The Platinum Session of Heritage’s November 21-24, 2024, Comics & Comic Art Auction set several new records, topped by the first appearance of the Merc with a Mouth.

Rob Liefeld introduced Deadpool on page 14 of 1990’s New Mutants #98, and the original art featuring his debut sparked a bidding war during the Platinum Session on Friday, November 22. It opened live bidding at $420,000, and climbed to a total of $960,000. It set a new auction record for Liefeld, shattering the previous record set by Heritage in November 2023 when his Captain America “Heroes Reborn” promotional illustration realized $132,000.

“That entire era has risen to the top in popularity and desirability for comic art collectors, rivaling the earliest, rare examples from the early classic period of comics,” Heritage Executive Vice President Todd Hignite said. “Deadpool’s debut page from New Mutants #98 is as perfect as it gets, so the incredible result was a thrill.”

Frank Miller and Klaus Janson’s Batman: The Dark Knight Returns #2 story page 29, showing the moment that Carrie Kelley introduced herself as Robin, rose to $288,000. The sale makes it the most valuable panel page from the landmark book.

John Romita Sr.’s conceptual rendering of Wolverine wasn’t far behind, selling for $240,000. This piece dates to 1974, shortly before Wolverine made a cameo in the final panel of The Incredible Hulk #180.

J. Scott Campbell’s variant cover to 2009’s The Amazing Spider-Man #601 featuring Mary Jane Watson went for $144,000. The art, which was later used as a lithograph print, surpassed the previous record for art by Campbell.

Spider-Man accounted for another of the auction’s big sellers when Erik Larsen’s cover to Marvel Comics Presents #49 cleared $90,000. Depicting a rare team-up between Spider-Man and Wolverine, the piece set a new record for Larsen’s art.