The mother in Northern California claimed to own the first American issue of Superman from 1939, only she couldn't remember where she had put it. Her three sons dismissed the whole thing as a myth, but when they were cleaning out the attic after their mother's death, they found the magazine - in near-perfect condition.
The original went under the hammer on Thursday for $9.12 million, over 87 million Swedish kronor. It is the most expensive comic book ever sold at auction, breaking the previous record of $6 million.
"Superman #1" is, according to the auction house Heritage Auctions, "the pinnacle of comic book collecting" and the magazine's near-perfect condition is believed to have justified the record price.
The issue is described as the most difficult to obtain in good condition. The comic book publisher DC Comics may have inadvertently created this rarity as the back of the magazine was designed to be cut out and framed.
