With both Japan (through Toho) and the U.S. (through Legendary Pictures) now producing a steady stream of new Godzilla films, the kaiju is more popular than ever. It’s not all that surprising to discover James Gunn’s upcoming Superman will feature the Man of Steel going toe-to-toe with one on the streets of Metropolis. After all, Superman has been battling these monstrous beasts since the Golden Age. Fans want to see Earth’s mightiest champion battle the biggest baddies around, whether it’s on the page or screen! Here’s a chronological look at the Man of Steel’s nine greatest kaiju battles.

You might want to stand back.
 

The Arctic Giant

This 1942 animated short from cartoon gods Max and Dave Fleischer predates Godzilla’s film debut by a whopping twelve years. It finds Supes battling a dinosaur brought to Metropolis from Siberia. The story is more than likely influenced by Arthur Conan Doyle’s 1912 novel The Lost World (in which a dinosaur terrorizes London) and its subsequent film adaptation in 1925—the granddaddy of all kaiju movies—which also inspired 1933’s landmark King Kong.
 

Titano the Super-Ape

And speaking of King Kong… With the monster film classic making its way to TV in the 1950s, and the American version of the first Godzilla film (Godzilla, King of the Monsters!) arriving in 1956, this decade saw Superman fight his first major kaiju battle in the comics.

“Titano the Super-Ape!”—the tale of a chimpanzee astronaut who turns giant and develops Kryptonite vision—debuted in February 1959’s Superman #127. Written by Otto Binder and penciled by Wayne Boring, the tale draws on the then-popular theme of cosmic radiation, as well as the pioneering space flights made by real monkeys. Titano’s story was memorably retold in 1987’s Superman Annual #1 and adapted to TV in episodes of The New Adventures of Superman, Superman: The Animated Series and Justice League Action.
 

The Giant Turtle Man

Another space-age kaiju gem can be found in 1961’s Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #53. Jimmy underwent all manner of physical transformations in his original solo title, though none more memorable than “The Giant Turtle Man!” Written by Jerry Siegel and penciled by Curt Swan, this story draws inspiration from the first Godzilla film, the July 1940 cover of Thrilling Wonder Stories (for “The Experiment of Dr. Sarconi”) and 1954’s Superboy #30 (“The Giant Who Came to Smallville!”).

Notably, it predates the 1965 kaiju turtle film classic Gamera—the debut of Godzilla’s greatest box office rival—by four whole years. Good for you, Jimmy! The Turtle Man has since returned to comics several times, even battling Darkseid in 2008’s Countdown to Final Crisis #2-3.
 

The Legion of Super-Creatures

By the mid-’60s, a single kaiju was passé. In 1964, Godzilla co-starred with Mothra, Rodan and the titular three-headed monster in Ghidorah. So, in 1965, Superman fought “The Legion of Super-Creatures” in Action Comics #326 (written by Otto Binder and penciled by Curt Swan). A swarm of giant-sized insects, the Legion turned out to be much like Superman himself: space orphans who developed powers due to Earth’s yellow sun. Here, however, they’re cruelly turned loose on our planet by an alien death cult. 
 

The Composite Legionnaire

Though admittedly more of a Legion of Super-Heroes tale than a Superman story, “The Composite Legionnaire” is significant in that it mirrors the Japanese Henshin (“transformation”) boom that kicked off with 1971’s Kamen Rider TV show and 1975’s Super Sentai—the basis for Power Rangers—in which teenagers pilot Zord vehicles and join them together to create a giant Megazord.

Appearing in 1977’s Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes #234 (written by Gerry Conway and penciled by Ric Estrada), this story sees four members of the famed futuristic teen team transformed into one giant rampaging monstrosity. 
 

The Prometheon

1997’s Superman: The Animated Series saw the birth of our next kaiju. “The Prometheon” (written by Stan Berkowitz and Alan Burnett), in the tradition of Frankenstein and the legendary Golem, is a man-made giant and a victim of his creators’ hubris. Intended as a beast of burden, this heat-absorbing creature (its design inspired by the work of revered comic artist Jack Kirby) turns on its creators and is sentenced to death in deep space. Instead, it arrives on Earth and must battle a conflicted Superman in one of the series’ many unforgettable episodes.
 

Solaris

A sentient computer/artificial sun, Solaris first appeared in 1998’s DC One Million #1 (written by Grant Morrison and penciled by Val Semeiks). Solaris is initially defeated by the Man of Steel, who, while wielding a Green Lantern Power Ring, forces it to collapse upon itself. An alternate-universe version of Solaris later appeared in Morrison’s All-Star Superman and its animated film adaptation. Given that director James Gunn is a big fan of Morrison’s work and a giant glowing orb hovers over Metropolis in the trailer for his new Superman film, might we soon see the sun tyrant again? Hmmm…
 

The Giant Spider

From 1955’s Tarantula to The Lord of the Rings’ Shelob, few kaiju are as deliciously grotesque as a giant spider. Which is why producer Jon Peters insisted screenwriter Kevin Smith give Nicolas Cage’s Superman a giant spider to fight in their ill-fated Superman Lives. Though the movie never happened, the scene is paid a brief homage in 2023’s The Flash. And 2024’s Action Comics #1071 (written by Mark Waid with art by Clayton Henry and Michael Shelfer) gave fans the comic book equivalent when Supes must tussle with no less than three such spiders!
 

Godzilla

At long last, after decades of schoolyard speculation, Superman confronted the ultimate kaiju in 2023’s Justice League vs. Godzilla vs. Kong #2 (written by Brian Buccellato with art by Christian Duce). When the Legion of Doom makes Godzilla and the other Titans of Legendary’s Monsterverse attack the Justice League, Superman battles the Big G…and gets his ass kicked. Fortunately, he recovers in time to wrestle Godzilla away from the Legion’s control in issue #7.

Fans are anticipating a rematch in this summer’s Justice League vs. Godzilla vs. Kong 2. Plus, with new Godzilla films in development from both Toho and Legendary, and James Gunn’s Superman in July, it’s a safe bet that neither of these dynamic stars of the screen will be smashing their way into the sunset any time soon.
 

Joseph McCabe writes about comics, film and superhero history for DC.com. Follow him on Instagram at @joe_mccabe_editor.

NOTE: The views and opinions expressed in this feature are solely those of Joseph McCabe and do not necessarily reflect those of DC or Warner Bros. Discovery, nor should they be read as confirmation or denial of future DC plans.