Marvel Super Hero Contest of Champions

    (Marvel, 1982, 2015)
™ and ©1982 Marvel Entertainment Group

1982’s Marvel Super Hero Contest of Champions began when every living super-hero was abruptly snatched from Earth and taken to a stadium in space. They had been called there to settle a bet between a powerful being known as the Grandmaster and a cloaked adversary called “the Unknown.” The super-heroes were to divide into teams and search for the four pieces of the Golden Globe of Life, hidden in various places around the planet. If the Grandmaster’s team won, the Unknown would be forced to resurrect the Grandmaster’s dead brother. If the Grandmaster lost, the Unknown would claim the Grandmaster’s life.

This three-issue title was one of Marvel’s first limited series. It served as an excuse to introduce several minor super-heroes such as Le Peregrine and Talisman. As a bonus, it included an index to Marvel characters major and minor à la the Marvel Universe handbooks.
Jump to issue:
  • 1
    #1
    Jun 1982
    Cover: $0.60
    W: Bill Mantlo, Mark Gruenwald, Steven Grant  ·  A: John Romita Jr.
    1st Appearance of Blitzkrieg; 1st appearance of Collective Man; 1st appearance of Le Peregrine; 1st appearance of Shamrock; 1st appearance of Talisman I; Alpha Flight
    19 copies from $4.75
  • 1/NS
    #1 Newsstand Edition
    Newsstand Edition with cover by John Romita Jr
    Jun 1982
    Cover: $0.60
    W: Bill Mantlo, Mark Gruenwald, Steven Grant  ·  A: John Romita Jr.
    1st Appearance of Blitzkrieg; 1st appearance of Collective Man; 1st appearance of Le Peregrine; 1st appearance of Shamrock; 1st appearance of Talisman I; Alpha Flight
    1 copy for $11.98
  • 2
    #2
    Jul 1982
    Cover: $0.60
    W: Bill Mantlo, Mark Gruenwald, Steven Grant  ·  A: John Romita Jr.
    9 copies from $3.00
  • 2/NS
    #2 Newsstand Edition
    Newsstand Edition with cover by John Romita Jr
    Jul 1982
    Cover: $0.60
    W: Bill Mantlo, Mark Gruenwald, Steven Grant  ·  A: John Romita Jr.
    No copies available
  • 3
    #3
    Aug 1982
    Cover: $0.60
    W: Bill Mantlo, Mark Gruenwald, Steven Grant  ·  A: John Romita Jr.
    9 copies from $1.50
  • 3/NS
    #3 Newsstand Edition
    Newsstand Edition with cover by Ed Hannigan
    Aug 1982
    Cover: $0.60
    W: Bill Mantlo, Mark Gruenwald, Steven Grant  ·  A: John Romita Jr.
    2 copies from $2.75
  • Bk 1
    Book #1
    Jan 1999
    Cover: $17.95
    W: Bill Mantlo, Mark Gruenwald, Steven Grant  ·  A: John Romita Jr., Bob Layton
    Collects Contest of Champions #1-3, Avengers Annual #16, and West Coast Avengers Annual #16
    No copies available
  • Bk 1-2
    Book #1 - 2nd printing
    Cover: $7.99
    W: Bill Mantlo, Mark Gruenwald, Steven Grant  ·  A: John Romita Jr., Bob Layton
    Collecting Marvel Super Hero Contest Of Champions #1-3; ca. 2015
    3 copies from $9.99
  • Bk 1/A
    Book #1 Variation A
    Ashograph Edition with Cover A by Ed Hannigan
    Sep 1982
    W: Bill Mantlo, Mark Gruenwald, Steven Grant  ·  A: John Romita Jr.
    Gruenwald’s ashes used for Ashograph; Limited to 100; Signed by Ashograph and his widow
    No copies available