Comic Book nets record $431,250 sale: Fantastic Four first appearance of Silver Surfer.

A Silver Surfer gold mine. Character’s first appearance in mint Fantastic Four #48 nets record $431,250

NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES, September 23, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — A mint copy of Fantastic Four #48 (1966), graded 9.9 by CGC and considered one of the most collectible stories in the history of Marvel Comics, sold at auction for a record $431,250, ComicConnect announced today.

The sale easily eclipsed the previous record of $110,000 for a signed 9.8 copy in 2021.

New York-based ComicConnect is the nation’s premier broker of vintage comics, original art and pop culture collectibles. The sale, which concluded on Sept. 14, was part of its Event Auction 67.

“We knew that this copy of Fantastic Four #48 was going to bring in an unprecedented price because it’s the only one known to exist in mint condition,” said ComicConnect President Vincent Zurzolo. “Stan Lee and Jack Kirby created an epic comic book arc for Marvel that transcended the superhero genre to find acclaim as a classic sci-fi story.”

In Fantastic Four #48 and continuing on to #49 and #50, the team comes to grips with Galactus, Devourer of Worlds – certainly not a run-of-the-mill villain – and his herald Silver Surfer, a longtime favorite among Marvel fans. Both were first appearances, catnip for comic book collectors.

A movie tie-in didn’t hurt. The 2025 hit film “Fantastic Four: First Steps” filled in the heroes’ backstory and saw them confront Galactus and Silver Surfer in a climactic battle.

“We’re still surprised at the range of collectors who joined in the bidding to ensure this book’s place as a real pop-culture collectible,” Zurzolo said.

ComicConnect and its partner company, Metropolis Collectibles, made headlines in January with the private sale of a 9.0 Action Comics #1 (1938), featuring the first appearance of Superman, for a record $15 million, the most ever paid for any comic book. It was soon followed by the record-breaking $5 million sale of a 7.0 Action #1.

ComicConnect also set new sales records in April with original art from the acclaimed “Death of Superman” story arc from 1992. The company’s “Death of Superman” Special Edition Art Auction closed with over $10.2 million in auction sales, as Dan Jurgens’ cover art for Superman #75 exceeded $1 million and the original art for the issue’s “Bloody S” Superman Logo set a new record for comic production art.

“Metropolis/ComicConnect conducts millions of dollars in private sales and auctions every year,” Zurzolo said. “There’s still something special about discovering a lost pop-culture artifact like a mint Fantastic Four #48, and we’re proud that we helped this rarity join a valuable collection, where we know it will be preserved.”

Joanne Levine
Lekas & Levine PR
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