A Democrat Representative elected to Congress in 2022 was sworn in Tuesday on a copy of the first “Superman” comic book, which carries a valuation of roughly $5.3 million according to The Blaze.
Journalist Matt Laslo first spotted the classic comic book while covering Tuesday’s events, tweeting out, “DEVELOPING: A member of the House of Representatives is taking their oath on a classic Superman comic book.”
DEVELOPING: A member of the House of Representatives is taking their oath on a classic Superman comic book pic.twitter.com/MUJIv8VIlA
— Matt Laslo (@MattLaslo) January 3, 2023
When Laslo inquired about the identity of the member to be sworn in on a multi-million dollar comic book, a congressional aide refused to reveal any information.
However, the smoke lifted when Robert Garcia, a Democrat from Long Beach, California, tweeted that he was the representative who would be sworn in on the comic book, while also emphasizing that the “Superman” relic would be under the Constitution:
“Will be proudly sworn-in to Congress on the U.S. Constitution. Underneath the Constitution will be 3 items that mean a lot to me personally,” Garcia tweeted.
“A photo of my parents who I lost to covid, my citizenship certificate & an original Superman #1 from the @librarycongress.”
Will be proudly sworn-in to Congress on the U.S. Constitution. Underneath the Constitution will be 3 items that mean a lot to me personally. A photo of my parents who I lost to covid, my citizenship certificate & an original Superman #1 from the @librarycongress. 🇺🇸😊 pic.twitter.com/YGW43OLsIp
— Robert Garcia (@RobertGarcia) January 3, 2023
The Hill reports that Garcia, who served as Mayor of Long Beach, California from 2014 to 2022, is the first openly gay immigrant to win election to the U.S. Congress, hailing from Lima, Peru. He currently represents California’s 42nd district after capturing 68.4% of the district’s vote.
Rep. Garcia’s mother and father both tragically died from coronavirus complications back in 2020.
The “Superman” comic loaned to Garcia by the Library of Congress for his swearing-in was published in 1939, and a copy of the book was sold for $5.3 million according to CGC, a company that grades comics.
Garcia, a lifelong lover of comic books, says he hopes to have various iconic books displayed in his office. He was previously interviewed on his love for comics by Hey Long Beach, a local outlet.
