The final episode of season one of X-Men '97 had many cameos. Some were expected (Iron Man, Captain America, Dr. Strange, Black Panther, Peter Parker, and Daredevil), but others were surprising, including two characters we haven't seen in the MCU in an age: Cloak & Dagger.
The last time we saw this duo was in live-action back in 2018. Is Marvel teeing us up for their return?
Created by Bill Mantlo and Ed Hannigan in 1982, Cloak and Dagger became teenage superheroes when they were both injected with an experimental version of heroin that gave Dagger the power to create daggers made out of light and Cloak the ability to teleport. The duo appeared several times in the Peter Parker The Spectacular Spider-Man series before receiving their own four-issue limited series and then several different monthly series' over the years.
A CGC 9.6 of the 1st appearance of Cloak & Dagger has lost nearly 50% of its value since it reached an all-time high of $300 in 2022.
Since Cloak & Dagger made their brief appearance in X-Men '97 on May 15th, we did observe a significant increase in sales volume for their first appearance in Peter Parker the Spectacular Spider-Man #64. Specifically, ten copies of this issue sold on eBay on May 15th and 16th alone.
Let's take a closer look at the most common grade on the CGC Census: a 9.6. Looking at its sales history over the past decade, a 9.6 has had two noticeable peaks -- back in 2016 and 2017 when its valued hovered in the $220 to $240 range and also in early 2022 when it reached its all-time high of $299.
The first peak was most likely driven by news of Cloak & Dagger's show on Freeform which aired in 2018 for two seasons. The second was related to the "comic boom" that began in early 2020 and ended in 2022. Since then, like most comic books, this 9.6 has fallen dramatically in value reaching a 10-year low of $100 just a few months ago in February 2024. To me, this is a good example of a book over-correcting during a bear market and an excellent buying opportunity.
It almost seems as if the market recognized a bargain when it saw one. This book's value has climbed steadily since then. Interestingly, the 30-day average for a 9.6 is considerably higher than its 90-day average of $128 and even its one-year average of $147. Even so, the 30-day average is not even half the value of its all-time high of $299.
Some other alternatives include Cloak and Dagger #1 (1983) which is the first in a four issue limited series. A CGC 9.8 copy of this issue sold for $54 after receiving only six bids back in February, which would barely cover the costs of shipping and grading at CGC.
And finally, a CGC 9.8 of Cloak and Dagger #1 (1985), the first issue in their ongoing series, sold for a mere $28 back in November 2023. While only a very minor key, at such a low price point, it's at least worth considering since that amount wouldn't even cover case costs.
Were you excited about Cloak and Dagger's cameo in X-Men '97? Please let us know what your opinion is in the comments section below!
