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A rare Superman No.1 comic from 1938 which was discovered in the wall of a house has sold for $175,000 at auction.
The issue is sought after because it features the first appearance of the Man of Steel, who hides his true identity by posing as mild-mannered reporter Clark Kent.
It was discovered by building contractor David Gonzalez among newspapers pasted into the wall cavity for insulation as he was renovating his home in Hoffman, Minnesota.
After spending decades out of the public eye, the comic caused a stir among collectors because it is estimated only 100 out of 250,000 original copies are left.
Two years ago a copy of the 75 year-old Action Comics No. 1 sold for a record $2.16 million and the condition was graded as nine out of 10.
If Mr Gonzalez’s copy been in mint condition it would have sold for a lot more, but the back cover had been ripped off meaning the rating was one point five out of 10.
Sellers ComicConnect.com said the Action Comics Superman issue was “the most important comic book in the history of comic books”.
It was bought by an unknown buyer.
Jerry Siegal and Joe Shuster created the character in 1933, originally as a bald telepathic villain called The Superman.
After five years of rejections from publishers the duo eventually signed a deal with Action Comics to supply a comic strip and Superman became a household name.
For 75 years there have been TV shows and blockbuster movies, with the latest outing called Man of Steel, starring Henry Cavill, Amy Adams and Michael Shannon.
Cavill, 30, who starred in the BBC period drama The Tudors, is the sixth actor to play the superhero from Krypton.
The film is produced by the director of The Dark Knight Trilogy Christopher Nolan and is on general release from 14th June.