On March 1, 1938, DC Comics cut a $412 cheque to Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, including $130 for the rights to Superman.
This scrap of history was thought to have been lost forever but now, thanks to the foresight of a DC employee, fans are scrambling to make it their own as it goes up for auction on ComicConnect.com.
The events surrounding this little piece of paper set in motion the birth of an American icon, a billion-dollar industry - and a legal battle of heroic proportions.
Three months after the sale, Superman appeared in print for the first time, red cape flowing behind him as he hurled a car across the cover of Action Comics No. 1. In November 2011, this issue - originally sold for just 10c - fetched $2,161,000 (£1.35m) at auction.
The cheque that started it all has come to symbolise not just the humble beginnings of the Man of Steel, but a debate at the heart of comic books' Golden Age.
Opinion has been split on whether DC took advantage of two eager young artists, or whether the corporation was simply and fairly exercising a shrewd eye for potential. After more than 30 years of a legal tug of war on the ownership of Superman seemed destined to close in August 1973 - or so it seemed, but once again the court found in favour of the publishers and Mr Siegel and Mr Shuster narrowly missed out on the protections of the 1976 Copyright Act.
The Act, designed by Congress to allow creators to take back rights under certain conditions, would lay the foundations for court battles that continue to this day.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2120996/For-sale-The-cheque-gave-birth-Superman-golden-age-comics-legal-battle-heroic-proportions.html#ixzz1qpp2hSuh
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