Marquis de Sade text named French treasure, auction canceled

An original manuscript for the Marquis de Sade's "The 120 Days of Sodom" has been withdrawn from a Paris auction after the French government declared it a "national treasure" and banned its export.

FILE - This Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2017 file photo shows the original manuscript of "The 120 Days of Sodom or the School of Libertinage," a scandalous and pornographic novel written by French writer Marquis de Sade while jailed in the Bastille prison. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus, File)

Auction house Aguttes said Tuesday the French culture ministry has granted the most valuable lots in the auction the rare treasure classification and proposed buying them.

FILE - This Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2017 file photo shows the original manuscript of "The 120 Days of Sodom or the School of Libertinage," a scandalous and pornographic novel written by French writer Marquis de Sade while jailed in the Bastille prison.(AP Photo/Thibault Camus, File)

The original manuscript of "The 120 Days of Sodom or the School of Libertinage," by French writer Marquis de Sade is on display prior to the auction of the Aristophil Collections, in Paris, Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2017. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

Following the ministry's decision, a court receiver allowed Aguttes to withdraw the top lots from Wednesday's auction and to negotiate their eventual sales directly with the government.

The original manuscript of "The 120 Days of Sodom or the School of Libertinage," by French writer Marquis de Sade is on display prior to the auction of the Aristophil Collections, in Paris, Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2017.(AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

The original manuscript of "The 120 Days of Sodom or the School of Libertinage," by French writer Marquis de Sade is on display prior to the auction of the Aristophil Collections, in Paris, Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2017.  (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

In addition to the Sade's 1785 explicit text, the withdrawn lots include the 1924 manuscript for the first "Surrealist Manifesto" by French writer Andre Breton. The lots had a combined value estimated in the multimillion-dollar range.

The original manuscript of "The 120 Days of Sodom or the School of Libertinage," by French writer Marquis de Sade is on display prior to the auction of the Aristophil Collections, in Paris, Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2017. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

The original manuscript of "Manifeste du Surrealisme," by French writer Andre Breton is on display prior to the auction of the Aristophil Collections, in Paris, Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2017. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

De Sade is known for his libertine writings on sex.

Original manuscripts by French writer Andre Breton are on display prior to the auction of the Aristophil Collections, in Paris, Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2017.  (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

NEW YORK (AP) — A 1938 copy of the comic that first “introduced Superman to the world” has sold for a record-setting $6 million, the auctioneer that handled the purchase said last week.

According to Heritage Auctions, the rare copy of Action Comics No. 1 was sold to an anonymous buyer on Thursday. The $6 million price tag makes the book the most expensive comic to ever sell at auction, the action house added.

Heritage Auctions hails Action Comics No. 1 as “the most important comic ever published” — noting that the Superman who first appeared in the 1938 spring issue “remains remarkably like" the version still seen in comic strips and on the big screen today. In addition to the Man of Steel's first appearance, the book also introduced central love interest Lois Lane.

A report from comic book grading service Certified Guaranty Company, cited by Heritage Auctions, estimates that there are only 100 surviving copies of Action Comics No. 1 today — out of 200,000 that were printed by National Allied Publications, the predecessor to DC Comics.

The copy sold last week, which comes from the Kansas City Pedigree, has a “Very Fine+” CGC rating of 8.5 — with only two other unrestored issues of grading higher, Heritage Auctions noted.

Although not as high as $6 million, other rare copies of Action Comics No. 1 have also gone for millions at auction in recent years, including a 6.0-rated issue that sold for $3.56 million through ComicConnect last year.

Thursday's record sale surpasses the previous titleholder of the most expensive comic book to ever be sold — which was a copy of another Superman-starring comic, Superman No. 1, that sold privately for $5.3 million in 2022, according to CGC.

The Action Comics No. 1 sale was part of a four-day comic auction event that featured several big-name superheroes and rare comics featuring them. The event realized more than $28 million by its end on Sunday, according to Heritage Auctions.

This photo provided by Heritage Auctions shows a copy of Action Comics No. 1, the comic book that introduced Superman to the world in 1938, which sold for $6 million on Thursday, April 4, 2024. (Heritage Auctions via AP)