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Superman: One-Shots
DC and Marvel present Superman and Spider-Man
The story begins in Manhattan, where Spider-Man foils a bank robbery. Easily dispatching the criminals, his Spider-sense alerts him about a nearby construction site, but unable to determine any immediate danger, he moves on. The reader learns, however, that the site camouflages an elaborate base of the Latverian monarch Doctor Doom, connected with a years-long plot of his known as "Project Omega." Doom initiates Omega by luring the Hulk to Superman's hometown of Metropolis using a special micro-transmitter.
Spider-Man's alter-ego of Peter Parker is assigned by The Daily Bugle to cover The Hulk's advance towards Metropolis. Parker arrives in Metropolis just in time to witness the confrontation between Superman and the Hulk. Parker changes into Spider-Man, but is outclassed and unable to help. Battling the Hulk, Superman discovers the beacon and destroys it, calming the Hulk and winning his trust. The Hulk reverts to his Bruce Banner form, but Doom's plan has worked: the damage Hulk caused released the Parasite from a special underground cell. S.T.A.R. Labs takes custody of Banner, hoping to find a cure for his condition. Doom, monitoring everything, still needs Banner for his plan, and now he knows exactly where to find him.
Peter Parker goes to work for The Daily Planet while Superman's alter-ego of Clark Kent takes a leave and joins the staff of the Bugle in New York City, each seeking to investigate the crisis from a different end. Superman has realized that the Hulk's rampage was designed to free the Parasite, and reasons that, as Luthor is behind bars, only Dr. Doom could be behind the scheme. Superman visits the monarch of Latveria at its New York embassy, where Doom freely admits he's plotting world domination. Superman is sworn to uphold the laws of men, and on Latverian soil, Doom is the law. He even makes an attempt to capture the Man of Steel, but Superman uses the lead-lined everything room of Doom's headquarters to his advantage. When Doom releases some kryptonite, Superman rolls himself in the lead-lining and blocks the lethal radiation. Nonetheless, Doom remains untouchable.
While Clark Kent works his mild-mannered charm on the Bugle's cantankerous publisher J. Jonah Jameson, Peter Parker has to deal with Steve Lombard, the jock sportscaster who harassed Kent throughout the 1970s. Soon enough, Parker stumbles onto the Metropolis division of Doom's Project Omega, around the same time as Wonder Woman, who has also been following this case. (Actually Doom planted evidence in order to lure Wonder Woman; her capture is also part of his master plan.) Spider-Man and Wonder Woman fall into fighting under false pretenses, but quickly realize they're on the same side and join forces. Doom captures Wonder Woman before they can accomplish anything, however, while Spider-Man escapes and trails her captors to their destination, finally learning the truth about Project Omega.
The Omega installations, positioned all across the world, will go online and emit a particular radiation which will render most forms of fuel useless. Only a special generator — built by Doom, of course — will provide the energy the world needs; he will step in and make himself absolute monarch. In exchange for making him Doom's privileged enforcer, Doom enhances the Parasite's abilities with the absorbed powers of Wonder Woman, the Hulk, and Superman. The Parasite likes the idea, but only because he intends to turn on Doom. Of course, he won't get that chance; Doom knows that all that power will burn out the Parasite, turning his body into a unique kind of crystal with unique energy-absorbing properties that will allow Doom to use it to control the power of his super-reactor.
The story comes to a climax as the heroes battle the Parasite, Doom and his henchmen, and a giant robot. Doom and the Parasite turn on each other after Parasite absorbs some of Spider-Man's powers during the fight and his spider-sense alerts him to the danger of Doom's plan. Superman and Spider-Man use their respective abilities to foil Doom's plot, Spider-Man using his webbing as an improvised 'lint brush' to 'clean' Superman of the kryptonite dust Doom used to immobilize him, and Superman subsequently taking Doom's gauntlet to knock out the parasite (correctly deducing that Doom would have developed an armour that would prevent the Parasite from absorbing him). They also prevent the accidental world-destroying explosion of Doom's super-reactor after the controls are damaged in the fight; Superman contains the reactor from the inside long enough for Spider-Man to use his spider-sense to find the lever necessary to fully turn the reactor off. The Hulk wanders off when the stasis tube in which he was imprisoned cracks, while the Parasite is recaptured and Wonder Woman released after the crisis is over. Doom manages to make it back to the Latverian Embassy, where he enjoys diplomatic immunity, seconds before Superman catches up with him.
