Superman’s first comic, once owned by Nicolas Cage, sets $15 million record

A rare copy of “Action Comics No. 1,” the comic book that introduced Superman to the world and was once stolen from the home of actor Nicolas Cage, was sold for a record price of $15 million in a private deal, the AP reported Friday.

The sale eclipsed the highest price paid for a comic book in November, when “Superman No. 1” sold at auction for $9.12 million. The deal for “Action Comics No. 1” was negotiated by Manhattan-based Metropolis Collectibles/Comic Connect, and both the buyer and seller wish to remain anonymous.

First published in 1938 and first sold for 10 cents, “Action Comics No. 1” was an anthology featuring mostly little-known characters. But a few panels introduced Superman’s origin story, tracing his birth on a dying planet, his journey to Earth, and his decision to use his extraordinary power to benefit humanity.
The publication of the comic book marked the beginning of the superhero genre. Approximately 100 copies of “Action Comics No. 1” are known to exist, according to Metropolis Collectibles/Comic Connect President Vincent Zurzolo. He told the AP that the comic is considered one of the most important comics in the media, adding that without Superman’s popularity, later superheroes such as Batman may never have emerged. He said the scale of the deal reflected its importance, as it surpassed the previous record by far.

The comic also has a notable ownership history. It was stolen from Cage’s Los Angeles home in 2000 and recovered in 2011 after being discovered by a man who purchased the contents of an old storage locker in Southern California. The comic was returned to Cage, who bought it for $150,000 in 1996 and sold it at auction six months later for $2.2 million.
Stephen Fishler, CEO of Metropolis Collectibles/Comic Connect, said the theft ultimately played a significant role in increasing the value of the comic book. Fishler stated that it had been missing for 11 years and its value had increased rapidly, and compared the incident to the theft of the Mona Lisa from the Louvre in Paris in 1911. He stated that the recovery of the painting transformed it from a famous work of art into a global icon; “Action Comics No. 1” now has that status as a symbol of American pop culture, he said.