The first issue of Captain America Comics, which introduced super soldier Steve Rogers, his sidekick Bucky and their Nazi nemesis Red Skull, was the biggest sensation in comics upon its publication at the beginning of 1941.
In the present day, even well-worn copies trade hands for $100,000 or more, but only one near-mint copy has been offered for sale in the past 20 years – the very copy that serves as a centerpiece in Heritage Auctions’ superpowered April 7-10 Comics & Comic Art Signature Auction.
The copy of Cap’s debut featured in the April auction hails from the historic San Francisco Pedigree Collection and bears a grade of Near Mint 9.4 from Certified Guaranty Company. It’s the finest copy Heritage Auctions has offered in two decades, which explains why bidding quickly approached the million-dollar mark with nearly three weeks before its live auction.