It takes a lot to make Superman turn his nose up at you. He's a tried and true boy scout, and even on his worst days, he is noted as being impossibly polite. But every so often, there's a hero that just pushes his buttons too far, Just because Superman is respectful doesn't mean he doesn't have a petty streak just like the rest of us, and there are more than a few heroes that even the Man of Steel just cannot stand. Whether it be huckster heroes trying to make a buck too fast or a close friend who may be a bit too close to crossing the line between hero and villain, Superman isn't afraid to let it be known when he disapproves of someone's actions.
By that same virtue, earning his respect and admiration is a badge of honor amongst many heroes. Heralded by friends and allies as a paragon of virtue, a nearly flawless being with impeccable judgment and perfectly coifed hair, Superman is perhaps the closest thing to a deity many DC Universe occupants feel they're going to get (at least, those that haven't met the actual deities of the universe). Whether you earn his admiration or get under his skin, Superman is the gold standard for your lot in life as a DC Universe hero, and most heroes who amount to anything are going to want him on his side. To that end, we've scoured Superman's many adventures to find the superheroes he'd invite to dinner and the superheroes whose invites he'd claim got lost in the mail.
20 CAN'T STAND: BATMAN
What was the very first thing Batman did when he met Superman? In the Prime Earth continuity, it was claim he'd hidden a bomb that would endanger an innocent person if Superman laid a finger on him. It was a bluff, of course: the bomb and trigger were very real, but they were in Batman's belt and he was the only one at risk.
Batman exists in a gray area that leans too close to the dark side for Superman's taste. He's not crossed that line yet, but there's the worry that maybe he's not far from it. His methods are violent, his loyalties are skewed, and you can tell that it drives Superman insane.
19 ADMIRES: WONDER WOMAN
Naturally, everyone admires Wonder Woman. It's part of her gimmick as a Goddess of Love/War and emissary of the Amazonian people. It only makes sense that she and Superman would get on swimmingly, although for The New 52 this was changed drastically.
While in New 52 they wound up a relationship, the best example of their mutual respect may be the underrated Action Comics story "For A Thousand Years..." by Joe Kelly, German Garcia, and Joe Rubenstein. Trapped in Valhalla for a thousand years, you really see the admiration and respect the two share for each other, even when stranded far away from everyone they love with no hope of escape.
18 CAN'T STAND: LOBO
Lobo's technically an anti-hero, but recent stints on the Justice League of America have slowly but surely migrated him closer and closer to being a hero. He's inadvertently stumbled into heroic ventures for years, although these almost immediately fall apart once he encounters something that benefits him more than his current agreement.
Lobo's a pretty uncouth dude, so naturally, he grinds Superman's gears. The two have allied when mutually beneficial, but it's pretty common that they wind up throwing punches at each other. You'd think they'd get along, being the last of their respective species, but Lobo being the one who snuffed out the Czarnians certainly leaves a sour taste in Superman's mouth.
17 ADMIRES: POWER GIRL
Power Girl spent a lot of her time in the DC Universe confused and lost. She never really felt like she belonged anywhere, and always found herself chasing her elusive heritage. Eventually, with Infinite Crisis, it was revealed that she was the Supergirl of Earth-2, stranded on Earth-1 during the events of Crisis on Infinite Earths and stripped of memory.
Even before discovering her true heritage, Superman treated Power Girl with immense respect. She was a staunch ally, welcomed among his family as much as anyone bearing the S-shield ever had been. Though typically associated with the Justice Society, she even enjoyed a few brief runs on the Justice League alongside her alternate Earth cousin.
16 CAN'T STAND: VARTOX
Vartox is a weird character, even by DC standards. Hailing from the far-off planet Valeron, he arrived on Earth to avenge his wife's untimely passing. The two would become allies, though still, they would butt heads from time to time, most notably over shared affections for Lana Lang. But then, Crisis on Infinite Earths happened.
Vartox was gone from the timeline for a long while, finally returning in a 1999 issue of Superman. Vartox's origin as a superpowered being from Valeron remained intact, though he and Superman were portrayed as distinctly at each other's throats. Vartox still makes sporadic appearances, though lately he's been more of a Power Girl character.
15 ADMIRES: SHAZAM
The first interactions between Superman and Shazam are typically depicted as being pretty intense affairs. The two get along swimmingly at first, naturally. After all, the Big Blue Boy Scout and the Big Red Cheese are incredibly similar, and both are good-natured dorks. It's when Superman finds out that Captain Marvel is a child that things go awry.
