Nicolas Cage's Historic Superman Comic Sells for $15 Million

What’s more rare than the first issue of Action Comics, the comic book that introduced the world to Superman? How about this: a copy of Superman’s first comic book appearance which was once owned by an actor who almost (depending on how you feel about the film The Flash) played Superman on screen. The Man of Steel made his first appearance in the first issue of Action Comics; that issue, printed in 1938, is now a collectors’ item.

As Hannah Ziegler reports for The New York Times, Cage’s old copy of Action Comics #1 just sold for $15 million, a new record for comic book sales. The issue in question has a complicated history: Cage initially purchased the issue in 1996 for $150,000; in the years that followed, the comic book was stolen, then recovered and returned to Cage in 2011. Eventually, he sold it for $2.2 million.

The sale was made to a private collector, the Times reports, with the deal taking place via the aptly-named Metropolis Collectibles and ComicConnect. While this particular issue’s long history is fascinating in its own right, there are only around 100 copies of Action Comics #1 left in the world, and this specific comic book is considered to be in the best condition of those that have endured.

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In a post on Instagram, ComicConnect noted the physical condition of this issue, writing, “The book is in incredible condition with a beautiful white cover, bright inks, and stunning overall eye appeal. When we think of Superman we think of the ultimate immigrant story.”

In a statement, Metropolis Collectibles CEO Stephen Fishler compared this issue to another notable creative work that saw a boost in value after it was stolen. “Mona Lisa was stolen in 1911 and kept under the thief’s bed for two years. The recovery of the painting made the Mona Lisa go from being just a great Da Vinci painting to a world icon — and that’s what Action #1 is. An icon of American pop culture,” he said. And now, it’s a record-setting one.

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Tobias Carroll

Tobias Carroll lives and writes in New York City, and has been covering a wide variety of subjects — including (but not limited to) books, soccer and drinks — for many years. His writing has been published by the likes of the Los Angeles Times, Pitchfork, Literary Hub, Vulture, Punch, the New York Times and Men’s Journal. At InsideHook, he has…