10 Insane Superman Crossovers You Won't Believe Exist

The first modern-day comic book crossover, the event sees the Man of Steel and the Wallcrawler encounter each other and clash due to the machinations of their villains, Lex Luthor and Doctor Octopus, before inevitably teaming up to save the day and stop the villains' plans.

The story was initially pitched as a feature-length film but was instead turned into a comic due to pre-existing plans for the two heroes (the Christopher Reeve Superman movies and the 70s Spider-Man TV shows).

The plot is relatively straightforward and is premised on the idea that the DC and Marvel universes are a singular universe and that the heroes simply had not met until that moment. It popularised tropes for superhero crossovers such as heroic clashes based on false premises, villainous team-ups, and comparisons between each hero's respective worlds.

The story has that Silver Age silliness and fun, with goofy scenes such as Doc Ock giving Lex a piggyback ride as they escape prison and uses typical comic book conveniences to give Spider-Man a fighting chance against Big Blue. However, it is a streamlined and entertaining tale that enables readers to have a good time while seeing their favourite heroes go head-to-head.