Rare Action Comics No. 1 Sells for $15 Million

A rare copy of Action Comics No. 1, the 1938 issue that introduced Superman to the world and was once stolen from actor Nicolas Cage's home, sold for a record $15 million in a private transaction announced on Friday.

The deal, facilitated by Manhattan-based Metropolis Collectibles and Comic Connect, involved an anonymous buyer and seller. The comic, graded 9.0 by the Certified Guaranty Company in one of its best-preserved conditions, surpassed the previous record of $9.12 million set last November for a copy of Superman No. 1. Originally priced at 10 cents, the issue's value has soared due to its scarcity, with experts estimating fewer than 100 copies still in existence.

This particular copy has a storied past tied to Cage, a renowned comic book enthusiast. He acquired it in 1996 for $150,000. Four years later, in 2000, it was stolen from his Los Angeles residence. The theft went unsolved for over a decade until 2011, when a man purchasing the contents of an abandoned storage locker in Southern California discovered it among the items. Authorities returned the comic to Cage, who then sold it at auction just six months later for $2.2 million.

Vincent Zurzolo, president of...