EURISKO [26]

#01: This is it, the first issue of the Uncanny X-Men, and even in the beginning, there was Magneto, the Earth's most powerful super villain. Conceived by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, this first issue will always remain one of the core books within the Marvel Comics mythos. This is Stan and Jack making history and legend, although no one knew it at the time. Pencils by Jack Kirby, inks by Paul Reinman. First appearances of Professor X, Cyclops, Iceman, the Angel, the Beast, Marvel Girl, and Magneto. Kirby/Sol Brodsky cover.

#26: The X-Men battle El Tigre in "Holocaust!" Script by Roy Thomas, pencils by Werner Roth, inks by DickAyers. Roth/Ayers cover.

#51: Dorna Dane and Mesmero guest star in "The Devil Had a Daughter!" Script by Arnold Drake, pencils by Jim Steranko, inks by John Tartaglione. Back-up story continues the origin of the Beast in "The Lure of the Beast-Nappers!" Script by Drake, pencils by Werner Roth, inks by Tartaglione. Steranko cover.

#76: Reprint: "The Wail of the Banshee!" (from Uncanny X-Men 28). Script by Roy Thomas, pencils by Werner Roth, inks by Dick Ayers. New Gil Kane/Frank Giacoia cover.

#501: Written by J. Michael Straczynski. Pencils by John Romita Jr. Cover by Tony Harris. A brand new story arc starts following the historic issue #500! The drive to Amazing Spider-Man #1000 starts here!

#526: Part 6 of Spider-Man The Other. Guest-Writer Reginals Hudlin. Pencils & Cover by Mike Deodato, Jr. "The Other: Evolve or Die" Part 6 (of 12). It's cover-to-cover action as Spider-Man faces off against Morlun and this time there's no Ezekiel to help him. Sit down for this one, True Believer. You've never seen a fight quite like this, as Spidey faces the one foe he's never beaten!

#551: Part 6 of Spider-Man Brand New Day. Written by Marc Guggenheim. Pencils & Cover by Salvador Larroca. Jackpot! Spidey vs. the Police! Menace! Triumphs, twists, turns and tragedy pack these two issues by Marc Guggenheim and Salvador Larrocca. And would you believe... Spider-Man sued? (Hey, that's what we get for having a former lawyer write these things...).

#401: The Scarlet Spider, Kaine, and the Traveller guest star in the Mark of Kaine part 2, "Down in the Darkness." Script by J.M. DeMatteis, pencils by Mark Bagleyn inks by Larry Mahlstedt. Story continues from Web of Spider-Man 124 and continues in Spider-Man 58. Bagley/Mahlstedt cover.

#426: First $1.99 cover price. Doctor Octopus (the new and the original), Delilah, the Rose, and Stunner all make appearances in "Only the Evil Return!". Script by Tom DeFalco, pencils by Steve Skroce, inks by Bud LaRosa. Green Goblin cameo.

#451: Someone is targeting those present at the experiment that gave Peter Parker his powers! Will even the powers of Spider-Man be enough to go one-on-one with someone capable of taking down Doctor Octopus? What about Mary Jane and those mysterious phone calls? Action, mystery, drama? Face it, Tiger, this one's got it all! Cover by John Romita Jr. FC.

#476: If J. Michael Straczynski and John Romita Jr. shocked you before... Well, this is the real deal! JMS speaks: "You may think you've seen the greatest confrontations in Peter Parker's life. You're wrong. Since his debut in Amazing Fantasy #15, nearly four decades ago, Peter Parker has been running from the one, singular confrontation that will change his life. The one he has feared, and dreaded, since he assumed the role of Spider-Man. He has now run out of room to run. This is a confrontation 40 years in the making. No hype. No bombast... But no clues. We can't even give you any names, because that would ruin the surprise. But starting with issue #35 (#476) and climaxing in issue #37 (#478) the biggest question asked by fans for decades will finally become a reality. This is the Big One. The one that will have you talking for the next year. Honest." The Buzz: "I can't say enough good things about this book. J. Michael Straczynski has come along and turned the Spider Saga on its ear. With John Romita Jr.'s pencils backing it up, this book is hot!

#301: First $1 cover price. Silver Sable returns in "The Sable Gauntlet!" Script by David Michelinie, art and cover by Todd McFarlane. The letters page has a statement of ownership--average print run 469,913; average paid circulation 284,692.

