20 of the weirdest Batman stories ever

8. Batman and Superman cry over space worms

As has become abundantly clear, Batman and Superman have crossed paths many times. After all, they are two of the biggest names in DC Comics, if not the entire world of superheroes. So, it makes sense that they have spent a lot of time together.

This doesn’t mean Superman and Batman are just chilling out, however. Sometimes, they’re fighting various aliens or terrestrial bad guys. Sometimes, they’re arguing about dimensional breaks and different realities. On occasion, they even bond over sentient alien space worms.

That last scenario reared its head during World’s Finest Comics #289, in a story entitled “The Kryll Way of Dying.” It begins with Batman’s failure to prevent a murder, while simultaneously Superman broods over all of the people he cannot save. Superman invites Batman over to the Fortress of Solitude, where the two mope in proximity and talk about their problems. That’s great bonding, if not exactly riveting comics stuff. At least, that’s so until a meteor almost crashes nearby.

Meteor infestation

This isn’t any old space rock, though. Superman takes a closer look at the meteor and finds that it’s infested with worm-like probes. He takes them back to the Fortress for further study. It’s an astonishingly bad move, as the beings start to drain both the heroes’ energy and take over the weapons systems.

Of course, Batman and Superman eventually turn the tide and take back control. They start to talk to the alien probes, which explain that they were sent by a distant species known as the Kryll. Essentially, the Kryll people need to siphon off a bit of human-like emotion in order to die. Cheerful, indeed. The “meteor” came so close to the Fortress of Solitude because apparently Superman and Batman were having strong emotions all over the place.

The Kryll probes, however, are also indulging in this newfound sense of feeling. They realize that the Kryll would only damage Earth and its inhabitants, and so sacrifice themselves. Therefore, the probes do so, but not before a dramatic monologue. Batman and Superman each cry a single tear and then end the weirdest bonding session ever.