Spider-Man's alter-ego of Peter Parker is assigned by The Daily Bugle to cover The Hulk's advance towards Metropolis. Parker arrives in Metropolis just in time to witness the confrontation between Superman and the Hulk. Parker changes into Spider-Man, but is outclassed and unable to help. Battling the Hulk, Superman discovers the beacon and destroys it, calming the Hulk and winning his trust. The Hulk reverts to his Bruce Banner form, but Doom's plan has worked: the damage Hulk caused released the Parasite from a special underground cell. S.T.A.R. Labs takes custody of Banner, hoping to find a cure for his condition. Doom, monitoring everything, still needs Banner for his plan, and now he knows exactly where to find him.
Peter Parker goes to work for The Daily Planet while Superman's alter-ego of Clark Kent takes a leave and joins the staff of the Bugle in New York City, each seeking to investigate the crisis from a different end. Superman has realized that the Hulk's rampage was designed to free the Parasite, and reasons that, as Luthor is behind bars, only Dr. Doom could be behind the scheme. Superman visits the monarch of Latveria at its New York embassy, where Doom freely admits he's plotting world domination. Superman is sworn to uphold the laws of men, and on Latverian soil, Doom is the law. He even makes an attempt to capture the Man of Steel, but Superman uses the lead-lined everything room of Doom's headquarters to his advantage. When Doom releases some kryptonite, Superman rolls himself in the lead-lining and blocks the lethal radiation. Nonetheless, Doom remains untouchable.
While Clark Kent works his mild-mannered charm on the Bugle's cantankerous publisher J. Jonah Jameson, Peter Parker has to deal with Steve Lombard, the jock sportscaster who harassed Kent throughout the 1970s. Soon enough, Parker stumbles onto the Metropolis division of Doom's Project Omega, around the same time as Wonder Woman, who has also been following this case. (Actually Doom planted evidence in order to lure Wonder Woman; her capture is also part of his master plan.) Spider-Man and Wonder Woman fall into fighting under false pretenses, but quickly realize they're on the same side and join forces. Doom captures Wonder Woman before they can accomplish anything, however, while Spider-Man escapes and trails her captors to their destination, finally learning the truth about Project Omega.
The Omega installations, positioned all across the world, will go online and emit a particular radiation which will render most forms of fuel useless. Only a special generator — built by Doom, of course — will provide the energy the world needs; he will step in and make himself absolute monarch. In exchange for making him Doom's privileged enforcer, Doom enhances the Parasite's abilities with the absorbed powers of Wonder Woman, the Hulk, and Superman. The Parasite likes the idea, but only because he intends to turn on Doom. Of course, he won't get that chance; Doom knows that all that power will burn out the Parasite, turning his body into a unique kind of crystal with unique energy-absorbing properties that will allow Doom to use it to control the power of his super-reactor.
The story comes to a climax as the heroes battle the Parasite, Doom and his henchmen, and a giant robot. Doom and the Parasite turn on each other after Parasite absorbs some of Spider-Man's powers during the fight and his spider-sense alerts him to the danger of Doom's plan. Superman and Spider-Man use their respective abilities to foil Doom's plot, Spider-Man using his webbing as an improvised 'lint brush' to 'clean' Superman of the kryptonite dust Doom used to immobilize him, and Superman subsequently taking Doom's gauntlet to knock out the parasite (correctly deducing that Doom would have developed an armour that would prevent the Parasite from absorbing him). They also prevent the accidental world-destroying explosion of Doom's super-reactor after the controls are damaged in the fight; Superman contains the reactor from the inside long enough for Spider-Man to use his spider-sense to find the lever necessary to fully turn the reactor off. The Hulk wanders off when the stasis tube in which he was imprisoned cracks, while the Parasite is recaptured and Wonder Woman released after the crisis is over. Doom manages to make it back to the Latverian Embassy, where he enjoys diplomatic immunity, seconds before Superman catches up with him.
