CAPTAIN AMERICA #313

Cover shows strong gloss and sharp corners with no visible creases or color breaks. Spine appears tight with no stress lines visible in this photo. There is a small area of wear/whitening near the top edge and slight glare from the protective sleeve obscuring fine surface detail. Interior and back cover were not assessed.

Captain America #313 (Marvel, cover-dated January 1986) arrived deep into Mark Gruenwald's long tenure writing the character, with art by Paul Neary and a cover by John Byrne inked by Al Williamson. The issue closes out the Serpent Society's contract-hit storyline on M.O.D.O.K., delivering his death at the Society's hands, and it marks the first meeting between Captain America and Diamondback, the reformed Serpent Society member who would go on to a long career as a Marvel supporting character and eventual love interest of Hawkeye. The issue also carries the first appearance of the minor character Hiram Riddley.

Census data shows a modest, well-documented population of 38 CGC Universal copies against 45 total graded, with the bulk of certified copies clustering in the 9.2-9.8 range typical of a book that saw both newsstand and direct-market distribution during a period of improved comic-shop handling. Pricing across the certified curve rises sharply near the top of the grade scale, with 9.8 commanding roughly triple the 9.6 figure and more than five times the 9.2 figure, reflecting the usual copper age pattern where a handful of pristine slabs draw disproportionate premiums while mid and lower grades remain comparatively accessible. Demand is driven primarily by the Diamondback first-meeting angle and the Byrne/Williamson cover rather than by M.O.D.O.K.'s death alone, since M.O.D.O.K. has been resurrected repeatedly in Marvel continuity.

The book suits Captain America run collectors, Diamondback character specialists, and Byrne cover collectors building out 1980s Marvel cover runs. Raw copies in low and mid grade remain widely available and inexpensive, reflecting the book's large print run and non-blockbuster status, while high-grade CGC 9.8 examples are scarce enough on census to support a real premium for buyers assembling a top-tier Gruenwald-era Captain America set. Long-term interest in the issue tracks Diamondback's visibility in modern Marvel comics and adaptations, giving the book a steady, if not high-flying, collecting profile.