Marvel or DC?

DC since 1938, and every Marvel crossover.

Superman is a DC character, not Marvel. He first appeared in Action Comics #1, on sale 18 April 1938, and DC has published him ever since. He has met Marvel's heroes only in official crossovers: the first was Superman vs. The Amazing Spider-Man (1976), he beat the Hulk by reader vote in DC vs. Marvel (1996), and the two companies marked 50 years with new team-ups in 2026.

Read in depth All trivia and firsts

Updated 6 November 2026 · 15 sources

Get the highlights.

First seen

Action Comics #1.

1938

In depth

The full story.

Superman is DC. He’s DC’s original superhero, and he has been with the company since his very first comic in 1938. He has met Marvel’s heroes, but only in official crossovers, which sit outside both companies’ main continuity.

The short answer

Question	Answer
Which company publishes Superman?	DC
Since when?	Action Comics #1, on sale 18 April 1938
Who created him?	Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, who sold him to Detective Comics, Inc. in March 1938 for $130
Who makes his films?	Warner Bros. and DC Studios
Is he in the Marvel films?	No

Why people mix up Marvel and DC

Marvel and DC are the two giants of American superhero comics, and since the Marvel films took off, many people know Marvel’s name best. Superman sits alongside Batman and Wonder Woman at DC, while Spider-Man, Iron Man and the Hulk belong to Marvel. If you’re new to him, start with who is Superman?

Every Superman and Marvel crossover

We list only stories that were actually published.

Year	Title	What happens	Confidence
1976	Superman vs. The Amazing Spider-Man: The Battle of the Century	The first modern superhero crossover between DC and Marvel, by Gerry Conway and Ross Andru. They fight, then team up against Luthor and Doctor Octopus; a red-sun ray evens the odds. The exact release day is disputed	Confirmed
1981	Superman and Spider-Man (Marvel Treasury Edition #28)	By Jim Shooter and John Buscema, against Doctor Doom and the Parasite. Superman fights the Hulk for the first time	Likely
1996	DC vs. Marvel (four issues)	Readers vote on five fights, and Superman beats the Hulk by reader vote	Confirmed
1996 or 1997	Silver Surfer/Superman	He meets the Herald of Galactus	Likely (year disputed)
1999	Superman/Fantastic Four: The Infinite Destruction	With the Fantastic Four, against Cyborg Superman and Galactus	Likely
1999	The Incredible Hulk vs. Superman	A Silver Age-style fight	Likely
2003–04	JLA/Avengers (four issues)	By Kurt Busiek and George Pérez. The JLA wins the contest 7–5, and Superman wields Mjolnir in the finale	Confirmed (series); Likely (Mjolnir)
2024	DC Versus Marvel Omnibus	Reprints the 1996 crossover	Confirmed
25 March 2026	Superman/Spider-Man #1 (DC)	A 50th-anniversary anthology led by Mark Waid and Jorge Jiménez, with Tom King and Jim Lee among the other teams	Confirmed
April 2026	Spider-Man/Superman #1 (Marvel)	Marvel’s anniversary anthology, led by Brad Meltzer and Pepe Larraz	Likely

Treasury-sized reprints of the classic team-ups were also announced for January and February 2026 (Likely). Many of these are worth tracking down after our Superman comics reading order.

Can Superman lift Thor’s hammer?

Once, with permission. In the final battle of JLA/Avengers, Superman wields Mjolnir and Captain America’s shield together. Thor explains that Odin made an exception for the emergency, and Superman can’t lift the hammer afterwards. Several secondary sources agree, but Wikipedia doesn’t mention it and we haven’t checked the issue itself, so we label it Likely.

Who would win? Canon-only answers

Only published fights count here. Everything else is fan debate.

Match-up	What the published comics show	Label
Superman vs the Hulk	Superman wins by reader vote (1996); they first clashed in 1981	Canon (crossover)
Superman vs Spider-Man	A fight, then a team-up (1976)	Canon (crossover)
Superman vs Thor and Mjolnir	He lifts Mjolnir only with Odin’s permission (JLA/Avengers, 2003–04)	Canon (crossover); Likely
Superman vs Thanos, Doctor Doom (one-on-one), the Sentry or Goku	Never published as a straight fight; Doom is a villain in 1981	No canon answer
Superman vs Black Adam (DC)	Black Adam (2022) ends in a stand-off	No winner shown

So is Superman stronger than Thor? There’s never been an official contest of strength, only the JLA/Avengers moment above. For how strong he really is, see super-strength, and for his other famous fights, can Superman beat…?

Superman’s place at DC

Superman has been a DC character from his very first appearance in 1938. His friendship with Batman, which began in the 1950s, is at the heart of DC’s world: read Superman and Batman. For his alternative selves, see Superman versions and Elseworlds.

Era by era.

The same Superman, rewritten for every generation.

Comics (1938–)

Superman has always been a DC character. Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster sold him to Detective Comics, Inc. in March 1938 for $130.

Crossovers (1976–2004)

Superman vs. The Amazing Spider-Man (1976), Superman and Spider-Man (1981), DC vs. Marvel (1996) and JLA/Avengers (2003–04), all outside both companies' main continuity.

Crossovers (2026)

The 50th anniversary: DC's Superman/Spider-Man #1 (25 March 2026) and Marvel's Spider-Man/Superman #1 (April 2026).

Film

Superman films are made by Warner Bros. and DC Studios, not Marvel Studios.

Questions.

Is Superman Marvel or DC?

Superman is a DC character. Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster created him, and he first appeared in Action Comics #1, which went on sale on 18 April 1938 from DC's forerunner, Detective Comics, Inc. He has met Marvel heroes only in a few official crossover comics.

Has Superman ever met Spider-Man?

Yes, several times, in official crossovers. Superman vs. The Amazing Spider-Man (1976) was the first modern superhero crossover between DC and Marvel. They met again in 1981, and in 2026 both companies published anniversary team-ups: DC's Superman/Spider-Man #1 and Marvel's Spider-Man/Superman #1.

Has Superman fought the Hulk, and who won?

Yes. They first clashed in Superman and Spider-Man (1981). In DC vs. Marvel (1996), five fights were decided by reader vote, and Superman beat the Hulk. That's the only official result, and it came from a readers' vote rather than the story itself.

Can Superman lift Thor's hammer?

Once, with permission. In the final battle of JLA/Avengers (2003–04), Superman wields Mjolnir along with Captain America's shield, and Thor explains that Odin made an exception for the emergency. Several sources agree on this, but we haven't checked the issue itself, so we label it Likely.

Is Superman in the Marvel films?

No. Superman has never appeared in a Marvel Studios film, because the two companies make films separately. His recent films, Superman (2025) and Man of Tomorrow (2027), are made by DC Studios and released by Warner Bros.