160 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published June 1, 1981
2 people are currently reading
72 people want to read
About the author
Jim Shooter
1,026 books85 followersJames Charles Shooter was an American writer, editor and publisher in the comics industry. Beginning his career writing for DC Comics at the age of 14, he had a successful but controversial run as editor-in-chief at Marvel Comics, and launched comics publishers Valiant, Defiant, and Broadway.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
November 16, 2014
Treasure of the Rubbermaids 23: Rival Companies United!
The on-going discoveries of priceless books and comics found in a stack of Rubbermaid containers previously stored and forgotten at my parent’s house and untouched for almost 20 years. Thanks to my father dumping them back on me, I now spend my spare time unearthing lost treasures from their plastic depths.
The Coca-Cola Company doesn’t have to worry about trying to come up with a crossover concept to Pepsi to make fans happy. Ford and Toyota don’t have to design a new car together.
But Marvel and DC both manufacture stories about superheroes which means that any kid who ever picked up a comic book wondered what would happen if Marvel Hero A met DC Hero 1, and since both these companies generally would murder their own stockholders to make a buck, they’ve put these crossovers together every now and then. The problem is that’s when the lawyers get involved, and you can almost see the contractual language in the dialogue balloons that guarantees that one hero isn’t going to win a fight between them or that one will be allowed to outshine the other.*
That’s what you get here when Doctor Doom cooks up a pretty ambitious scheme to take over the world that involves freeing the Parasite. Superman and Spider-Man end up working together to stop the threat with guest appearances from the Hulk and Wonder Woman (Who both feel kind of shoehorned in her for no real reason.).
This is all early ‘80s comic book cheese without even a nodding acquaintance to reality in it’s twists and turns, but it’s not horrible as these things go. There’s actually a few nice bits like the always turgid Doctor Doom saying that all his monologuing is recorded and that he reads his own transcripts at night looking for inspiration. Which just seems like the kind of thing that Doc Doom would do. Or Spider-Man feeling useless for a chunk of the book because what’s climbing some walls when compared to the Man of Steel? While that power imbalance prevents Supes and Spidey from having one of those Heroes-Meet-And-Have-To-Fight-For-Reasons things, there are a couple of battles between the Hulk and Superman and Wonder Woman and Spider-Man which of course both end without a clear winner.
The real oddness and what feels like a missed opportunity is that Clark Kent and Peter Parker don’t meet. While Superman and Spider-Man are on a completely different power scale and don‘t really have all that much to say to each other, I could see Clark and Peter having some things in common.** But for some reason the plot has Clark moving to New York and going to work for The Daily Bugle just as Peter goes to Metropolis and ends up free lancing at The Daily Planet. So they both interact with each other’s supporting cast, but never meet face to face. It’s a weird decision that makes the story kind of unsatisfying as far as fulfilling fan boy wishes.
* DC and Marvel would let their heroes engage in combat with winners and losers in the mid-90s as part of a crossover done as a desperation move when the comic industry was swirling the toilet bowl after the artificial collector’s bubble they created burst. Let‘s just all keep pretending that it never happened. Amalgam Comics? What‘s that?
** I guess this is the second crossover between Superman and Spider-Man, and the first one is even referenced here, but the impression is given that Clark and Peter didn’t meet in that one either.
The on-going discoveries of priceless books and comics found in a stack of Rubbermaid containers previously stored and forgotten at my parent’s house and untouched for almost 20 years. Thanks to my father dumping them back on me, I now spend my spare time unearthing lost treasures from their plastic depths.
The Coca-Cola Company doesn’t have to worry about trying to come up with a crossover concept to Pepsi to make fans happy. Ford and Toyota don’t have to design a new car together.
