Lego sure has come a long way since we were younger. No more than 15 years ago, the only Lego sets you could buy were Pirates, Space and City. Now, with every new superhero movie comes a flurry of new sets in the likenesses of all your favorite characters, from Rocket Raccoon to Captain Cold, from Calendar Man to M.O.D.O.K. (seriously, who ever thought M.O.D.O.K. would have a minifigure?) With all these new sets comes the collectors market, and for Lego that market is huge. There’s a reason why it was declared in 2015 that Lego is a better investment than gold, because the return on your money was and is astronomical. From full, unopened sets to the broken down parts, there’s value in every brick. This is true especially in the minifigure market.
RELATED: The 15 Most Expensive Transformers Toys You Wish You Owned
Lego Minifigures have fast become the most valuable commodity, due to their variation, their rarity and their range. Some minifigures only come in single, expensive sets, so to collect a whole team -- like the ones based on The Avengers or the Guardians of the Galaxy -- you have to buy multiple sets. Then there’s the rarest of them all: the Comic Con promotional minifigures. Here, CBR counts down the Most Expensive Marvel and DC Lego Minifigures!
All prices are estimates courtesy of MinifigurePriceGuide.com
16 BATMAN (2011 COMIC CON) - $213.75
People need to understand that if you’re going to release a limited edition Lego minifigure, then you have to start with Batman. There’s a reason he’s one of the most popular superheroes ever created, and driving the public crazy for a rare minifig is one thing, but driving them crazy for a Batman minifig is another. If he’s the first on our list though, it makes you wonder who could possibly be rarer.
This figure was one of the first promotional minifigures released by Lego for San Diego Comic Con, and it was used to promote the then upcoming Lego Super Heroes line of goods. This version of Batman comes with grey and black detail, a yellow utility belt and is packed onto a nifty San Diego Brick mock newspaper cover (“All the news that’s fit to build”).
15 GREEN LANTERN (COMIC-CON 2011) - $237.50
Along with Batman, this exclusive Green Lantern minifigure was one of the first promotional minifigs that Lego released exclusively to the crowds of San Diego Comic Con back in 2011. Used to promote the lego Superhero line that was coming out that year, Green Lantern was given away in a limited run of just 3000 (1500 to San Diego, 1500 to NYCC) and only then to lucky raffle winners.
Dependent on which version of the Con you attended, you were treated to a backing board in the style of a mock newspaper -- entitled the San Diego Brick or the New York Brick, naturally. The minifigure itself is highly detailed, and it would predate the release of Green Lantern in an official Lego set by a number of years, so this was the only real way of obtaining him.
14 STEVE ROGERS CAPTAIN AMERICA (SAN DIEGO COMIC-CON 2016) - $262.20
By 2016, Lego had spent the last five years releasing exclusive minifigures at the biggest Comic Conventions in the world, by this point the only question would be which superheroes would be chosen. Not for the first time, in 2016 it was the turn of Steve Rogers, Captain America. A rare enough character as it is, this version of Cap was lifted straight from the comics, specifically Captain America: Steve Rogers #1, now known to many as the issue that first revealed Steve’s true allegiance to Hydra.
As such, this minifigure comes with a heater-shaped shield rather than his familiar round one, and further detailing on the front and back of the figure, including a chin strap, boot printing and armor detail. The figure came in a sturdy clam-shell case promoting what was then to be called the Lego Marvel Avengers video game.
13 JEAN GREY IN PHOENIX COSTUME (COMIC-CON 2012) - $332.50
There are unfortunately all too few X-Men related Lego sets in the wild, so to not only get a minifigure of one the most powerful mutants ever to exist in the comics, but to get such a good figure of her to boot is rare indeed. Released in 2012 at San Diego and New York Comic Cons, Jean Grey Phoenix was limited to fewer than 3000 pieces and released only to those lucky enough to be randomly chosen.
The figure comes on a Marvel Super Heroes backing board, with details of the giveaway provided on the back and a glued-on 2x2 flat square for Jean to be attached. Phoenix comes in her "pre-dark" green costume with yellow trim, and even has two interchangeable faces: one nice, one not so nice. Don’t get her angry, or she’ll destroy your whole planet, brick by brick!
12 SPIDER-MAN IN BLACK SYMBIOTE COSTUME (COMIC-CON 2012) - $380.00
Released the same year as the exclusive Jean Grey Phoenix minifigure, this is yet another minifig that is not only a limited edition piece of a popular character, but a variant costume at that. In this case, it is the infamous black symbiote costume that first appeared in Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars in 1985. This costume would go on to spawn the even more popular character of Venom, making this a significant figure.
