Valkyrie=grrrrowwllll.

On that SUPER TEAM FAMILY cover, I love the Kid Flash bitch slap! Talk about dismissive!

The first time I discovered there was a Human Torch before Johnny Storm, a reprint of the classic (and one of the truly great) fights in comics:

Hated the end though, in which the android Torch "dies". And fairly ignominiously. I never liked it. May be the first example of comics trying to "explain" away something by killing it.

I'd be remiss if I didn't post the cover for the intro of two of my true cult favorites. And it don't get much more cult than the 3D Man.

Thank heaven for Hulk comics, and Bill Mantlo. You won't hear many say that, but Mantlo did one thing better than anybody: he knew how to dig up obscure b-list characters and give them a story where they shine. And it doesn't hurt to have Sal Buscema doing the art.

Kind of a fugly Machine Man/Hulk by Milgrom and Steve Ditko, I realize, and not one that inspired my love for Aaron Stack. That love affair wouldn't start until I read the Kirby back issues. And then the realization that this three issue fight between the Hulk and Stack is one of the best ever.

Again, the Hulk was the perfect guest-star/guest-starrer in all of comics for a long time. Whenever any other character/team needed a boost, a Hulk appearance was pure gold. Almost like the old adage about putting gorillas on pulp magazines in the 1930s to increase sales.

All of which makes me believe the Hulk should have a retro team-up title of his own. The Thing in a team-up title was just like another Fantastic Four story, but the Hulk would always have the tension of never knowing if he'd fight the guest star or help them, or both!

First Fantastic Four at age six courtesy of my comic collecting uncle's collection.

Knew who Spider-Man was from the old 1960's cartoon repeats growing up but this was the first Spider-Man comic I read back then also from the same uncle's old collection.

First Avengers issue I bought as a kid.

First X-Men.

I never really got into or liked the Justice League of America until this issue.

(That Avengers/Ant-Man cover makes me very itchy...)

Eric Smearman wrote: "That Super Team Family cover posted by Brian Hague was my first Doom Patrol story."

Eric, I'd believe it was my first Doom Patrol story as well, except that I distinctly recall my father handing it to me and my reaction being, "But the Doom Patrol is dead..."

How I knew that, I have no idea, but I must have seen the Doom Patrol somewhere before this. Perhaps they were mentioned in a 100-pager's special feature somewhere...

Chad, I'm with you all the way on that particular era of the Hulk. I, too, have fond memories of that 3-D Man appearance as well as stories featuring Goldbug, Jack Frost, Glazier, and the U-Foes! Good stuff!!

And yeah, the Valkyrie is a particular fave as well... Whoof!! I loved the fact that she couldn't make coffee...

Other firsts: First Joker, Two-Face Penguin, Catwoman, Black Hood, Fly, Steel Sterling, Fox, Pureheart, Cpt. Hero, Superteen, Space Ranger, Bat Lash, Angel O'Day, Sam Simeon, Sugar & Spike, and Dolphin!

First comic I read starring Spider-Man, got a really beat up copy in a trade (can't remember what I gave up though)

First Fantastic Four, I remember the cover was barely still attached when I got it from a friend.

First comic starring Wonder Woman, whom I knew from the Superfriends, but it also introduced me to Madam Xanadu, Black Canary, Supergirl (in my favorite costume for her) and scores of other DC female characters.

First Daredevil, because I started looking for John Romita JR comics

First Mandarin, I had no idea for a couple of years that he was a major Iron Man foe, I only followed Iron Man in Avengers West Coast.