American Comics Update: The Good Doctor Collection: Mighty Marvel Firsts: First Full Appearance Him (later Warlock) in Thor #165 & #166 Two-Parter
*Marvel: From the Good Doctor Collection this week: Created in a cocoon by scientists in Fantastic Four, the supernaturally gifted being known only as ‘Him’ made a couple of cameo appearances in previous issues of Thor, but #165 featured the first full appearance of the character, and the earliest inkling of the extent of his powers. Eventually, re-named Warlock, ‘Him’ would become a mainstay of Marvel’s cosmic sagas in the 1970s and beyond, but here was the first full outing, in a two-part battle with Thor for the hand (and other parts) of the warrior-maiden Sif, Thor’s main squeeze.
PICTURED: THOR
#165 VG/FN p £120 Decent black background copy with vibrant colour and gloss. Tight, firm staples, supple white to off-white pages. Pence stamped. Minor edge wear with short colour breaking stress mark around upper staple. There is a faint vertical crease down the left side of the cover which just breaks colour for a couple of cms.
#166 VG+ £55 Great colour and gloss. Tight, firm staples, supple white to off-white pages. Some stress marks at spine; small arrival date in biro in mast-head box. There is a slight dingy patch to the right of the logo, which, from its regularity, looks as though a label has been removed, but it has no residue of that.