Price history & market evidence
Price observations belong to this edition. Guide estimates, catalog references and completed sales are separate kinds of evidence.
| Grade | Amount | Evidence | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.0 | $19.83 | PANEL_PROFITS · grade_4_0_valueguide | 1973-03-01 |
| 6.0 | $19.99 | PANEL_PROFITS · grade_6_0_valueguide | 1973-03-01 |
| 8.0 | $99.00 | PANEL_PROFITS · grade_8_0_valueguide | 1973-03-01 |
| 9.2 | $129.00 | PANEL_PROFITS · grade_9_2_valueguide | 1973-03-01 |
| 9.4 | $129.99 | PANEL_PROFITS · grade_9_4_valueguide | 1973-03-01 |
| 9.6 | $693.00 | PANEL_PROFITS · grade_9_6_valueguide | 1973-03-01 |
| 9.8 | $630.31 | PANEL_PROFITS · grade_9_8_valueguide | 1973-03-01 |
| RAW | $9.68 | PANEL_PROFITS · ungraded_valueguide | 1973-03-01 |
| 10.0 | $819.00 | PANEL_PROFITS · grade_10_0_valueguide | 1973-03-01 |
| 9.6 | $32.00 | ComicBase · catalog referencecatalog | Date not recorded |
Reading this edition’s market
Compare the same cover, printing and grade before setting a bid. A raw guide or a higher-grade price does not establish a slab’s value. Include selling fees, shipping and the depth of completed-sale evidence when assessing an exit price.
The table includes 9 guide observations and 1 catalog references. These are reference values, not guaranteed sale proceeds.
Graded population
CGC records 127 graded copies for Hero For Hire #7 (1973). Population is the number recorded by this grading source, not the total print run or all surviving copies.
Jingle Bombs!
On Christmas Eve, Luke Cage is spending time at the clinic where Noah and Claire work. Luke happens to spy a child being beaten by a man in Dickinson-style dress. Stopping him, Luke learns that the man's name is Marley and he certainly acts his part -- telling Luke that he was beating on the boy for charging him fifteen cents for a newspaper (when he never paid more than two.) before disappearing into the winter weather. Taking the boy into the clinic for medical aid, Luke is unaware that this was orchestrated by Marley who wanted to see if there were any good Samaritans left in the world.
Before leaving with Claire, Luke is warned by Burnstein that Phil Fox has been nosing around to try and get a story about Noah's clinic, bringing up fears that Noah's past might reveal Luke's past as a criminal. Later as Luke and Claire are out for a walk, they encounter what appears to be a war vet. Upon giving him some change, he has about of shell-shock and attempts to shoot them with an automatic weapon. Luke quickly disarms the man and breaks his gun, feeling sorry for the man they leave him be. This "vet" however turns out to be Marley once more, continuing the test he started earlier.
After taking Clair out for dinner, the two are attacked by Marley yet again -- this time dressed like a futuristic "police-man" right out of George Orwell's *Nineteen-Eighty Four*, demanding their "identification cards" and attacking Luke with a laser. Luke manages to subdue Marley and turn him over to the police. However, when Luke notices the police car crashed on the side of the road not far after, he sends Claire home in a cab and goes after Marley. Marley gets the drop on Luke, managing to knock him out while disguised as a charity Santa Claus.
Waking up, Luke is face to face with Marley, who tells him that the entire evening's episode was to see if there was still any good in mankind. Unconvinced, he plans on destroying New York with a nuclear bomb of his own design at dawn. However, before he can detonate the bomb, he is distracted by the sound of someone coming down the chimney. This gives Luke the chance to stop Marley and destroy his detonator. With Marley incapacitated Luke is surprised to find that the person coming down the chimney was a would-be thief. However, having just saved the city, Luke allows the thief to stumble through his explanation and the two watch the sunrise, as Christmas Day finally arrives.
| Solicit = A Yuletide action epic, no less!
| Notes = ===Publication Notes=== * As seen on page one, this issue is Story#**1221Z**. * This issue contains a letters page, **Comments to Cage**. Letters are published from *Edwar Grigaleit, Steven Scheibner, Deborah French,* and * Dennis Schwartz*. * The cover of this issue is signed by artist Billy Graham.
Creative credits
Writers: Steve Englehart
Interior art: George Tuska
Color: David Hunt
Source records & attribution
Panel Profits keeps each source identity attached to its edition record.
COMICBASE: comicbase:528795
GCD: 26029
PANEL PROFITS: 2410793