Doctor Strange Bronze Age Key Issues: What Collectors Need to Know

Doctor Strange was created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko in Strange Tales #110 in July 1963 — a Silver Age issue where the character appeared as a backup feature alongside the Human Torch. The series became Doctor Strange with issue #169 (1968), the first title to carry his name, continuing the Strange Tales numbering. After cancellation with #183 (1969), the Bronze Age brought a genuine revival: Marvel Premiere #3 (1972) launched a new solo run, and the Steve Englehart/Frank Brunner collaboration (1973–1974) is now considered among the finest Marvel comics of the decade. Benedict Cumberbatch later introduced the character to a new generation: Doctor Strange (2016) grossed $677.8 million worldwide, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022) $955.8 million, and the character played a pivotal role in Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021, $1.9 billion worldwide).

This guide focuses on documented keys from the Bronze Age (1970–1979) and the unmissable Silver Age first appearance. Note: our eBay estimator does not index the Strange Tales, Doctor Strange (any series), or Marvel Premiere titles — all figures cited come exclusively from documented specialist sources (Heritage Auctions, sellmycomicbooks.com, GoCollect). No number is invented; where no public record exists, we remain qualitative.

Doctor Strange key issue ranking (real documented data)

All records below come from Heritage Auctions and sellmycomicbooks.com. Our eBay estimator does not cover these series: no eBay median is cited.

Sources: Heritage Auctions (Strange Tales #110 record), sellmycomicbooks.com (Marvel Premiere and Doctor Strange vol.2 records).

Strange Tales #110 (1963): the Silver Age key you cannot ignore

Even in a Bronze Age guide, the starting point demands attention. Strange Tales #110 (July 1963) contains the first appearances of Doctor Strange, the Ancient One, Nightmare, and Wong — four founding characters in a single issue. The seven-page story is written by Stan Lee and drawn by Steve Ditko, the duo who defined the character's psychedelic visual identity. This issue is notoriously scarce in high grade: a CGC 9.6 copy sold for $150,000 at Heritage Auctions in April 2024. A CGC 9.2 brought approximately $42,500, and a CGC 9.4 reached around $55,200 at earlier market peaks. Entry-level copies (CGC 4.0) trade around $4,000. This is a genuine investment, not an impulse buy.

Marvel Premiere #3 (1972): the Bronze Age revival

Marvel Premiere #3 (July 1972) launches the Bronze Age renaissance of the Sorcerer Supreme. The anthology title — Marvel's vehicle for testing solo characters — carries a script by Stan Lee over a visual plot by Barry Windsor-Smith, who also handles the interior pencils. The story, titled "While the World Spins Mad!", pits Doctor Strange against Nightmare and marks the character's return to dedicated solo format after the post-#183 hiatus. This issue opens a run covering Marvel Premiere #3 through #14 (July 1972 – March 1974).

The documented record sale for this issue is $1,250 according to sellmycomicbooks.com — far below the Silver Age ceiling but a solid Bronze Age market signal. Ungraded copies in presentable condition circulate at considerably more accessible price points, making this an attainable key for a collector wanting to anchor the beginning of the character's greatest creative period.

Marvel Premiere #9-14 and the Englehart/Brunner run

Starting with Marvel Premiere #9 (1973), Steve Englehart (writer) and Frank Brunner (artist) took charge of the character for what is now regarded as one of the great Bronze Age Marvel runs. Their collaboration — conceived over regular dinners where the two plotted stories together — extended from Marvel Premiere #9 through #14 and then into Doctor Strange vol.2 #1 through #5, producing psychedelic, cosmically ambitious stories that stood apart from mainstream superhero fare. The Shuma-Gorath arc — which sees the death of the Ancient One and Doctor Strange's ascension to Sorcerer Supreme — peaks in Marvel Premiere #10 (September 1973), whose documented record stands at $2,000. Marvel Premiere #7 (March 1973) carries a record of $1,680 from the same source. These issues remain accessible in mid grade but command significantly higher values in high-grade CGC.

Doctor Strange vol.2 #1 (1974): the first real number one

Published in June 1974, Doctor Strange vol.2 #1 is the very first issue of the character's history to carry the number "1" — the 1968 series had continued the Strange Tales numbering from #169. Written by Steve Englehart and drawn by Frank Brunner (inks by Dick Giordano), the issue introduces Silver Dagger, a new villain who breaks into the Sanctum Sanctorum. Englehart and Brunner co-plotted the series together, defining a shared vision that made the opening arc a cohesive artistic statement. Brunner's cover for this issue remains a reference point for the character five decades later. The documented record sale is $1,295. CGC 9.8 copies with white pages represent the top of the market; no single public record exists for that grade, so no figure can honestly be cited.