Superman #1 Found in Attic Becomes Most Expensive Comic Book Ever – Valued at $9.12 Million
It’s a bird! Wait no… It’s a plane! No, it’s the new king of comic book collectibles. A near-mint copy of Superman #1 just decimated auction records, selling for a (wow!!) jaw-dropping $9.12 million. This isn’t just a win for the Man of Steel; it’s a story that actually feels ripped straight from a comic book panel itself, complete with a forgotten treasure, a family legacy, and a life-changing discovery.
Superman’s First Appearance – Superman #1
For years, comic fans and collectors have debated which book is the true Holy Grail. While “Action Comics No. 1”holds the title for Superman’s first appearance, Superman#1 is the comic that gave the world’s first superhero his own solo series, cementing his status as a cultural icon. And on Thursday, November 20, a copy of this 1939 masterpiece, found tucked away in a dusty California attic, proved that the Last Son of Krypton still has the power to astound us all.
How a Forgotten Comic Became a Multimillion-Dollar Treasure
This isn’t one of those “Mom threw my comics away” horror stories. (And those are bad.) In fact, it’s the exact opposite. Three brothers from Northern California were cleaning out their late mother’s home when they stumbled upon a cardboard box. Inside, protected by nothing more than old newspapers, was a small stack of comics their mother and uncle had bought together during the Great Depression.
Their mom had always insisted she owned a valuable collection, a claim the sons, now in their 50s and 60s, had never really seen proof of. But there they were: the early issues of Action Comics and, more importantly, an amazing copy of Superman #1. The comic, which originally sold for a dime (yes, really), had been sitting in that attic for decades, a forgotten heirloom.
The youngest brother told Heritage Auctions, “This was never just about a collectible. This is a testament to memory, family, and the unexpected ways the past finds its way back to us.” It’s a find that most collectors only dream of, a true “barn find” for the comic book world.
Why This Superman #1 Broke All the Rules (and the Records)
So, what makes this particular comic worth more than a huge mansion in Beverly Hills? It all comes down to condition. The Certified Guaranty Company (CGC), the gold standard for comic grading, gave this book a 9.0 rating. For a comic from 1939, that’s practically unheard of. It’s the highest grade ever given to a copy of Superman #1.
Lon Allen, Vice President of Heritage Auctions, explained that the Northern California climate was a hero in its own right. “If it had been in an attic here in Texas, it would have been ruined,” he said. That dry, temperate air preserved the paper, keeping it in what can only be described as astonishing condition.
This sale blows past the previous record-holder, an Action Comics #1 that sold for $6 million in April 2024. It even smashes the prior record for a Superman #1, which was a CGC 8.0 copy that sold privately for $5.3 million in 2022. The $9.12 million price tag solidifies the Man of Steel’s place at the absolute peak of the collectibles market.
The Enduring Legacy of Superman
More than 85 years after he first leaped onto the page, Superman remains one of the most recognizable figures in global pop culture. He’s not just a comic book character; he’s a symbol of hope, truth, and justice. and the American way. This record-breaking sale isn’t only about a rare piece of paper; it’s a reflection of our nostalgia and the super-enduring power of these modern myths.
The story of this fantastic attic find adds a layer of human emotion that makes this sale even more special. It’s a moving reminder that sometimes, the best treasures aren’t lost in a deserted cave or buried on an isolated island, but are waiting in the places we call home. They harbor the memories of a long-ago era when a dime could buy you a ticket to another world. When the auction gavel fell, it wasn’t merely a comic book that was sold; it was a part of history. It paid homage to the boy in blue with a cape who taught us all to look towards the sky.
