IRON MAN #7
"Cry Gladiator!" — Iron Man versus the Gladiator, with a Daredevil appearance and George Tuska cover
// Unit specification
| Publisher | Cover date | Era | Variant | Key attribute | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marvel Comics | November 1968 | Silver | — | — | AVAILABLE |
// Run position
// Condition analysis
Cover shows good gloss and bright color with sharp corners; no major creases or color breaks are visible. There is minor spine stress and slight wear at the top edge, along with a touch of surface shine consistent with a bagged/boarded Silver Age book. The book is in a protective sleeve which obscures fine edge detail and the back cover; interior pages were not assessed. Given typical Silver Age spine wear and the limited view, a grade of 7.0 (Fine/VF) is estimated.
// Valuation — market reference
| Bracket | Grade | Est. market value | Marker |
|---|---|---|---|
| LOW_RAW | 0.5 – 1.5 | $10 | |
| MID_RAW | 4.0 – 6.0 | $36 | |
| HIGH_CERT | 9.8 SLAB | $1,350 |
// Archive commentary
The Invincible Iron Man #7 (Marvel, November 1968) continues the title's late-1960s run under writer Archie Goodwin, with pencils by George Tuska and inks by Johnny Craig. The issue pits Tony Stark's armored alter ego against the Gladiator (Potter), with a guest appearance by Daredevil, and folds in supporting cast members Janice Cord and Jasper Sitwell alongside the developing Madame Masque and Masked Marauder storylines. It is representative of the Goodwin/Tuska creative stretch that defined Iron Man's visual identity through the late Silver Age, though it carries no first appearance, origin, or death of lasting significance to the wider Marvel mythology.
Market data shows a large certified population (603 Universal copies of 645 total graded) with steady but unspectacular demand: FMVs climb gradually through the mid grades before a pronounced jump at 9.6, reflecting a common pattern where mid-grade Silver Age Marvel books are abundant and easily sourced, while true high-grade survivors thin out sharply. Sales activity is consistent across nearly every grade tier, indicating a stable collector base rather than speculative spikes, and the absence of tracked 9.8 sales underscores how rarely the book surfaces in top form.
This issue suits Iron Man and Silver Age Marvel completists building toward a full run rather than key-issue investors, and it trades predictably: low- and mid-grade raw copies move at modest, accessible prices reflecting supply depth, while pristine slabbed copies command outsized premiums driven almost entirely by census scarcity rather than storyline importance. Long-term appeal rests on Tuska's dynamic cover work and its place in a well-regarded run, making it a steady if unspectacular hold across grades.
// Copies in archive
| Unit | Grade | Variant | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| ECA-002480 | ~7.0 | — | AVAILABLE |
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