A rare copy of the comic book that introduced the world to Superman, and also was once stolen from the home of actor Nicolas Cage, has been sold for a record $US15 million ($22.4 million).
The private deal for Action Comics No.1 was announced on Friday. It eclipses the previous record price for a comic book, set last November when a copy of Superman No.1 was sold at auction for $US9.12 million.
Vincent Zurzolo, president of Metropolis Collectibles/Comic Connect, displays the comic book in early January before it sold for $US15 million.Credit: AP
The Action Comics sale was negotiated by Manhattan-based Metropolis Collectibles/Comic Connect, which said the comic book’s owner and the buyer wished to remain anonymous.
The comic – which sold for 10¢ when it came out in 1938 – was an anthology of tales about mostly now little-known characters. But over a few panels, it told the origin story of Superman’s birth on a dying planet, his journey to Earth and his decision as an adult to “turn his titanic strength into channels that would benefit mankind”.
Its publication marked the beginning of the superhero genre. About 100 copies of Action Comics No. 1 are known to exist, according to Metropolis Collectibles/Comic Connect President Vincent Zurzolo.
“This is among the Holy Grail of comic books. Without Superman and his popularity, there would be no Batman or other superhero comic book legends,” Zurzolo said. “Its importance in the comic book community shows with his deal, as it obliterates the previous record.”
Actor Nicolas Cage bought it in 1996 for $US150,000.Credit: Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP
The comic book was stolen from Cage’s Los Angeles home in 2000 but was recovered in 2011 when it was found by a man who had purchased the contents of an old storage locker in southern California. It eventually was returned to Cage, who had bought it in 1996 for $US150,000. Six months after it was returned to him, he sold it at auction for $US2.2 million.
Stephen Fishler, CEO of Metropolis Collectibles/Comic Connect, said the theft eventually played a big role in boosting the comic’s value.
