Approximate
Condition Profile
MARVEL COMICS · 12/83 · DIRECT EDITION
UNIT ECA-011247
PETER PARKER, THE SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN #85
Doctor Octopus and Hobgoblin (Kingsley) clash with Spider-Man in a Bronze Age Peter Parker back-issue
// Unit specification
| Publisher | Cover date | Era | Variant | Key attribute | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marvel Comics | December 1983 | Bronze | Direct Edition | — | AVAILABLE |
// Copies in archive
| Unit | Grade | Variant | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| ECA-011247 | ~9.0 | Direct Edition | AVAILABLE |
// Run position
// Condition analysis
Cover shows strong gloss and vibrant color with sharp corners and no visible creases or color breaks. A faint vertical line is visible near the top of the cover that could be a minor spine stress or printing artifact rather than a crease. Edges appear clean with no chipping, and the book is protected in a plastic sleeve. Interior and back cover were not assessed, so grade is based solely on the visible front cover condition.
// Valuation — market reference
| Bracket | Grade | Est. market value | Marker |
|---|---|---|---|
| LOW_RAW | 0.5 – 1.5 | $4 | |
| MID_RAW | 4.0 – 6.0 | $9 | |
| HIGH_CERT | 9.8 SLAB | $110 |
// Archive commentary
Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man #85 (December 1983) is a Bronze Age issue written by Roger Stern and Bill Mantlo, with art by Al Milgrom, who also provided the cover. The story features Doctor Octopus and Roderick Kingsley's Hobgoblin, part of the ongoing supporting cast drama involving Betty Brant, Harry Osborn, and Black Cat. This is a standard installment in Spider-Man's secondary title rather than a first appearance or origin story; Hobgoblin had already been introduced earlier in the Amazing Spider-Man run.
Market data shows a large census (287 Universal copies) with steady but modest demand across most grades. Pricing is essentially flat through the mid grades, with FMVs hovering between $14 and $20 from grade 7.0 up through 9.4, before rising sharply at the 9.6 and 9.8 tiers, where population drops and gem-quality copies command real premiums. This pattern is typical of a common, well-preserved 1980s direct-market book: supply is abundant at every grade below near-perfect, so value is concentrated almost entirely at the top of the census.
This issue holds appeal mainly for Spider-Man completists and Hobgoblin-storyline collectors assembling long runs of the Peter Parker title, rather than for key-issue investors. Raw copies in low and mid grades trade as inexpensive filler, while the real collector interest is reserved for pristine CGC 9.8 slabs, which sell for a meaningful multiple over anything graded below 9.6. Buyers should expect this book to remain a modest, stable performer rather than a growth asset.
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