Batman and Superman have been, over the course of about three-quarters of a century, friends and enemies—a line they’ll walk again in the new movieBatman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.
But when they first met, in 1940, they weren’t really either of those things. They were just standing near each other:
1940 New York World's Fair Comics cover with Batman.DC Entertainment
Along with Robin, they appeared on the cover of this 1940 New York World’s Fair Comics book, a souvenir edition sold at the event. But they didn’t actually interact on the inside. Batman was a relative newcomer, introduced in May of 1939, while Superman had been around since the summer of 1938 and was established enough to earn his own “Superman Day” at the Fair.
Inside the book, Superman foils a jewel thief at the World’s Fair. In a separate section, Batman and Robin are at the fair when they learn of a scientist who is destroying bridges around Gotham.
‘The World of Tomorrow’: Scenes From the 1939 New York World’s Fair
Exterior view of the Administration Building for the 1939-1940 New York World's Fair.Margaret Bourke-White—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesModels of the sculpture Night by artist Paul Manship, created for the 1939-1940 World's Fair.Margaret Bourke-White—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesScene in Queens, New York, before the April 30, 1939, grand opening of the World's Fair.Alfred Eisenstaedt—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesAdministrative buildings designed for the 1939 World's Fair.Margaret Bourke-White—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesCraftsmen work on a huge diorama prior to the opening of the 1939 Worlds Fair.Margaret Bourke-White—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesCraftsmen work on a huge architectural model of "the city of the future" at the 1939 World's Fair.Alfred Eisenstaedt—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesPreparing for the 1939 World's Fair, New York.Alfred Eisenstaedt—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesPreparing for the 1939 World's Fair, New York.Alfred Eisenstaedt—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesWorking on General Motors' "Futurama" exhibit -- the city of the near future -- at the 1939 World's Fair.Alfred Eisenstaedt—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesDisplay in the Ford Motor Company pavilion at the 1939 World's Fair.Hansel Mieth—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesExhibit featuring raw materials (pictured: wool) that go into making Ford automobiles, 1939 New York World's Fair.Hansel Mieth—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesWaxworks on display at the 1939 World's Fair, including Supreme Court Chief Justice Charles Evans Hughes (bottom middle) and Adolf Hitler.Hansel Mieth—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesExhibit featuring raw materials (pictured: leather) that go into making Ford automobiles, 1939 New York World's Fair.Hansel Mieth—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesExhibit featuring raw materials (pictured: soy beans) that go into making Ford automobiles, 1939 New York World's Fair.Hansel Mieth—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesArchitectural model created for the 1939 New York World's Fair.Alfred Eisenstaedt—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesArchitectural model created for the 1939 New York World's Fair.Alfred Eisenstaedt—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesArchitectural model created for the 1939 New York World's Fair.Alfred Eisenstaedt—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesArchitectural model created for the 1939 New York World's Fair.Alfred Eisenstaedt—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesArchitectural model created for the 1939 New York World's Fair.Margaret Bourke-White—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesArchitectural model for a textile building created for the 1939 New York World's Fair.Margaret Bourke-White—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesArchitectural model created for the 1939 New York World's Fair.Alfred Eisenstaedt—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesArchitectural model created for the 1939 New York World's Fair.Margaret Bourke-White—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesModernist symbols of the 1939 World's Fair, the Trylon and the Perisphere -- collectively called the "Theme Centre" of the expo.Margaret Bourke-White—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images1939 New York World's Fair. Margaret Bourke-White—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesLIFE magazine feature on the 1939 New York World's Fair.LIFE MagazineLIFE magazine feature on the 1939 New York World's Fair.LIFE MagazineLIFE magazine feature on the 1939 New York World's Fair.LIFE MagazineLIFE magazine feature on the 1939 New York World's Fair.LIFE MagazineLIFE magazine feature on the 1939 New York World's Fair.LIFE MagazineLIFE magazine feature on the 1939 New York World's Fair.LIFE MagazineLIFE magazine feature on the 1939 New York World's Fair.LIFE MagazineLIFE magazine feature on the 1939 New York World's Fair.LIFE MagazineLIFE magazine feature on the 1939 New York World's Fair.LIFE Magazine
Even though they didn’t share a storyline, the World’s Fair edition changed the game for superheroes. This was the first step toward comics embracing the crossover format and the genres it inspired: it was, as The All-Star Companionexplains, the first time any two comics characters who had their own franchises appeared together anywhere. Eventually, less popular characters got the same treatment. And it wouldn’t be long before Batman and Superman were working together, not just standing near one another. Decades later, that tradition continues.
