The first-ever appearance of Flash Gordon has just set a world record as the most expensive comic strip in history.
Profiles in History reported the strip, published in 1934, sold for a whopping $480,000 at auction on March 31. The strip was estimated to sell for between $400,000-600,000.
Created by Alex Raymond, Flash Gordon #1 was published on Jan. 7, 1934, and features the origin and first appearance of Flash Gordon and his supporting cast. The artwork was hand-signed by Raymond himself and was also sold with three other pieces of Raymond's artwork, including Jungle Jim #1, which was his answer to Tarzan.
The comic features famous sports player Flash Gordon and his girlfriend Dale Arden as they're abducted by the scientist Doctor Hans Zarkov in his attempt to intercept the planet Mongo from destroying Earth. Flash would come into repeated conflict with the tyrannical Ming the Merciless, who ruled Mongo with an iron fist.
The Flash Gordon comic gave birth to an entire franchise, including multiple films, the most famous being released in 1980 starring Sam Jones as the titular hero. There were also television shows and a cartoon titled Defenders of the Earth, which united Gordon with his fellow King Features Syndicate heroes Mandrake the Magician and The Phantom.
Flash Gordon's influence extends beyond its own franchise, as George Lucas initially wanted to make a Flash Gordon film but was unable to get the rights and ended up creating Star Wars. Raymond's work also influenced several other artists, most notably Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, who based Superman's uniform on Flash's outfits.