Doctor Strange: Strange Tales #110 and #115, the Silver Age Foundation

Doctor Strange came from a Steve Ditko instinct. In a 1963 letter to Jerry Bails, Stan Lee described the character as "just a five-page filler that Steve Ditko is going to draw" with "a black magic theme." What seemed throwaway became one of Marvel's most singular creations: the first Marvel hero whose territory is not the streets of New York but the mystical dimensions of the universe. Strange Tales #110 hit newsstands on April 9, 1963 (cover-dated July 1963), as a backup feature in a title shared at the time with the Human Torch.

This guide sticks to the verifiable: auction records documented by specialist sources (ComicConnect, Heritage Auctions, sellmycomicbooks.com, GoCollect) and Overstreet data. Our eBay estimator tool does not cover the Strange Tales, Doctor Strange, or Marvel Premiere series — no eBay median from that tool is cited in this guide. Where no reliable figure could be verified from a primary source, we stay qualitative.

Doctor Strange key issue ranking (documented market data)

All figures below come exclusively from specialist web sources (ComicConnect, Heritage Auctions, sellmycomicbooks.com, GoCollect, Overstreet). The site's eBay tool does not cover these series.

Sources: ComicConnect, Heritage Auctions, sellmycomicbooks.com, GoCollect, Overstreet Price Guide.

Strange Tales #110 (1963): the birth of the Sorcerer Supreme

Published in Strange Tales #110, the story "Dr. Strange: Master of Black Magic!" runs just five pages — scripted by Stan Lee, drawn and inked by Steve Ditko, lettered by Terry Szenics. A man tormented by nightmares seeks Doctor Strange's help; Strange dives into the Dream Dimension to confront Nightmare. In a single issue, the story introduces the Sorcerer Supreme, his master the Ancient One, his disciple Wong (unnamed here), and his first recurring villain. Ditko's systematic three-by-three panel grid creates an immediately distinctive visual language unlike anything else in the Marvel line at the time.

Strange Tales was a shared title: the Human Torch headlined the cover and the front pages; Doctor Strange was only the backup feature. That format lasted through issue #168 (1968) — the title was then renamed Doctor Strange beginning with #169 (June 1968), carrying over the same numbering, making it the first issue published under his own name. On the secondary market, Strange Tales #110 ranks in the Overstreet Top 25 Silver Age comics. A CGC 9.6 copy reached $60,000 in 2016–2017, per sellmycomicbooks.com; a CGC 9.4 sold for $55,200 in 2020 on ComicConnect and $48,000 in 2021; a CGC 9.2 brought $42,500 in 2023. At mid-grade (CGC 8.5), 2022 sales settled around $19,000. The post-pandemic correction has weighed on mid-grade prices, but the key remains one of the most liquid Silver Age Marvel books.

Strange Tales #115 (1963): the origin of Stephen Strange

Published in December 1963, Strange Tales #115 delivers the full Doctor Strange origin. Lee and Ditko tell the story of Stephen Strange: a brilliant but arrogant surgeon whose hands are shattered in a car accident, ending his career. Drifting from clinic to clinic, he hears of the Ancient One — a Himalayan sorcerer said to heal the unhealable. The quest for a cure becomes a path into magic: discovering Karl Mordo's treachery, Strange chooses to protect the Ancient One rather than exploit his help, and earns the old master's trust. That act of sacrifice transforms the self-serving surgeon into the Sorcerer Supreme.

The issue carries additional weight for collectors: it also features the Human Torch versus the Sandman in his second appearance, and an early Spider-Man cameo, making it a dual key. The cover is co-signed by Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko. Overstreet 2021 valued the issue at $282 in Fine (6.0) condition and $761 in Very Fine (8.0). The market record documented by sellmycomicbooks.com stands at approximately $10,200 (grade unspecified in the source) — well below Strange Tales #110, which makes it a more accessible Silver Age Doctor Strange entry for mid-grade collectors.

Other Silver Age keys worth knowing

Serious collectors typically round out these two issues with a handful of additional landmarks from the Lee/Ditko run in Strange Tales. Strange Tales #126 (November 1964) marks the first appearance of Dormammu — Doctor Strange's principal antagonist — as well as Clea, his future partner. Strange Tales #138 introduces Eternity, a cosmic entity central to the Doctor Strange mythos. Both issues see active trading at all grades. Doctor Strange #169 (June 1968), the first issue under the solo title, reached $13,100 in CGC 9.8 in September 2022 on ComicConnect — a significant figure for a transition issue rather than a first appearance.

The MCU's impact on market values

Both Marvel Studios films centered on the character have directly shaped demand for Silver Age keys. Doctor Strange (2016), with Benedict Cumberbatch, grossed roughly $677 million worldwide, triggering the first major price spike for Strange Tales #110 — the $60,000 CGC 9.6 sale dates from that period. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022, directed by Sam Raimi) surpassed $955 million in worldwide receipts. Doctor Strange's appearances in Avengers: Infinity War, Endgame (2018–2019), and Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) maintained sustained mainstream exposure between the two solo films. The market has corrected from its pandemic peak since 2022, but Strange Tales #110 remains indexed to every major MCU release.