Silver Age
X-Men #62
This book features the first appearance of the savage land mutates (created by Magneto) and the first time Magneto is shown without his helmet. X-Men #62 is a classic X-Men story and one of the few bright spots for the team before the relaunch with Giant Size X-Men #1.
Graded Analysis: This is an odd one. In grades 9.4 and above, this book has generally been a pretty bad investment. Grades 9.2 and below, however, are almost entirely up all time, often by substantial margins. X-Men #62 is an incredibly solid, dependable investment and should be on a lot more radars.
Fun Fact: Karl Lykos first appeared in the prior issue, but it was not until X-Men #60 that he became Sauron (Note: a previous version of this article misidentified Sauron's first appearance. Credit to user ReadComix for pointing out the error)
Bronze Age
Uncanny X-Men #161
Uncanny X-Men #161 features the very first (chronological) meeting of Xavier and Magneto and several significant elements of Magneto's origin story. These are two of the most impactful mutants in X-Men and Marvel history, so it makes sense for a book like this to be desirable by collectors.
Graded Analysis: 58.5% of this book's census count is 9.6s and above, so investors should stay in that range. In those grades, the book has enjoyed, over the long term, really solid gains that have held fairly well amidst record inflation.
Fun Fact: The ending of this comic sets the stage for Carol Danver's eventual transformation into Binary!
Copper Age
X-Men #25 Partial Sketch Variant
For years, fans wondered why, when Magneto and Wolverine fought, the former did not rip the adamantium from the latter's bones and neutralize him once and for all. Well, in the pages of X-Men #25, Magneto did just that, producing one of the most iconic, visceral moments in X-Men history and setting the stage for Onslaught and Heroes Reborn. Furthermore, this would make a great scene in the MCU. If that scene was ever adapted, I would expect interest in this book to skyrocket.
At the time the book was published, the X-Men were the biggest comic book franchise in the world. Nearly every issue of every X-book from that time has a high print run. As a result, many of the regular copies of books from this era are not particularly investable. Instead, investors need to look to some of the rarer variants, such as this partial sketch version. With these versions, the significantly smaller supply gives them a rarity and collectability that regular covers cannot match.
Graded Analysis: The FMV for a 9.8 copy has increased by more than 100% over the last nine years. The 9.6 FMV is up ~45% over that same time. 9.4s are up over 100%. This book definitely has some peaks and valleys, so take the time to research current costs, but the trend is undeniably positive. And that's all without any real MCU heat.
Fun Fact: The idea for Magneto to rip the metal off of Wolverine's body first came from Peter David at the 1992 X-Book Writer's Conference. According to Fabian Nicieza, David meant it as a joke, but "...none of us laughed, because we thought it was a great idea."
