A valuable edition of a comic book that was previously stolen from the residence of renowned actor Nicolas Cage has been sold for a remarkable $15 million (£11.19m). The undisclosed transaction for “Action Comics No. 1,” initially priced at a mere 10 cents in 1938, was disclosed on Friday, with both the seller and buyer choosing 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.
The negotiation was facilitated by Metropolis Collectibles/Comic Connect, based in Manhattan. Vincent Zurzolo, the company’s president, emphasized that this comic book signifies the inception of the superhero genre and ranks among the most valuable comics globally. It is estimated that only around 100 copies of this edition still exist.
Zurzolo noted, “This comic is considered one of the most coveted in the comic book world. Its significance in the comic book community is evident in this deal, as it has broken the previous record.” The comic was initially stolen from Nicolas Cage’s home in west Los Angeles in 2000 but was recovered in 2011 after a man acquired it from an old storage locker in southern California. Cage, who had purchased it for $150,000 in 1996, eventually regained possession of the comic.
Subsequently, Cage sold it at an auction for $2.2 million, six months after its recovery. Stephen Fishler, CEO of Metropolis Collectibles/Comic Connect, highlighted that the theft significantly contributed to the comic’s increased value. Fishler likened this incident to the theft of the Mona Lisa, which was stolen from the Louvre museum in 1911, stating, “The recovery of the painting transformed the Mona Lisa into a global icon, and that’s precisely what Action No. 1 represents—an icon of American pop culture.”
The comic comprises tales of mostly lesser-known characters, with a focus on Superman’s origin story, his journey to Earth from a dying planet, and his adult decision to utilize his immense strength for the betterment of humanity. Its publication marked the inception of the superhero genre.