Comic Books You Need to Own: Iron Man #282 First Appearance of War Machine

Iron Man 282

There are thousands upon thousands of comic books published each and every year, which makes finding the ones that are going to be valuable a little tricky. First appearances are almost always a good investment for collectors of any age. This week in the Comic Books You Need to Own segment, we are highlighting what has become a must-have for any collection—the first appearance of War Machine.

While James Rhodes (the man inside the armor) would make his comic book debut in Iron Man #118, which is a book that approaches the $50-60 level, according to Comic Book Realm, he wouldn’t don the War Machine armor until Iron Man #281 (maybe a ten dollar book, but a better buy at $5). Of course, the first full appearance of War Machine is in Iron Man #282, which can fetch around $35 to the right buyer.  In CGC cases, the value can be well over $100.

Of course, Iron Man and Marvel geeks like us also know that Rhodes puts on the Iron Man armor in #170, which is also a ten dollar book. Basically, there is a lot going on with appearances relating to Rhodes. Still, most fans are after the slick cover of #282 that features War Machine in all his grandeur.

Marvel for some reason has a lot of characters that make cameos in issues before their actual debut. Wolverine does it, Cable does it, War Machine does it, and the list goes on and on. It’s interesting because while the cameos draw a little bit of attention, I don’t remember the last time anyone came in looking for a New Mutants #86. They are always after #87 (the first Cable for those that are just starting out in the hobby).

Oh, and if you are a Rhodes completer, you might want to add Gambit #13, which is the first time Rhodes  is seen in the Iron Patriot armor. Hey, if you are going to get ‘em, get ‘em all. Basically, for around a $100 you can pick up pretty much every one of the issues. The one with the most upside is probably #282, just because it has some room to grow. Of course, that stipulation only stays valid if War Machine continues to make regular appearances in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. More fans equal more people chasing the same book, which drives the price. It’s a commodity man, and those are the rules.

That being said, Iron Man #282 does not pop up on the Hot List of many comic book sellers, and many folks that were buying Iron Man in the early 1980s gave this book a pass. In error lies opportunity, because there is always a chance of finding this gem in the dollar section. Still, this is a comic book you need to own at some point.