The Story
Loki, looking for a way to get back at his brother Thor, tricks the Hulk into causing a rampage that gets blamed on the wrong party. Rick Jones, a friend of the Hulk from earlier issues, radios for help through his amateur "Teen Brigade" network. The distress call reaches Iron Man, Ant-Man, and the Wasp, and Thor arrives once he realizes Loki set the whole thing up. The five heroes team up to stop Loki, and once the dust settles, Rick suggests they keep working together under a shared name: the Avengers.
The Hulk is technically a founding member here, though he leaves the roster by the following issue, an early sign of how fluid Avengers membership would stay for six decades of stories. The formula introduced in this one issue, distinct heroes with their own solo books joining forces against threats too big for any single character, became the model for every Marvel team-up event that followed, up through the shared-universe films.
For collectors, Avengers #1 is a top-tier Silver Age Marvel key. It pairs naturally with the first Tales of Suspense #39 NFT (Iron Man's debut) and the first Journey Into Mystery #83 NFT (Thor's debut). This issue is the print origin of the team; the first Iron Man NFT, first Thor NFT, and first Hulk NFT are those founding members in figure form.
The Collectible
A high-grade physical Avengers #1 is a marquee Silver Age key, priced accordingly given it's the team's entire origin in one book. The VeVe edition keeps the Kirby art pristine and, after the January 2026 Collect migration, self-custodies on-chain. The Classic Cover reproduces the original front, while the Rare Hero Variant and Ultra Rare Vibranium Variant carry exclusive new art by David Yardin and Edgar Delgado that no printed copy has.
The Drop
VeVe released Avengers #1 on August 31, 2023 at $20, in five cover variants running Common through Secret Rare. The team's dominance at the box office through the MCU's Avengers films kept the waitlist competitive, and the release distributed close to full on drop day.
Edition Breakdown
| Tier | Editions | Cover |
|---|---|---|
| Common | 6,000 | Classic Cover |
| Uncommon | 2,250 | Vintage Variant |
| Rare | 1,000 | Hero Variant, exclusive cover |
| Ultra Rare | 500 | Vibranium Variant, exclusive cover |
| Secret Rare | 250 | True Believer Variant |
10,000 editions total with 1 burned, so 9,999 circulate at an 8.5% market fee. The 250 Secret Rare copies are the scarcest point in the run.
Market Context
When this dropped in August 2023, the Avengers brand was arguably Marvel's single biggest asset thanks to the films, and collector interest tracked that. Secondary prices have held, particularly for the Rare and Ultra Rare editions with their exclusive art. The January 2026 Collect migration moved every edition to self-custody on-chain, with no further minting possible.
Collector's Note
Watching Iron Man, Thor, and the Hulk team up for the first time, with the team's name coined on the last page almost as an afterthought, makes this one of the most quotable origins in the medium. Even Common editions represent ownership of that founding moment, while the Rare and Ultra Rare tiers carry exclusive art worth hunting. Copies are listed on the VeVe secondary market, sometimes below retail. New to VeVe? Take $10 off your first purchase.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Avengers #1, cover-dated September 1963. Stan Lee wrote it and Jack Kirby drew it. It is the first appearance of the team, formed by Iron Man, Thor, the Hulk, Ant-Man, and the Wasp.
Loki tricks the Hulk into a rampage to lure Thor into a trap. Rick Jones sends a distress signal that draws in Iron Man, Ant-Man, and the Wasp. After stopping Loki together, the heroes agree to keep teaming up as the Avengers.
10,000 across five tiers: 6,000 Common, 2,250 Uncommon, 1,000 Rare, 500 Ultra Rare, and 250 Secret Rare. One has been burned, so 9,999 circulate.
Yes. Collectors list copies on the VeVe secondary market, sometimes below retail. Prices vary by tier, with the 250-edition Secret Rare the scarcest.
They use VeVe-exclusive art by David Yardin and Edgar Delgado, created for this drop and not printed on the original 1963 issue.
