While modern comics may struggle at times, the historic issues still sell big. We see that today as a record-breaking new sale just happened for one of Marvel’s most famous comics.
A near-mint copy of Captain America Comics #1 was sold for $3.1 million during Heritage Auctions’ comics and comic art events. This giant comic book deal is now one of the top five most expensive comics ever sold. Captain America Comics #1 marks the very first appearance of Captain America and also features his famous sidekick Bucky Barnes.
The comic debuted in December 1940 and is best known for one of the most iconic comic book covers featuring Captain America punching Nazi leader Adolf Hitler. The issue came a full year before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, leading to the inclusion of the United States into World War II. It became an instant classic and sold hundreds of thousands of copies a month.
At the time of writing, the highest sold comic at auction is Amazing Fantasy #15, which sold for $3.6M; it’s known for the first appearance of Spider-Man. The second highest was Action Comics #1, Superman’s first appearance, which sold for $3.2M. Captain America Comics #1 now sits in the third-place spot, with its final sale hitting $3,120,000, which included the buyer’s premium.
Captain America is now a global superstar, featuring in hundreds of comic books and graphic novels. The character is now best known for his appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with Chris Evans’ Steve Rogers playing a central role and appearing in eleven films as of 2022.