Approximate
Condition Profile
MARVEL COMICS · 9/95 · DIRECT EDITION
UNIT ECA-002775
IRON MAN #320
Crossing crossover chapter with Machinesmith and the compromised Tony Stark storyline, direct edition
// Unit specification
| Publisher | Cover date | Era | Variant | Key attribute | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marvel Comics | September 1995 | Modern | Direct Edition | — | AVAILABLE |
// Run position
// Condition analysis
Cover shows strong gloss and sharp corners with no visible creasing or color breaking on the spine. Minor light reflections appear from the protective sleeve rather than surface damage; a slight bend may be present at the top left corner but is not certain due to glare. No stains, tears, or writing are visible on the front cover. Interior pages and back cover were not assessed, so the grade reflects front-cover appearance only.
// Valuation — market reference
| Bracket | Grade | Est. market value | Marker |
|---|---|---|---|
| LOW_RAW | 0.5 – 1.5 | $1 | |
| MID_RAW | 4.0 – 6.0 | $3 | |
| HIGH_CERT | 9.8 SLAB | $70 |
// Archive commentary
Iron Man #320 (cover-dated September 1995) is a chapter of The Crossing, the line-wide Avengers-family event that recast Tony Stark as a long-term sleeper agent under Kang's influence. Scripted by Terry Kavanagh with pencils by Heitor Oliveira and Adriana Melo, inks by Mark McKenna, and a cover by Oliveira and McKenna, the issue advances the Machinesmith subplot and the deteriorating relationships around Stark Enterprises, with Bethany Cabe and Marianne Rodgers in supporting roles. It sits in the stretch of the run leading toward the Teen Tony reboot, a storyline the publisher later walked back, which has kept the arc historically notable without making it collectible.
Market behavior matches that of nearly every mid-run title from the mid-1990s glut: print runs were large, direct-edition copies survive in quantity in high grade, and the book trades primarily as run filler. Demand is driven by collectors assembling complete Volume 1 sets rather than by any first appearance or origin content, so raw copies clear quickly at low dollar figures and grading is rarely economical. The certified population is small only because almost no one submits the issue, not because high-grade copies are scarce, which means a slabbed example prices off submission cost and set-registry interest rather than any established sales trajectory.
Buyers are Iron Man completists, Crossing/Avengers event collectors, and dealers filling dollar boxes. Across the grade spectrum the spread is compressed: worn copies and mid-grade copies differ by only a couple of dollars, and the meaningful jump occurs only at the top of the census, where thin data makes pricing negotiable. Newsstand copies of this period are materially scarcer than direct editions and can command a premium in high grade, so the distinction is worth confirming before listing; for the direct edition offered here, expect steady but modest movement rather than appreciation.
// Copies in archive
| Unit | Grade | Variant | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| ECA-002775 | ~9.0 | Direct Edition | AVAILABLE |
INQUIRE_ABOUT_THIS_UNIT
Institutional buyers, auction houses, and private collectors — direct line to the archive.
