This pristine comic of Superman's first appearance is going for over $1,600,000

Up, up and away! So starts the bidding for a pristine copy of Action Comics No. 1, where iconic superhero Superman made his debut in 1938.

 

Retailer Darren Adams, owner of Pristine Comics in Washington, has put the June 1938 issue on eBay, attracting bids of up to $1.6 million as of Friday evening.

 

"This is THE comic book that started it all. This comic features not only the first appearance of Superman, Clark Kent and Lois Lane, but this comic began the entire superhero genre that has followed during the 76 years since. It is referred to as the Holy Grail of comics and this is the finest graded copy to exist with perfect white pages. This is .... the Mona Lisa of comics and stands alone as the most valuable comic book ever printed," Adams said.

 

He added this copy got an "astonishing" grade of CGC 9.0, noting no other copies to date have received a higher rating.

 

The book was described by eBay as "The finest known copy of the most sought after comic book in the world."

Check out the ongoing auction on eBay.

 

A copy of the same comic book, graded at just CGC 8.5, sold for $1.5 million in 2010.

 

Part of the proceeds will benefit the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, which seeks to cure spinal cord injury.

 

A comic book-themed eBay page noted the now-rare comic cost just 10 cents at the time of its debut in 1938 - yet the comic has sold for more than $2 million for a single copy.

 

"Reportedly, only 50 to 100 original copies still exist," it said.

 

In a video, Adams said the comic book appeared to have been bought by a person who lived in a high-altitude area in West Virginia, then stored the book in a cedar chest.

 

He said the item benefited from the four conditions needed to keep it pristine: cool, dry, dark, and as little air as possible.

 

A separate report on ComicBookResources.com said Adams acquired the comic in a private sale some years back, and stored it in a temperature-controlled vault. — Joel Locsin/TJD, GMA News