4. Superman vs. The Amazing Spider-Man: The Battle Of The Century
The very first DC/Marvel crossover, Battle of the Century was written by Gerry Conway, illustrated by Ross Andru and published in 1976 after a literary agent suggested to Marvel and DC head honchos Stan Lee and Carmine Infantino that they should make a movie featuring their most popular superheroes. Sidestepping the logistical nightmare that that endeavour would pose in 2014, let alone 1976, the pair instead plumped for a graphic rendering of Kent and Parker's first meeting. The book sees the two heroes joining forces against Doctor Octopus and Lex Luthor in a story that involves tidal waves, weather machines, villainous betrayals and Superman ripping off two of Doc Ock's metallic limbs. So it's kind of awesome. The set-up for the story also ties neatly into Clark Kent and Peter Parker's characters, as both work for newspapers and are attending the same press conference (with Lois Lane and Mary-Jane Watson) when things kick off. All is well in the end, obviously, and the four end up going on a double date, a sight that might well be more pleasing to many fans than all the rest of the issue combined.
