People, let me tell ya 'bout my best friend. He's a Dark Knight from Gotham with a Batmobile and a utility belt.
Well, not my best friend - but Superman's best pal Batman.
We're usually careful about putting words in the Man of Steel's mouth, but we're fairly sure he'd approve of that little revision to the lyrics of Harry Nilsson's 'Best Friend,' considering he and Batman have been besties for decades now.
After more than 70 years, many friendships might face some wear and tear, but for Superman and Batman, things are still going as strong as ever, with the pair even starring in a newly launched World's Finest title focusing on their legendary friendship.
In honor of World's Finest, here are the best superhero best friends ever - read it with your own best pal!
10. Quantum & Woody
It's kind of hard to call adopted brothers Quantum and Woody 'friends,' though like many brothers, they’re stuck to each other anyway – literally. Quantum and Woody have to be in each others' presence or their molecular structure will completely disintegrate thanks to the accident that gave them their powers.
Still, despite their occasional acrimony, deep down, they really do love each other. Their relationship continues to evolve, but until they find a way to undo their molecular bond, they'll always be a part of each others' lives.
9. Iron Fist & Luke Cage
Iron Fist and Luke Cage wound up as friends almost as an afterthought. They were put in a title together when their respective solo adventures came to an end.
And while the pair of a white Kung Fu master and an unbreakable black ex-con may seem, well... "unlikely" doesn’t quite cover it... they're one of the most celebrated super-pairs in the Marvel Universe, even making it into The Defenders streaming series, which is now on Disney Plus.
Luke Cage and Iron Fist crossed racial boundaries at a time when comic books didn't really do that kind of thing, and fans responded in droves. Luke even named his daughter Danielle, after his best friend Danny Rand.
Danny is now mentoring a new Iron Fist, having given up the mantle, but his friendship with Luke is as strong as ever.
8. Reed Richards & Ben Grimm
The friendship between Reed Richards and Ben Grimm stretches all the way back to when the pair were college chums, with Reed's genius and Ben's eventual skills as a pilot providing the building blocks of the FF's ill-fated space launch origin story.
Ben and Reed were apart for a while since Reed remained in a pocket dimension following 2016's Secret Wars finale. But they've since been reunited along with the rest of the Fantast Four.
7. Green Lantern & Green Arrow
These "hard-travelin' heroes" united in the '70s when their individual titles were floundering. Green Lantern's more establishment attitude clashed with Green Arrow's liberal leanings – a stand-in for the relationship of creators Denny O'Neil and Neal Adams. But it was their differences that made the team-up work.
Some of their collective adventures haven't aged all that well, but the pair remains a touchstone of unlikely superhero friendships.
6. Harley Quinn & Poison Ivy
Harley and Ivy's friendship started on Batman: The Animated Series when they teamed up while Harley was on the outs with her psychopathic boyfriend, the Joker. Harley and Ivy ran amok, kickstarting a bond that made its way into comic books and has become a fan touchstone.
The pair even anchored their own title – along with Catwoman – as the Gotham City Sirens. And as is sometimes the case with friendships, the bond between Harley and Ivy has been known to segue into romance, meaning that Harley and Ivy are technically much more than just friends.
But if you're really lucky, your best friend and your partner are often the same person, so we'll count this one while also acknowledging the romantic bond between the pair.
5. Beast & Wonder Man
Back in the '70s, Hank McCoy and Simon Williams fostered mutant and human relations as a pair of swingin' super bachelors famous for their nights out on the town when not saving the world alongside Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.
Though Beast and Wonder Man’s bromance wasn’t seen for a while, they recently reforged their bond while both heroes were back in the roster of the Avengers for a time.
No word yet on how or if Wonder Man may factor into the upcoming AXE: Judgment Day event which once again finds the Avengers and X-Men caught up in a conflict, this time alongside the Eternals.
4. Human Torch & Spider-Man
Johnny Storm and Peter Parker have the kind of friendship we've all experienced – where the good times are often undercut by pranks, ribbing, and sometimes even hostility. Maybe "frenemies" isn't exactly the right word, but these two have often competed as much as they've been best friends.
Still, they're always there for each other, as when Peter Parker took over Johnny's spot in the Fantastic Four after his apparent death, or when he let Johnny move in with him after his unexpected return.
Or, more recently, when Pete bought the Baxter Building after the FF disappeared to make sure none of their enemies could get ahold of it. Even though that plan sorta backfired, it did lead to the FF being able to reclaim their home now that they're finally back.
3. Blue Beetle & Booster Gold
The Blue Beetle/Booster Gold bromance blossomed all the way back in the 80s with Justice League International, where the pair's antics were often drivers of some pretty weird adventures for the League. They remained best friends all the way into the early 00s when Blue Beetle was killed trying to investigate the JLI’s former benefactor, Maxwell Lord.
The rest of the decade wasn't super kind to the fan-favorite pair, with Ted Kord remaining dead for years. Ted returned to life and the mainstream DC Universe as part of Rebirth a few years back, and the two were back to their old antics in an eight-issue limited series Blue and Gold that concludes in April.
Donald Faison recently made an appearance as Booster Gold on the CW show DC's Legends of Tomorrow, leading fans to clamor for an appearance by Ted Kord played by Faison's Scrubs BFF Zack Braff - just for old times' sake.
2. Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson
There's some weirdness to Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson's friendship. It came close to its breaking point when Red Skull revealed that he had secretly manipulated Sam, as the Falcon, into spying on Cap for him. But they got past that, and have remained steadfast partners ever since.
Sam was even Steve's handpicked choice to become Captain America when he could no longer keep the mantle, and though Sam's first turn as Cap ended with the reinvigorated Steve Rogers once again picking up the shield, their friendship is as strong as ever - and soon the pair will share duties as Captain America in their own titles, with Sam even getting his very own shield.
1. Superman & Batman
Superman and Batman are the prototypical superhero friendship. They've been pals since the '40s, and even though they've often been at odds (see Batman v Superman, or its inspiration, The Dark Knight Returns), when you get down to it, the Man of Steel and the Caped Crusader have always had each others' backs.
The pair have often even appeared in shared comic book titles, whether it's the classic World's Finest, or the more recent Batman/Superman. Superman was even Batman's best man at his wedding to Catwoman.
And now, the aforementioned title World's Finest has been revived to critical acclaim, focusing on a classic-style superhero team-up between good old-fashioned besties Superman and Batman.
