Why this one matters
Wolverine appears in the final panel of Incredible Hulk #180 as a cameo, then properly in #181. Both are wanted, but #181 is the one people mean and the one that carries most of the money.
It sits in a sweet spot: recent enough that ordinary families genuinely own copies, old enough that most were read to death rather than bagged. That combination is exactly what makes a comic valuable, and it is why this one keeps climbing.
What catches people out
- The Marvel Value Stamp. This issue contained a cut-out stamp. A huge number of copies had it cut out by children, and a copy with the stamp missing is worth dramatically less. Check page 20 before you get excited.
- Reprints. There are later reprints and facsimile editions that look very similar. A genuine 1974 copy has a 25 cent cover price and the original indicia. A facsimile says so in the small print.
- The UK price variant. Some copies distributed in Britain carry a pence price rather than cents. These are a separate collecting market and can be worth more or less depending on who is buying, so it is worth flagging rather than assuming.
The honest verdict
Genuinely valuable in almost any condition, provided the value stamp is intact and it is a first printing. This is one of the few comics where even a scruffy copy is worth real money.
How to check yours
Search the exact issue on eBay and filter to sold listings rather than asking prices. An item sat unsold at a high price tells you what somebody hoped for, not what anybody paid. Match the printing, and be honest with yourself about condition, because it usually matters more than people expect.
If you would rather not work it out yourself, send me photos and I will tell you what you have and what it is realistically worth, for free and with no obligation to sell me anything.
Want it valued properly?
Photos of the cover, the spine and the indicia are enough. You will get an honest answer either way, including if the answer is that it is not worth much.
Get a free valuation