Oddball of the Week: The Orb

The most prestigious award in all of the comics group has returned, and this week’s winner is maybe Marvel’s strangest and most mysterious mercenary, The Orb.

If there’s a character in the Marvel pantheon that immediately grabs your consideration, it’s Orb. Considering the firm has the likes of superhero zombies, a wendigo with a butt-cut, and Galactus together with his large, purple helmet, being the actual attention-grabber in the room speaks volumes.

He was often on the fallacious aspect of Ghost Rider, however over the years, he’s run afoul of many Marvel heroes, starting from Spider-Man and Wolverine to Deadpool and Doctor Strange. While he’s typically a pushover, Orb truly has some first rate powers. He is clairvoyant and may see locations in his goals in addition to fireplace a laser beam from his large eye. He’s additionally a weapons professional and may stroll up partitions. The hassle is that he’s utterly insane, which truly makes him good for the Oddball of the Week.

Without additional ado, let’s dive into his early appearances.

The first time readers noticed the man with an eyeball for a helmet was in 1973’s Marvel Team-Up #15. Of course the authentic character to make use of the Orb moniker was Drake Shannon, who debuted right here. Subsequently, this additionally marked the first time Spider-Man met Ghost Rider, one thing MCU followers are hoping to see on the huge display screen in some unspecified time in the future in the future. However, if Orb finds his approach onto the silver (and even small) display screen, then this difficulty may have extra significance throughout the gathering board.

How a lot are you able to count on to take a position? The highest grade bought not too long ago has been the 9.2, which introduced $445 on November 17. Prior to that, it hadn’t bought for greater than $205 all yr. There hasn’t been a 9.8 to commerce palms on-line since one bought for $1,440 in July. Before that record-high sale, that individual grade was sometimes in the $300-$400 vary.

During the Jason Aaron period of Ghost Rider, an all-new Orb took form. This time, the Agent of Zadkiel’s precise head was an eyeball, which is way extra fascinating (and grosser) than only a helmet. That’s true dedication to the act. Apparently, he’s a kind of mutant, having been born with a large eyeball for a head. He can’t truly communicate, however he does make bizarre squishing appears like these you’d think about your individual eyeballs making should you transfer them rapidly sufficient. Abandoned by his dad and mom and raised in a freak present, the second Orb ultimately turned a prison and mercenary. Yet, he was nonetheless a pushover.

There’s two covers to select from right here. The customary version, which has no graded gross sales on file, sells uncooked for about $2-$3 on eBay. There’s additionally a variant from artist Marko Djurdjevic. Last December, a graded 9.8 introduced $50.

JUST WEIRD ENOUGH TO FIT IN

As I level out in virtually all the Oddball of the Week options, the MCU has turn into so infatuated with the obscure branches of Marvel Comics that the weirder, the higher. In the sitcom stylings of the present Marvel Studios endeavors, the quirky, odd figures are performed for the greatest laughs. No doubt, The Orb is ideal for that function, and he principally has served the similar function in the comics. That makes him a favourite to at the very least have a cameo in the not-too-distant future.

*Any perceived funding recommendation is that of the freelance blogger and doesn’t symbolize recommendation on behalf of GoCollect.