This typically ends with Superman trying to shut down Billy's adventures, and even yelling at The Wizard. Despite this, Superman still sees Shazam as an equal. Billy remains a long-serving Justice League member and even respects him enough to reveal his true identity to him, despite his youth.
14 CAN'T STAND: BOOSTER GOLD
It was a long road to Booster Gold becoming the greatest hero you never knew. Originally Booster was just coming to the past to use his knowledge of the future to make himself famous, aiming to become one of history's most famous heroes. It didn't work out for a long time, and Booster found himself at odds with Superman.
The two were Justice League members shortly before the Doomsday incident and found themselves side by side time and time again. Booster has, on occasion, won back Superman's respect, but it's something easily lost as the two find themselves butting heads time and time again over Booster's selfish nature.
13 ADMIRES: THE FLASH
You won't be surprised int he slightest when we tell you that Superman respects Barry Allen. Barry's heralded as a great guy in the books. The JLA turns to him in a heartbeat for help. Superman's relationship with Barry has been unique, as the two exist in a world of super speed that each acknowledges can be kind of lonely.
But Superman's relationship with Wally West is perhaps more notable. Superman admiration for Wally that feels like family. After all, Wally grew up right in front of him. Returning to the world in DC Rebirth at the same time, Clark and Wally's mutual admiration was highlighted as the two commiserated over the pains of being lost from their own world.
12 CAN'T STAND: JOHN CONSTANTINE
More so than any other villain he may encounter, John Constantine is the antithesis of Superman. A hard-drinking, chain-smoking, womanizing mage, Constantine relies on his silver tongue and deceptive ways as much as he does his powerful command of magic. And if Superman can't stand anything, it's magic.
The two have had a few interactions over the years. And while Superman will try his best to be respectful, it's pretty clear he doesn't approve of John's ways. The two recently had their first encounter following Superman's return after DC Rebirth and Superman disagreed with much of what John stood for but was still polite enough to invite him over for dinner.
11 ADMIRES: THE POWER RANGERS
When Zack Taylor found himself flung into another dimension, he immediately came into contact with the last person you'd want to meet: Batman. The rest of the Power Rangers followed, and an all-out brawl between the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers and the Justice League of America ensued.
The Rangers and JLA eventually got their act together and teamed up, with Superman immediately taking a shine to the team. Despite their youth, their fighting spirit and cohesive teamwork really worked to impress the Man of Steel. There are not many people Superman would trust to fight by his side, but against Brainiac and Lord Zedd, the team more than earned his respect.
10 CAN'T STAND: DEATHSTROKE
Maybe it's cheating to include Deathstroke the Terminator on his list. Slade Wilson has been the primary foe of the Teen Titans for nearly 30 years now. He hated the notion of teenagers parading around in costume and sought to shut down the Titans because of it. But Deathstroke was too good to be wasted on jus the Teen Titans. He began threatening the enter DCU and eventually transitioned to an anti-hero role.
This obviously brought Deathstroke into conflict with Superman eventually. Post-Rebirth, Superman was just finding his footing when Deathstroke came hunting for Lois Lane. Superman obviously very quickly had his fill of Deathstroke as a whole. Even at his most anti-heroic, or even downright just a hero, Deathstroke isn't someone Superman cares for.
9 ADMIRES: KYLE RAYNER
Superman shares a respect for several Green Lanterns. Obviously, he admires Hal Jordan, having worked with him closely for years on the Justice League. The same applies for John Stewart, who joined the League briefly off and on over the years, often while Hal was incapacitated for one reason or another.
But Superman's respect for Kyle Rayner is one of the most interesting. Kyle, often portrayed as ever the rookie when he replaced Hal as Green Lantern, was taken somewhat under Superman's wing on the JLA. This admiration is highlighted years later. Kyle, awash in the new power of the Ion entity, received personal advice from Superman on how best to use his powers while still respecting humanity's independence.
8 CAN'T STAND: GUY GARDNER
Green Lanterns almost instantly get respect from heroes. After all, they're space cops. They've got a massive corps, patrolling the galaxy. They save the day in areas where heroes can't or don't exist. The Green Lantern Corps is a melting pot of personalities, but none quite as brash as Guy Gardner.
