SUPERMAN #151

Graded at 2.0 (GD) on 2026-10-15, from new photos taken out of the sleeve: front, back and spine. Spine split in several places and heavily worn. Old tape at the spine's upper end. Strip of cover missing at the upper spine. Pencil price on the front. Tanned, soiled back cover.

Superman #151 (DC Comics, February 1962) presents "The Last Days of Superman!", one of the run's memorable imaginary-story entries from the Mort Weisinger office, written by Jerry Siegel with art by Curt Swan. The plot finds Superman diagnosed with a fatal, unexplained ailment; Lex Luthor, working from prison, develops a cure and saves his enemy's life, only to reveal afterward that he did it purely to prove his own genius rather than out of any reconciliation. The story is frequently cited in retrospectives on the Silver Age's fascination with mortality-themed "imaginary tales," following in the wake of Superman #149's own death-themed issue, and it remains a good example of Siegel's late-Silver Age character work on the Luthor-Superman rivalry.

The certified population is substantial (83 Universal copies across 85 graded), with steady but modest sales activity concentrated in the 6.0-9.4 range and a pronounced value jump above 9.0, typical of common-production early-1960s DC issues that were not initially treated as collectible. Demand is driven by Superman-title and Luthor-storyline completists rather than key-issue speculation, and the FMV curve shows the expected non-linear acceleration toward the top of the census, with only a handful of copies graded above 9.4 and none yet sold at 9.6 or 9.8. Pricing at the top end therefore reflects rarity of high-grade survivors more than any landmark status of the story itself.

This is a book for Superman and Silver Age DC collectors building a complete run rather than key-issue buyers, and it trades accordingly: low grades move in the tens of dollars as filler or reading copies, mid grades sit in the modest double digits with light competition, and a true 9.8 would likely draw a premium bidding contest given the near-total absence of certified copies at that grade. Long-term appeal rests on its status as a well-remembered imaginary tale and solid Curt Swan art rather than any first appearance or origin content.