Guardians of the Galaxy #1 (1990 Jim Valentino)

Before the MCU made the Guardians of the Galaxy household names, there was a very different team operating under that name in the pages of Marvel Comics. The 1990 series written and drawn by Jim Valentino introduced the modern ongoing run of the team and stands today as one of the more collectible single issues from the early 1990s copper age, particularly given the team's explosive popularity after the 2014 film.

The 31st Century Guardians

The Guardians of the Galaxy appearing in this 1990 series are not Peter Quill's team. They are the original Guardians, a group introduced in Marvel Super-Heroes #18 in 1969: Vance Astro, Yondu, Charlie-27, Martinex, and later Starhawk and Nikki. They operate in the 31st century, battling the alien Badoon who have conquered Earth.

Jim Valentino, who would go on to co-found Image Comics in 1992, brought this largely forgotten team back to prominence with a fresh ongoing series. Issue #1 launched in June 1990 with a cover price of $1.00 and became one of the better-selling new titles of that quarter for Marvel.

Why Collectors Care

Several factors drive ongoing collector interest in this issue:

Pre-MCU Team: While the MCU films used a different roster, the success of the movies brought enormous new attention to anything with "Guardians of the Galaxy" on the cover. Even collectors who understand the difference between the two teams want this key issue.

Jim Valentino Significance: Valentino became a founding member of Image Comics just two years later. Any pre-Image work by a founding Image creator carries a premium for Image history collectors.

Condition Rarity: Like most comics from this era, issue #1 was printed in large quantities and heavily read. High-grade copies (CGC 9.8 or 9.6) are significantly rarer than the raw numbers suggest.

First Ongoing Series: This is the first ongoing monthly series dedicated to the Guardians, a distinction that retains value regardless of which version of the team collectors prefer.

Values and Condition Grades

The 1990 Guardians of the Galaxy #1 is not a high-dollar key, but CGC-graded high copies do command meaningful premiums.

PriceCharting.com and GoCollect.com both track sales data for this issue and show a market that strengthened significantly around the 2014 film release and has remained elevated. A CGC 9.8 copy sold in the $300-400 range during peak MCU excitement.

Grading Considerations

Copper age comics from 1990 present specific grading challenges:

Spine Stress: The 1990 issues were printed on newsprint with glossy covers. Spine stress marks (small white lines along the spine) are extremely common and will reduce a grade from 9.8 to 9.6 or lower.

Printing Defects: Copper age Marvel comics frequently have off-center staples, printing blemishes, and color misalignment as factory defects. These are not collector-caused damage but still affect grades.

Tanning: Interior pages from this period can show tanning (yellowing) due to paper chemistry. Look at the back cover and inside pages near the staples.

Staple Rust: Original staples can rust over 35 years. Light surface rust on staples reduces grade; rust staining on interior pages is more serious.

For CGC submission, it is worth sending copies that appear genuinely tight and bright, as the submission fee is not recoverable on low-grade results.

The Valentino Connection

For collectors who focus on pre-Image creator work, the Guardians of the Galaxy run is an important set. Valentino's run lasted 62 issues (1990-1995) and introduced several significant characters and storylines. Issue #1 as the launch of this run holds particular significance in any Valentino collection.

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