NEW YORK — A particularly prized copy of the first-ever Marvel comic book fetched more than US$2.4 million in an online auction, the auctioneer said Friday.
Known as the Marvel Comics #1 "pay copy," it’s "arguably one of the top three coxjmtzywmic books in the world of comics collecting," said Vincent Zurzolo, chief operating officer of ComicConnect. The New York-based auctioneer sold the book Thursday night for a bit under $2,427,800.
The buyer’s name has not been disclosed. He is "an extremely passionate comic book collector and investor" who also collects other items, Zurzolo said.
Published in 1939, Marvel Comics #1 introduced characters including Sub-Mariner and the original Human Torch, a precursor of the character of the same name that was later a member of Marvel’s Fantastic Four. The book launched what became the Marvel universe of comics, movies, TV shows and video games.
The very well-preserved "pay copy" is especially sought-after because it bears the publisher’s handwritten notes recording how much the multiple writers and artists were paid. For example, Frank R. Paul earned $25 for drawing the cover of a book now worth nearly 100,000 times as much.
"It’s an incredibly important look into the world and behind the scenes of the creation" of a comics powerhouse, Zurzolo said.
The Marvel universe would eventually include such characters as Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, X-Men, the Avengers, Iron Man, Daredevil and the Hulk, often known on-screen as the Incredible Hulk.
"Without this comic book being made, who knows? Maybe none of that happens," Zurzolo said. "Maybe the name `Marvel Comics’ resonated so much with people, in some way, that that’s what helped to birth all these other things."
