Last time I was looking at comics based on Mattel products and exploring the popularity of comics based on toy lines. Successful toys were often made the subject of comic books with both the toys and the comics having nostalgia value for collectors. This combination of factors (when tied into movie deals) can lead to high prices on the market for the related comics. If you don’t believe me, just look up the fair market value of G.I. Joe, A Real American Hero #1, Transformers #1, or even the somewhat obscure, Hot Wheels #1, that I discussed in my previous post.
'The Micronauts' was another toy brand (this time by Mego) released in 1976 and then successfully turned into a comic three years later.
Mego’s 'Micronauts' figurines were actually based on an earlier Japanese toy line called ‘Micro-Man’ that was first released in 1974 by the Takura company.
Whereas the Mego Micronauts' toy line was cancelled in 1980, the Marvel comics based on these tiny soldiers would be published up until 1986, after which the characters would be picked up by Image comics and Devil’s Due Publishing. The latest Micronauts comic is by IDW and began publication in 2016 and the last issue released was #11 in April of 2017.
The Micronauts were time travelers from the Microverse and they came with vehicles. But other than that, they didn’t really have much of a story behind them. Not until writer Bill Mantlo (the creator or Rocket the Raccoon) brought them to life in Marvel Comics. The story goes that Mantlo was watching his son open up Christmas presents and noticed that the toys that most transfixed him were these tiny moveable dolls. Later, when Marvel got the rights to publish Micronauts as a comic, Mantlo wrote the script and the rest, as they say, is history.
In December of 2017 it was reported that Paramount has plans to release a 'Micronauts' movie in the wake of the success of 'G.I. Joe' and 'Transformers'. This news probably did much to boost the sales on this old Marvel comic. Whether the movie actually gets released (current plans are to release it in 2020), and whether its release further boosts the old Marvel comics it might be based on, is anybody’s guess.
In any case, go through your long boxes and see if you have any of the Marvel Micronauts comics in your possession. Some of them are actually valuable.
Micronauts #1 (January 1979) - First Appearance of Bug as Galactic Warrior
Introducing the characters of Rann, Mari, Karza, Bug, Acroyear, Shaitan, Biotron, Microtron, and the Shadow Priests, Micronauts #1 features, as mentioned above, a story by Bill Mantlo and the art is by Al Milgrom with a standout cover by Dave Cockrum. In the first issue the plot centers on a political coup set in the Microverse and initiated by Baron Karza who chases out the old rulers, Prince Argon and Princess Mari. Sure, all the characters are based on tiny moveable action figures, but Mantlo’s script brings them to life so that the resulting comic is quite readable. 478 sales of this comic have been recorded on GoCollect.com. Currently a 9.8 graded copy of Micronauts #1 can sell for around $150.00. Unsurprisingly most of the sales happened on and after December 2017. Right now best returns have been seen on 6.0 graded copies of this comic (positive + 110.6%, after two sales). In 2016 a 6.0 graded copy sold for $9.49, but in 2018 the same grade fetched $19.99. If the movie happens, expect a bump just before the first trailer is released.
Micronauts #8 (August 1979) – First Appearance of Captain Universe
This is the only other major key in the first volume of the Micronauts’ comic. The reason is that it features the first appearance of the guardian and protector of eternity: Captain Universe. At an early point in their run, the Micronauts made their way to Earth. Once there they helped the humans fight against Baron Karza. In this issue Captain Universe, an elemental force, joins the fight after emerging from the Prometheus Pitt. The good Captain would later go on to fight the Kree and even meet the Silver Surfer, in this way playing a major role in the cosmic story arcs of the Marvel books. Perhaps that’s why this comic is so popular. After 191 sales it has a fair market value of $180.00 in graded 9.8 form. More valuable than issue #1. If Captain Universe appears in the Paramount 'Micronauts' movie or, better yet, the MCU, all bets are off on this one. For now, best return on investment can be seen on 9.6 graded copies (positive + 55.1%) after 52 sales since 2012 and with a current fair market price of around $60.00, although the last Ebay sale brought in just shy of a hundred dollars for an issue in this grade. Now that’s a good thing in a small package.
