Superman Debuts: The Birth of the Superhero
Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster's Superman debuted in Action Comics #1, published on June 1, 1938, by Detective Comics (later DC Comics). The two Cleveland teenagers had created the character five years earlier and been rejected by every major publisher. They sold the rights to Superman for $130 (roughly $2,800 today), a decision that haunted them for decades. Action Comics #1 sold for 10 cents; a near-mint copy sold at auction in 2014 for $3.2 million. Superman's combination of extraordinary power and humble alter ego as Clark Kent created the superhero archetype that spawned an entire industry. The character has generated billions in comics, films, television, and merchandise. Siegel and Shuster died in relative poverty before DC granted them annual pensions and credit lines in 1975.
June 1, 1938
88 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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