Recently, a very special copy of Action Comics #1 sold for a record $15 million in a private sale. This rare 9.0 edition is not only the first edition of Superman, first published in 1938, but also once owned by Academy Award winner Nicolas Cage. The comic was stolen in 2000 and discovered more than a decade later. This Action Comics #1 is part 1 of 2 to hold a CGC 9.0 grade.
Action Comics #1 (DC Comics, 1938).
Photo courtesy of Metropolis Collectibles, Inc. and Comic Connect, Corp.
Vincent Zurzolo, president of Metropolis Comics and Comics Connect, spoke to The Beat about the history and background of this incredibly rare collectible.
“This is the holy grail of holy grails for comic books,” Zurzolo said. “And for me, the ultimate immigrant story also has its roots in the Biblical story of Moses being put on a raft and sent down a river as a child. Superman is sent to Earth in a spaceship. He comes to America and realizes the American dream. To me, this is one of the greatest stories ever told.”
Action Comics #1 is perhaps one of the most important books in the comics medium, starting the superhero genre as we know it. Given the importance of superheroes to the art form of American comics, it’s safe to say that much of the industry, including all of us here at The Beat and others in comics news, stands on the shoulders of the work of Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster.
“If that comic book hadn’t been published, I think there’s a very good chance there wouldn’t be Batman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, the X-Men,” Zurzolo added.
Vincent Zurzolo holds Action Comics #1 (DC Comics, 1938).
Photo courtesy of Metropolis Collectibles, Inc. and Comic Connect, Corp.
This Action Comics #1 attracted attention at a Sotheby’s auction in 1992, selling for $82,000, a world record at the time. Metropolis/Comic Connect then sold the book to Nicolas Cage in 1996 as a new record.
“In 1996, my partner Stephen Fischler sold this comic book to (Nicolas) Cage for $150,000, a record price at the time.” In 2000, the comic book was stolen from Nick’s house during a party. “My partner Stephen helped with the investigation. The book never surfaced again, but Stephen told Nick that sooner or later someone would try to sell it,” Zurzolo said.
It wasn’t until 2011 that it resurfaced.
“We get a call, but that’s not the case with people who have a comic book. They can’t leave a phone number, but they’ll call you back. And then a few hours later they call us back and say they’ll email them the photo. When they received the photo, my partner knew right away that it was Nick’s book,” Zurzolo explained.
“He called Nick, told him the great news, and then called the detective about the case. Steve got on a plane the next day and met with the detective to come up with a plan to get the book back. They went to meet to buy the book. The asking price was $1 million. The story was that someone had found the book in a storage unit.”
And then, in a scene more appropriate for a Cage action movie, Fischler, Cage, and the detective go to meet the seller. Obviously, with large amounts of money at play, there is potential for risk.
“The detective explained to Steve, ‘Hey, if something goes sideways and someone pulls out a gun or something, don’t be a hero. Get on the ground.’ And his partner looked at him and said, ‘You don’t have to say it twice.’ No problem. ”
“So, they went to see an industrial park in Simi Valley, California that day. And the book’s representative is a guy named Mark Berello who was on a TV show called ‘Storage Wars.’ The guy who bought the book was there and I thought he was looking at, you know, this big payday. And when the detective handed him his business card and explained the situation, he was very distraught and very sad,” Zurzolo said.
After being returned to Cage, the book was sold to an anonymous buyer at a Comic Connect auction for $2.2 million.
“There’s an irony here,” Fischler said. “In those 11 years, its value has skyrocketed. Thieves stole it and made Nicolas Cage a fortune.”
Of course, there is historical precedent for something similar in the art world.
“The Mona Lisa was stolen in 1911 and kept under the thief’s bed for two years,” Fischler said. “The recovery of the painting transformed the Mona Lisa from just a great Da Vinci painting to a global icon. That’s Action #1. An icon of American pop culture.”
Vincent Zurzolo with Action Comics #1 (DC Comics, 1938) with Stephen Fischler
Photo courtesy of Metropolis Collectibles, Inc. and Comic Connect, Corp.
The book remained in its collection until last Friday, when Metropolis Collectibles and Comics Connect announced they had brokered a deal for a private sale.
“Both the seller and the buyer are very, very happy. And we’re equally happy not only that our company sold, but what this means for comic books as a whole. And I’d even say it’s a big, huge milestone for the entire collectibles world. This is the world’s first eight-figure comic book,” Zurzolo explained in our conversation. “This gives many collectors a lot of confidence that comic books are a great place to collect and invest their hard-earned money, whether they’re spending $50, $50,000, or $15 million. So not only will they retain their value, but they’re also more likely to increase in value.”
Metropolis Collectibles and Comic Connect are no strangers to Action Comic #1, a landmark in the world of collectibles and auctions.
“Our auction company is synonymous with Action #1. When people think of Action Comics #1, they think of our company. We sold 73 copies of Action Comics #1, and you have to note that there are probably only about 100 copies known to exist in the world, right?” Zurzolo boasted. “This sale is a whirlwind of excitement, and we believe 2026 will be a great year, and we can’t wait to see what happens. Metropolis handles millions of dollars in private sales each year. For over 26 years, we’ve been helping avid collectors and investors own the books of their dreams, and it’s even better to know that this first issue of Action Comics has found a good home.”
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