> At a Glance
> – A copy of Action Comics No. 1-the 1938 debut of Superman-sold privately for $15 million
> – The same copy was stolen from actor Nicolas Cage’s Los Angeles home in 2000 and recovered in 2011
> – The sale shatters the prior comic-book record of $9.12 million set last November
> – Why it matters: The transaction cements the issue as the “Holy Grail” of comics and underscores how theft can amplify cultural value
A single comic book-once swiped from Nicolas Cage’s vault-has become the world’s most valuable comic after a $15 million private sale brokered by Manhattan-based Metropolis Collectibles/ComicConnect.
Record-Shattering Deal
The announcement Friday eclipses the $9.12 million paid last November for Superman No. 1. Vincent Zurzolo, president of the brokerage, confirmed both seller and buyer chose to remain anonymous.
- Publication date: June 1938
- Original cover price: 10¢
- Surviving copies: Roughly 100
Zurzolo called the issue “among the Holy Grail of comic books,” adding:
> “Without Superman and his popularity, there would be no Batman or other superhero comic book legends.”
Theft, Recovery, and Windfall
The prized copy vanished during a 2000 burglary at Cage’s west Los Angeles residence. Eleven years later, a Southern California man found it inside a storage-locker purchase and returned it to the actor. Cage had originally paid $150,000 in 1996; six months after recovery he auctioned it for $2.2 million.
Stephen Fishler, ComicConnect CEO, noted the theft itself boosted the book’s mystique:
> “During that 11-year period it was missing, it skyrocketed in value. The thief made Nicolas Cage a lot of money by stealing it.”
Fishler likened the phenomenon to the 1911 Mona Lisa theft that transformed the painting into a global icon:
> “The recovery made the Mona Lisa go from being just a great Da Vinci painting to a world icon-and that’s what Action No. 1 is-an icon of American pop culture.”
Key Takeaways
- Action Comics No. 1 now holds the all-time comic-book price record at $15 million
- The copy’s theft and decade-long disappearance magnified its market appeal
- The 1938 issue launched the superhero genre, influencing every caped crusader that followed
- Roughly 100 copies of the landmark comic are believed to exist today
The sale cements Superman’s first appearance as both a pop-culture cornerstone and a blue-chip collectible.
