A rare issue of a comic featuring the first appearance of Superman has sold on eBay for more than $3.2 million (approx €2.4 million).

Even if you have little to no interest in comic books, you may have heard of Action Comics No 1 - the issue that marked the first appearance of the iconic superhero.

The June 1938 issue of Action Comics, which originally sold for 10 cents, has long been considered the world's most famous and expensive comic. It is estimated that only between 50 and 100 copies have survived, with only a small amount of them considered to be of a particularly high quality.

Collectors have been known to pay massive figures for a copy of the book, with past owners having included Nicholas Cage (who was once set to to play Superman in the cancelled Superman Lives film). After it was stolen in 2000, Cage's copy was recovered in 2011 and is believed to have then been sold for approximately €1.6 million.

When a copy of Action Comics No 1 went up for sale on eBay recently, there was little doubt it would sell for an extraordinary sum. It helped that the copy was in superb condition - one of only two copies to have received a grade of 9.0 from Comic Guaranty LLC.

Darren Adams of Pristine Comics, who put the comic up for sale, wrote that "to date, no copies have been graded higher and only one other copy has received the same grade. It is fair to say though that this copy blows the other 9.0 out of the water... it has significant superior eye appeal, extremely vibrant colours and PERFECT WHITE PAGES. This means after 76 years the aging process has yet to begin. Truly this book is a museum piece." 

1% of the huge proceeds of the auction will benefit the Christopher and Dana Reeve Association, which is dedicated to finding treatments and cures for paralysis. It was founded by Christopher Reeve - the actor who played Superman in the 1978 film of the same name and its sequels.