First appearances, on the record
| Character | Issue | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Archie Andrews | Pep Comics #22 | 1941 |
| Veronica Lodge | Pep Comics #26 | 1942 |
| Betty Cooper | Pep Comics #22 | 1941 |
| Jughead Jones | Pep Comics #22 | 1941 |
| Peter Parker | Amazing Fantasy #15 | 1962 |
| Reggie Mantle | Jackpot Comics #5 | 1942 |
| Spider-Man | Amazing Fantasy #15 | 1962 |
| Bruce Wayne | Detective Comics #27 | 1939 |
| Batman | Detective Comics #27 | 1939 |
| Logan | The Incredible Hulk #180 | 1974 |
Start with a question
From the files
The Comics That Were Never Sold
Ashcans were printed to hold a trademark, not to be read: a token run, a date, and a name claimed. This record holds 339 of them, including the one that explains why Whiz Comics starts at issue #2.
When Marvel Nearly Died
X-Men #1 sold around eight million copies in 1991. Marvel filed for bankruptcy in 1996. The speculator bubble, the Heroes World distribution gamble, Heroes Reborn, and the books that pulled the company back out.
The Haunted Leaderboard
Rank every issue by how many first appearances it holds and the top of the board is full of ghosts: a 2025 history book with 153, an omnibus wearing 1970s debuts, a blank month that stole a year of Marvel firsts, and a magazine that beat its own launch.
The Death Issues
Gwen Stacy, Dark Phoenix, Elektra, Supergirl, Jason Todd's phone vote and Superman's polybag. Eleven comic book deaths that changed what the medium was willing to do, with the dates the issues actually reached readers.