Much like the original design, the minifigure has a fairly simple look: all in black, Spidey’s only distinguishing markings are the giant white spider on his chest and the overly large white eyes that were in fashion in the late ‘80s, giving this figure a nice level of authenticity. Much like Jean Grey, Black Suit Spider-Man came on a backing board advertising the Lego Marvel Super Hero line, as well as giving details on the promotion itself.
11 THE COLLECTOR (SAN DIEGO COMIC-CON 2014) - $380.00
With the release of Guardians of the Galaxy in movie theaters that same year, it made perfect sense for Lego to utilize one of the characters from that burgeoning franchise as one of its exclusive minifigures at Comic Conventions in 2014. The Collector is one of those rare pieces, because he’s not the first character that comes to mind when you think of the movie. That makes him a valuable collector’s piece in his own right, which is what he would have wanted, really.
By 2014, the printing of Lego minifigures had advanced to such a level that intricately detailed characters such as The Collector could be given the treatment they deserve. As such, his purple and burgundy waistcoat, his pocket watch and trouser detail are all accurate reflections of his portrayal in the film.
10 CAPTAIN MARVEL (COMIC-CON 2012) - $427.50
We’re moving past the $400 mark for each minifigure now, and with this entry it’s clear to see why. Without a movie, TV series or even a comic book to his name, Shazam may seem like a strange choice for an exclusive figure, especially in only the second year of this sort of promotion. However, it’s exactly that unusual nature -- plus a lot of love from the fans -- that has seen Captain Marvel increase in value.
Lego Shazam is a great piece, with a reversible head -- allowing for a stern face or an angry face to be used -- a white cape and yellow detailing on a red costume. This minifigure is a perfect recreation of the classic Fawcett comics character. He has yet to appear in any other sets outside of this exclusive giveaway, which only serves to increase his value.
9 BIZARRO (COMIC-CON 2012) - $427.50
This am worst figure ever! The popular Superman antagonist, Bizarro, got his very own exclusive minifigure as part of the promotional giveaways at both San Diego and New York Comic Cons back in 2012, and since then his value has only gone up. This is thanks, in no small part, to his rarity as a character, and his use in both Lego games and movies increasing his popularity.
Bizarro is the twisted, opposite version of Superman, first appearing in an issue of Superboy back in 1958. Since then he’s become a fan favorite, and this minifigure really does him justice. This figure came backed on a DC Universe Super Heroes board, and the detailing is superb. His grey skin, yellow teeth and dark eyes, not to mention the reverse "S" on his chest and the rock “medal” around his neck, all make this Bizarro truly unique.
8 ZUR-EN-ARRH (SAN DIEGO COMIC-CON 2014) - $475.00
A minifigure for the true Batman fans, this colorful variant of the Dark Knight was exclusive to Comic Con crowds in 2014, and is lifted straight from Grant Morrison's run on Batman from the same era. The bright colors make for a fantastic Batman variant, and the detailing really goes the extra mile.
Taken from a story-line which saw Batman employ a “backup” personality following a severe mental attack from his enemies, the Batman of Zur-En-Arrh is a deep cut for the casual fan. However, the highly detailed minifigure, with bright purples, reds and yellows, as well as a double-sided head, front and back detailing and a baseball bat accessory, make this an appealing minifigure for any collector. The figure came in a clamshell packaging allowing it to maintain its integrity for longer, but even so the rarity of the character has driven the price close to $500.
7 GREEN GOBLIN PROTOTYPE RED MASK - $1254.95
Taking a severe spike in pricing, this rare entry is a little different to anything else on this list. It’s not unusual for variations of Lego minifigures to become valuable commodities on the collector’s market, but even rarer is the minifigure prototype.
These prototypes are exactly what they sound like: factory-designed test molds of upcoming figures, not meant for general sale. Joining the popular Red Darth Vader helmet and the orange C-3PO head is this Green Goblin mask, itself a prototype of the Green Goblin minifigure from the Spider-Man sets based on the original Sam Raimi movie. The figures from those sets themselves come with an inflated price tag, so a prototype of one of those figures was bound to be valuable. There are only a few of these unreleased test molds out in the wild, and occasionally they’ll pop up on eBay, making their pricing unpredictable.
6 SUPERMAN - BLACK SUIT (SAN DIEGO COMIC-CON 2013) - $1425.00
Ascending into the upper echelon of Lego Superhero minifigures, Black Suit Superman was, again, an exclusive giveaway to winners of a promotional raffle at the 2013 San Diego Comic Con. This time, however, the minifigure was only given away to 200 people, making this one of the rarer figures on the market of its kind.
