Superman debuted in 1938 and his creators sold the rights for $130. That number comes up in trivia a lot, and people always guess lower. They picture two kids in Cleveland handing over a character for pocket change, and their gut says maybe ten bucks, maybe fifty. But $130 in 1938 was about two months’ rent. Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster thought they were getting a fair deal. That gap between what we assume and what actually happened is where the best superhero trivia lives. Not in the names and dates you already know, but in the moments where your confidence gets ahead of you.
I’ve run superhero trivia rounds for rooms full of people wearing Iron Man shirts and rooms full of people who couldn’t name a single Robin. The questions that work best aren’t always the hardest. They’re the ones that make someone slam their hand on the table, either because they can’t believe they knew it or because they can’t believe they didn’t. That’s what I built here. 125 questions across the full span of the genre, from the stuff your nephew knows to the stuff that makes comic shop regulars go quiet.
1. What is Superman’s birth name on Krypton?
This is the handshake question. The one that tells the room whether they’re in the right place. But even here, I’ve seen people freeze, because they know it but can’t quite land the spelling in their head.
2. What fictional city does Batman protect?
Easy, sure. But I include it because it sets up a later question about which real city Gotham was originally based on, and that one’s a fight.
3. What newspaper does Peter Parker work for as a photographer?
The MCU generation sometimes says Stark Industries, which tells you everything about how the movies have rewired people’s understanding of these characters.
4. What color is the Hulk’s skin when he’s angry?
Everyone gets this right. Almost nobody knows his original color, which comes later.
5. What is the name of Thor’s hammer?
The real test here is pronunciation. In a live room, I make people say it out loud. “Muh-JOLL-nir” gets you partial credit. “Muh-JOLL-ner” is the Old Norse pronunciation. Most people say “Muh-YOLL-nir” and that’s close enough to not start a war.
6. What is Wonder Woman’s civilian name?
Diana Prince. The “Prince” part is a cover identity she adopted in the comics, but in the movies it’s basically just her surname. I’ve had people say Diana Troy, which is a fascinating wrong answer because Donna Troy is a completely different character in the DC universe.
7. What metal is Captain America’s shield made of?
The common wrong answer is adamantium, which is Wolverine’s skeleton. In the comics, Cap’s shield is a vibranium-steel alloy. In the MCU, it’s pure vibranium. I accept both, but I note the distinction because it matters to the people it matters to.
8. What planet is Superman from?
9. What is the name of Batman’s butler?
Alfred Pennyworth. I once had someone answer “Jarvis” with absolute conviction. That’s Iron Man’s AI. But in the comics, Jarvis is actually the Avengers’ human butler, so the instinct wasn’t entirely wrong, just aimed at the wrong billionaire.
10. In the MCU, what are the six objects Thanos collects to complete the Infinity Gauntlet?
People rattle off five immediately. The sixth one always takes a second.
11. What was the Hulk’s original skin color in his first comic book appearance?
This is the payoff for question four. The answer surprises almost everyone, and then you get to explain why it changed, and the room leans in.
12. What superhero’s alter ego is Selina Kyle?
I call her a superhero here deliberately, because half the room will shout “she’s a villain!” and the other half will argue she’s an antihero, and now you’ve got a conversation.
13. Which superhero was the first to appear in a Marvel comic?
Most people say Captain America. He’s a great guess, and he’s wrong. The actual answer predates him by about two years.
14. What is the real name of the Black Panther?
15. Who killed Bruce Wayne’s parents?
The character’s name is what I’m looking for, though in some versions the killer is never identified. The canonical answer has been stable for decades.
16. What is Wolverine’s real name?
Logan is the answer most people give, and I accept it, but his actual birth name is different. This is one where knowing the deeper answer earns you a nod from the comic readers in the room.
17. Which superhero lost their hand and had it replaced with a hook in the comics?
DC fans light up on this one. Everyone else stares.
18. What does S.H.I.E.L.D. stand for?
People always get the first word. They always stumble somewhere in the middle. The acronym has actually changed over the years, but the MCU version is the standard now.
19. Who was the first female superhero to headline her own comic book?
Wonder Woman is the gut answer, and it’s right. People second-guess themselves into saying someone more obscure, which is a pattern I love in trivia. Sometimes the obvious answer is obvious because it’s correct.
20. What is the name of the fictional African nation that Black Panther rules?
21. Which Robin eventually became Nightwing?
If you’re running superhero trivia and nobody in the room knows this, you’ve misjudged your audience. If everyone knows it, you’re right where you need to be.
22. What is Hawkeye’s real name?
The MCU made this character a household face but not a household name. I’ve watched tables of four argue about whether it’s Clint or Clay.
23. In the DC Universe, which superhero is known as the “Fastest Man Alive”?
24. What superhero team includes members like Starfire, Raven, Beast Boy, and Cyborg?
The cartoon did more for this team’s name recognition than decades of comics. I’m fine with that.