But Marvel and DC both manufacture stories about superheroes which means that any kid who ever picked up a comic book wondered what would happen if Marvel Hero A met DC Hero 1, and since both these companies generally would murder their own stockholders to make a buck, they’ve put these crossovers together every now and then. The problem is that’s when the lawyers get involved, and you can almost see the contractual language in the dialogue balloons that guarantees that one hero isn’t going to win a fight between them or that one will be allowed to outshine the other.*
That’s what you get here when Doctor Doom cooks up a pretty ambitious scheme to take over the world that involves freeing the Parasite. Superman and Spider-Man end up working together to stop the threat with guest appearances from the Hulk and Wonder Woman (Who both feel kind of shoehorned in her for no real reason.).
This is all early ‘80s comic book cheese without even a nodding acquaintance to reality in it’s twists and turns, but it’s not horrible as these things go. There’s actually a few nice bits like the always turgid Doctor Doom saying that all his monologuing is recorded and that he reads his own transcripts at night looking for inspiration. Which just seems like the kind of thing that Doc Doom would do. Or Spider-Man feeling useless for a chunk of the book because what’s climbing some walls when compared to the Man of Steel? While that power imbalance prevents Supes and Spidey from having one of those Heroes-Meet-And-Have-To-Fight-For-Reasons things, there are a couple of battles between the Hulk and Superman and Wonder Woman and Spider-Man which of course both end without a clear winner.
The real oddness and what feels like a missed opportunity is that Clark Kent and Peter Parker don’t meet. While Superman and Spider-Man are on a completely different power scale and don‘t really have all that much to say to each other, I could see Clark and Peter having some things in common.** But for some reason the plot has Clark moving to New York and going to work for The Daily Bugle just as Peter goes to Metropolis and ends up free lancing at The Daily Planet. So they both interact with each other’s supporting cast, but never meet face to face. It’s a weird decision that makes the story kind of unsatisfying as far as fulfilling fan boy wishes.
* DC and Marvel would let their heroes engage in combat with winners and losers in the mid-90s as part of a crossover done as a desperation move when the comic industry was swirling the toilet bowl after the artificial collector’s bubble they created burst. Let‘s just all keep pretending that it never happened. Amalgam Comics? What‘s that?
** I guess this is the second crossover between Superman and Spider-Man, and the first one is even referenced here, but the impression is given that Clark and Peter didn’t meet in that one either.
June 15, 2011
The best comic this once-7 year old boy ever read...it's even printed as a super-size edition, for maximum geeky excitement! Today, I "could" look at it with a more critical eye...but I can't. This is wrapped in too much golden age super hero goodness. Superman and Spider-Man vs Doctor Doom and the Parasite, with special guests the Hulk AND Wonder Woman? Only a complete miser wouldn't enjoy this wonderful insanity!
January 8, 2018
Effective script, effective artwork - it won't stay with you, but it's enjoyable enough for what it is.
July 8, 2025
Superman and Spider-Man is a much better han their first outing.
The storystarts off strong. The Hulk is rampaging through Metropolis, and Superman is forced to go all out to stop him. When the situation gets handled, Superman has many questions and knows who to target.
From there, the plot takes an interesting turn. Clark Kent and Peter Parker unknowingly switch cities, both on the trail of the same mystery. Peter goes to Metropolis for the Hulk story and sells his photos to Perry White and figure out what Hulk was doing in Superman’s town. Meanwhile, Clark gets a job at the Daily Bugle, working under J. Jonah Jameson, while secretly investigating suspicious activity at the Latverian Embassy, he had already deduced that Doctor Doom is involved.
It’s very funny how they interact with each other’s cast. Jimmy Olsen quickly forming a bond with Peter, and Jameson excited to have a reporter of Kent’s caliber under his payroll.
Now, it turns ot that the Hulk rampaging through Metropolis was just distraction to help Parasite escape, and Doom offers him a spot as a "partner" in his larger scheme for world domination. Doom even goes so far as to lure Wonder Woman into his trap.
The crossover feels more organic this time. Spider-Man and Superman come together naturally, not just because “the plot says so,” but because their separate investigations start overlapping.
Their dynamic is sharper toom we can see their individual strengths and intelligence are actually respected and used well, with neither character being overshadowed.
