The first issue of Action Comics No. 1 which features the first appearance of Superman in print sold at auction Friday

The comic book character Superman is arguably the world’s most iconic superhero, and collectors are willing to pay top dollar for the hero’s merchandise, or even several hundred thousand dollars, in the case of Action Comics No. 1 – the first ever comic book to feature the hero.

A copy of the coveted first issue of Action Comics series the newspaper, when Superman was presented for the first time, has been sold to a collector for over $317,200- one of the highest prices ever paid for a comic book, according to the L.A. Times. The winning bid was placed by John Dolmayan, drummer for the band

System of a Down, on Friday evening, on behalf of an unidentified client. Dolmayan deals in rare comic books as a side business to his musical career, and described Action Comics No. 1 as “the Holy Grail of comic books.” Only 100 copies of the original comic are known to exist currently, and they rarely become available for sale, according to the L.A. Times. The comic’s previous owner purchased it in a secondhand store in the 1950s at nine years old, and paid a mere 35 cents for the now legendary issue.