A comic book cover that hung on a schoolgirl’s bedroom wall for 30 years has sold at auction for a staggering £44,000.

The original art work for Marvel Comic superhero Thor had been valued at £5,000 after the owner decided she wanted to sell it.

However, the unnamed woman, now 42, was left stunned when it attracted worldwide interest from serious comic collectors.

It went under the hammer for £36,000 and was bought by an American bidder for £44,000, with fees added on.

The art work was for Thor comic issue 158 dated December 1968, which is said to be a significant edition as it was when Thor realised he was a superhero.

The adventures of Thor have since inspired a movie franchise starring Chris Hemsworth.

The cover was the work of celebrated comic artist Jack Kirby , who helped to create Hulk, Captain America and X-Men.

The owner was given the comic book cover as a gift by her late father when she was a child.

He was a leading art director and is likely to have acquired the cover via a contact.

He gave it to his daughter, who pinned it up in her bedroom in the mid 1970s.

Thor (Chris Hemsworth)
Chris Hemsworth in the film adaptation of Thor

Richard Bromell, of Charterhouse Auctioneers in Sherborne, Dorset, said: “The cover is the original art work and I think the owner realised it could be valuable and so decided to sell it, rather than keep it hanging up on the wall.

“We estimated it would sell for between £5,000 to £8,000, but we were very proactive in finding bidders and had nine of them on the telephones as well as those in the room.

“It ended up selling for £36,000 to a collector from Ohio in America.

"The owner was obviously over the moon. We are also delighted with it.”

The Thor of the story is the crown prince of Asgard, a fictional realm created by Marvel comics.

Sharing the same name as the god of Norse mythology, the legend tells how Thor is exiled from his homeland and sent to Earth

The first Thor film, released in 2011, was directed by Brit Kenneth Branagh and became a global success, grossing more than $100million (£73m).

The film also starred Bond hopeful Tom Hiddleston , who played Thor’s adoptive brother Loki.

Hiddleston won a Best Male Newcomer award for his performance at the 2011 Empire Awards.