The storystarts off strong. The Hulk is rampaging through Metropolis, and Superman is forced to go all out to stop him. When the situation gets handled, Superman has many questions and knows who to target.
From there, the plot takes an interesting turn. Clark Kent and Peter Parker unknowingly switch cities, both on the trail of the same mystery. Peter goes to Metropolis for the Hulk story and sells his photos to Perry White and figure out what Hulk was doing in Superman’s town. Meanwhile, Clark gets a job at the Daily Bugle, working under J. Jonah Jameson, while secretly investigating suspicious activity at the Latverian Embassy, he had already deduced that Doctor Doom is involved.
It’s very funny how they interact with each other’s cast. Jimmy Olsen quickly forming a bond with Peter, and Jameson excited to have a reporter of Kent’s caliber under his payroll.
Now, it turns ot that the Hulk rampaging through Metropolis was just distraction to help Parasite escape, and Doom offers him a spot as a "partner" in his larger scheme for world domination. Doom even goes so far as to lure Wonder Woman into his trap.
The crossover feels more organic this time. Spider-Man and Superman come together naturally, not just because “the plot says so,” but because their separate investigations start overlapping.
Their dynamic is sharper toom we can see their individual strengths and intelligence are actually respected and used well, with neither character being overshadowed.
January 10, 2020
This was the second cross-over to feature Superman and Spider-Man. This time the villains are Doctor Doom and the Parasite. Guest stars are Wonder Woman and Hulk.
Of course, Superman fights Hulk (something the fans really wanted to see), and Wonder Woman fights Spider-Man. Superman and Hulk is a good match up (and, of course, there is no clear winner), Spider-Man and Wonder Woman is somewhat less of a good fit (hard to see a realistic way for Spidey to defeat WW, although he isn't really trying, as the combat occurs due to the usual Spider-Man is wanted by the law issue that has been a long-term issue for Spider-Man). Perhaps Batman may have been a better opponent for Spider-Man. And Thor would have been an interesting opponent for Superman, although with Superman's vulnerability to magic, and Mjolnir being a magic hammer, it may have been a one-sided contest. Superman and Spider-Man remember eah other from the previous cross-over, so there is no conflict between them.
The plot is ok, the dialogue is quite good, and the artwork is generally good, although I didn't particularly like the way the art team of John Buscema and Joe Sinnott rendered Superman's face.
Overall, while not quite as good as the first cross-over between these two, it passes muster.
Of course, Superman fights Hulk (something the fans really wanted to see), and Wonder Woman fights Spider-Man. Superman and Hulk is a good match up (and, of course, there is no clear winner), Spider-Man and Wonder Woman is somewhat less of a good fit (hard to see a realistic way for Spidey to defeat WW, although he isn't really trying, as the combat occurs due to the usual Spider-Man is wanted by the law issue that has been a long-term issue for Spider-Man). Perhaps Batman may have been a better opponent for Spider-Man. And Thor would have been an interesting opponent for Superman, although with Superman's vulnerability to magic, and Mjolnir being a magic hammer, it may have been a one-sided contest. Superman and Spider-Man remember eah other from the previous cross-over, so there is no conflict between them.
The plot is ok, the dialogue is quite good, and the artwork is generally good, although I didn't particularly like the way the art team of John Buscema and Joe Sinnott rendered Superman's face.
Overall, while not quite as good as the first cross-over between these two, it passes muster.
August 9, 2025
Especie de continuación del primer crossover entre los héroes estrella de las majors. Me gusta que en este caso no se trata de forzar que todo quede tan equilibrado como en el primero, donde Luthor y Octopus se aliaban de igual a igual (presuntamente), Lois y MJ hacían de cebo a la par, etc. Aquí tenemos a un único villano que se sirve de esbirros de ambas casas. En el otro lado, Superman tienen mucho más peso que Spiderman y los secundarios se reducen a los jefes de los periódicos, básicamente. Son asimetrías lógicas y que hacen que la historia sea algo más sólida y creíble. Dicho lo cual, la trama va al servicio de la amalgama de personaje y no tiene mayor interés, aunque tampoco deja de dar lo que se puede pedir a una premisa de estas características. Es un gusto ver a Buscema dibujando tanta gente emblemática del mundillo, aunque reconozco que los ojicos de Spiderman a veces me cuestan un poco.
