First comic appearance of Superman found in attic sells for over $9 million at auction
Clearing out a family member’s home is usually an exhausting and frustrating experience, but when a Northern California family was going through their late mother’s attic, not only did they find closure – they found a multi-million dollar jackpot.
Wedged in between a stack of newspapers inside a cardboard box was a first edition copy of the comic book Superman #1, the 1939 first-ever titular Man of Steel comic.
Front cover of Superman #1. Image credit: Heritage Auctions, HA.com
Despite the unusual circumstances regarding its discovery, the comic was in exceptional condition, earning a 9.0 on a 10-point scale by CGC, the world's largest third-party comics grading service.
Before it went for sale, Heritage Auctions revealed that one of only seven known copies with a CGC grade of 6.0 or higher – in addition to the fact that the comic is one of less than 100 copies sold by the house at any grade.
Naturally, then, the comic went for big bucks at the auction – selling for $9.12 million (£6,925,682; €7,878,403) with buyer's premium on 20 November and becoming the most expensive comic ever sold.
“What a momentous day,” said Heritage Auctions Vice President Lon Allen. “I'm thrilled for our consignor. Superman #1 is a milestone in pop culture history, and this copy is not only in unprecedented condition, but it has a movie-worthy story behind it. I was glad to see the price reflect that and am honoured Heritage was entrusted with this iconic book.”
Back cover of Superman #1. Image credit: Heritage Auctions, HA.com
The character of Superman was created by writer Jerry Siegel (USA) and artist Joe Shuster (Canada) in 1933 while both attended high school, but it wasn’t until 1938 that publisher Harry Donnenfeld paid $135 (£102; €117) for their strips, which first appeared in the premier issue of Action Comics that same year.
Yet the Man of Steel soon proved to be immediately popular – inspiring magazines, cartoons, a syndicated newspaper comic strip (1939-67), and the feature films and TV shows that most people recognize today.
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Even more miraculously, that special edition of Superman wasn’t the only record-breaking comic sold by Heritage Auctions. The new title beat the record held by Amazing Fantasy #15 (Marvel, 1962) which was sold for $3.6 million (£2,614,093; €3,043,656) on 9 September 2021.
That comic, written by Stan Lee and illustrated by Steve Ditko (both USA), features the first appearance of the character Peter Parker and his alter-ego Spider-Man, including the iconic origin story of his radioactive spider bite.
Both comic characters have amassed a considerable amount of followers, who have claimed records in their own right for their obsession with the franchises.
In 2021, Perfecto P. Balhag Jr. (Philippines) won the title for the largest collection of Superman memorabilia with 2,895 items dedicated to the Man of Steel, while Escapade (UK) crushed the record for the largest gathering of people dressed as Superman in 2013 with 867 super-powered participants.
Meanwhile, Tom Holland’s (UK) casting of Spider-Man/Peter Parker in Spider-Man: Homecoming (USA, 2017) made him the youngest leading actor in a Marvel Cinematic Universe movie in 2016 when they wrapped filming while he was just 20 years and 123 days old.
And even though we now know whose comic book is worth more – who do you think would win in a fight, Superman or Spider-Man?
Header image: Walter Cicchetti / Shutterstock