-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Someone out there just leapt all comic book purchase price records in a single bound . A near-pristine copy of Action Comics # 1 -- better known as the first appearance of Superman -- sold at an online auction Wednesday night for a staggering $ 2.16 million . The seller ? None other than cash-strapped actor Nicolas Cage , according to The Hollywood Reporter . Cage turned a super-sized profit , the Reporter noted . He bought the 1938 Man of Steel original 14 years ago for roughly $ 150,000 . The buyer has remained anonymous . But `` he 's an extremely passionate collector , and he treasures owning the best of the best , '' said Vincent Zurzolo , chief operating officer of New York-based ComicConnect.com , which conducted the auction . `` In particular , he loves Superman . '' When the comic book first went on the auction block November 12 , the top bid was around $ 900,000 , Zurzolo noted . The price rose to more than $ 1.5 million Monday and smashed the $ 2 million mark five minutes before the close of bidding . The previous comic book sale price record ? Roughly $ 1.5 million for another copy of Action Comics # 1 in March of 2010 . `` I 've been involved in the comic book business for over 25 years , '' Zurzolo told CNN . Superman remains an `` icon that represents the best of this great country . '' Cage 's copy of the all-American classic comes with a colorful back story . It was reported stolen in January 2000 , according to the Reporter , and remained lost for more than 11 years before showing up last April in an abandoned storage locker in California 's San Fernando Valley . Comic book collectors ' holy grails If you 're hoping to get your own original 1938 copy , do n't hold your breath . There are only about 100 copies still believed to be in existence , according to ComicConnect . About 100 copies of Detective Comics # 27 -- better known as the first appearance of Batman -- are also still believed to be out there . The Caped Crusader made his inaugural appearance in 1939 . An original Depression-era Batman wo n't come cheap , however . One copy sold last year for a little over $ 1 million . The good news : if you 're willing to settle for a more modern incarnation of the two crime fighters , you can probably afford it . `` All New Batman : The Brave and the Bold '' went on sale last month for $ 2.99 .