Journey Into Mystery "Thor" annual #1 CGC 5.0 Jack Kirby cover and art 1st Hercules

Journey Into Mystery Annual #1 (Marvel, 1965), CGC 5.0

Why collectors want it

This is a Silver Age Thor key. It features Jack Kirby cover and interior art and the first appearances of Hercules and Zeus, with a Thor vs. Hercules battle cover. Hercules became a major Marvel character. He was a longtime Avengers member, led the Champions, and appeared in the MCU in Thor: Love and Thunder. That ongoing demand is what supports this book's value.  

Publication details

• It was the only issue under this title, and the series became Thor Annual. The new story is by Stan Lee, with Jack Kirby cover and art and additional art by Vince Colletta.
• It was a 25¢, 72-page "King-Size" annual. Because it cost more than the regular 12¢ issues, fewer kids bought it and fewer high-grade copies survive.
• It also reprints Journey Into Mystery #85 (1st Loki), #93 (1st Radio-Active Man), #95 (Thor vs. Thor), and #97 (1st Molto, the Lava Man). The reprinted first Loki story is a nice bonus, but it doesn't count as a first appearance.