Superman Saves Family from Foreclosure

A chance discovery of Superman's debut, Action Comics 1, helped a family avoid foreclosure on their home.

By Kathryn Hawkins. Posted on July 23 2010

The cover of Action Comics 1

He can leap from tall buildings, rescue damsels in distress, fight evil villains—and defend families against foreclosure?

That last one may not be in any comic book, but it’s a true sign of the times. The family, who doesn’t want to be named, was about to lose their home, which had been in their family since the 1950s. They were in the process of packing up their belongings when they came across a box of old comic books, containing one extremely valuable find: Action Comics #1.

If that means nothing to you, there are millions of comic book geeks who’d take that title very seriously: it’s the debut of Superman, the first superhero. Essentially, it’s the bible that has led us to Iron Man, the Incredible Hulk, X-Men, and all the other superhumans out there. Needless to say, an original copy is worth an awful lot of money—more than enough to pay what they owed on their home.

Stephen Fishler, co-owner of New York’s ComicConnect and Metropolis Collectibles, was elated when he realized what the family was selling him—but he couldn’t be as happy about it as they were.

One of the family members told Fishler that s/he was “still a little shell-shocked about finding this book. I was so nervous when I realized what it was worth. I know I am very fortunate but I will be greatly relieved when this book finds a new home.”

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