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Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #8 (1984)Origin of Spider-Man's black costume, the symbiote that becomes Venom

How much is Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #8 worth? It comes down to the grade, and whether you have a 1984 original or the 2024 facsimile reprint. Check both below, then compare your copy with what the same grade and edition actually sold for.

Publisher
Marvel Comics
Cover date
December 1984
Cover price
75 cents
Writer
Jim Shooter
Artist
Mike Zeck (pencils)
Cover
Mike Zeck and John Beatty
Key
Origin of Spider-Man's black costume, the alien symbiote that later becomes Venom
Shorthand
Collectors write it as "Secret Wars #8" or "MSH SW #8"

Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #8 prices by CGC grade

Grade moves the price more than anything else: a CGC 9.8 can sell for many times a 9.0. Each eBay link searches the copies for sale now in that grade, with facsimiles and reprints filtered out of the search. The Heritage link lists past auction results for graded copies; Heritage shows the sold price once you sign in with a free account.

  1. For sale: CGC 9.8Near Mint/Mint, the top common grade
  2. For sale: CGC 9.6Near Mint+
  3. For sale: CGC 9.4Near Mint
  4. For sale: CGC 9.2 / 9.0Near Mint- and Very Fine/Near Mint
  5. For sale: CGC 8.5 / 8.0Very Fine+ and Very Fine
  6. For sale: CBCS, any gradeThe other big grading company
  7. For sale: Raw (not graded)Ungraded copies: judge condition from the photos
  8. Past sales: Heritage AuctionsPast auction results for CGC-graded copies; a free Heritage account shows the sold prices
  9. 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?

Newsstand vs. direct edition

Copies sold at newsstands have a barcode in a box on the cover; copies sold in comic shops (the direct edition) have a picture in that box instead. Newsstand copies with a $1.00 cover price were sold in Canada and are a scarcer price variant. Compare sales of the same edition at the same grade.

Original vs. facsimile

Marvel reprinted the issue as a Facsimile Edition in 2024, ads included, with the same cover art. An original has a 75-cent cover price ($1.00 on Canadian newsstand copies) and a 1984 date in the small print on the first page (the indicia). A $4.99 price or a 2024 date means a facsimile, which sells for a small fraction of an original.

Graded or raw

This issue is graded often, so many sales are CGC or CBCS slabs. For an ungraded copy, compare it with raw sales and judge the condition from the photos.

  1. For sale: newsstand edition, any gradeThe barcode version
  2. For sale: $1.00 Canadian price variantThe scarce newsstand copy
  3. For sale: facsimile editionSo you can see how far below an original it is priced

For sale now, auction results and price guides

  1. eBay — for sale nowBuy-it-now and auctions, reprints filtered out
  2. ComicLinkCurrent auctions for the title (all issues)
  3. MyComicShopLarge back-issue dealer
  4. HipComicMarketplace for raw and graded comics
  5. GoCollectPrice guide based on recorded sales
  6. League of Comic GeeksEvery cover and variant listed
  7. Comic VineCredits, story and first appearances

Why is Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #8 worth so much?

In this issue Spider-Man, needing to repair his torn costume on Battleworld, uses an alien machine and is covered by a black substance that becomes his new black costume. That costume is the alien symbiote that later bonds with Eddie Brock as Venom, which ties this issue to every Venom and black-suit story since. The black suit had already been seen in Amazing Spider-Man #252, published earlier, but Secret Wars #8 is where the story says it came from.

Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #8: common questions

How much is Secret Wars #8 worth?

It depends on grade and edition. A fair value for your copy is what the same grade and edition actually sold for recently. The Heritage past-sales link above lists real auction results (a free Heritage account shows the prices); eBay asking prices in the same grade show what sellers want today.

Is Secret Wars #8 the first appearance of the symbiote?

It tells the origin of Spider-Man's black costume. The costume first appeared in print in Amazing Spider-Man #252, which came out earlier, so most price guides list Secret Wars #8 as the symbiote's origin rather than its first appearance (some sellers still title it "1st black suit").

Is the facsimile edition worth anything?

The 2024 facsimile is a modern reprint, so it sells for far less than a 1984 original. Compare with the facsimile listings link above (copies for sale now).

Is the newsstand edition worth more?

It can be. Newsstand copies were handled less carefully than direct-edition copies sold in comic shops, so they tend to be harder to find in high grade, and the $1.00 Canadian copies are scarcer still. Compare newsstand and direct sales at the same grade.

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