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Publishers / Marvel / Iron Man (1968) / #55
55February 1973
$0.20

Iron Man #55

Marvel · February 1973 · on sale October 31, 1972

First appearance: ThanosFirst appearance: Drax the DestroyerFirst appearance (cover): Arthur DouglasOrigin: Drax the Destroyer1 variant
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How to read this file
  • Every claim on this page traces to a public bibliographic record; the sources are listed at the bottom of the file.
  • A first-appearance badge means this is the earliest non-flashback appearance on record in this database.
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Identification plate

Series
Iron Man (Marvel, 1968 series)
Issue
#55
Publication date
February 1973
Key date
February 1973
On-sale date
October 31, 1972
Indicia publisher
Magazine Management Co. Inc.
Price
$0.20
Pages
36
Rating
Approved by the Comics Code Authority

Match the book in your hand against this plate before paying an edition-specific price.

Why this issue matters

From the editorial file First appearance of Thanos, February 1973, along with Drax the Destroyer, Mentor and Kronos, all from Jim Starlin in a single issue. The foundation stone of Marvel's cosmic line.

First appearance of Thanos - the earliest non-flashback appearance on record for this character.

First appearance of Drax the Destroyer - the earliest non-flashback appearance on record for this character.

First appearance (cover) of Arthur Douglas - the earliest appearance on record is a cover, not an interior story.

First appearance of Eros - the earliest non-flashback appearance on record for this character.

First appearance of A'Lars - the earliest non-flashback appearance on record for this character.

First appearance of Mentor - the earliest non-flashback appearance on record for this character.

First appearance of I.S.A.A.C. - the earliest non-flashback appearance on record for this character.

First appearance of Kronos - the earliest non-flashback appearance on record for this character.

First appearance (cover) of Gh'Ree Blood - the earliest appearance on record is a cover, not an interior story.

First appearance (cover) of R'Hos Blood - the earliest appearance on record is a cover, not an interior story.

Origin story on record for: Drax the Destroyer.

The evidence

Claims here come from the story records for this issue, listed under Sources at the bottom of the file. Character hubs with full evidence tables are coming to this site.

Contents

SeqStoryTypePagesCreditsCharacters
0Beware the Blood Brothers!cover1pencils: Jim Starlin; inks: Joe Sinnott; letters: Gaspar Saladino, Morrie KuramotoGh'Ree Blood First, R'Hos Blood First, Arthur Douglas First, Drax the Destroyer First, Iron Man, Tony Stark
1Beware the... Blood Brothers!comic story20script: Jim Starlin, Mike Friedrich; pencils: Jim Starlin; inks: Mike Esposito; letters: John CostanzaA'Lars First, Gh'Ree Blood First, R'Hos Blood First, Arthur Douglas First, Drax the Destroyer First, Eros First, I.S.A.A.C. First, Iron Man, Kronos First, Mentor First, Tony Stark, Thanos First
2Awsome Announcements for You to Conjure with, Ponder Over - and Yawn At!in-house column1script: Stan Lee
3-letters page1letters: typeset

Printings and variants

EditionHow to tell
Britishprice 0.06 GBP

Where to read it

CollectionYear
The Life of Captain Marvel #11985On eBay ›
The Life of Captain Marvel #[nn]
ISBN 0-87135-635-X		1990On eBay ›
Marvel Masterworks: Captain Marvel #3
ISBN 978-0-7851-3015-4		2008On eBay ›
Essential Iron Man #4
ISBN 978-0-7851-4254-6		2010On eBay ›
Marvel Milestone Edition: Iron Man #55 #[nn]1992On eBay ›

Reading the story costs a fraction of owning the issue. Both routes are on every file.

Before you buy

  • Canadian and Whitman editions exist for many bronze books; match the barcode area to the plate.
  • Look for Mark Jewelers inserts and date stamps - they affect collector preference, not authenticity.

Series context

‹ #5455 of 332#56 ›

Sources

  • Grand Comics Database, issue record (CC BY-SA 4.0)
  • Wikidata, Q64825451 (Thanos), first-appearance property (CC0)

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