IRON MAN #224

Cover shows strong gloss and vibrant color with sharp, unblunted corners and clean edges with no visible chipping. No creases, spine stress lines, or ticks are apparent in this photo, and the image is unobstructed by tears or stains. The book is protected in a plastic sleeve; interior pages and the back cover were not assessed, so the grade reflects only the visible front cover.

Iron Man #224 (November 1987) arrived during the David Michelinie-scripted run that defined the character through much of the Copper Age, with interior art by Mark Bright and inks and cover work associated with the Bob Layton studio tradition that shaped Iron Man's visual identity in this period. The issue falls within the stretch of continuity immediately preceding the celebrated "Armor Wars" storyline that would begin the following issue, making it more of a bridge chapter than a landmark first appearance or origin story in its own right.

Market data reflects a low-demand mid-run Copper Age comic: census figures show a modest total of graded copies, sales are infrequent across nearly every grade, and pricing at the top of the grade scale remains modest compared to recognized key issues from the same era. The gap between the 9.8 fair-market value and its trailing one-year average suggests a book whose top-grade pricing is thin and can swing based on a small number of transactions rather than deep, sustained collector demand.

This issue is best understood as a collecting-run completion piece rather than a speculative or investment-grade book. Iron Man series collectors assembling the Michelinie/Layton era, or those chasing the lead-in issues to Armor Wars, represent the primary buyer pool. Raw copies in low and mid grades trade for only a few dollars and are readily available, while high-grade CGC 9.8 copies command a real but modest premium reflecting scarcity in top census population rather than broad character or story significance.