Skip to main content

Characters & first appearances

What is the first appearance of She-Hulk?

Published Sep 14, 2026 · Updated Sep 14, 2026 · 1 min read

Short answerShe-Hulk first appeared in The Savage She-Hulk #1, cover-dated February 1980, written by Stan Lee and drawn by John Buscema — one of the last characters Lee created for Marvel. Jennifer Walters, Bruce Banner's cousin, receives a transfusion of his blood after a shooting. Marvel created the character partly to secure the trademark before a television spin-off of The Incredible Hulk could.

Savage She-Hulk #1

Lee wrote only the first issue; David Anthony Kraft took over with #2 and wrote the rest of the 25-issue run, which ended in 1982. Buscema's cover shows the green She-Hulk towering over Jennifer's image. The character was reinvented by John Byrne in Sensational She-Hulk (1989) as a comedic, fourth-wall-breaking lead.

Collecting

The book was inexpensive for decades and rose with the 2022 series. Because it is a 1980 book, supply is ample and the value sits in 9.8 copies; a CGC 9.8 is in the store. Check for newsstand copies, which are scarcer in high grade.

See the She-Hulk character page.

Written by the Rare Comics Collectors grading team. Spotted an error or have a question this guide does not answer? Tell us.

In the vault right now

Browse all listings →
SaleKey issueLast copy

Marvel Comics · Bronze Age

Incredible Hulk #181

CGC 3.5 · Universal Blue

First full appearance of Wolverine

(0)
$2,900$3,500
Key issueLast copy

Marvel Comics · Bronze Age

Incredible Hulk #181

CBCS 2.0 · Restored

First full appearance of Wolverine — restored copy signed by Herb Trimpe

(0)
$1,780
Key issueLast copy

Marvel Comics · Bronze Age

Savage She-Hulk #1

CGC 9.8 · Universal Blue

Origin and first appearance of She-Hulk

(0)
$300
  • Collecting

    What are the ages of comic books? Golden, Silver, Bronze, Copper and Modern explained

    Collectors divide American comics into eras: the Golden Age (1938 to the mid-1950s), the Silver Age (1956 to about 1970), the Bronze Age (about 1970 to 1985), the Copper Age (about 1985 to 1991) and the Modern Age (1991 to today). The boundaries are conventions rather than official dates, but each era has its own print runs, survival rates, paper and pricing, which is why listings and price guides always state one.

    Updated Sep 14, 2026

  • Collecting

    What is a key issue in comics?

    A key issue is a comic that matters for a reason beyond its story: the first appearance of a character, an origin, a first issue, a death, a famous cover, a creator's debut, or the first appearance of a costume or team. Keys are the books that hold and grow value because demand is tied to the character or event rather than to the issue's rarity alone.

    Updated Sep 14, 2026

  • Collecting

    First appearance vs cameo: what is the difference?

    A cameo is a brief appearance — often a single panel, a shadowed figure, or a last-page teaser — while a first full appearance is the issue in which the character plays a real part in the story. The market usually prices the first full appearance higher, but when the cameo is the first time the character is seen at all, both issues become keys. Incredible Hulk #180 (cameo) and #181 (first full appearance) for Wolverine is the classic example.

    Updated Sep 14, 2026

  • Collecting

    What are Marvel Value Stamps, and why do they matter for grading?

    Marvel Value Stamps were a promotion printed inside most Marvel comics from 1974 to 1976: a numbered stamp of a character on an interior page that readers were encouraged to cut out and paste into a stamp book. Because readers did exactly that, many Bronze Age Marvels from those years are missing a piece of a page. A cut stamp drops the grade sharply or earns a green qualified label, so "Marvel Value Stamp intact" is a meaningful phrase in a listing.

    Updated Sep 14, 2026

  • Characters

    What is the first appearance of Superman?

    Superman first appeared in Action Comics #1, cover-dated June 1938 and on sale in April 1938, created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster and published by Detective Comics, Inc., the company that became DC Comics. It is the first superhero comic and the most valuable comic book in the world: a CGC 8.5 copy sold for 6 million dollars in April 2024.

    Updated Sep 14, 2026

  • Characters

    What is the first appearance of Batman?

    Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27, cover-dated May 1939, in a six-page story titled “The Case of the Chemical Syndicate”, created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger and published by Detective Comics, Inc. (DC). Finger, who wrote the story and shaped the costume, was officially credited by DC as co-creator from 2015. A CGC 8.0 copy sold for 1.5 million dollars at Heritage Auctions in January 2022.

    Updated Sep 14, 2026