Mister Sinister first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #221, published by Marvel in 1987. That places it in the Copper Age.
Why this issue matters
Nathaniel Essex, the Victorian geneticist obsessed with the Summers bloodline and the hand behind the Mutant Massacre. Named in #212 and shown only in silhouette in #213, he steps into full view for the first time in #221, on a splash page drawn by Marc Silvestri. That is the first appearance the market recognises.
Key facts
Uncanny X-Men #221
- Character: Mister Sinister
- Publisher: Marvel
- Cover year: 1987
- Era: Copper Age
Before you buy or sell one
- Check it is a first print, not a facsimile or reprint. Newsstand and direct editions are priced differently too.
- Condition decides most of the value. Whether grading is worth it depends on the copy.
Go deeper
Other first appearances from 1987
- Lone Wolf and Cub Lone Wolf and Cub #1, 1987
More Marvel firsts from the Copper Age
- Venom Amazing Spider-Man #300, 1988
- Carnage Amazing Spider-Man #361, 1992
- Deadpool New Mutants #98, 1991
- Cable New Mutants #87, 1990
- Gambit Uncanny X-Men #266, 1990
- Apocalypse X-Factor #5, 1986
- Bishop Uncanny X-Men #282, 1991
- McFarlane Spider-Man Amazing Spider-Man #298, 1988
Got a copy?
I buy key issues and whole collections across the UK, and I will tell you honestly whether what you have is the real first or a later printing. Send me photos of the cover and the indicia and I will come back with a straight answer, and a proper valuation if you want one.