NOVEMBER 15, 2022 - Star Trek and comic books go together these days like tribbles and quadrotriticale. There was a time, though, before such tie-ins expanded the Star Trek universe. The origin story for that relationship goes back to a time when Star Trek: The Original Series was still in production, and now the payoff is not just in further adventures.

ComicBook is reporting on the results of an auction that brought a record price for a Star Trek comic. Gold Key Comics published the first issue of their (or anyone’s) Star Trek title in July 1967. While the stories and some of the creative details were a light year or two from those in the television show, Gold Key published 61 issues of Star Trek. That first issue, though, recently sold via Heritage Auctions for $46,500.

The comic was graded by Certified Guaranty Company (CGC) at a 9.6 out of 10 on its grading scale. A 9.6 is “near mint plus” and means that a comic is very well preserved with several minor manufacturing or handling defects. The issue’s sale more than doubled the previous record for another copy, which was also a CGC 9.6.

Star Trek #1 was written by Dick Wood and drawn and inked by Nevio Zeccara. Wood wrote for the first eight issues of the series. Zeccara worked on the first two issues and was then replaced by Alberto Giolitti.

In 2016, as part of IDW Publishing’s Star Trek: Waypoint comic book series, celebrating the 50th anniversary of Star Trek, authors Dayton Ward and Kevin Dilmore collaborated on a story presented in the style of the original Gold Key comics. Gordon Purcell drew and Jason Lewis colored what Ward called a “love letter” to the Gold Key series.

For more on the auction of Star Trek #1, head over to ComicBook.