Highlights
- A pristine copy of Superman No. 1 sells for $9.12 million, setting a new world record.
- The 1939 comic was discovered in an attic by three brothers going through their late mother’s belongings.
- It surpasses the previous record held by Action Comics No. 1, sold for $6 million in 2024.
- The issue received a rare 9.0 grade from the Certified Guaranty Company.
A historic sale that reshapes the collectables market
A near-mint copy of Superman No. 1 has become the highest-selling comic book in history, fetching $9.12 million at a Heritage auction on Thursday. The landmark issue, first published in 1939, marked the Man of Steel’s transition into his own solo title after his breakout introduction in Action Comics No. 1. The sale has stunned collectors and reignited global interest in high-end comic investing.
The staggering price breaks the previous record held by a copy of Action Comics No. 1, which sold for $6 million in 2024. Prior to that, another copy of Superman No. 1 held the record with a $5.3 million sale in 2022. A different milestone followed in 2021 when Amazing Fantasy No. 15, featuring the first appearance of Spider-Man, sold for $3.6 million.
Despite a cooling comic market in recent years, with many high-value books losing a third or more of their previous price points, this sale stands out for its exceptional rarity and story.
Extraordinary condition drives demand
Experts cite the comic’s near-pristine condition as a major factor behind the record sale. Graded 9.0 out of 10 by the Certified Guaranty Company, it is one of the highest-scoring surviving copies of the 86-year-old publication. Very few Golden Age comics from the 1930s exist in comparable shape, especially outside museum or private vault holdings.
Collectors say condition alone would make the piece remarkable, but the discovery narrative pushed its value even higher.
A family attic discovery that became legend
The comic was found earlier this year by three brothers while cleaning out their late mother’s home. It was stored inside a box filled with old newspaper clippings in the attic. According to the auction house, their mother had purchased it in the late 1930s when she was nine years old and living in Depression-era San Francisco.
Throughout their childhood, the brothers recalled her occasionally mentioning that she owned “rare comics somewhere,” but she could never remember where they were kept. After her death just before the pandemic, the house remained untouched until the family was emotionally ready to sort through her belongings.
What they found turned out to be one of the most valuable comics on Earth, a discovery that transformed a family memory into historic fortune.
A landmark moment for pop culture history
While the broader collectables market has softened recently, the record-breaking sale signals sustained demand for items tied to foundational cultural icons. Superman’s enduring legacy, spanning comic books, films, television, and global mythology, continues to elevate the value of the earliest publications that shaped modern superhero storytelling.
For collectors and fans alike, the auction reaffirms the status of Superman No. 1 not just as a rare comic but as a piece of American cultural history, one that now stands alone at the top of the auction world.
