Black Cat was good luck for Spider-Man at Heritage Auctions. The debut of the startling new villainess onthe cover of 1979s The Amazing Spider-ManNo. 194 sold for $1,020,00 to become the most valuable Spidey cover ever sold at auction. And Black Cats introduction wasnt the sole debut among the record-setters inthe Jan. 9 to 12 Comics & Comic Art SignatureAuction, asRobins first swing through the comics in Detective ComicsNo. 38 realized $132,000to set a new highwater mark for the historic issue. With this $10.79 million auction, Heritage began 2025, making history with record-setting sales of iconic pieces of American history. Black Cat was created by comics legends Marv Wolfman, who initially intended to use her during his run onSpider-Woman, and Dave Cockrum, who designed her black, white-fur-accented outfit. But it was Al Milgrom who brought her to life on that cover. Milgrom co-created DC Comics Firestorm, and as penciler and inker, he was responsible for more than 1,000 covers during his tenures at DC and Marvel Comics, where he worked on The Avengers, Defenders, Captain Americaand dozens more titles. But with session twos million-dollar sale, the result of a long and heated bidding war, Milgroms cover for The Amazing Spider-ManNo. 194 leaps to the front of the line as the most famous one of his 50-year career. At the consignors direction, a portion of the proceeds from its sale will go to the artist. As weve been seeing for some time in our auctions, its impossible to predict the ceiling for the best comic art, said Todd Hignite, executive vice president. The market is just incredibly deep for such singular examples, and this covers record-setting price led to a diverse group of amazing results. Little did I know that my artistic effort on this cover would go on to become one of the most iconic covers of the 1970s, stated Milgrom. Ive signed hundreds, perhaps thousands, of autographs on this comic for legions of fans. Many of whom were likely among the more than 4,700 bidders who participated worldwide in the sold-out four-day event, which saw a curated 910 lots top $10.79 million. Among them wasa copy of Supermans 1938 debut graded CGC Apparent FN+ 6.5 Moderate/Extensive (A-4) that sold for $384,000,a heroic sum for a restored copy of Action ComicsNo. 1. Not far behind was another original work that served as one of the auctions centerpieces:Jack Kirby and Mike Royers cover of 1978s graphic novel The Silver Surfer(or, as its come to be known, The Silver Surfer: The Ultimate Cosmic Experience).The Surfer ranks among King Kirbys most potent and popular creations, and this graphic novel wasnt just the first of its kind but ranks among Kirbys finest works. It soared to a $312,000 finish. A bidding war erupted overKirby and Joe Sinnotts splash page that kicked off 1969s Fantastic FourNo. 83, a tale that asked, Shall Man Survive? This stunning piece opened live bidding at $57,500 and sold for $117,000. The best copy of Detective ComicsNo. 39 Heritage had ever offered graded, CGC Very Fine+ 8.5, sold for $33,600, another record for the issue that teased Clayface, who made his proper debut one issue later. There was also no shortage of suspense over theCGC Very Good 4.0 copy of 1944s Suspense ComicsNo. 3offered in this auction. Copies of the book in any condition are extraordinarily difficult to come by and extraordinarily expensive when they do pop up. It realized $156,000 to become, by far, the most valuable copy of the historic title in that grade. Bidders were particularly excited about fresh-to-market material, particularly new material from the Golden Age, according to Heritage Auctions Vice President Barry Sandoval. These comics are now more than 80 years old, and collectors often wonder if there are any discoveries yet to be made. For now, at least, that answer is a resounding yes. To learn more, visit www.HA.com.