7 Legendary Superhero Team Premieres Every Comic Fan Needs to Know
The superhero team dynamic is now a well-worn trope in the comic books. However, it was a fresh and exciting comic book narrative idea a generation ago. The idea of numerous solo characters coming together to fight a threat they could not stop as individuals was a comic book fan’s greatest dream. Remember how you felt when you saw The Avengers in 2012 after seeing the initial solo films? That is how comic book fans used to feel all the time on superhero team books long before the MCU was a thing.
There was a pact between the creative team and readers who bought solo issues to gear up for an event in a superhero team book: read the solo books, and there will be greater events in the team books. The superhero team book was also great advertising for publishers to encourage readers to pick up solo books featuring other characters.
Decades ago, the superhero team was an important focal point in comic book storytelling. The Avengers, Fantastic Four, Justice League, and a few others were elite groups, and not every character got to join them.
That is not the case today. There are so many comic book teams, and anyone can be on one…but that is a rant for another day.
Here are seven of the most important superhero team premieres in comics.
1. Avengers #1 (1963) Marvel
Except for the Justice League comic, this is probably the most important superhero team comic premiere ever. Marvel wanted to showcase characters from their respective solo comics in a group comic to cross-promote diverse IPs to new readers. Still, that was not the main reason why The Avengers comic was published.
The Avengers exist because of the success of the Justice League of America comic three years prior. Marvel simply wanted to copy the success of the JLA superhero team book. The first major villain the Avengers unite against was Loki.
An 8.0 CGC grade of this comic is worth $19,000, an affordable investment for the curious collector. A near-perfect copy of this comic is worth almost $215,000.
2. Justice League of America #1 (1960) DC
The first superhero team for DC Comics was the Golden Age Justice Society of America, way back in 1940. DC Comics was known as National Publications then. The Justice League of America comic book was made to cross-promote, unite, and capitalize on the popularity of characters like Batman, Superman, The Flash, Aquaman, Martian Manhunter, and Wonder Woman.
However, DC Comics also believes in legacy characters and passing the torch to new generations of characters. The Justice League of America, a Silver Age comic, was an update of the Golden Age Justice Society of America for a new generation of readers. The Justice League unite to stop the alien starfish Starro the Conqueror.
A 9.2 CGC grade of this comic is worth almost $11,000. A near-perfect copy of this comic is worth over $80,000 on the collectibles market.
3. WildC.A.T.S. #1 [Gold Foil Cover] (1992) Image
Image Comics was a revolutionary upstart comic book company in the 1990s. It was the first real independent publishing rival to the Big 2, Marvel and DC. Wildcats #1 is more memorable for the Jim Lee art and aesthetics than the story. The characters are not really important now in modern comics. However, this comic is valuable due to being a rare variant with a gold-colored cover.
This comic is worth $350 in near-perfect condition.
4. The Defenders #1 (1972) Marvel
Modern audiences know the Defenders as the superhero team from the Netflix show starring Luke Cage, Iron Fist, Jessica Jones, and Daredevil. However, the Defenders’ IP goes all the way back to the 1970s. It is a major superhero team that is usually led by Dr. Strange and features a rotating cast of members.
The Hulk, Namor, Hellcat, Valkyrie, Luke Cage, Son of Satan, and others would routinely join the team on a revolving basis. Depending on the era and creative team, Defender comics were usually non-serious. This comic, with a near-perfect CGC grade, is worth $3,400.
5. Fantastic Four (1961) Marvel
Marvel Comics began as Timely Comics in the 1940s, then became Atlas. It only became Marvel in 1961 with the publication of the Fantastic Four. The Fantastic Four was truly the first Marvel superhero team. This is an historic comic in Marvel history, even if the debut of the Avengers two years later would prove to be more popular.
However, while the Avengers is more of a superhero team dynamic, the Fantastic Four was really more about family. The Fantastic Four was a body horror comic about a family of explorers with powers struggling to stay together while fighting for good.
You can invest in a copy of this comic with a 6.0 CGC grade for about $22,000. A near-perfect copy of this comic is worth over $757,000.
6. Suicide Squad #1 (1987) DC
The concept of the Suicide Squad, antiheroes and villains fighting for good under pain of death, was a mind-blowing concept in 1987. The Modern Age of comics had just begun, and such storytelling themes were new in the industry. As a superhero team, the Suicide Squad was more of a moral experiment than an actual team. It was an idea that intrigued readers then and now.
While the live-action versions of the Suicide Squad still haven’t become as popular as the Avengers or Justice League, the characters are still popular in the comics.
A near-perfect copy of this comic is worth just under $100.
7. Thunderbolts #1 (1997) Marvel
During the comic book event era of 1997, the Avengers were gone. The 616 Marvel Comic book universe did not have a premiere superhero team. So, the Thunderbolts were created as a replacement team for the era. However, the team was really a group of supervillains pretending to be heroes in order to infiltrate the superhero hierarchy.
The internet was brand new in 1997, but the last page reveal of the Thunderbolts was mind-blowing back then. Unfortunately, the recent MCU Thunderbolts film bombed; maybe it would have been a different story if the MCU had more closely adapted this story.
A near-perfect copy of this comic is worth almost $79.
Superhero Teams
Thunderbolts, Justice League, and Avengers comics are still published to this day. However, in an era of event fatigue and line-wide events that last too long, the appeal of the superhero team comic book is not the same as it was in the 20th century. As a hobbyist reader or collectibles investor, I highly recommend that you check out the superhero team books of the past to see some of the best stories ever told.
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Allen Francis is a full-time writer, prolific comic book investor and author of The Casual’s Guide: Why You Should Get Into Comic Book Investing. Allen holds a BA degree from Marymount Manhattan College and has decades of experience in comic investing and personal finance. Before becoming a writer Allen was an academic advisor, librarian, and college adjunct for many years. Allen now focuses on comic book reviews, collectible investments, and helping others collect and enjoy comics.