An original print edition of the comic book that introduced Superman sold at auction this week for a record-breaking $6 million.
The sale happened on Thursday, kicking off a four-day rare comic book auction organized by Texas-based Heritage Auction. The auction house described the rare find, Action Comics No. 1, published in June 1938, as one of the finest copies in the world of the prized issue.
As is customary with most auction houses, Heritage did not disclose the seller or buyer.
The $6 million sale surpasses the previous record of Superman #1 that sold privately in 2022 for $5.3 million.
"Thursday was a historic day for a historic comic book, and we expected no less," Heritage Vice President Barry Sandoval told Barrons. "The first session of this four-day event will surpass $15 million — and we haven't touched the comic art that begins Friday, with numerous pieces of significance forthcoming. Maybe there is more history still to be made."
Million-dollar sales of original super hero comic books have become more common in recent history, with a copy of Captain America's first issue selling for $3.1 million in 2022, and the first ever Marvel comic selling for $1.2 million in 2019. In 2021, Heritage also auctioned a high quality copy of Batman #1 for $2.2 million.
Devout superhero fans consider Action Comics No. 1 as one of the rarest and most influential comics ever printed — one that launched perhaps the most well-known superhero in pop culture.
In it, a newborn baby boy is nestled into a space capsule by his father who then sets the vessel's destination to Earth. Just moments after the baby is launched into space, his home planet of Krypton erupts violently, killing all of its inhabitants. The baby's capsule crash lands on Earth and a motorist driving by happens to notice it.
The early story that later brought us Clark Kent and Superman enjoyed intense popularity between 1938 and 1956, a time frame comic book experts refer to as the Golden Age.
"Without Superman and Action Comics No. 1, who knows whether there ever would have been a Golden Age of comics — or if the medium would have become what it is today," Sandoval said in a statement Thursday before the sale.
Superman's legacy has transcended comic books, expanding into television shows, merchandise, cartoon series, and movies. Throughout the years, iconic actors such as George Reeves, Christopher Reeve, Dean Cain, Henry Cavill, and Tyler Hoechlin have donned the cape and portrayed the Man of Steel on screen. The latest addition to this esteemed list is David Corenswet, who is set to take on the role of Superman in James Gunn's upcoming film "Superman Legacy" scheduled for release in 2025.
Back in 1938, only 200,000 copies of Action Comics No. 1 were printed, and today, it is estimated that there are only around 100 surviving copies in existence, as reported by Certified Guaranty Company, a comic book grading service based in Florida. Out of these 100 copies, 78 are deemed to be in good enough condition to be sold or auctioned, according to CGC.
