<p>The first comic book produced by Marvel, the famed US publisher behind Spider-Man, X-Men and The Avengers, went under the hammer Thursday, fetching a record $1.26 million, Heritage Auctions said.</p>.<p>"This is a historic copy of a historic comic book," Ed Jaster, auction house senior vice president, said of the book, which was published in 1939 by Timely Comics, which later became Marvel.</p>.<p>"Without question, this is the granddaddy of all Marvel Comics, without which we would not have the characters and stories we enjoy in today's comics and feature films," Jaster added.</p>.<p>Under the direction of screenwriter Stan Lee, Marvel in the 1960s created superheroes which have become iconic today and whose cinema adaptations have conquered box offices worldwide.</p>.<p>The first copy of "Marvel Comics" was sold in very good condition and well above the price of 10 cents it fetched back in 1939.</p>.<p>"Amazing Fantasy #15," in which Spider-Man first appears, slipped to second-highest Marvel comic ever auctioned, having sold for $1.1 million in 2011.</p>.<p>The most expensive comic book in history remains the first issue of "Action Comics" published in 1938 in which Superman makes his debut. It sold for $3.2 million in 2014.</p>
<p>The first comic book produced by Marvel, the famed US publisher behind Spider-Man, X-Men and The Avengers, went under the hammer Thursday, fetching a record $1.26 million, Heritage Auctions said.</p>.<p>"This is a historic copy of a historic comic book," Ed Jaster, auction house senior vice president, said of the book, which was published in 1939 by Timely Comics, which later became Marvel.</p>.<p>"Without question, this is the granddaddy of all Marvel Comics, without which we would not have the characters and stories we enjoy in today's comics and feature films," Jaster added.</p>.<p>Under the direction of screenwriter Stan Lee, Marvel in the 1960s created superheroes which have become iconic today and whose cinema adaptations have conquered box offices worldwide.</p>.<p>The first copy of "Marvel Comics" was sold in very good condition and well above the price of 10 cents it fetched back in 1939.</p>.<p>"Amazing Fantasy #15," in which Spider-Man first appears, slipped to second-highest Marvel comic ever auctioned, having sold for $1.1 million in 2011.</p>.<p>The most expensive comic book in history remains the first issue of "Action Comics" published in 1938 in which Superman makes his debut. It sold for $3.2 million in 2014.</p>