Superheroes have been with us longer than many fans imagine. All the movies, series and comics that we currently consume, Marvel and/or DC, are inspired by decades of stories. The most recent example is found in James Gunn's ten inspirations for creating his new Superman with David Corenswet.
If we look back, we can find wonderful things, like a fist fight between Popeye and Superman. We've gone back to the origins of DC's Superman to find one of the most important canonical events in superhero history: the check that bought the rights to him.
Jerome Siegel and Joe Shuster, two young 20-year-old artists from Cleveland, were the original creators of Superman, at least the first version. By then he had the mythical S stamped on his chest. DC, then known as Detective Comics, purchased the rights to the character for $130 ($2,769 today, according to Dollartimes) on March 1, 1938. This is the check that sealed the transaction between both parties.
The concept of superhero was born with Superman. That $130 check essentially created a billion-dollar industry. […] Think of a world without Superman. Without this check, we would never have a Superman, we would never have a comic book industry. [tal y como la conocemos].
It was in 2012 (12 years ago) when the check reappeared and went around the world along with incredible news: the Routers media reported that it was sold for $160,000 at auction. Co-owner of ComicConnect, Vincent Zurzolo, where the online auction took place, noted that this check is literally a canonical event in superhero history. This piece of paper changed everything, literally.
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