Guy and Superman butted heads from the start when Gardner was a Justice League member and Superman joined up shortly before his infamous Doomsday encounter. The two continued to rub each other the wrong way on most occasions. How Supes feels about Guy in New 52 and beyond isn't really known, as the two haven't had much interaction.
7 ADMIRES: THE LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES
Since the early days of the Superboy on-going, Clark Kent has had a relationship with the Legion of Super-Heroes. Hailing from the 31st century, these enthusiastic heroes were essentially Superboy superfans, to the point of creating their own fanbase of him.
Superboy would spend a long while alongside the Legion before returning to his own time, but time and again they have journeyed back, to both his time as Superboy and Superman, where they've fought at each other's side. Superman respects and adores the Legion, but often has his memory wiped of them. Does he remember them now? Only time will tell.
6 CAN'T STAND: LEX LUTHOR
Lex Luthor is, of course, a super evil guy. He's been Superman's nemesis not for years or decades, but for generations of fans. But there are, oddly, just as many instances of Lex Luthor being a hero as there are of him being a villain.
Most recently, following the events of Forever Evil, Luthor found himself not only a hero but a card-carrying member of the Justice League. And following "The Last Days of Superman," he even donned a suit of armor and the iconic S-shield to defend Metropolis. Luthor spent the better part of three years as a hero rather than a villain, but in recent stories seems to have returned to his wicked ways.
5 ADMIRES: CAPTAIN AMERICA
There have been a few moments over the years where DC and Marvel have allowed their heroes to mingle together. After the success of The Uncanny X-Men and The New Teen Titans, a crossover featuring the Avengers and the Justice League was put into motion. It fell through at the time, but decades later would finally happen.
Built off the success of Heroes Return: The Avengers and Grant Morrison's run on JLA, JLA/Avengers pitted the two teams against each other but eventually saw them unite. Deciding to work as one, Superman personally recommended Captain America lead the united teams, having immediately developed a deep respect for the super soldier.
4 CAN'T STAND: ORION
Jack Kirby's long beloved and criminally under-utilized Fourth World characters have proven time and time again that they have the staying power throughout the DC Universe. The New Gods and their seemingly endless feuds with the forces of Darkseid have persisted even into the New 52 and Rebirth, with the New Gods become recurring Green Lantern allies and the Mister Miracle maxi-series receiving rave reviews.
With New 52, Orion would make his debut in the pages of Superman, but the two would be fated to clash. Orion, always portrayed as a brash, stoic warrior quick to throw a fist, would rub Superman the wrong way almost immediately. This is probably because New 52's younger, brasher Superman was more like Orion than he wanted to admit.
3 ADMIRES: NIGHTWING
Have you ever read into Nightwing's origins? It's not mentioned very often anymore, especially following The New 52, but Nightwing's entire adult persona is a tribute not just to Batman, but to Superman as well. After finding himself on the outs with Batman, Nightwing went to Superman for advice and learned the story of Kandor's guardians, Nightwing and Flamebird.
Dick adopted the Nightwing identity because Superman respected Dick with a fondness akin to an uncle and nephew. Following Rebirth, Superman's recollection of that fondness helped put Dick back on track. Superman told Dick of the Nightwing he knew in the original universe, praising his leadership and stoicism, and leading the Rebirth-era Dick back to his roots.
2 CAN'T STAND: AQUAMAN
You almost get the impression that Superman and Aquaman may only tolerate each other because they're required to. While Superman has been a friend of all who would come to him seeking help, Aquaman has always been notably distrusting of surface dwellers regardless of their intent.
This isn't just something that exists in the main DC Universe. Aquaman and Superman have butted heads throughout most media they both appear in. In the world of Injustice: Gods Among Us, Superman hated Atlantis because Arthur spurred his regime. And in the possible future of Kingdom Come, Aquaman was distrusting of surface dwellers enough to refuse to aid with the imprisonment of super criminals.
1 ADMIRES: BATMAN
They're the ultimate love/hate relationship. You let your best friend put you through things you don't allow other people to. Superman trusts a lot of people, but there's no one he trusts and admires more than Bruce Wayne. It's long been argued that the two are more alike than they believe, and you can really see that.
Sure, Superman can't stand Batman's methods. He's violent, he's brutal, and sometimes he toes a line. But you don't trust someone with the one object on Earth that can end your life if you don't admire them greatly. The two share a mutual admiration for each other, one that has defined decades of stories and multiple version of the DC Universe as a whole.