Classic Mysta of the Moon Covers on Planet Comics, Up for Auction

Mysta of the Moon debuted in Planet Comics #35 (cover-dated March 1945) under circumstances that qualified as fairly unique in the Golden Age — and those circumstances started on Mars.  Planet Comics had included a Mars-themed since the very beginning.  Flint Baker of Mars ran from issues #1-14 and was replaced by Mars, God of War in Planet Comics #15.  That saga was about the God of War influencing war on Earth.  In Planet Comics #35, the God of War’s onslaught reached a dramatic turning point, which led to the debut of Mysta of the Moon that issue.  Mysta took over the feature from Mars and became a staple of the title for the next four years.  There are a couple of stellar examples of Mysta of the Moon covers with Planet Comics #38 (Fiction House, 1945) CGC VG 4.0 Slightly brittle pages and Planet Comics #48 (Fiction House, 1947) CGC FN/VF 7.0 Cream to off-white pages up for auction in the 2022 October 13 The Fiction House Showcase Auction #40199 at Heritage Auctions.

In Mysta’s debut issue, the God of War pressed his advantage on Earth by causing humans to turn their back on science and knowledge, destroying labs, libraries, and universities, making people easier to manipulate.  Fortunately, a scientist on an outpost on the moon had prepared for this eventuality by imparting the sum of human knowledge into the brains of a select few colonists including Mysta.  Mysta and associates, including a robot, traveled to Earth to thwart the God of War’s plans, and Mysta of the Moon took over the series with the next issue.

Artist Fran Hopper took over Mysta of the Moon’s interior stories at that time, while Fiction House regular Joe Doolin turned in some iconic Mysta covers during this period.  There are a couple of stand-out examples of those covers with Planet Comics #38 (Fiction House, 1945) CGC VG 4.0 Slightly brittle pages and Planet Comics #48 (Fiction House, 1947) CGC FN/VF 7.0 Cream to off-white pages up for auction in the 2022 October 13 The Fiction House Showcase Auction #40199 at Heritage Auctions. In addition to the items listed in this post, you can check out Fiction House titles such as Planet Comics, Jumbo Comics, Jungle Comics, Fight Comics, Rangers Comics, Wings Comics and much more. New to collecting Fiction House or want to learn more?  Bleeding Cool is doing an ongoing deep dive into the history behind Fiction House in the run-up to this auction. If you’ve never bid at Heritage Auctions before, you can get further information, you can check out their FAQ on the bidding process and related matters.

Planet Comics #38 (Fiction House, 1945) CGC VG 4.0 Slightly brittle pages. First Mysta of the Moon cover, by Joe Doolin. Murphy Anderson and Lily Renee art. Overstreet 2022 VG 4.0 value = $226. CGC census 9/22: 4 in 4.0, 35 higher.

Planet Comics #48 (Fiction House, 1947) CGC FN/VF 7.0 Cream to off-white pages. Robot cover by Joe Doolin. Murphy Anderson, George Evans, and Lily Renee art. Overstreet 2022 FN 6.0 value = $282; VF 8.0 value = $597. CGC census 9/22: 15 in 7.0, 41 higher.

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