25. Who is Tony Stark’s father?
26. What year did the first Batman comic book appear?
People know Superman was 1938, and they figure Batman was around the same time. He was close. But the specific year trips people up because they can’t remember if he came one year later or two.
27. What is the name of the substance that weakens Superman?
28. Who created the X-Men?
This gets interesting because people want to say just Stan Lee, but there were two names on that first issue.
29. In the MCU, what is the name of Thor’s home realm?
30. What superhero’s secret identity is Wally West?
There have been multiple people behind this mask, and Wally is one of the most beloved. Casual fans might only know Barry Allen.
31. What is the name of the prison designed to hold superpowered criminals in the MCU?
32. Which superhero was bitten by a radioactive spider?
The easiest question in this set, and I’m not apologizing for it. Every round needs a moment where the whole room feels smart.
33. What is the Green Lantern’s power source?
“His ring” is technically correct but not what I’m looking for. The ring gets its power from somewhere.
34. Which Avenger is an android created by Ultron?
35. Who was the first African American superhero in mainstream American comics?
Black Panther is the instinct, but T’Challa is African, not African American. The distinction matters, and the correct answer is someone most people have heard of but don’t immediately associate with this milestone.
36. In the comics, what is the Batcave located beneath?
37. What superhero team is headquartered in the Baxter Building?
38. What is Deadpool’s real name?
39. Which superhero carries a lasso that compels people to tell the truth?
40. What is the name of Doctor Strange’s mentor in the MCU?
41. What was Captain America’s original shield shaped like before he got the round one?
People who’ve only seen the movies have no idea there was a different shield. People who know the comics picture it immediately.
42. In the DC Universe, what is Aquaman’s Atlantean name?
43. Which superhero’s rogues gallery includes villains named Gorilla Grodd, Captain Cold, and Mirror Master?
The rogues gallery question is one of my favorites because it tests a different kind of knowledge. You don’t need to know the hero. You need to know who fights them.
44. What was the first superhero movie to gross over $1 billion worldwide?
People’s instincts are all over the place on this one. The Dark Knight is the most common guess. It came very close but didn’t quite get there in its initial run.
45. What color kryptonite strips Superman of his powers permanently in the Silver Age comics?
46. Who is the alter ego of the superhero Shazam (formerly Captain Marvel)?
The naming confusion between DC’s Shazam and Marvel’s Captain Marvel has been a legal headache for decades. The character’s alter ego, though, is simple and kind of perfect.
47. What does each letter in SHAZAM stand for?
This is a six-part answer and I’ve never seen someone get all six without hesitating on at least one. Solomon is the one that trips people up most.
48. In the X-Men universe, what is Magneto’s real name?
The movies settled on one version, but the comics have given him a few names over the years. I take the most widely recognized one.
49. Which superhero was raised on the planet Tamaran?
50. What is the name of the symbiote that bonds with Eddie Brock to become Venom?
Trick framing. People want to say “Venom,” but Venom is the result of the bonding. The symbiote itself has a name.
51. In the MCU, what is Black Widow’s birth name?
52. Which member of the Justice League is also the king of Atlantis?
53. What is the name of the dimension that Doctor Strange draws much of his power from?
54. Which superhero’s catchphrase is “It’s clobberin’ time”?
55. Who was the first mutant in the Marvel Universe, according to the comics?
Not who you think. This answer changed over the years as Marvel kept retconning its own history, but the current canonical answer is someone very old.
56. Who played Batman in the 1989 Tim Burton film?
The casting announcement was controversial at the time. People wrote letters. Actual letters.
57. In the MCU, which film introduced the character of Black Panther?
People always say his solo movie. He showed up earlier than that.
58. Who directed the first two Spider-Man films starring Tobey Maguire?
59. What 2004 Pixar film is about a family of superheroes trying to live normal lives?
60. In the MCU, who snaps the Infinity Gauntlet to defeat Thanos and his army in Endgame?
The emotional weight of this answer still lands in a room full of people. You can hear it in how they say the name.
61. Which actor has played the Joker in the most live-action films?
As of 2024, this answer might surprise you depending on when you stopped counting.
62. What was the first MCU film ever released?
63. In Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, what is the name of the main character?
64. Which superhero film was the first to win the Academy Award for Best Picture?
This is a trick question, and I love watching the room wrestle with it. The answer might be “none,” depending on how strictly you define superhero film. But there’s one answer that always comes up.
65. Who played Superman in the 1978 film?
66. In the MCU, what song does Baby Groot dance to at the beginning of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2?
People remember the scene perfectly. The song title is the part that escapes them.
67. What was Heath Ledger’s final completed film role?
Most people say the Joker. He actually completed another film after The Dark Knight wrapped.
68. Which actress played Wonder Woman in the 2017 film?
69. In the MCU, what is the name of the AI system that replaces J.A.R.V.I.S. in Tony Stark’s suit?
70. Which superhero film features the line “With great power comes great responsibility”?
Everyone knows the line. The question is whether they attribute it to the right movie. In the original Sam Raimi film, Uncle Ben says it. In the comics, it was originally a narrative caption, not dialogue.
