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First ever Marvel comic sells for record $1.26m at auction

The comic is in near-pristine condition

Clémence Michallon
New York
Friday 22 November 2019 22:38 GMT
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This 1939 Marvel comic book sold for $1.26m (£981,000) at auction on Thursday, 21 November.
This 1939 Marvel comic book sold for $1.26m (£981,000) at auction on Thursday, 21 November. (Heritage Auctions via AP)

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A rare copy of the first Marvel comic book has sold for a record $1.26m (£981,000) at auction.

According to Heritage Auctions, a Dallas-based auctioneer, the near-pristine Marvel Comics No 1 from 1939 was purchased on Thursday by a buyer wishing to remain anonymous.

The issue features the first appearances of characters such as the Human Torch, Ka-Zar, Angel and the Sub-Mariner.

Ed Jaster, senior vice president at Heritage, called it “a historic copy of a historic comic book.”

Heritage says the comic book was first purchased at a newsstand by a Uniontown, Pennsylvania, mail carrier who made a practice of buying the first issue of comic books and magazines.

Jaster says that since then, the issue has only changed owners a handful of times.

The previous record-holder for a Marvel Comics book was a 1962 issue featuring the first appearance of Spider-Man, which sold for $1.1m (£856,000) in 2011.

This 1939 Marvel comic book sold for $1,26m (£981,000) at auction on Thursday, 21 November.
This 1939 Marvel comic book sold for $1,26m (£981,000) at auction on Thursday, 21 November. (Heritage Auctions via AP)

A handful of other comic books have topped the $1m (£779,000) price tag.

In 2014, a Superman comic (published by DC Comics) was purchased for $3.2m (£2.5m) on eBay.

Additional reporting by agencies

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