Batman.

Superman and Batman are opposites who work: one trusts people and works in daylight, the other trusts no one and works at night. Their partnership is so popular that DC has retold their first meeting again and again.

When did Superman and Batman first team up?

Their first real team-up is “The Mightiest Team in the World” in Superman #76 (1952). The two heroes end up sharing a cabin on a cruise ship, each discovers the other’s secret identity, and they join forces. Two years later, World’s Finest Comics #71 (1954) began a long run of regular team-ups, most of them written by Edmond Hamilton until 1966.

They had appeared together before that, with the Justice Society in All-Star Comics #7, but that’s not usually counted as a meeting. Its date is disputed: some sources say 1940, others 1941.

The 13 times they “first met”

Every reboot needs a new first meeting. 13th Dimension counts at least 13, including:

John Byrne’s 1986 retelling, “One Night in Gotham City”, is the one that set up their modern, post-Crisis friendship.

Superman versus Batman

They’ve fought many times, and the most famous fight isn’t in main continuity: in Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns (1986), an older Batman defeats Superman with kryptonite and careful planning. On film, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) builds a whole story around their clash. For other published match-ups, see Can Superman…?.

The Trinity

With Wonder Woman, they form DC’s “Trinity” at the heart of the Justice League. Read about her on Superman and Wonder Woman, and meet the rest of his friends on Superman’s friends and allies.