A valuable comic book previously stolen from actor Nicolas Cage’s residence has been sold for a record-breaking $15 million (£11.19m). The undisclosed transaction for “Action Comics No. 1,” originally priced at 10 cents in 1938, was disclosed on Friday. Both the seller and buyer chose to remain anonymous. This sale surpasses the previous record set last November for a comic book when a copy of “Superman No. 1” was auctioned for $9.12 million.
Metropolis Collectibles/Comic Connect, based in Manhattan, facilitated the sale. Vincent Zurzolo, the company’s president, highlighted the significance of this comic book in the superhero genre, estimating that only around 100 copies are still in existence globally. He emphasized that this comic is considered a Holy Grail in the comic book world, attributing its importance to the creation of iconic superhero characters like Batman.
The comic had been stolen from Nicolas Cage’s residence in west Los Angeles in 2000 but was recovered in 2011 after being found in an old storage locker in southern California. Cage had originally purchased it for $150,000 in 1996. Following its recovery, Cage auctioned the comic for $2.2 million. According to Stephen Fishler, CEO of Metropolis Collectibles/Comic Connect, the theft significantly contributed to the comic’s increased value over the 11-year period it was missing.
Fishler drew a parallel between this incident and the theft of the Mona Lisa, which was stolen in 1911 and later recovered, transforming it into an iconic piece of art. He likened “Action Comics No. 1” to a symbol of American pop culture, marking the origin of the superhero genre.
The comic book featured stories of lesser-known characters and presented Superman’s origin story, depicting his journey from a dying planet to Earth and his commitment to using his powers for the greater good. Its publication heralded the dawn of the superhero genre.