CGC-certified Action Comics #1 Sets New Record with Surprise $15 Million Sale

A legendary copy of Action Comics #1, the 1938 comic that introduced Superman and launched the superhero genre, has sold in a private sale for a record-shattering $15 million, making it the most expensive pop culture collectible ever sold! The sale of this Action Comics #1 graded CGC 9.0 eclipses the previous record of $9.12 million held by a CGC-certified Superman #1 (and just set in November 2025) and firmly restores Action Comics #1 as the crown jewel of comic book collecting.

“Action Comics #1 is the foundation of the entire comic book industry as we know it,” said CGC President Matt Nelson. “This sale reflects not just the rarity of the book, but its unmatched historical importance. Superman is the original superhero, and Action Comics #1 remains the single most iconic comic ever published.”

Continuing to soar

Fewer than 100 copies of Action Comics #1 exist in the CGC Population Report. At the highest levels, the population becomes extraordinarily thin. Just two copies are graded CGC 9.0, and each time one of those elite examples has traded hands, the value has climbed significantly. In 2011, this same CGC 9.0 copy realized $2.16 million, and the other CGC graded 9.0 pushed the number to $3.2 million in 2014, reinforcing the book’s steady upward trajectory.

Even examples below that level have rewritten record books. In 2024, the most expensive Action Comics #1 ever sold at public auction was a CGC 8.5 copy that realized $6 million, setting a benchmark many believed would stand for years. However, a remarkable discovery unseated that record in 2025, when an amazing example of Superman #1 was found in an attic, graded CGC 9.0, and sold for $9.12 million, making it the most expensive comic book ever sold at that time.

With this historic $15 million sale, Action Comics #1 has reclaimed its top spot — not just in comics, but among all pop culture collectibles, surpassing even the most valuable sports card ever sold! The sale was negotiated by Metropolis Collectibles and ComicConnect, with both buyer and seller remaining anonymous.

A comic with a story of its own

This particular copy of Action Comics #1 first made headlines in 1992 when it sold at Sotheby’s for more than $82,000, becoming the most expensive comic book ever sold at the time. Metropolis later sold it in 1996 to Nicolas Cage for $150,000, again setting a record. Four years later, it vanished during a party at Cage’s home. After years of dead ends and frustration, the book resurfaced in 2011, discovered in the contents of a California storage unit. It was recovered by law enforcement and returned to Cage, who consigned it to ComicConnect just six months later. That auction realized $2.16 million and marked the first time a comic book crossed the $2 million threshold.

According to Metropolis Collectibles president Vincent Zurzolo, the book’s dramatic backstory has played a major role in elevating it from a rare collectible to a true cultural icon. He has likened the theft and recovery of this Action Comics #1 to the famous 1911 theft of the Mona Lisa, which transformed that painting from a masterpiece into a global symbol.

As the hobby continues to mature and attract global attention, this historic $15 million sale underscores what collectors have long known: There is only one Action Comics #1, and at the very top of the market, nothing else comes close.

About CGC

Since revolutionizing comic book grading in 2000, CGC has grown to include certification services for a vast variety of pop culture collectibles. These divisions include CGC Cards, CGC Video Games and CGC Home Video. CGC Cards provides expert card grading for sports cards, TCGs and non-sports cards. CGC Video Games is dedicated to video game grading for the most popular consoles, including Nintendo, Sega, Atari, PlayStation and more. CGC Home Video provides expert VHS grading in addition to other types of videocassettes, DVD, Blu-ray and more. CGC also offers seamless solutions for autograph collectors with CGC Signature Series and JSA Authentic Autograph services.

CGC is part of the Certified Collectibles Group, a global provider of expert and impartial authentication and grading services for collectibles. Since 1987, the Certified Collectibles Group companies have certified more than 100 million collectibles, including coins, banknotes, comic books, cards, autographs and stamps.