The father of all modern superheroes has great powers far beyond those of mere mortals. You know the catchphrase, "Faster than a speeding bullet! More powerful than a locomotive! Able to leap tall buildings at a single bound! "Look Up in the sky!" "It's a bird!" It's a plane!" "It's Superman!" Yes, it's Superman- strange visitor from another planet who came to Earth with powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men" (Source: Superman Homepage).
This ultimate strong man in tights has great powers and abilities, but even the iconic Greek warrior Achilles had a weakness; so too does Superman: Kryptonite. The first appearance of Kryptonite was in Superman #61 it was created by the team of William Woolfolk, Bill Stern, Bill Finger, and Henry Boltinoff. The art team was staffed with Wayne Boring, Al Plastino, Raymond Perry, C.C. Beck, and Henry Boltinoff. Whew! Every time I site the Golden Age creators it is like writing a grocery list. This prized 1949 issue has the first appearance and origin of Kryptonite and the first return to Krypton. All the Golden Age is valuable but is this particular key still increasing returns and a good investment?
Superheroes are a dime a dozen now, everyone has created, played or dreamed of being one. But the first Superhero, the one everyone is patterned after has a special significance. There is only one Superman. Every superhero has a weakness of some sort; it makes a superhero interesting learning about his or her struggle with vulnerability. That is why this is such an important key for Superman as Superman #61 highlights the very first appearance of Kryptonite which gives many tough situations our hero must contend with in the future.
Superman #61Long-Term Return Trend:
- Grade 9.0 sale price $3599 (2009) returns negative -9.4%
- Grade 7.5 sale price $2250 eBay (1/14/18) returns positive +35.8%
- Grade 6.0 sale price $500 eBay (11/19/12) returns positive +55.4%
- Grade 2.5 sale price $199 eBay (4/5/19) returns positive +15.5%
This Kryptonite key is a huge part of the Superman history. Kryptonite as his one and only weakness keeps showing up in the comics and movies to stymie Superman's heroic efforts. But is it really his only weakness? Much like Achilles love for Patroclus (his cousin) an argument could be made that Superman's other weakness is Lois Lane. This cover is very misogynistic for today's standard, but kind of a male fantasy "Blonde, Brunette or Red-Head" what choice does Superman make? His greatest weakness is his lady love, Lois Lane. She first appeared in Action Comics #1 along with her perpetual boyfriend Clark Kent.
Action Comics #1The first Superman comic Action Comics #1 has an iconic cover that stands the test of time and has more homage covers than I can count. Including a cool one with Spidey trashing a police car. Joel Shuster and Jerry Siegel are credited with Superman's creation in 1938. This granddaddy of all comics is incredibly profitable.
Long-Term Return Trend:
- Grade 9.0 sold on eBay 8/25/2014 $3.2 Million and returns +48.4%
- Grade 5.5 sold on ComicConnect 3/20/2018 $815,000 and returns +68.9%
- Grade 1.5 sold on ComicConnect 6/11/2013 $175,000 return N/A
I cannot imagine spending this kind of money on a comic book. However, that doesn't mean it is not an outstanding investment. This is the king of keys, without a doubt. The air up here sure is cleaner, one can fantasize about being a millionaire and purchasing this book.
Most speculators have a weakness much like Superman's Kryptonite. Ours is simply the monkey of greed on our backs. This monkey squawks and squawks digging in his claws into our souls. He demands we pig out on more and more risk for reward. Use your super-willpower to control this treacherous monkey and remember this Wall Street maxim, "Bulls make money, bears make money, and pigs get slaughtered."