#326: Part of series Acts of Vengeance. Graviton guest stars in this Acts of Vengeance crossover, "Gravity Storm." Script by David Michelinie, pencils by Colleen Doran, inks by Andy Mushynsky. Doran/Gordon cover.

#351: Nova (of the New Warriors) guest-stars in "The Three Faces of Evil!" Script by David Michelinie, pencils by Mark Bagley (begins as regular artist), inks by Randy Emberlin. Bagley/Emberlin cover.

#376: If Styx & Stone don't break Spidey, Cardiac is ready to do the job in "Guilt By Association." Plot by David Michelinie, script by Steven Grant, pencils by Jeff Johnson, inks by Dan Panosian and Al Milgrom. Mark Bagley/Randy Emberlin cover.

#201: The Punisher is back in "Man-Hunt!" Script by Marv Wolfman, layouts by Keith Pollard, inks by Jim Mooney. John Romita Sr./Bob McLeod cover. Reprinted in Marvel Tales # 218.

#226: The Black Cat returns to fight and flirt in "But the Cat Came Back." Script by Roger Stern, pencils by John Romita Jr. and Jim Mooney. Back cover Dungeons & Dragons ad with Bill Willingham art.

#251: The Hobgoblin/Spider-Man battle concludes--for now, anyway. Last red-and-blue costume (for a while). "Endings!" Plot by Roger Stern, script by Tom DeFalco, breakdowns by Ron Frenz (he begins as regular penciler), inks by Klaus Janson.

#276: The Hobgoblin is unmasked--and it's Flash Thompson! But he's being framed in "Unmasked!" Script by Tom DeFalco, pencils by Ron Frenz, inks by Brett Breeding. Spidey wears both the red-and-blue and black costumes in this issue. Tom Morgan/Joe Rubinstein cover.

#101: First appearance of Morbius the vampire in "A Monster Called Morbius." Script by Roy Thomas, pencils by Gil Kane, inks by Frank Giacoia. Guest appearance by Dr. Curtis Connors (the Lizard). Spider-Man still has six arms in this issue. Kane cover. Last 15 cent issue.

#126: Harry Osborn becomes the new Green Goblin in "The Kangaroo Bounces Back." Script by Gerry Conway, pencils by Ross Andru, inks by Jim Mooney. John Romita Sr. cover. Human Torch (of the Fantastic Four) cameo. Reprinted in Marvel Tales # 103.

#151: The Spider-Man clone and the Green Goblin have cameos as Spidey battles the Shocker in "Skirmish Beneath the Streets." Len Wein scripts begin; pencils by Ross Andru; inks by John Romita Sr., Mike Esposito, Frank Giacoia, and Dave Hunt. Reprinted in Marvel Tales # 128.

#176: The Green Goblin (Harry Osborn) returns in "He Who Laughs Last...!" Script by Len Wein, pencils by Ross Andru, inks by Tony DeZuniga.

Spider-Man first appeared in the comic book Amazing Fantasy #15 (Aug. 1962). The series was cancelled with that issue, but response to the character was so positive that a solo title, The Amazing Spider-Man, was launched with a March 1963 cover-date.

The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist and co-plotter Steve Ditko, and the pair produced 38 issues from 1963 to 1966. Since then, many writers and artists have taken over the monthly comic through the years, chronicling the adventures of Marvel's most identifiable hero.

The Amazing Spider-Man is the character's flagship series. Most of the major characters and villains of the Spider-Man saga have been introduced here, and it is where key events occur. The title was published continuously until 1998 when Marvel Comics relaunched it with a new issue #1 (Jan. 1999), but on Spider-Man's 40th anniversary, this new title reverted to using the numbering of the original series, beginning again with issue #500 (Dec. 2003).

Amazing Fantasy #15, as the debut issue of Marvel's most popular character, is among fans and collectors one of the most important and valued comic books in the history of the medium.

The DVD release of the collector's edition of the Spider-Man movie included an electronic copy of Amazing Fantasy #15. In 2001, Marvel published a 10-issue series called The 100 Greatest Marvels of All Time, and Amazing Fantasy #15 topped the list at #1.

In September 2000, a prominent comic book dealership brought the only known CGC graded 9.6 (near mint plus) copy to market and sold it for $140,000. In October 2007, a near mint copy was sold for $227,000 in an online auction on ComicLink.com. This was the highest price ever realized at auction for a comic book published after 1950.