October 8, 2024
When I first read this back in 1992, I remember liking it more than the original. (I was twelve. Twelve year olds are stupid.) Now though, as much as I appreciate the guest appearances by Hulk and Wonder Woman and enjoy the name dropping of the Fantastic Four, The Avengers, and the Justice League... and I think the stakes are bigger on this one are bigger... I don't like it as much.
For a story about Superman and Spider-Man, they really don't interact all that much. The first half of the book is warm up. At the midway point they swap supporting casts. Finally, in the final third we finally see Superman and Spider-Man team up. This could have been billed as a Peter Parker and Jimmy Olsen team-up and been just as accurate.
This, the story is pretty strong and the art is great... so I'd saw give it a read.
For a story about Superman and Spider-Man, they really don't interact all that much. The first half of the book is warm up. At the midway point they swap supporting casts. Finally, in the final third we finally see Superman and Spider-Man team up. This could have been billed as a Peter Parker and Jimmy Olsen team-up and been just as accurate.
This, the story is pretty strong and the art is great... so I'd saw give it a read.
June 23, 2023
Il secondo cross-over tra Marvel e DC vede ancora all'opera Superman e l'Uomo Ragno.
La storia và e viene, certamente ci sono state lunghe discussioni su come doveva procedere e questo tira e molla tra gli editor dei due publisher non ha giovato alla trama, e forse anche ai disegni.
Oggi posso dire che è invecchiata molto ma molto male.
1 stella e mezza, non di più.
La storia và e viene, certamente ci sono state lunghe discussioni su come doveva procedere e questo tira e molla tra gli editor dei due publisher non ha giovato alla trama, e forse anche ai disegni.
Oggi posso dire che è invecchiata molto ma molto male.
1 stella e mezza, non di più.
October 2, 2023
An interesting team-up and story, but the ending was a little to dumb for me. Superman holding a reactor together that was similar to a red sun, should have killed him, and Spider-Man not knowing exactly how to shut it down, but figuring it out in the last second. Appearances by Wonder Woman and Hulk were cool too, and wish WW was used a bit more.
February 22, 2025
If Marvel and DC ever do a movie crossover, this storyline would be a good candidate. The heroes and villains cooperated well with their respective teams. The plot was interesting. There were cameos from other heroes too. There was an interesting subplot with Superman and Spider-Man trading jobs at their respective news organizations.
January 10, 2022
One of my favorites. I re-read it often. The Spiderman sass is high. Great plot and surprise cameos.
But why, why was this only released in this itsy bitsy little book? The original art had to have been drawn and inked in a larger format. I'll have to find out if it's been digitized.
But why, why was this only released in this itsy bitsy little book? The original art had to have been drawn and inked in a larger format. I'll have to find out if it's been digitized.
January 8, 2022
Ihan tehokas toinen tapaaminen Teräsmiehelle ja Hämähäkkimiehelle. Ei suuria yllätyksiä, ei isoa draamaa, mutta selkeää supersankarointia.
June 14, 2014
The 1981 sequel to the original Superman / Spider-Man team up sees the greatest heroes of two companies swapping places as Clark moves to New York and Peter to Metropolis as they both investigate the deadly team-up of Dr. Doom and the Parasite. Produced primarily by the Marvel team the DC characters do look a little different to normal. Look out for the cameo appearances of Wonder Woman and the Incredible Hulk as the background of Earth-7462 expands. Again, a great fun read.
November 22, 2021
Ottimo crossover tra due grandi supereroi. Stavolta le minacce principali sono Il Parassita e Destino, non sarà facile per niente salvare il mondo da due pazzi simili. La storia comunque è interessante perché i supereroi si scambiano anche nella vita privata; Kent conosce JJJ e Parker si ambienta nel regno di Lois Lane. Davvero ottimo.
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December 26, 2017very well, thanks for good job.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews