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Marvel's Golden Age Miss America Comics #1 in High Grade, at Auction

Published Mon, 04 Jul 2022 15:17:10 -0500

Marvel/Timely's Miss America debuted in Marvel Mystery Comics #49, cover-dated November 1943. Created by Otto Binder and Al Gabriele, that issue told the story of Madeline Joyce, the teenage ward of radio tycoon James Bennet. Bennet was funding the experiments of scientist Professor Lawson, who developed an electrically-charged apparatus that gave him superpowers. Madeline quickly decided that she wanted such power herself, and used Professor Lawson's device without authorization. Although it almost killed her, the process worked, giving Madeline great strength and the ability to fly, among other powers. After several months of appearing in Marvel Mystery Comics, Miss America got her own title with Miss America Comics #1 in 1944. A historically interesting Marvel/Timely publication, there's a Miss America Comics #1 (Timely, 1944) CGC VF+ 8.5 Off-white to white pages up for auction in the 2022 July 3-4 Sunday & Monday Comic Books Select Auction #122227 from Heritage Auctions.

Interestingly, with issue #2 the title was rebooted into Miss America Magazine, a magazine-format publication with photo covers that targetted teenage girls as a readership, and which was a mix of comics, fiction, features about celebrities, subjects of interest to teen girls, and advice columns. In addition to its Miss America comic feature, issue #2 debuted Patsy Walker in her own comic serial. Publisher Martin Goodman's wife Jean Goodman was supervising editor of the magazine. The title returned to comic book format in 1953, and lasted through 1958, though without the character Miss America and with Patsy Walker as the star.

Comics featuring the character had appeared in other titles including Blonde Phantom Comics, Sun Girl, Marvel Mystery Comics, and All-Winners Comics from 1944-1947, and disappeared from the magazine title after that. But Miss America Comics #1 remains a unique launch of a long-running title that spanned the Golden and Silver Ages, and there's a gorgeous high-grade Miss America Comics #1 (Timely, 1944) CGC VF+ 8.5 Off-white to white pages up for auction in the 2022 July 3-4 Sunday & Monday Comic Books Select Auction #122227 from Heritage Auctions.

#1 (Timely, 1944) CGC VF+ 8.5 Off-white to white pages. Miss America was one of the first female superheroes of the Timely/Marvel line, and this one-shot gave rise to the long-running Miss America Magazine. Contains two pages of pin-ups. Ken Bald cover and art. Overstreet 2021 VF 8.0 value = $2,400; VF/NM 9.0 value = $4,200. CGC census 6/22: 2 in 8.5, 4 higher.