A check by DC Comics for $412 to acquire the rights of Superman was sold for $160,000 at an online auction Tuesday.
The check was made out to and deposited by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, the creators of the Man of Steel, who began his fight for truth, justice, and the American Way in 1938. It was saved by one DC Comics staff member in the 1970s, and has remained in a desk drawer for almost 40 years.
Hailed as the world’s greatest superhero, Superman is known for putting comic books on the map: paving the way for the Dark Knight Detective Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Arrow, and several DC Comics superheroes that will soon form the Justice League of America (JLA), Earth’s greatest champions against the forces of evil.
Superman is probably best known for creating the superhero genre when the late Christopher Reeve embodied the role in four films from 1978 to 1987: leading the way for popular franchises for not only Batman (1989-97, 2005-present), but for also Marvel Comics’ Blade (1998-2004), the X-Men (2000-present), Spider-Man (2002-07, 2012-), and Iron Man (2008-present).
Next year will be Superman’s 75th birthday, with Henry Cavill as the third actor to become the Man of Steel, which is scheduled to be released on June 14, 2013.
