*Marvel: The short-lived ‘showcase’ phase of Marvel Super-Heroes saw the debuts of several interesting ‘pilots’, most of which went nowhere, being a bit too experimental for the period. Among these unadopted concepts was a sci-fi strip, the Guardians of the Galaxy, set in the future of an Earth under the scaly thumb of the vicious Badoon invaders, and a rag-tag band of heroes from various planets who formed a resistance movement to liberate the solar system. Created by Arnold Drake and Gene Colan, it was stylish and fast-paced, but didn’t ‘take’, and languished for half a decade until fan-turned pro Steve Gerber revived the heroes as supporting characters in Defenders and elsewhere. Since then, they’ve had several successful series with various rosters, as well as a lucrative movie franchise soon to be enhanced by the imminent release of “Guardians Of The Galaxy 2” at a cinema near you! So now, before prices spike again, here’s an opportunity to purchase their very first appearance, MSH #18, in Fine condition at £100. With minimum corner wear and one upper staple protrusion (not uncommon in squarebound issues), this is a superior mid-high grade copy for collectors or investors.