It’s time to start digging through your old comic book collection after a rare copy of Marvel’s Amazing Fantasy No. 15 sold at auction for a record-breaking $3.6 million. The sale, via Heritage Auctions, eclipsed the previous sale of a near mint condition of Action Comics No. 1 (Superman’s first appearance) that went for $3.25 million earlier this year.

Amazing Fantasy first launched in July 1961 and was predominately a science fiction comic. Poor sales meant the title was set for cancelation just a year later, so the team of writers Stan Lee and Steve Ditko and illustrator Jack Kirby were allowed complete freedom to do as they please with the final issues.

 

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Lee and Ditko came up with the idea of a boy who gains special powers after being bitten by a radioactive spider. Named Peter Parker, the teenage boy uses his powers for his own means until his Uncle Ben is killed in a robbery he couldn’t halt. The devastation of losing his Uncle prompts Parker to use his powers for good, transforming himself into the superhero Spider-Man.

The issue was a hit with fans but failed to save Amazing Fantasy from cancellation. Thankfully, the character of Spider-Man would be given his own comic, The Amazing Spider-Man, a year later, leading to one of the most loved superheroes in comic book history.

Amazing Fantasy No. 15 was given a grading of 9.6 by Certified Guaranty Company and is one of only four copies believed to still exist.

As comic book heroes continue to be a force to be reckoned with in the mainstream media, there is no doubting more and more vintage collectibles will increase in value and break records at auctions.

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