$412 Check When Superman Was Sold Auctioned for $160,000
A check that was originally made out for just $412 has sold at an online auction for an amazing $160,000. So what's the catch? This is the check originally used to purchase the rights to the Superman character by DC Comics.
The historic check written out by DC Comics is made out to Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster for the rights of the famous superhero, who is famous for being able to leap a building in a single bound. The Superman franchise is now worth billions of dollars, making the original $412 purchase price look like an amazingly shrewd deal.
The check includes a line item for $130, which confirms that DC Comics paid for the full ownership and complete rights to Superman.
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The Superman superhero character was originally created by Siegel and Shuster when they were teenagers living in Cleveland, Ohio in the 1930s. It was not until April 1938 that the very first edition Superman comic was released in "Action Comics."
Siegel and Shuster did attempt to win back the rights to Superman in court years later, after it became a huge global phenomenon. The 1970s court case, which was the final attempt by the creators to win back the rights they had sold, featured the check, which was used as evidence. Siegel and Shuster ultimately failed in their bid to win back the Superman rights, and the first Superman movie was later released in 1978.
Both Siegel and Shuster died in the 1990s, however, their heirs have continued to fight to win back the rights to Superman.
