BY MATT TUCK
A recent Marvel fan theory has caused the market for a rare and overlooked key to absolutely erupt.
News travels fast, and suddenly Adam: Legend of the Blue Marvel #1 is the hottest comic on the market.
What is the big deal about Legend of the Blue Marvel? A new WandaVision fan theory asserts that the lost aerospace engineer is not Reed Richards after all. Instead, it is Adam Brashear, and the clues add up.
WHO IS ADAM BRASHEAR?
Created in 2009, Brashear is a physicist and engineer. After one of his experiments, he is imbued with superpowers not unlike those of Captain Marvel. Thus, Blue Marvel was born in the pages of Legend of the Blue Marvel #1.
In WandaVision, there have been two mentions of a missing aerospace engineer, most recently in when Monica Rambeau says that she knows an engineer who could help them as they try to solve the mystery of West View.
A NEW FAN THEORY DIRECTION?
Considering that the Fantastic Four have a new movie on the way and after WandaVision essentially introduced Fox’s X-Men to the MCU, it is logical to assume that the engineer the series alludes to is none other than Reed Richards of the FF. This could be a red herring as Blue Marvel actually makes more sense for that role.
In addition to being a physicist and engineer, Adam is a former Marine and had a romantic relationship with Monica. All of this would explain his connection to both SWORD and WandaVision. This could also put him in position to be a key player in the Captain Marvel movie sequel.
Since his inception into Marvel Comics, Blue Marvel has been a rather obscure character outside hardcore Marvel fans. Personally, I had not heard of Blue Marvel or Adam Brashear until I read the theory, but the writing is on the wall for him to quickly become a major player in Captain Marvel’s neck of the MCU. Compared to other Marvel issues, Legend #1 had a relatively low print run, and that is a big factor in these soaring prices. According to the CGC census data, there are just 568 total graded copies on record, and less than 200 of those are 9.8s.
THE KEYS YOU NEED
Blue Marvel has yet to see his stock truly rise. While his first appearance was commanding high prices due to its scarcity, it was nowhere near what we could call hot. That has suddenly changed.
Now this once-ignored minor key has skyrocketed. This past Sunday, February 14, a 9.8 sold for a ridiculous $1,424.05. Today, February 17, a 9.4 brought $495. A day earlier, a 9.6 went for $595. Back on February 8, a mid-grade 6.5 earned $265. Suffice to say, if you have not caught this train, it has already left the station.
The better option may be to resign yourself to the second appearance in Legend of the Blue Marvel #2. At a high grade, this one is earning about $100, but that could change in short order.
THE FUTURE
Anything is possible at this point, but it feels like a lock that Blue Marvel will be the elusive aerospace engineer Monica referred to. When we finally see him onscreen, his first appearance will enter the stratosphere.
Matt Tuck is the author of Lost Bones of the Dead. He's also a teacher, freelance writer, comic collector, and an international man of mystery. You can follow him on his Facebook page, The Comic Blog.