Approximate
Condition Profile
MARVEL COMICS · 7/87 · DIRECT EDITION
UNIT ECA-002268
IRON MAN #220
Late-1980s Iron Man team-up issue from the David Michelinie/Bob Layton creative stretch
// Unit specification
| Publisher | Cover date | Era | Variant | Key attribute | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marvel Comics | July 1987 | Copper | Direct Edition | — | AVAILABLE |
// Run position
// Condition analysis
Cover shows strong gloss and vivid color with sharp, well-defined corners and no visible creases or color breaks. Spine appears tight with no visible stress lines or ticks in this image. Minor edge wear cannot be ruled out due to the protective sleeve and lighting, and the interior/back cover were not assessed.
// Valuation — market reference
| Bracket | Grade | Est. market value | Marker |
|---|---|---|---|
| LOW_RAW | 0.5 – 1.5 | $1 | |
| MID_RAW | 4.0 – 6.0 | $4 | |
| HIGH_CERT | 9.8 SLAB | $80 |
// Archive commentary
Iron Man #220 arrived in mid-1987 as part of the title's long Copper Age run under Marvel's ongoing creative stewardship of the character following the acclaimed Michelinie/Layton/Romita Jr. era. By this point in the series, Tony Stark's adventures had settled into the dependable rhythms of a well-established superhero title, with rotating creative contributions and standard-format storytelling typical of Marvel's mid-1980s output. The issue does not carry a first appearance, origin story, or other landmark event that price guides or collector consensus have singled out as historically pivotal.
Market data reflects this standing: certified sales are sparse across nearly every grade, with only a handful of transactions recorded at the top of the census and single-sale data points scattered through the mid and lower grades. The FMV curve is heavily weighted toward the 9.6 and 9.8 tiers, where a modest population of high-grade submissions commands prices in the tens of dollars rather than the hundreds, consistent with a common, high-print-run Copper Age book. Demand is driven almost entirely by series completists and Iron Man run-builders rather than by speculative or key-issue buyers.
This issue is best understood as a filler or run-completion book rather than an investment-grade asset. Raw copies in low and mid grades trade for a few dollars at most, reflecting minimal scarcity and negligible aftermarket competition, while even a pristine CGC 9.8 slab tops out well below the values seen on genuine keys of the era. Collectors assembling a complete run of Iron Man's Copper Age issues, or seeking affordable Michelinie-era material, represent the primary buyer pool, and this book should be priced and marketed accordingly as an accessible, low-cost addition to a longer run rather than a standalone highlight.
// Copies in archive
| Unit | Grade | Variant | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| ECA-002268 | ~9.0 | Direct Edition | AVAILABLE |
INQUIRE_ABOUT_THIS_UNIT
Institutional buyers, auction houses, and private collectors — direct line to the archive.
