What’s the key factor that determines an actual first appearance of a comic book character? Well, that“s an easy question to answer, right? Greetings everyone! I am the 13th Crusader, and this article you“re about to read will be regarded as my 1st true appearance”¦well, not really. It“s more of a shadow appearance, since you can“t see me”¦or maybe it“s a cameo. No wait; I“m talking about myself, so it must be my 1st mentioned appearance”¦or, is it a full-fledged 1st appearance?
There“s no doubt that a 1st appearance of any character in a comic book is something to take into consideration. However, the criteria for which a character 1st appears could be debated at length among collectors.
Let“s stick with some Marvel characters, beginning with Wolverine, for example. The 1st time Wolverine is seen is in the last panel of the Incredible Hulk #180 (Oct 1974).
However, this is usually regarded as a cameo appearance despite being able to see Wolverine in full view. Wolverine“s 1st full-fledged appearance is widely considered to be Incredible Hulk #181 (Nov 1974).
Recently, F.O.O.M. (Friends Of Ol“ Marvel) #2 (June 1973) has come into the spotlight because a fan-submitted sketch titled, The Wolverine, and in that sketch it depicts a metal skeleton implant coupled with the idea of recuperative abilities. So, was the true 1st appearance of Wolverine in 1973, or was it more than a year later, in 1974?
Another case in point: the mutant Apocalypse. His 1st appearance, or cameo/shadow appearance, was in X-Factor #5 (June 1986). He could be seen from the shadows in the last panel of that issue announcing his name.
However, he is not fully visible until the next issue, in X-Factor #6 (July 1986).
Even Apocalypse“s past, when he was known as En Sabah Nur, is open to interpretation. Did En Sabah Nur“s 1st appearance take place behind the scenes in Marvel Graphic Novel #17 (Oct 1985)?
Or was it in Moon Knight V2 #1 (June 1985), four months earlier? In the Moon Knight issue, Moon Knight“s origin is retold and a man named Sabah helps a desert-wondering Marc Spector into the Tomb of Khonshu.
 In the Marvel Graphic Novel issue, En Sabah Nur was not named, but instead presumed to be one of the Living Pharaoh“s henchmen.
Continuity appearances are also fun to discuss, such as Spider-Man“s alien costume for instance, which 1st appeared in Amazing Spider-Man #252 (May 1984).
 For continuity purposes though, it 1st appeared in Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #8, seven months later (Dec 1984).
Here“s one of my favorites, just because: Mary Jane Watson. Here“s her breakdown of appearances: 1st mentioned in Amazing Spider-Man #15 (Aug 1964), 1st brief appearance in Amazing Spider-Man #25 (June 1965), 2nd brief appearance in Amazing Spider-Man # 38 (July 1966), 1st cameo appearance in Amazing Spider-Man #42 (Nov 1966), 1st full appearance in Amazing Spider-Man #43 (Dec 1966).
There are plenty of other examples that could be listed; however, I think by now you get my point in how tricky 1st appearances can be sometimes for fans trying to acquire key books of their favorite character. In closing, I“ll leave you with my stance on this subject. I treat 1st appearances like a baseball umpire; if I see the ball coming over the plate, I“ll call it a strike. So, going back to Wolverine, I believe his 1st appearance was in F.O.O.M. #2. Why? Well, it“s a sketch, yes, but the character is clearly seen, it“s published in a book, it“s clearly titled The Wolverine for crying out loud, plus it coincidently carries traits similar to those of the Wolverine “debut”“ more than year later in Hulk #180; that“s “over the plate”“ . You want another example of the 1st time you see a character in a published book? Try Shatterstar. He fully appeared in a pin-up (unnamed) in New Mutants Annual #6 (1990).
Shatterstar isn“t used in a story until New Mutants #99 (Mar 1991). Â What“s the 1st Shatterstar appearance then? Cleary it“s in New Mutants Annual #6.
In my opinion if you want to own MJ“s 1st appearance, look for Amazing Spider-Man #42. Looking for Spidey“s 1st black costume? Look for Amazing Spider-Man #252. But, please take your time looking for that one because I“m trying to reacquire it myself. LOL
By The 13th Crusader
Pics added by Al Mega
Unless otherwise indicated, all materials on these pages are Copyrighted and Trademark of their respective owners and used for demonstrative purposes.
Author Profile
- Real Name: Mike / Occupation: (As Mike) Classified; (as The 13th Crusader) Host of The Definitive Crusade, DC Podcast, for Undercover Capes / Known Aliases: 13, The Iron Mike, Ironhide, The Walking Human Encyclopedia, Professor M / Affiliations: Comic Crusaders / Base of Operations: The 13th Lair (location classified), often mobile / Abilities: Photographic memory (to the extent where he is capable of memorizing the comic book inventories of several stores simultaneously for lengthy periods of time), voice impersonation, acute senses (The 13th Crusader possesses an uncanny ability to track down vintage comic books, and on several occasions, with his eyes closed, he has been able to determine the exact year a comic book was published just by smelling the ink inside of it), capable of drawing sketches; however, he prefers to write. He has a substantial amount of resistance to alcohol, surpassing the levels displayed by Marvel’s Volstagg and Valiant’s Aram Anni-Padda – combined. Multilingual (Proficient with English and Spanish, adequate with Portuguese and Italian). Above average marksman (he is capable of throwing objects accurately at high velocities), limited sword fighting skills and kickboxing techniques. / Known Weaknesses: Anything that involves the original Gwen Stacy, 2 for 1 drinks during Happy Hour, 50 cent comic book bins, the scent of 1983 comic book ink / Hobbies: Vintage comic book collecting, baseball, listening to excessive amounts of 80’s music / History: Little is known of The 13th Crusader. He is a man of many talents who was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY. He has extensive knowledge of the comic book world and he’s been collecting comic books since before he was able to read. He’s a BIG time fan of Silver and Bronze Age comics, and as such, his personal collection is truly impressive. He owns books that range from the 1950’s and onward. First Appearance: Comic Crusaders Column – What Defines A Characters First Appearance (Feb 2014)
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