Action Comics (1938)
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Key Facts
1st appearance of Superman
1st appearance of Lois Lane
1st appearance of Zatara, Zatanna's father
1st appearance of Tex Thompson, later becomes Mr. America
🌎 Currently holds the world record for the highest comic sale in history after a 9.0 copy from the collection of Nicolas Cage sold for $15 million dollars in December 2025
💰 In June 2024, an 8.5 Kansas City Pedigree sold for $6,000,000
Key Facts
1st appearance of Superman
1st appearance of Lois Lane
1st appearance of Zatara, Zatanna's father
1st appearance of Tex Thompson, later becomes Mr. America
🌎 Currently holds the world record for the highest comic sale in history after a 9.0 copy from the collection of Nicolas Cage sold for $15 million dollars in December 2025
💰 In June 2024, an 8.5 Kansas City Pedigree sold for $6,000,000
Key Facts
16-page promotional comic given away with the purchase of Safeguard deodorant (1976)
Key Facts
16-page promotional comic given away with the purchase of Safeguard deodorant (1976)
Key Facts
16-page promotional reprint with sleeping bag advertisement on back cover
$0.10 cover price
Key Facts
16-page promotional reprint with sleeping bag advertisement on back cover
$0.10 cover price
Key Facts
16-page reprint of Action Comics #1
Obtained by mail after submitting two labels of peanut butter branded with Superman as a spokesman
Celebration of Superman's 45th anniversary
Key Facts
16-page reprint of Action Comics #1
Obtained by mail after submitting two labels of peanut butter branded with Superman as a spokesman
Celebration of Superman's 45th anniversary
Key Facts
Reprint of Action Comics #1 with a Nestle advertisement on the back cover and a $0.10 cover price
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Reprint of Action Comics #1 with a Nestle advertisement on the back cover and a $0.10 cover price
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Newsstand edition with $0.50 cover price
16-page reprint of Superman's first appearance from Action Comics #1
Key Facts
Newsstand edition with $0.50 cover price
16-page reprint of Superman's first appearance from Action Comics #1
Key Facts
Reprint of Superman's first appearance in celebration of the 50 year anniversary of Action Comics #1
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Reprint of Superman's first appearance in celebration of the 50 year anniversary of Action Comics #1
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Reprint of Action Comics #1 with black background $0.50 cover price
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Reprint of Action Comics #1 with black background $0.50 cover price
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Reprint of the first appearance of Superman from Action Comics #1
$1.00/$1.35 cover price and interior ad for World Without Superman: Funeral for a Friend on final page
Key Facts
Reprint of the first appearance of Superman from Action Comics #1
$1.00/$1.35 cover price and interior ad for World Without Superman: Funeral for a Friend on final page
Key Facts
Reprint of the first appearance of Superman from Action Comics #1
$0.10 cover price and interior ad for World Without Superman: Funeral for a Friend on final page
Key Facts
Reprint of the first appearance of Superman from Action Comics #1
$0.10 cover price and interior ad for World Without Superman: Funeral for a Friend on final page
Key Facts
Reprint of Action Comics #1 distributed in 1998 by the US Post Office commemorating 50 years of Superman
Scarce issue, sealed with a book of Superman stamps
Key Facts
Reprint of Action Comics #1 distributed in 1998 by the US Post Office commemorating 50 years of Superman
Scarce issue, sealed with a book of Superman stamps
Key Facts
Reprint of Action Comics #1 in it's 68-page entirety
Distributed by Loot Crate
Key Facts
Reprint of Action Comics #1 in it's 68-page entirety
Distributed by Loot Crate
Key Facts
Superman Day 2025
Golden Age-sized facsimile reprint of Action Comics #1
Key Facts
Superman Day 2025
Golden Age-sized facsimile reprint of Action Comics #1
Key Facts
Silver foil
Limited to 800 copies
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Facsimile foil reprint
2025 Superman Day
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Gold Foil edition.
Limited to 300 copies
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Variant cover art by Dan Mora
Golden Age-sized facsimile reprint of Action Comics #1
Key Facts
Variant cover art by Dan Mora
Golden Age-sized facsimile reprint of Action Comics #1
Key Facts
Superman Day 2025
Golden Age-sized facsimile reprint of Action Comics #1
Key Facts
Superman Day 2025
Golden Age-sized facsimile reprint of Action Comics #1
Key Facts
Reprint of Action Comics #1
Mini-comic distributed with DC Direct '1st Appearances' Superman action figure
22-pages, measures 1.3 in. x 1.9 in.
Key Facts
Reprint of Action Comics #1
Mini-comic distributed with DC Direct '1st Appearances' Superman action figure
22-pages, measures 1.3 in. x 1.9 in.
Key Facts
2nd appearance of Superman
2nd appearance of Lois Lane and Zatara
Key Facts
2nd appearance of Superman
2nd appearance of Lois Lane and Zatara
Key Facts
3rd appearance of Superman
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4th appearance of Superman
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5th appearance of Superman
First kiss between Superman and Lois Lane, occurred between panels
Key Facts
5th appearance of Superman
First kiss between Superman and Lois Lane, occurred between panels
Key Facts
1st appearance of Jimmy Olsen, unnamed, referred to only as Office Boy
First reference to Superman as "The Man of Steel" seen in a newspaper headline
[July 2025 - it is rumored Skyler Gisondo will reprise the role of Jimmy Olsen as the host a spin-off crime anthology TV series focused on different DC villains]
Key Facts
1st appearance of Jimmy Olsen, unnamed, referred to only as Office Boy
First reference to Superman as "The Man of Steel" seen in a newspaper headline
[July 2025 - it is rumored Skyler Gisondo will reprise the role of Jimmy Olsen as the host a spin-off crime anthology TV series focused on different DC villains]
Key Facts
2nd cover appearance of Superman
First time "Superman" is in print on a comic book cover
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2nd cover appearance of Superman
First time "Superman" is in print on a comic book cover
Key Facts
Superman demonstrates extraordinary hearing abilities but not referred to as 'super' until Action Comics #11
Cover art inspired by the 1919 painting 'Last of the Mohicans' by N.C. Wyeth
Key Facts
Superman demonstrates extraordinary hearing abilities but not referred to as 'super' until Action Comics #11
Cover art inspired by the 1919 painting 'Last of the Mohicans' by N.C. Wyeth
Key Facts
Early Superman story
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3rd cover appearance of Superman
Key Facts
1st appearance of Ultra-Humanite, the first Superman supervillain
Advertisement for Superman #1
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1st appearance of Ultra-Humanite, the first Superman supervillain
Advertisement for Superman #1
Key Facts
First mention of the city, Metropolis - previous Superman stories were based in Cleveland, Ohio
Key Facts
First mention of the city, Metropolis - previous Superman stories were based in Cleveland, Ohio
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6th cover appearance of Superman on the Action Comics title
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6th cover appearance of Superman on the Action Comics title
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Final issue to not include anything Superman related on the cover until Action Comics #602 (1988)
Key Facts
Final issue to not include anything Superman related on the cover until Action Comics #602 (1988)
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Iconic cover
Key Facts
1st appearance of Lex Luthor, depicted with red hair
1st appearance of Black Pirate, an adventurer who later appeared as a ghost in present day stories
First mention of The Daily Planet
Key Facts
1st appearance of Lex Luthor, depicted with red hair
1st appearance of Black Pirate, an adventurer who later appeared as a ghost in present day stories
First mention of The Daily Planet
Key Facts
Debut of Krypto Ray Gun
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