A rare 1938 copy of Action Comics No 1, the comic that introduced Superman, was sold for $15 million (£11.2 million). The comic once belonged to Hollywood star Nicolas Cage and was stolen from his home in 2000. It was found 11 years later in a California storage unit and returned to Cage. This private sale sets a new record, beating the previous $9.12 million auction record for a pristine Superman No 1 copy. The comic originally sold for just 10 cents in 1938, about $2.25 in today's money. Less than 100 copies of Action Comics No 1 exist, making it extremely rare. The comic was graded 9 out of 10 by the Certified Guaranty Company, matching the highest grade ever recorded for this issue. Nicolas Cage bought this very copy in 1996 for $150,000, setting a record price then. After its theft during a party in 2000, the comic’s value soared. Cage got the comic back in 2011 and sold it again at auction for $2.2 million six months later. Stephen Fishler, CEO of Metropolis Collectibles, which arranged the recent sale, said, "During that 11-year period, it skyrocketed in value. The thief made Nicolas Cage a lot of money by stealing it." Fishler compared this comic’s story to the famous theft of Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, saying, "The recovery of the painting made the Mona Lisa go from being just a great Da Vinci painting to a world icon - and that's what Action No 1 is. An icon of American pop culture."