Mike Zeck's original art of Spider-Man in Secret Wars #8 just sold for a record-breaking sum.Heritage Auctions recently sold multiple original comic book art pieces by Zeck, including the origin story for Spider-Man's black costume. While page 24 of the issue, which shows the symbiote overtaking Spider-Man's hand, sold for a hefty $288 thousand, the suit's first full appearance on page 25 sold for over $3.3 million. Heritage Auctions' press release for the sale confirmed that this is the highest price tag for any piece of comic book art on record, making Spidey's special issue even more significant.RELATED: Marvel Just Introduced a Radically Different Superior Spider-Man - And Immediately [SPOILER]

In 1984, Mattel produced a line of Marvel action figures under the branding "Secret Wars." As part of the deal to promote the toys, Marvel launched Secret Wars, a 12-issue comic book event featuring the characters from the line in prominent roles and distinct costumes that matched the figures. With this storyline in mind, then editor-in-chief Jim Shooter concocted the plan for Spidey's black costume, based on an idea submitted by a fan years earlier.

The suit was introduced without explanation in Amazing Spider-Man #252, months before Secret Wars began. This appearance generated further interest in both Secret Wars and the toy line, as fans looked for answers behind the suit's origins. Secret Wars #8 finally explained how Spider-Man acquired the costume in Zeck's now-iconic art. Years later, when the publisher decided to put Spider-Man back into his original attire, writer David Michelinie and artist Todd McFarlane expanded upon Secret Wars' storyline and turned the discarded black costume into Venom in Amazing Spider-Man #300. However, due to the unique circumstances in which Venom came to be, Secret Wars #8 is still considered the symbiote's origin story.

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Heritage Auctions also sold original art pieces by John Byrne, Dave Cockrum, Steve Ditko and Jack Kirby, each selling for hundreds of thousands of dollars. These high prices highlight the ever-increasing interest in comic book collectibles, as superheroes continue to dominate pop culture. Recently, ComicConnect facilitated a sale of Incredible Hulk #1, the characters' debut issue, for $490 thousand, the highest sum ever received for the book. ComicConnect's COO, Vincent Zurzulo, believes the trend shows no signs of slowing down, saying, "Vintage comic book values just keep going up across the board."

Moving forward, Marvel looks to continue building Spider-Man's historic legacy with a new Amazing Spider-Man series, launching in April. Written by Zeb Wells and drawn by legendary artist John Romita Jr., the relaunched title coincides with Spider-Man's 60th anniversary and puts Peter Parker back in his original red and blue costume. However, Marvel's promotion for the title suggests Peter won't have many friends by his side when he returns. A recently released teaser shows Spider-Man in a smoky crater, captioned with the text "WHAT DID PETER DO?"

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Source: Twitter