It takes a lot for Superman to dislike someone, but there are a few heroes who made a bad first impression on the Big Blue Boy Scout. Superman is the very definition of a good-hearted character, to the point that he's been shown to give anybody a fair chance. It doesn't matter how dark their sins are, Superman finds a way to see the good in them and will tend to even give a supervillain a second chance to change. However, Clark Kent is only human, and some people still get on his nerves.
Surprisingly, some of the few characters to make their way onto his bad side are actually his fellow heroes. While many of these heroes are those who would later call Superman a teammate and, in some cases, a genuine friend, their first impressions on the Man of Steel left something to be desired.
10 Found Green Arrow "Abrasive"
Created with a host of talented artists, Neil Gaiman's Green Lantern/Superman: Legend of the Green Flame features a conversation where Clark Kent asks after Hal Jordan's hard-traveling hero friend Green Arrow. He admits that they've never gotten on, and says he finds Green Arrow "abrasive." This makes sense, and Green Arrow might even be proud of this first impression. Ollie is a politically outspoken hero, and often chides the rest of the Justice League for not getting more involved in current events. However, he's proved himself as a force for good, and Superman would later throw his support behind Green Arrow and admit he may not have done enough to actively improve the world.
9 Told Off Booster Gold
It shouldn't be surprising to learn that a boisterous showboat who got his powers through burglary rubs Superman the wrong way. This is especially evident in Dan Jurgens' Booster Gold #6, where the title character forces a meeting with Superman by challenging him to a face-to-face conversation in the press, immediately getting on Clark's bad side. At first, it appears that Supes just doesn't trust Booster, someone who can't explain where he's from or how he acquired such advanced technology. However, when Skeets gives Superman a rundown of Michael Carter's origin story, the Man of Steel makes it clear that he flat-out does not respect the fact that Booster stole all of his tech from the future to become a superhero - nor does he like his fame-hungry attitude.
8 Faced Vartox as an Enemy
One of the more obscure names on the list, Vartox is a hero from another planet light years away who makes his way to Metropolis when his wife mysteriously dies because she felt a phantom pain originating from a woman shot dead in Metropolis. Seeking out the criminal in Metropolis, Vartox ends up crossing swords with Superman. Getting involved nearly gets Lois Lane killed by a stray beam of energy, leading to some major bad blood. In a strange turn of events, Vartox later begins a romance with Lana Lang that almost gets her turned to stone permanently. That's two past lovers of Superman's put in danger because of his ally - something Clark was eventually willing to forgive.
7 Secretly Disliked Guy Gardner
If readers know only one thing about Guy Gardner, it's that he's the Green Lantern who Batman punched in the face. It all began when Batman hit him during their time with the Justice League International, where Batman grew sick of Guy's aggressive attitude and knocked him out with the famous "one punch!" However, the last person fans would expect to approve of the punch is Superman. Despite this, in Brad Meltzer's Justice League #0 (created with a host of artists), there's a flashback of Wonder Woman and Superman confronting Batman after he hit Guy, and as much as Superman tries to maintain a professional composure, he can't help but live vicariously through the Dark Knight, asking him to recreate the moment.
6 Keeps Fighting Orion
This is one of the few entries where it might actually be debatable whether Superman has warmed up to Orion yet. Even as recently as 2022's Action Comics #1048 (from Philip Kennedy Johnson and Mike Perkins), the god-tier heroes duked it out when Superman determined that Orion's attempt to protect the universe was proving too aggressive. While they've worked together in the past, and Superman has allowed Orion onto the Justice League for short periods, there's a lot of Darkseid in his estranged son, so it makes sense that the Man of Steel is a little sensitive to Orion's jerkish tendencies.
5 Always Hated Manchester Black
Superman has always had a complicated relationship with Manchester Black. Although it's softened in recent years, Manchester has been testing Superman's pacifist philosophies on a physical, mental, and emotional level ever since his Action Comics #775 debut (courtesy of Joe Kelly, Doug Mahnke and Lee Bermejo.) In Grant Morrison and Mikel Janin's Superman vs. The Authority #1, Superman tells Manchester point-blank that he's always been one of the "few people in my life I instinctively and viscerally dislike" - then recruits him to a new team with an offer of redemption. Manchester Black represents cynicism and cruelty in a way Superman can't abide, however he actually made a friend out of the skilled telekinetic, who later admitted to Lex Luthor that Superman's trust turned him into a true believer.
4 Treated Black Adam as a Villain
In Superman's defense, everyone originally saw Black Adam as a villain because, for years, Black Adam was a major bad guy. The two traded blows on multiple occasions, and Superman frequently supported Black Adam's nemesis Shazam. It is only recently that Black Adam attempted to reform on the path of righteousness. In fact, since turning over a new leaf, Superman has been perhaps Black Adam's biggest supporter, recruiting him onto the Justice League and arguing that he'd clearly changed. Superman was proved right in Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths #7 (from Joshua Williamson and a host of artist), when Black Adam willingly shared his powers with the entire League.
3 Still Hates Lobo
The running theme with this list is that while Superman has had venomous thoughts toward many heroes, he almost always offers an olive branch later. Superman believes everyone at their core can change, and that he can be part of helping them live their best lives. However, Lobo remains one of the rare exceptions who Superman hates as much today as when they first met. Lobo brings out the petty worst in Superman, to the point that the two dueled over social media in Tim Seeley, Sarah Beattie, and Mirka Andolfo's Superman vs Lobo. #LoboIsOverParty
2 Detested Captain America
Despite both men being unwavering symbols of the American dream, Superman and Captain America were not fans of each other when their worlds crossed over in Kurt Busiek and George Pérez's JLA/Avengers. There especially was no love lost between each other in the first issue, where their unnaturally overlapping universes amped up the discomfort each felt with the other. Seeing the DC Universe, Captain America didn't approve of how superheroes were seemingly worshiped, branding the League "fascist overlords" - while Superman called the Avengers "dangerous loose cannons" who had failed to help their world flourish. Cooler heads prevailed once the effects of dimension sickness wore off, but for two of the most reasonable superheroes, Cap and Superman tore strips off each other on their first meeting.
1 Threatened Batman
Given their relationship over the years, Superman and Batman have spent just as much time loving each other as allies as they've spent hating each other as frenemies. One of their earliest encounters left Superman as angry as he's ever been. Max Landis and Jock's Adventures of Superman #14 finds Joker still early in his supervillain career, making his way to Metropolis ready to cause havoc. It turns out Batman knew of his plans, but let Joker go in order to test Superman's restraint and study his powers. After realizing how he's been played, Superman flies through the ceiling of the Batcave, destroys the Batmobile, and threatens to kill Joker if he ever hits Metropolis again. Superman and Batman became the closest friends later in life, but the Man of Steel had an extreme reaction to the Dark Knight's early cynicism.
If this list proves anything, it's that Superman is always ready to offer a second chance at a first impression - however, as his few running feuds confirm, the Man of Steel will only revise his opinion once someone actually shows signs of change.