The detailing on the torso and legs, as well as the reversible head, are not unique printings to this figure. In fact, if not for the black and silver coloring, this would be an exact replica of the Superman minifig from the Man of Steel sets from the same year. It’s this exclusive color palette that makes this figure unique, however, and with only 200 pieces released, this doesn’t appear in the wild too often. When one occasionally does pop up on eBay, it’s been known to command close to $1500.
5 SPIDER-WOMAN (SAN DIEGO COMIC-CON 2013) - $1805.00
With only an estimated 350 pieces of this minifigure ever made, Spider-Woman is a rare enough collectable on its own. A lot of these figures, like the Black Suit Superman also released at the 2013 San Diego Comic Con, are variations of an already existing minifigure, but that’s not the case with Spider-Woman. The printing on the head, body and legs has never been reprinted on another figure, and this is -- so far -- the only way to obtain the character, making her truly unique.
Based on the Jessica Drew version of Spider-Woman popularized in the New Avengers books by Brian Bendis (but actually originating back in 1977), this minifigure is surprisingly faithful to the source material. Her red and yellow costume with thick black detailing, reversible head and long flowing hairpiece make for a great -- if expensive -- addition to any Lego Spidey collection.
4 GREEN ARROW (SAN DIEGO COMIC-CON 2013) - $1900.00
Much like the Black Suit Superman and the Spider Woman minifigures, the 2013 San Diego Comic Con exclusive version of Green Arrow was limited to 200 units, meaning his rarity, plus the popularity of the character thanks to the TV show, increase the value of this minifig.
The detailing on the body and legs is very similar to the Green Arrow minifigure released two years later in the "Darkseid Invasion" set, although this exclusive version has the hood raised and a slightly more intricate printing. It bizarrely doesn’t come with the character’s signature bow and arrow weapon, but it does have a different face printing to his widely released counterpart, giving him enough differences to add to his rarity and, consequently, his value. Green Arrow holds the honor as the most expensive DC Comics minifigure on this list.
3 SPIDER-MAN - RED LOWER LEGS (SAN DIEGO COMIC-CON 2013) - $1900.00
Coming with what must be one of the most intricately designed printings ever seen on a superhero minifigure -- certainly one of the best Spider-Man printings -- this exclusive collectible was limited to 200-300 units given away to raffle winners at the 2013 San Diego Comic Convention.
The popularity of the character as well as the rarity of its release has been known to drive the price close to the $2000 mark, but even without that value added on, the uniquely printed design on the face and torso make this a highly sought-after piece. By now there have been about a half dozen versions of the Spider-Man minifigure, but none have had such intricate attention to detail, especially concerning the webbing and the mesh effect of the paint, giving this minifigure a unique look that fairs well on the collector’s market.
2 IRON MAN (TOY FAIR 2012) - $1947.50
Coming as part of an extremely rare two-figure set alongside Captain America, this exclusive Iron Man minifigure was limited to only 125 units, making it and its partner among the most limited releases of minifigures, and certainly the rarest of the superhero line.
The biggest difference of this figure compared to later releases of the character, is that this NYC Toy Fair exclusive comes with a printed head instead of the separate helmet as seen in the more recent Avengers sets. The design also appears to be taken not from the movies but from what appears to be the Heroes Reborn era of the comics over 15 years prior to the release of this figure. The printing therefore on the head, torso and legs are unique to this piece, and that only increases its value. Future versions of Iron Man were more intricately designed, but the exclusivity makes its value sky-high.
1 CAPTAIN AMERICA (TOY FAIR 2012) - $1947.50
Priced similarly to its partner piece, Iron Man, this NYC Toy Fair exclusive came as an extremely rare two figure set, limited to just 125 units. Similar to its companion, this version of Captain America isn’t lifted from the movies, but rather seems to be based specifically on the Bucky Barnes version of the Captain America costume, making it the only minifigure of its kind to capture that time in the character’s history.
Surprisingly for a rare minifigure, it’s not the most intricately designed version of the character. It comes with a far more basic, flat circular shield -- as opposed to the larger, curved shield of later releases -- and the detail on the head and torso seem far more limited. This is, however, an extremely limited edition piece and, when packaged with its partner Iron Man, can approach nearly $2000 in the aftermarket.
Can you think of any other super-expensive superhero minifigs? Help us build our collection in the comments!