Approximate
Condition Profile
MARVEL COMICS · 1/77 · NEWSSTAND
UNIT ECA-005968
THE CHAMPIONS #17
Final issue of Marvel's Champions, featuring the Sentinels and the Vanisher's mutant crew, with a Bill Mantlo script, Ernie Chan cover, and John Byrne inks over George Tuska pencils
// Unit specification
| Publisher | Cover date | Era | Variant | Key attribute | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marvel Comics | January 1977 | Bronze | Newsstand | — | AVAILABLE |
// Run position
// Condition analysis
Cover shows strong gloss and bright, well-registered color with sharp corners and no visible creasing or color breaks. A slight vertical crease line is visible near the top of the cover through the Marvel banner area, and there is minor edge wear at the top right corner. The book is in a protective sleeve, which limits full assessment of spine stress and edge wear; interior pages and back cover were not examined.
// Valuation — market reference
| Bracket | Grade | Est. market value | Marker |
|---|---|---|---|
| LOW_RAW | 0.5 – 1.5 | $3 | |
| MID_RAW | 4.0 – 6.0 | $10 | |
| HIGH_CERT | 9.8 SLAB | $160 |
// Archive commentary
The Champions #17 closes out Marvel's short-lived West Coast super-team title, canceled after seventeen issues despite a roster that included Angel, Iceman, Hercules, Black Widow, Ghost Rider, and Darkstar. Bill Mantlo scripts the finale, which pits the team against the Sentinels and a mutant strike force assembled by the Vanisher, including the Blob, Unus the Untouchable, Eric the Red, and Lorelei. George Tuska handles pencils with inks by a young John Byrne, shortly before Byrne's ascent on X-Men, and Ernie Chan supplies the cover. The issue holds interest primarily as a series-closing curiosity rather than as a first-appearance key.
Certified population is substantial, with 97 Universal copies recorded across the census, and pricing in the mid grades stays modest and flat, reflecting steady but unspectacular demand. A pronounced value spike appears at the 9.6 tier relative to 9.4, suggesting that true gem-quality copies are scarcer than the raw census numbers imply, even though registered 9.8s exist without recent sales to confirm a price point. Demand is driven less by any single character debut and more by completist collectors of the Champions run, Ghost Rider crossover chasers, and admirers of the Tuska-Byrne art pairing.
The book trades as a affordable, plentiful Bronze Age team title in low and mid raw grades, appealing mainly to collectors filling out a Champions or Ghost Rider run rather than investors chasing a marquee key. High-grade certified copies see a disproportionate premium once past the 9.4 threshold, rewarding patient buyers willing to pursue a true gem copy in a market where top-end census numbers currently exceed confirmed top-end sales.
// Copies in archive
| Unit | Grade | Variant | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| ECA-005968 | ~8.5 | Newsstand | AVAILABLE |
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