In this article, I am using the GPIP approach to identify which grade you should be investing for X-Men comics. Specifically, I will be looking at Silver age X-Men comics values and their corresponding value.

However, almost all X-Men comics have risen in value. Hence it is important to identify the grade which has not seen too much boost. This represents the best investment opportunities.

 

Key X-Men Comics Values

In defining keys, I am only including core X-Men characters and important villains. Under this definition, a book like X-Men #11 will be excluded. I am not saying the Stranger is not an important character but it is not a key part of the X-Men history.

Below is a list of key X-men comics values from silver age

Title	5.0*	6.0	7.0	8.0
X-Men #10	$40 (101)	$40 (116)	$45 (161)	$65 (102)
X-Men #12	$90 (192)	$100 (154)	$110 (161)	$180 (158)
X-Men #14	$40 (116)	$45 (148)	$55 (186)	$90 (140)
X-Men #19	$12 (43)	$15 (50)	$20 (88)	$25 (91)
X-Men #28	$18 (43)	$20 (59)	$25 (107)	$30 (130)
X-Men #35	$18 (66)	$20 (84)	$30 (96)	$35 (105)
X-Men #49	$14 (23)	$20 (38)	$25 (63)	$30 (130)
X-Men #54	$10 (12)	$10 (24)	$11 (36)	$15 (73)
X-Men #58	$15 (31)	$18 (47)	$28 (70)	$35 (125)
X-Men #60	NA (21)	NA (29)	$20 (58)	$25 (62)
X-Men #64	NA (8)	NA (14)	$18 (22)	$20 (45)

 

X-Men #10: First appearance of Ka-zar

This book has been slowing getting into the radar of investors and speculators. It is believed that Savage Land will eventually be featured in the MCU, which means Ka-Zar and Shanna the She Devil will be featured.

Leaving that aside, the first 10 or even 20 issues of a beloved series like the X-Men should be on every collector’s investing radar. They are well recognized and will see growing demand over the years.

Ka-zar recently has also been featured in the Agents of Wakanda, thus adding to the prominence of this character.

According to the GPIP, getting a 7.0 is the best choice. There is only a slight increase in price over 6.0 and 5.0 but 7.0 has must less supply.

A CGC 8.0, on the other hand, is already 50% more expensive than a 7.0.

 

X-Men #12: First appearance of Juggernaut

Probably the most treasured of all the X-Men comics featured here, X-Men #12 is already a collector’s item. Juggernaut has also appeared in Deadpool #2 so I am not sure if there is any further explosive growth waiting to happen.

If you like this book, the best grade to invest is again 7.0. At this grade, the price per CGC grade is similar to 6.0 but has a much tighter supply.

On a absolute dollar basis, a 7.0 is also a good investment compared to an 8.0. It costs about $300+ compared to a 6.0 that costs about 200+. A 8.0 on the other hand will double to $600+.

 

X-Men #14: First appearance of Sentinels

Sentinels have been a thorn in the X-Men’s side for as long as the series been around. In fact, they have been a central part of humans vs mutants conflict.

However, as a character, I don’t think anybody really ‘loves’ them. This is what I think is the biggest downside for this book.

Investment wise, a 6.0 represents the best opportunity. It is only about 10% more than a 5.0 but a 7.0 is about 20% more than a 6.0.

 

X-Men #19: First appearance of Mimic

The Marvel 616 version of Mimic is pretty forgettable. However, the 2000s Mimic from the Exiles series is another thing. That version (from Earth-12) is pretty popular, along with Blink and Morph, due to the popularity of the Exiles series.

The interesting thing to ponder is what will collectors consider to be Mimic’s first appearance. Will they regard X-Men #19 or Exiles #1? If it is the former, then this book is pretty undervalued.

For this book, I will get the 8.0 as this grade has not exploded yet in prices.

 

X-Men #28: First appearance of Banshee

Banshee should need no introduction. He is one of those characters that are well recognized but have no strong fan interest. This can be seen clearly in the prices for his book.

Similarly to #19, I would get the 8.0 as there isn’t any strong increase in prices at this grade, relative to 7.0.

Between #19 and #28, I would bet on the latter.

 

X-Men #35: First appearance of Changling

This book has the exact same characteristic as #19. The Earth 6-6 version of Changling is a forgettable character but his Exiles version is wildly popular, even more so than Mimic.

So the same question applies. If Morph gets hot, which book will collectors gravitate to? X-Men #35 or Exiles #1?

However, there is a added plus for this book, which is the appearance of Spider Man. This means collectors of early Spider Man appearance might also be interested in this book, thereby increasing its demand.

For this book, the best grade will be 8.0 as well.

 

X-Men #49: First appearance of Polaris

Polaris is fast becoming a heavy hitter for the X-Men in the comics. As such, her first appearance is severely undervalued, especially when you consider she has not been heavily pushed on both the comics and movies front.

For such a character, 8.0 prices are not that high. This grade is where I would put my money in.

In fact, I might even consider 9.0 and above if the cgc per grade is not a 50% increase over the 8.0.

The only downside to this book is the cover. If #50’s cover is for #49, this book will see a bigger interest.

 

X-Men #54 #58: First appearance of Alex Summers and Havok

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#54 and #57 are twin books. One contain the first appearance of Alex Summers while the other contains the first appearance of him as Havok. Which will become the more popular book?

My bet is on #58 because of the better cover.

Currently, the market is agreeing with me. Prices on X-Men #54 is so low that it feels almost criminal. A 6.0 for less than $50? Ok, I will take it!

In contrast, X-Men #58 prices are almost doubled that of #54. For this book, I will consider 8.0 as it has not exploded in this grade. In fact, 9.0 might also be a possibility as well.

 

X-Men #60: First appearance of Sauron

Sauron has strong ties with Savage Land and Ka-zar. If you need a villain for the hero, Sauron will be a great choice.

That being said, Sauron is somewhere between a big villain and the one off villains. He has made enough appearances to be memorable but is still consider a lower tier villain.

Prices for this book are cheap in general. Go for the 8.0 if you want to invest in this character.

 

X-Men #64: First appearance of Sunfire

Sunfire is probably a character of lower tier of importance and popularity when compared to the likes of Havok and Polaris. As such, this book is very affordable to pick up.

Currently, there isn’t much data to work with as sales on this book is very minimal. I would say go for the 8.0 as it is still cheap.

 

Conclusion

Currently, most of the silver age X-Men comics are not too pricey. Most of them should be invested at the 7.0 to 8.0 range, given their GPIP score.

Since most of the issues after #19 are between $20 to $35 in price per CGC grade, the most undervalued will be the more recognisable characters such as Polaris, Havok and Banshee.

The mutants are going to be a big trend in the coming years. Remember, you never need to start at ground zero to make money. As long as the trend is up, investing now is still going to yield you good returns a few years down the road.