries no major first-appearance premium; demand is driven almost entirely by Iron Man completists and Squadron Supreme/Doctor Spectrum specialists rather than broad speculative interest. The recent softening from the trailing one-year average to current FMV at the top grade suggests the book has settled into a stable, unspectacular price plateau.

This is a title for run-builders and dedicated Iron Man or Squadron Supreme collectors rather than investors chasing key issues. Low- and mid-grade raw copies move steadily and cheaply through back-issue bins and online lots, while CGC 9.8 examples command a real but modest premium reflecting the difficulty of finding pristine copies of an ordinary early-1980s direct-edition comic rather than any inherent character or creator significance.