Superbat

"We fit each other like hand and glove"

- Clark to Bruce

Superbat is the slash ship between Clark Kent and Bruce Wayne from the DC Comics fandom and associated adaptations.

Canon
Comics = Elseworlds JLA: Shogun of Steel A rocketship from an exploding planet Krypton lands not in Smallville, but rather war-torn 14th century feudal Japan. When the baby from Krypton grows into a man, Hoshi, he is convinced by a ragtag band of warriors - Elseworlds versions of the Flash, Hawkman, and Batman, among others - to join a rebellion against the oppressive and cunning "Shogun of Steel." Hana (The Bat) and Hoshi (Superman) fell in love with each other, and kiss before the final battle. In this universe, Superbat is canon.

World's Finest #289 In Gotham City, Batman is unable to prevent the murder of an innocent man while in Metropolis, Superman saves the lives of many, but is still troubled for the fact that he can never save the most important people to him. Moments later, Batman is alone in the Batcave and Superman comes to visit, knowing that both oth them could use each other's company. Superman takes Batman to the Fortress of Solitude, where they talk their concerns and worries to each other and their bond becomes stronger as they come to realize that despite their obvious differences, they have more in common than they think. World's Finest Comics was an American comic book series published by DC Comics from 1941 to 1986, base on the relationship between Superman and Batman.

Superman/Batman Annual #1 Slade Wilson (Deathstroke) is hired by a foreign businessman to kill Bruce Wayne. Slade tells the man that since he's now a freelance mercenary, he has a costume that he's started using. The man tells him that he can do whatever he wants, just as long as Bruce Wayne meets with an unfortunate end. In New York, Batman and Superman battle several hero doppelgangers, including Superman and Batman imposters. Both heroes describe the events of the fight, both writing rather biased summaries. After the battle, Superman and Batman meet on a rooftop, and Superman and Batman thank each other for the other's help in the matter. Superman tells Batman that he'll let Batman know if he finds out anything else about the strange phenomena. He asks Batman if he's figured out his identity yet, and Batman tells him that he has a "who's who" of every college from the last twenty years, and that he'll find Superman's chin in one of the pictures. He asks if Superman's figured out his, and Superman replies that he's way to busy to figure out Batman's identity, and that lead-lining inside of his cowl was a good idea. In their respective homes, Bruce Wayne and Clark Kent both pack for a cruise to the Bermuda Triangle, both taking their super-suits, planning on needing them.Clark and Lois Lane both arrive to the cruise ship the next day, and they check in. Bruce arrives with two bikini-clad women. The man checking them in informs everyone of a computer error with booking of the cabins. Since all the others are filled, Bruce and Clark, who don't get along, must share a cabin.

Superman Annual #11 : "For the man who has everything"

Batman, Robin and Wonder Woman visit the Fortress of Solitude with gifts on Superman's birthday. Batman’s gift turns out to be a plant, a new breed of rose which has been named “The Krypton”.

Superman #38 As the issue opens, Superman and Ulysses are engaged in an epic standoff as Superman tries to save earth from Ulysses’ vengeful destruction. Their battle reaches the ultimate climax when both super men engage their greatest energies to fight one another. Superman pushes his go-to heat vision power to the limit, unexpectedly unleashing a massive solar flare for the very first time – knocking him and Ulysses unconscious. Batman rescue Superman and bring him in the Batcave, where explain to a shocked Superman his new power.

Batman/Superman: Public Enemies
 * -|Animated Films =

Lex Luthor has been elected President of the United States during a severe nationwide economic depression. Under his leadership, the economy begins to thrive, and he assembles a force of government-employed superheroes consisting of Captain Atom, Katana, Black Lightning, Power Girl, Starfire, and Major Force. Superman and Batman maintain their distrust toward Luthor. The United States government discovers that a massive Kryptonite meteor is hurtling toward Earth. Instead of asking superheroes for aid, Luthor decides to destroy it with nuclear missiles. Luthor arranges a meeting with Superman in Gotham City under the pretense of forming a pact. This results in a battle with the hired Metallo against Superman and Batman, in which Metallo manages to injure them both. After, an unknown assailant kills Metallo. On national television, Luthor pins Metallo's murder on Superman, using footage of their battle to implicate him. Luthor claims that the meteor's radiation can affect Superman's judgment, and he places a one-billion-dollar bounty on Superman. Batman and Superman break into S.T.A.R. Labs seeking information on the meteor and find Metallo's remains; they realize radioactive energy is what killed him, and it was made to look like Superman's heat vision. An army of villains looking to collect on the bounty attacks them. Most of the villains are defeated and Captain Atom defeats the rest with a giant energy blast. All of Luthor's superhero team but Power Girl, whose loyalties are divided, attempt to capture the heroic duo. Superman creates a twister using his superspeed, and the two heroes escape with Power Girl.

In Metropolis, Power Girl admits that she does not believe Superman killed Metallo. Luthor's superheroes catch up and the fight begins anew, Power Girl aiding Batman and Superman. Batman realizes that Major Force killed Metallo under Luthor's orders and goads him into admitting it in front of everyone. When Major Force begins angrily attacking him, Power Girl punches him in the stomach hard enough to rupture his containment suit, releasing his radiation. Captain Atom absorbs the energy, disintegrating Major Force and injuring himself in the process.

Meanwhile, the missiles fail due to the sheer amount of radiation detonating them before impact. Amanda Wallerdiscovers that Luthor has secretly been taking a serum composed of liquid kryptonite, making him lose whatever rationality he had left. Feeling disillusioned by his failure, Luthor decides to let the meteor hit the Earth so that he may rule over what remains of society. Batman and Superman battle Captain Marvel and Hawkman before breaking into Luthor's base of operations to retrieve data on the meteor's radiation. Luthor refuses to relinquish the data, going so far as to erase it from the lab computers, but Waller gives them a copy. Batman and Superman fly off to Tokyo to deliver the data on the meteor to the Japanese Toyman, who has already built a giant rocket-propelled spacecraft, intending to use it as a large missile to stop the meteor. Waller and the military then attempt to arrest Luthor, but he injects himself with more kryptonite steroid and dons a power suit. After escaping Waller and the military, Luthor follows Superman and Batman overseas.

After Batman and Superman arrive at Toyman's base, he shows them the spacecraft, which resembles a giant, robotic composite version of Superman and Batman. With the data, Toyman is able to calculate the necessary reinforcements needed for the rocket so it will not explode before impact. Unfortunately, Luthor neutralizes Power Girl, Superman and Batman, and then disables the rocket's remote guidance systems so that it will not take off by itself. Having no other choice, Batman decides to fly the rocket himself, despite Superman's protests. Though initially faring poorly against Luthor and his kryptonite power suit, Superman eventually gains the upper hand and after an aerial chase back to Metropolis, Luthor is defeated. Batman succeeds in destroying the meteor, and Superman finds him alive in an escape pod. With the truth of Metallo's death now public knowledge, Superman is cleared of the murder charge and Luthor is arrested and taken away to face trial and impeachmentfor his crimes.

Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice
 * -|DCEU =

Eighteen months after the battle between Superman and General Zod in Metropolis, Superman has become a controversial figure. Billionaire Bruce Wayne, who has operated in Gotham City as the vigilante Batman for two decades, sees Superman as an existential threat to humanity. After learning of Batman's form of justice, Clark Kent seeks to expose him via Daily Planet articles. Wayne learns that Russian weapon trafficker Anatoli Knyazev has been contacting LexCorp mogul Lex Luthor. Bruce attends a gala at LexCorp to steal encrypted data from the company's mainframe, where he also encounters with Clark. While decrypting the drive, Bruce dreams of a post-apocalyptic world, where he leads a group of rebels against a fascist Superman. He is awoken from his vision by an unidentified person, appearing through a portal, who warns him of Lois Lane's crucial role in the future, and urges him to find "the others" before vanishing. Wayne admits to Alfred Pennyworth that he plans to steal the kryptonite to weaponize it, should it become necessary to fight Superman. At a congressional hearing, as Finch questions Superman on the validity of his actions, a bomb goes off and kills everyone present but Superman. Believing he should have detected the bomb, and frustrated by his failure to save them, Superman goes into self-imposed exile. Batman breaks into LexCorp and steals the kryptonite, planning to use it to battle Superman by building a powered exoskeleton, creating a kryptonite grenade launcher, and a kryptonite-tipped spear. Meanwhile, Luthor enters the Kryptonian ship and accesses a vast technology database accumulated from over 100,000 worlds.

