Although Superman proved to be a smash hit from day one, DC didn’t have a Man of Steel cover lined up for the character until six months after his debut, relegating him to interiors while wrapping the issues in the illustrative, punchy, pulp-style covers that had graced both New Adventure Comics and More Fun up to that point.

Early copies of Action Comics survive in incredibly low numbers and now collectors have the opportunity to buy one of those early issues with a Superman cover. ComicConnect is selling a copy of Action Comics #7 that comes from the collection of Superman cocreator Jerry Siegel.

“Boasting the second-ever appearance of Superman on a comic book cover, Joe Shuster’s perfectly understated style set the mood for the character’s early appearances, the Kryptonian’s bold strength and boisterous energy perfectly match the simplified lines and stark, evocative landscape that work in perfect unity with Jerry Siegel’s punchy dialogue and rapid-fire plotting,” ComicConnecct’s COO Vincent Zurzolo said. “These elements all come together to give the series an unmatched kinetic energy.”

In the latter part of 1938, DC editors handed out copies of Action Comics #7 to the creative staff hoping it would inspire the creation of another superhero, and a few months later the Batman was introduced. When Jerry Siegel learned of the inspirational meeting, he was insulted that others had been instructed to copy his work. When Siegel and Shuster sued DC comics, hoping to regain control of Superman, Siegel compared the story and images in Action Comics #7 with other DC publications and decided key elements from the issue were improperly borrowed for the creation of other heroes. The image missing from page 5 (Superman lifting an elephant) was clipped by Siegel himself to illustrate that point in the lawsuit.

Interested collectors can bid on this rare comic on ComicConnect’s website.