From 10 cents to $15 million: the jaw-dropping rise of a stolen Superman comic

It started as a modest 10-cent comic book in the late 1930s. Nearly nine decades later, that same issue has become one of the most valuable printed objects on Earth.

The very first Superman comic has sold at auction in the United States for an eye-watering $15 million, underlining just how far pop culture collectables can appreciate, sometimes beyond all logic.

The birth of a global icon

The Man of Steel first appeared in 1938, created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster. The debut issue, officially dated June 1938 but released earlier in April, introduced a character who would go on to define the superhero genre.

Only around 50 copies of that original comic are believed to still exist worldwide, instantly placing it in the rarest of collecting categories.

A stolen comic with a Hollywood twist

Adding to the intrigue is the comic’s unusual backstory. One copy belonged to actor Nicolas Cage, a well-known comic book enthusiast. Cage reportedly bought it for about $150,000 before it vanished during a party at his home.

The comic remained missing for 11 years before resurfacing in a storage locker. Concerned it was simply too high-profile and too tempting a target, Cage eventually sold it for around $2 million, already a massive return.

From party theft to record price

Fast-forward several years, and the same comic has now fetched $15 million at auction, sold to an anonymous collector. That means a 10-cent cover price has ballooned into one of the biggest returns imaginable in the collectable world.

It also raises an inevitable question: Is there anything today that could be bought so cheaply and one day be worth so much? If there is, chances are we don’t recognise it yet.

As for Cage, one can only wonder whether he wishes he’d held on just a little longer.

For more information, listen to international correspondent Adam Gilchrist using the audio player below: