Iron Man First Appearance Art Sells for Record $3.875 Million at Auction

The original artwork that introduced Iron Man has set a new auction record for comic art.

Heritage Auctions announced that Don Heck’s original splash page from Tales of Suspense #39 sold for $3,875,000 on July 10, 2026. The page features the introduction of Tony Stark’s superhero identity in the March 1963 Marvel comic that marked Iron Man’s first appearance.

The sale made the artwork the most expensive piece of original comic art ever sold at auction, according to Heritage. It surpassed the previous record of $3,360,000, set at Heritage in January 2022 by Mike Zeck’s Marvel Super-Heroes Secret Wars #8 page showing Spider-Man’s black costume, which would later become tied to Venom.

Joe Mannarino, Heritage Auctions’ New York-based Director of Comics & Comic Art, said the combination of a historic image and a historic comic book helped drive the record price. He also noted that very few early Marvel splash pages are known to exist, and when one reaches the market, collectors respond.

Bidding on the Iron Man page was competitive. Heritage said six bidders were still chasing the artwork after it passed $3 million.

The page comes from one of Marvel’s most important early Silver Age issues. Tales of Suspense #39 introduced Tony Stark and Iron Man, a character that later became one of Marvel’s biggest names. Heritage also pointed to the role Iron Man played in building a new generation of fans after the 2008 Iron Man film starring Robert Downey Jr., which launched Marvel Studios’ first entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

The record sale was the highlight lot in Heritage’s Comic Art Signature Auction. Heritage said its Comic Books Signature Auction continues through July 11, while the Comic Art Signature Auction continues through July 12.