Journey into Mystery #83 Value & Price Guide

Journey into Mystery #83: First Appearance of Thor

In 1962, Stan Lee had a problem. He had already created the strongest mortal on Earth with the Hulk, and he needed to go bigger. His solution was to skip mortals entirely and reach into Norse mythology. The result was Thor, God of Thunder, debuting in Journey into Mystery #83 with a Jack Kirby cover showing a caped figure swinging a hammer at grey alien invaders. That single issue launched a character who would anchor Marvel Comics for decades and eventually anchor a multi-billion dollar film franchise.

Quick Value Summary

The Story Behind the Comic

Stan Lee and Jack Kirby wanted a hero who could outmatch the Hulk. Lee later recalled that the only way to top the strongest man alive was to create a god. He turned to the Norse myths he had read as a kid in New York, and Thor felt right: a warrior god with a magic hammer, exiled to Earth in human form.

The story in issue #83 introduces Dr. Donald Blake, a physician vacationing in Norway. When alien Stone Men from Saturn land nearby, Blake hides in a cave and discovers a gnarled walking stick. In frustration, he strikes the stick against a boulder. A flash of light transforms both Blake and the stick. Blake becomes Thor. The stick becomes Mjolnir.

It was a simple origin, almost fairy-tale-like, and it worked. Thor became popular enough that Journey into Mystery was renamed The Mighty Thor starting with issue #126. The character has appeared in thousands of comics since, plus the Marvel Cinematic Universe films that have grossed over $3 billion worldwide.

How to Identify It

The original 1962 printing has several distinguishing features:

• Cover price: 12 cents, printed in a box in the upper left corner

• Cover art: Jack Kirby illustration showing Thor swinging Mjolnir at the Stone Men from Saturn, with a dramatic yellow and orange background

• Interior pages: Includes period advertisements for products like Daisy air rifles and Charles Atlas bodybuilding courses

• Page count: Full issue with ad pages (thicker than reprints)

Watch out for Golden Record Reprints (GRR). These reprints from the mid-1960s look almost identical but have key differences:

• No price printed on the front cover (the original has 12 cents in the corner)

• Thinner than originals because they lack advertisement pages

• Back cover features a Golden Records house ad instead of a third-party advertisement

• The text box on the GRR cover appears dark blue rather than black

If your copy lacks a price on the front cover, it is almost certainly a Golden Record Reprint. These are still collectible but worth a fraction of the original.

Value by Condition

Journey into Mystery #83 is one of the most valuable Silver Age Marvel keys. Values have risen substantially since the Thor films began in 2011.

CGC 0.5 to 1.0 (Poor to Fair): $3,900 to $4,015. The comic is heavily worn, possibly missing pieces of the cover or with significant staining. At this grade, you are paying for the content and the first appearance, not the condition. Still a meaningful amount of money for a damaged comic book.

CGC 2.0 to 3.0 (Good): $5,600 to $6,900. Cover is intact but shows heavy wear, creasing, and possible small tears. Pages may be tanned. These are the most commonly traded grades for this issue.

CGC 4.0 to 5.0 (Very Good to Fine): $8,500 to $19,550. A noticeable jump. The cover retains most of its color and gloss, with moderate wear visible. A CGC 5.0 has sold for $19,550, reflecting strong demand in this mid-grade sweet spot.

CGC 6.0 to 7.0 (Fine to Very Fine): $18,000 to $27,600. Colors are bright, cover gloss is evident, and wear is limited to light creasing or minor spine stress. A CGC 7.0 has sold for $27,600.

CGC 8.0 to 9.0 (Very Fine to Near Mint): $48,000 to $105,000. These are exceptional copies. At CGC 9.0, the comic shows virtually no wear, with bright white pages and sharp corners.

CGC 9.4 (Near Mint): $432,000. This is the record sale for this issue. Only a handful of copies exist at this grade or above.

Known Variations

• UK Pence Variant: Instead of 12 cents, the cover shows a price in British pence (9d). These UK editions were printed for distribution in the United Kingdom and are scarcer than the US edition. Values typically run 20-40% lower than US counterparts at equivalent grades, though the gap has narrowed.

• Golden Record Reprint: As described above. In top condition, these sell for $500 to $2,000.

Authentication and Fakes

Outright forgeries of Journey into Mystery #83 are uncommon because the printing, paper stock, and ad pages from 1962 are difficult to replicate. The bigger risks are:

• Restored copies: Color touch-up applied to the cover, pieces replaced, or spine reinforced. CGC designates restored copies with a purple label rather than a blue Universal label. Restoration cuts value by 50% or more.

• Trimmed copies: Edges or covers trimmed to appear sharper.

• Married copies: A cover from one copy attached to interior pages of another.

Professional grading through CGC is strongly recommended for any copy. At these price levels, the $150 to $300 grading fee is a small percentage of the comic's value.

Where to Sell

For high-grade copies (CGC 7.0 and above), Heritage Auctions, ComicConnect, or Goldin attract the most serious buyers. Seller premiums run 10-15%.

For mid-grade copies (CGC 3.0 to 6.0), eBay works well with its wide audience. Fees run about 13-15%.

For lower-grade copies, comic conventions and local dealers offer quick sales.

Costs to budget: CGC grading runs $150-$300 for declared values of $5,000-$50,000, and $500+ for values above $50,000. Insured shipping adds $50-$200.

Not sure about condition? Upload a photo to Curio Comp for a quick AI estimate.

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