Superman #76

First Batman & Superman team-up!

While they had shared the cover of World's Finest Comics for over a decade and made a few cameo appearances together (mostly in All-Star Comics), this issue saw the first story in which Batman and Superman worked together.

1. Happy Hobby Time: (PSA with Superboy)

2. The Mightiest Team in the World!: (Superman, Batman, Robin, Lois Lane, and James Gordon. written by Edmond Hamilton, penciled by Curt Swan, and inked by John Fischetti.) After catching the last criminal on Gotham's wanted list, Bruce decides to go on a cruise while Dick visits family upstate. coincidentally, Clark is taking that same cruise, which is overbooked causing them to be roomed together.

while the pair are settling in, a man on the dock fires incendiary bullets at a tanker truck, causing a fire to cover for a diamond highest. Losi rushes in to get the story and is trapped as the fire spreads.

Noticing the commotion outside both of our heroes wish to change and get out there to help without giving up their secret. Bruce's solution is to turn out the light, saying he is turning in, to which Clark replies "I'm tired too". both think if they a quiet they can change without the other knowing but light from the fire soon floods the room, revealing them to each other. they agree to talk later as they rush to action, Batman swinging in to save Lois while Superman deals with the fire and the tanker truck.

Finding the thief's asbestos suit our heroes conclude that they must be on the ship. After agreeing to keep each other's secrets, they decide they must sail on the ship as Batman and Superman as well as Bruse and Clark to keep people from suspecting their identities. the captain gives them his cabin. Lois sails with them as well, taking the cabin of a woman who canceled because she was upset by the fire. she tells them she will tell Clark they are there so the heroes rush back to their room. Clark pretends to be so seasick Bruce needs to stay there and take care of them so Lois won't be suspicious about not seeing them during the cruise.

Superman comes up with a plan to distract Lois by making her think Batman is falling for her, which Batman reluctantly agrees to but Lois overhears them talking about it and beats them to it, fawning over Batman while telling Superman he should "go smooth out these rough waves, so the ship will stop pitching." He lifts the ship from the water, carrying it smoothly and scanning it with his X-ray vision while he is at it. he doesn't find the diamonds but does find one passenger (John Smilter) with a hidden pistol. Batman investigates the man with the pistol and suspects he is lying about his profession but has no proof.

At Lois's request, Batman performs stunts for the passengers at that night's ship dance. Jealous of the attention Lois is giving Batman, Superman decides to show off as well by juggling icebergs but Lois seems bored by it and Superman thinks he has lost her to Batman.

John sabotages the ship before forcing Lois onto a helicopter that comes to get him. With a storm moving in fast Superman must tow the ship to safety so he throws Batman at the helicopter. the pilot tells John to shoot Batman but he says he can't. Batman knocks out the bad guys and returns to the ship. he figures out John wouldn't shoot because the diamonds are hidden in the lead bullets, which is why Superman couldn't find them.

with the crook caught Batman and Superman leave the ship while it is in port for repairs and sneak back in to resume their roles as Bruce and Clark. Lois notes that they reappeared just when Superman and Batman left, obviously suspecting the truth. that night Superman flies Batman to Gotham so he can be seen by the public there. when the ship returns to Metropolis Superman is there to meet it, with Clark walking down the ramp next to Lois. we soon see this was Bruce disguised as Clark.

unsure which of them Lois prefers, they decide to both ask her to dinner and see which she picks but they find she has already accepted a dinner invitation from Robin.

3. Private Pete: (humor strip by Henry Boltinoff)

4. The Misfit Manhunter: (Superman written by Bill Finger) Joe Harris drams of being a G-man (FBI agent). he has studied hard and gotten perfect scores on all the exams but he is also color-blind, claustrophobic, and afraid of heights.

5. Quick Quiz:

6. The Gatling Gun: (full-text story by Ben Galloway)

7. Susie: (humor strip)

8. Jerry The Jitterbug: (humor strip by Henry Boltinoff)

9. Mrs. Superman: (Superman written by Bill Woolfolk)

10. Peg: (humor strip by Henry Boltinoff)

11. Learn A Bit Of Magic: