Moon Knight: most expensive comics and their auction records

Moon Knight (Marc Spector) was born in 1975 from the writing of Doug Moench and the pencils of Don Perlin, introduced inside an already-running Marvel horror series. His first appearance in Werewolf by Night #32 (August 1975) — initially as a mercenary antagonist hired to capture Jack Russell — was quickly followed by a second appearance in issue #33. The character, an avatar of the Egyptian moon god Khonshu and possessor of multiple identities (Marc Spector, Steven Grant, Jake Lockley), received his first solo stories in Marvel Spotlight #28–29 (1976) before launching his own series in 1980. He is a Bronze Age character: no Golden Age or Silver Age Moon Knight issues exist, and any guide claiming otherwise would be inaccurate.

This guide sticks to the verifiable: records documented by Heritage Auctions, ComicLink, sellmycomicbooks.com, and CGC. One important methodological note: our eBay estimator does not cover the Werewolf by Night, Moon Knight, or Marvel Spotlight series — it returns "invalid parameters" for these titles. Every figure in this guide comes exclusively from documented web sources.

Moon Knight key issue ranking (real documented data)

All records below come from public sources (Heritage Auctions, ComicLink, sellmycomicbooks.com, CGC). Our eBay estimator does not cover these series.

Sources: Heritage Auctions, ComicLink, sellmycomicbooks.com, GoCollect, CGC. Our eBay estimator does not cover these series.

Werewolf by Night #32 (1975): the definitive Bronze Age key

Published in August 1975, Werewolf by Night #32 contains the first appearance and origin of Moon Knight — presented as a mercenary hired to capture Jack Russell, the werewolf. The story is by Doug Moench (script) and Don Perlin (art). This is a Bronze Age issue with no Silver Age or Golden Age predecessor. Its scarcity in top grade is genuine: the CGC census records only 19 copies at the maximum grade of 9.8. The all-time documented record belongs to a CGC 9.8 copy carrying the CVA Exceptional designation (the highest quality distinction awarded by the Comics Value Accelerator), which sold for $50,000 at ComicLink — more than doubling the previous record according to available sources. For a standard CGC 9.8, Heritage Auctions documented a sale at $31,200 in March 2020. A CGC 9.6 reached $25,200, according to sellmycomicbooks.com.

For collectors working with tighter budgets, lower grades remain meaningful entry points into this Bronze Age key. The launch of the Disney+ series in 2022 sustained and amplified worldwide collector interest in this foundational issue.

Marvel Spotlight #28 (1976): the first solo story

Marvel Spotlight #28 (1976) is Moon Knight's first solo story: Doug Moench develops the character further and introduces Marlene Fontaine (romantic ally) and Crawley (informant), both of whom appear in the 2022 Disney+ series. This issue directly precedes the launch of the dedicated solo title and is a secondary key appreciated by thematic collectors. No high-grade auction record is publicly documented for this issue: high-grade CGC copies remain scarce and their prices vary significantly by grade.

Moon Knight #1 (1980): the Moench & Sienkiewicz solo launch

Moon Knight #1 (November 1980) is the first issue of the dedicated solo series — likely the title most immediately associated with the character in the minds of collectors. Doug Moench writes, and it marks the beginning of the partnership with Bill Sienkiewicz, whose expressionist style would define the character's visual identity for a generation. The issue also introduces Bushman (Moon Knight's primary recurring nemesis) and Khonshu (the moon god whose avatar Spector becomes). According to GoCollect data, a CGC 9.8 copy reached $2,150 in September 2022 — far below the records commanded by Werewolf by Night #32, which illustrates the clear market hierarchy: the first appearance remains by far the most sought-after key.

The modern runs: Ellis/Shalvey (2014) and Lemire/Smallwood (2016)

Two recent runs significantly reinforced the character's critical standing. The Warren Ellis and Declan Shalvey series (2014, just 6 issues) is unanimously regarded as one of Marvel's best runs of the decade: each issue functions as a self-contained story, and it is this run that introduced the Mr. Knight persona later carried into the Disney+ series. The Jeff Lemire and Greg Smallwood series (2016–2018, 14 issues) explores Marc Spector's dissociative identity disorder through a psychologically rich and visually inventive narrative. These modern runs do not approach the records set by Bronze Age keys, but their market value remains supported by demand from readers who discovered the character through the television adaptation.

Moon Knight on Disney+ (2022): the MCU effect on values

The Moon Knight miniseries, launched on Disney+ on March 30, 2022, runs 6 episodes. Oscar Isaac plays Marc Spector / Steven Grant / Mr. Knight, with Ethan Hawke as the antagonist Arthur Harrow. Created by Jeremy Slater and directed primarily by Mohamed Diab, the series earned praise for its treatment of dissociative identity disorder and for Isaac's dual performances. The announcement and broadcast of the series sustained strong demand for the character's Bronze Age keys — particularly Werewolf by Night #32, whose high-grade auction records were challenged during this period.