Black Widow First Appearance: Tales of Suspense #52 Value

Black Widow first appeared in Tales of Suspense #52 (cover date April 1964), published by Marvel, by Stan Lee, Don Rico, Don Heck. The source puts it this way: "Black Widow first appeared in Tales of Suspense #52 (1964) as an opponent of Iron Man.".

PriceCharting values for Tales of Suspense #52 (1964) by CGC grade, based on recorded sales and updated September 25, 2026:

• CGC 2.0: $305
• CGC 3.0: $402
• CGC 4.0: $474
• CGC 5.0: $556
• CGC 6.0: $1,052
• CGC 7.0: $1,540
• CGC 8.0: $3,357
• CGC 9.0: $5,330
• CGC 9.2: $6,573
• CGC 9.4: $7,170

The spread from CGC 2.0 ($305) to CGC 9.4 ($7,170) shows how much condition matters on a key issue. Restored, trimmed or incomplete copies sell far below these figures, and reprints and facsimiles (see below) are worth a small fraction. Grade and restoration are confirmed by a grading service such as CGC or CBCS; prices move with the market and the character's popularity.

• Cover artist and cover composition: the cover was drawn by Jack Kirby, and it is Crimson Dynamo, not Black Widow, who gets most of the cover's attention.
• Creator credits: Black Widow was created by editor Stan Lee, scripter Don Rico, and artist Don Heck.

• Indicia: the small print on the first page or inside cover gives the issue number, date and publisher; reprints usually say so there.
• Cover price and barcode: a price or barcode format that did not exist in the year printed means a later edition.
• Paper and staples: decades-old newsprint is tan at the edges; bright white pages on an old date are a warning sign.
• Restoration: color touch, trimmed edges and married covers are common on expensive keys; a grading service can detect them.

Shoot the front cover flat, straight on, in even light, then the indicia page and the back cover. Include the top edge and staples in one frame. The app reads the title, issue number and cover and matches it against the checks above; the indicia photo settles most reprint questions.

• Tales of Suspense #52 (April 1964): first appearance, as an opponent of Iron Man; created by Stan Lee, Don Rico and Don Heck.
• The Avengers #30 (1966): she reforms into a hero.
• The Amazing Spider-Man #86 (1970): introduces her best-known design, the black costume and long red hair, designed by John Romita Sr.
• Daredevil #81 (1971): she joins Daredevil's series and stays a major character in it through the 1970s.

All four from Wikipedia. Only Tales of Suspense #52 is her first appearance; the others are later keys.

PriceCharting values for The Amazing Spider-Man #86 (1970), retrieved September 25, 2026:

• Ungraded: $68.13
• CGC 4.0: $97.62
• CGC 6.0: $104.66
• CGC 8.0: $192.25
• CGC 9.2: $386.66
• CGC 9.8: $4,110.00

Through CGC 9.2 it costs a fraction of Tales of Suspense #52 in the same grade, A Spider-Man issue showing her in the black costume is never her debut; her first appearance is in Tales of Suspense.

In the comics Natasha went through biochemical modification in the Red Room, which increased her physical abilities and slowed her aging, and she was given false memories, including a career as a ballerina. Bucky Barnes, then the Winter Soldier, was one of her Red Room instructors, and the two were romantically involved while working together (Wikipedia). Wikipedia does not describe them as married.

Scarlett Johansson was cast in March 2009 and first played Natasha in Iron Man 2 (2010), introduced as "Natalie Rushman", an undercover S.H.I.E.L.D. agent posing as Tony Stark's new assistant. Her solo film Black Widow was planned for May 2020, delayed twice by the COVID-19 pandemic and released on July 9, 2021. In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the Red Room's training ended with the sterilization of its students (Wikipedia).