Incredible Hulk #181 (1974)First full appearance of Wolverine
How much is Incredible Hulk #181 worth? It comes down to the grade, whether the Marvel Value Stamp is still inside, and whether you have a 1974 original or a modern facsimile. Check which copy you have below, then compare it with what the same grade actually sold for.
- Publisher
- Marvel Comics
- Cover date
- November 1974
- Cover price
- 25 cents
- Writer
- Len Wein
- Artist
- Herb Trimpe (pencils), Jack Abel (inks)
- Key
- First full appearance of Wolverine
- Value stamp
- Contains a Marvel Value Stamp; copies with it cut out are incomplete
Incredible Hulk #181 prices by CGC grade
Grade moves the price more than anything else: CGC 9.8 copies of this 1974 book exist but are a small share of the copies CGC has graded, and they sell for many times a mid-grade copy. Each eBay link searches the copies for sale now in that grade range, with facsimiles and reprints filtered out of the search where eBay allows. The Heritage link lists past auction results for graded copies; Heritage shows the sold price once you sign in with a free account.
- For sale: CGC 9.8Near Mint/Mint: rare for a 1974 book
- For sale: CGC 9.6 / 9.4Near Mint+ and Near Mint
- For sale: CGC 9.2 / 9.0Near Mint- and Very Fine/Near Mint
- For sale: CGC 8.5 / 8.0Very Fine+ and Very Fine
- For sale: CGC 6.0 – 7.5Fine to Very Fine-
- For sale: CGC 4.0 – 5.5Very Good to Fine-
- For sale: CGC 3.5 and belowLower grades, still a real 1974 copy
- For sale: CBCS, any gradeThe other big grading company
- For sale: Raw (not graded)Ungraded copies: judge condition from the photos
- Past sales: Heritage AuctionsPast auction results for CGC-graded copies; a free Heritage account shows the sold prices
- Sold on eBay (sign-in needed)eBay's completed sales, all grades; eBay asks you to sign in to see them
The eBay links show copies for sale now and work without an eBay account. To see sold prices, eBay asks you to sign in and Heritage asks for a free account. ComicSeeker doesn't show prices or sell anything.
Which copy do you have?
Marvel Value Stamp: complete or not
Issue #181 came with a Marvel Value Stamp that readers could cut out. A copy with the stamp cut out is incomplete and sells for much less than a complete copy in the same grade, so check that page before you compare prices.
Original vs. facsimile
Marvel has released Facsimile Editions of this issue, some with variant covers. A facsimile has a modern cover price; an original has a 25-cent price.
For sale now, auction results and price guides
- eBay — for sale nowBuy-it-now and auctions, reprints filtered out
- ComicLinkCurrent auctions for the title (all issues)
- MyComicShopLarge back-issue dealer
- HipComicMarketplace for raw and graded comics
- GoCollectPrice guide based on recorded sales
- League of Comic GeeksEvery cover and variant listed
- Comic VineCredits, story and first appearances
Why is Incredible Hulk #181 worth so much?
Incredible Hulk #181 is where Wolverine first appears in full, fighting the Hulk. Len Wein wrote it and Herb Trimpe drew it, from a character design by John Romita Sr. The previous issue, #180, ends with a one-panel cameo, but #181 is the issue collectors treat as the key.
More Incredible Hulk key issues
Incredible Hulk #181: common questions
How much is Incredible Hulk #181 worth?
It depends on grade and on whether the Marvel Value Stamp is intact. A fair value for your copy is what the same grade actually sold for recently. Compare with sold prices (the sign-in links above); the grade links show what is for sale now.
Does the missing value stamp matter?
Yes. A copy with the stamp cut out is incomplete and sells for much less than a complete copy in the same grade.
Is Hulk #180 or #181 Wolverine's first appearance?
Issue #180 has a one-panel cameo at the end; #181 is his first full appearance and the issue most collectors want.
How do I tell an original from a facsimile?
An original has a 25-cent cover price. A facsimile edition has a modern cover price.