A comic book that introduced the world to Superman that was stolen from actor Nicolas Cage’s home has sold for a record $15 million.
The private deal for Action Comics No. 1 was announced Friday. It broke the comic book price record set last November by the sale of Superman One. sold at auction $9.12 million.
The sale of Action Comics was negotiated by Manhattan-based Metropolis Collectibles/Comic Connect, which said the owner and buyer of the comic book wished to remain anonymous.
Published in 1938 for 10 cents, this comic is an anthology of stories about characters mostly unknown today. But over the course of a few panels, it tells the story of Superman’s origins on a dying planet, his journey to Earth, and his decision as an adult to “channel his immense power into a channel for the good of humanity.”
Its publication marked the beginning of the superhero genre. According to Vincent Zurzolo, president of Metropolis Collectibles/Comic Connect, approximately 100 copies of Action Comics No. 1 are known to exist.
“This is among the saints holy grail comic book. Without Superman and his popularity, there would be no Batman or other superhero comic legends. “His deal showed importance in the comics world because it erased the record,” Zuzzullo said.
The comic book was stolen from Cage’s Los Angeles home in 2000, but was recovered in 2011 after being discovered by a man who purchased the contents of an old storage unit in Southern California. It was eventually returned to Cage, who purchased it in 1996 for $150,000. Six months after it was returned to him, he sold it at auction for $2.2 million.
Stephen Fishler, CEO of Metropolis Collectibles/Comic Connect, said the theft ultimately played an important role in increasing the value of comics.
“During the 11 years[of the disappearance]its value soared,” Fischerer said. “The thieves made Nicolas Cage a lot of money by stealing it.”
Fischler compared it to the 1911 theft of the Mona Lisa from the Louvre Museum in Paris.
“It sat under the thief’s bed for two years,” Fishler noted. “The restoration of this painting makes the Mona Lisa more than just a great artist. finch Painting a world icon – that’s Operation Number One – an icon of American pop culture. “