Superman vs Muhammed Ali{[{Superman}]}

Pairing the Man of Steel with real-life American icons was nothing new by the late 1970s. In fact, Superman had already been featured in print with the likes of Steve Allen, Bob Hope, Jerry Lewis, Allen Funt, Don Rickles, and John F. Kennedy. He had even gone up against a real-life athlete, the wrestler Antonino Rocca (Superman #155, August 1962). Yet in the 1970s, there was only one real Superman outside of the world of comic books: champion boxer Muhammad Ali. Ali was more than just an athlete and more than simply the best athlete of his time. Known for his nearly superhuman sparring ability, Ali was a colorful, larger-than-life hero to children and adults everywhere. So it was probably inevitable that the comic book world would give the public what they wanted, a battle between Ali and the Man of Steel.

"Black Superman (Muhammad Ali)", a 1975 Top 40 song by Johnny Wakelin, was alleged to have been the book's inspiration, although DC denied it.[1] Perhaps just as big an inspiration was the 1976 Academy Award-winning film Rocky, which added to the growing popularity of boxing. In addition, interplanetary battles were the rage in late '70s entertainment.

Supposedly, Ali only agreed to take part in the comic if his character is allowed to discover Superman's secret identity.[2] The book suffered numerous delays, going from a publication date of fall 1977, to spring 1978, before it finally arrived on the stands in the fall of 1978.[3] Ironically, at the time the oft-delayed book was finally published, Ali was no longer World Heavyweight Champion, having been dethroned by Leon Spinks. (Ali promptly won back the title in September 1978.)

The comic book has become a genuine collectors' item in recent years, partly because it can never be reprinted. Changes in intellectual property law have prohibited the use of celebrity faces in media or artwork they do not personally endorse.

Superman vs. Muhammad Ali was based on an original story by Dennis O'Neil which was adapted by Neal Adams, with pencils by Adams, and figure inks by Dick Giordano with background inks by Terry Austin