A copy of Action Comics #1 once owned by Nicolas Cage has sold at auction for $15 million, making it the most expensive comic book ever sold.
The issue, originally published in 1938 and featuring the first-ever appearance of Superman, previously belonged to Cage before it was stolen from his home in 2000.
After being recovered more than a decade later, the comic eventually changed hands again after Cage sold the collectible at auction.
A record-breaking Superman debut
Action Comics #1 is widely regarded as one of the most historically important comic books ever published, marking the birth of Superman and modern superheroes. Fewer than 100 copies are believed to exist still, with only a small number preserved in good condition.
At $15 million, the sale sets a new record for any comic book, not just for Action Comics #1, surpassing the previous record. The copy in question was graded CGC 9.0, making it one of the best-preserved examples known and a major factor behind the massive selling price.
Cage, a long-time comic fan who famously took his stage name from Marvel’s Luke Cage, bought the issue in the 1990s before it was stolen and later recovered in 2011 from a storage locker. Cage sold the comic at auction in 2011 for $2.2 million.
“This sale reflects not just the rarity of the book, but its unmatched historical importance. Superman is the original superhero, and Action Comics #1 remains the single most iconic comic ever published,” said CGC President Matt Nelson in a statement following the sale.