Later, Luthor kidnaps Lois and Martha Kent, Clark's adoptive mother, to bring Superman out of exile. He reveals to him that he manipulated Superman and Batman by fueling their distrust for each other. Luthor demands that Superman kill Batman in exchange for Martha's life. Superman tries to explain the situation to Batman, but instead Batman fights Superman and eventually subdues him. Before Batman can kill him with the spear, Superman urges Batman to "save Martha", whose name is also shared with Bruce's late mother, confusing him long enough for Lois to arrive and explain what Superman meant. Realizing how far he has fallen and unwilling to let an innocent die, Batman rescues Martha, while Superman confronts Luthor on the scout ship.

Luthor executes his backup plan, unleashing a genetically engineered monster with DNA from both Zod's body and his own blood. Diana Prince arrives unexpectedly; revealing her metahuman nature, she joins forces with Batman and Superman to eliminate the creature. When they are all outmatched, Superman realizes its vulnerability to kryptonite, and retrieves the spear to kill it. In the creature's last moments, it fatally wounds Superman. Luthor is arrested and Batman confronts him in prison, warning Luthor that he will always be watching him. Luthor gloats that Superman's death has made the world vulnerable to powerful alien threats. A memorial is held for Superman in Metropolis. Clark is also declared dead, with various friends and family members including Bruce Wayne and Diana Prince attending for him in Smallville. Martha gives an envelope to Lois, which contains an engagement ring from Clark. After the funeral, Bruce expresses his regrets to Diana about how he failed Superman. He reveals to her that he plans to form a team of metahumans, starting with those from Luthor's files, to help protect the world in Superman's absence. After they leave, the dirt atop Clark's coffin levitates.

Justice League

Facing overwhelming odds against Steppenwolf's army, Wayne decides to use the Mother Box to resurrect Superman, not only to help them fight off Steppenwolf's invasion, but also to restore hope to mankind. Diana and Curry are hesitant about the idea, but Wayne forms a secret contingency plan in case Superman returns as a nemesis. Clark Kent's body is exhumed and placed in the amniotic fluid of the genesis chamber of the Kryptonian ship alongside the Mother Box, which in turn activates and successfully resurrects Superman. However, Superman's memories have not returned, and he attacks the group after Stone accidentally launches a projectile at him. On the verge of being killed by Superman, Batman enacts his contingency plan: Lois Lane. Superman calms down and leaves with Lane to his family home in Smallville, where he reflects and attempts to recover his memories. With the final Mother Box unguarded, Steppenwolf retrieves it with ease. Without Superman to aid them, the five heroes travel to a village in Russia where Steppenwolf aims to unite the Mother Boxes once again and remake Earth. The team fights their way through the Parademons to reach Steppenwolf, although they are unable to distract him enough for Stone to separate the Mother boxes.

Superman arrives and assists Allen in evacuating the city, as well as Stone in separating the Mother Boxes. The team defeats Steppenwolf, who, overcome with fear, is attacked by his own Parademons before they all teleport away.

Quotes
"You ever heard of Superman? He died fighting next to me."

- Bruce to Arthur; Justice League

"The world needs Superman. And the team needs Clark."

- Bruce to Diana; Justice League

Fanon
Superbat is a very well beloved ship by most DC shippers. It is by far the most well known and most popular ship across adaptations and the comics themselves. Most ship them due to the two being the most popular heroes, as well as their opposite's attract dynamic.

On AO3, Superbat is the most written ship for both Clark and Bruce. It is the fifth most written ship in Batman (Comics) tag, the third most written in the DCU (Comics) tag, and the most written in the Injustice: Gods Among Us, Batman vs Superman and DC Extended Universe tags.

Fandom
FAN FICTION


 * Bruce/Clark on FanFiction.Net
 * Clark/Bruce on FanFiction.Net
 * Superman/Batman on FanFiction.Net
 * Batman/Superman on FanFiction.Net

DEVIANTART

TUMBLR

WIKI

Trivia

 * In Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Bruce has a mug with the Superman logo on it.