71. What is the name of the planet that the Green Lantern Corps is headquartered on?
72. In Marvel Comics, what is the Punisher’s real name?
73. Which superhero was created by a Canadian artist and first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #181?
The issue number is the clue that separates the fans from the faithful. If you know it, you know it.
74. What is the real name of DC’s Swamp Thing?
This one catches people because the answer depends on which version you’re talking about, and the most famous run by Alan Moore actually changed the character’s relationship to this identity entirely.
75. Which superhero has an archenemy named Sinestro?
76. In the Marvel Comics, what is the name of the dimension where Dormammu rules?
77. What superhero was once a member of the Fantastic Four and later joined the Avengers, and is considered Marvel’s first mutant by publication date?
This one requires knowing a specific character’s complicated publishing history. The answer is someone who’s been a hero, a villain, and everything in between.
78. What is the name of the pocket dimension where Superman’s Fortress of Solitude is sometimes located?
In most versions, the Fortress is just in the Arctic. But in some continuities, it exists in a tesseract or a pocket dimension. I’m looking for the Arctic here, though I give bonus points for the deeper answer.
79. Which comic book artist co-created Captain America alongside Joe Simon?
80. What is the name of the fictional metal that Wolverine’s skeleton is bonded with?
81. In DC Comics, what is the name of Batman’s son?
People who only know the movies don’t know Batman has a biological son. The answer tells you a lot about how far the comics have pushed these characters beyond what the movies show.
82. What superhero team includes members like Hellboy, Abe Sapien, and Liz Sherman?
83. Which superhero’s powers are fueled by the emotional spectrum, specifically willpower?
84. In Marvel Comics, what is the real name of the superhero Luke Cage?
His birth name is different from his hero name, and even different from the name most fans think of.
85. What is the name of the cosmic entity that the Phoenix Force bonds with in the X-Men comics?
86. Who is faster: Superman or the Flash?
I’ve put this in trivia rounds knowing full well it would cause chaos. The comics have addressed this directly multiple times, and the answer is consistent.
87. In the DC Comics, how many human Green Lanterns have there been?
This depends on your continuity and how you count, which is exactly why it’s a great trivia question. People start counting on their fingers and always miss one.
88. What superhero was originally conceived as a villain before being reimagined as a hero?
There are multiple correct answers here, but I’m looking for the most famous example.
89. Who is considered the most powerful superhero in the DC Universe?
This question exists solely to start a fight, and it works every single time. There’s no objectively correct answer, but there’s a canonical one that DC has leaned into.
90. In the comics, has Batman ever killed anyone?
People who say no haven’t read the early comics. People who say yes sometimes can’t cite a specific example. The history is messier than the rule.
91. What was the first superhero comic book ever published?
This question hinges on how you define “superhero” and “comic book,” which is why it’s worth asking. The standard answer is well established, though.
92. Who created Wonder Woman?
The creator’s real life is more interesting than most superhero origin stories. He was a psychologist, an inventor, and lived in a polyamorous household. The character was explicitly designed as feminist propaganda, and he meant that as a compliment.
93. Which superhero first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15?
94. What was the original name of the comic book company that became Marvel?
It went through a couple of names before settling on the one we know. The earliest iteration is what I’m looking for.
95. Who was the first superhero to appear on television?
This one depends on whether you count theatrical serials shown on TV or original TV programming. I’m looking for the first original TV superhero show.
96. What was the Comics Code Authority?
This isn’t a character question. It’s a history question. And it explains why comics looked the way they did for about forty years.
97. Which Marvel superhero was the first to have their own solo comic book series?
Not Spider-Man. Not Captain America. Earlier than both.
98. What issue of Superman comics featured the death of Superman?
99. Who killed Superman in that story?
100. What was the first major comic book “crossover event” between DC and Marvel?
This happened and it was exactly as chaotic as you’d imagine.
101. In the MCU, what are the names of Wanda Maximoff’s twin sons?
102. What superhero’s costume was originally designed to look like an American flag?
The obvious answer is Captain America, but I’m looking for the less obvious one. There’s another patriotic hero who predates Cap.
103. What is the name of the alternate universe in DC where the heroes are evil?
104. In the X-Men comics, what is Professor X’s full name?
105. Which superhero has an archenemy called the Reverse-Flash?
106. What is the name of the school that the X-Men operate out of?
107. In the MCU, which Infinity Stone is hidden on the planet Vormir?
108. What superhero was once a circus acrobat before becoming a crime fighter?
109. Which superhero’s love interest is named Lois Lane?
110. What is the name of Thanos’s home planet?
111. In the comics, which Robin was killed by the Joker?
The story behind this is wild. DC let fans vote by phone on whether the character should live or die. The margin was 72 votes.
112. What is the name of the villain who broke Batman’s back?
113. Which Avenger is known as the “Sorcerer Supreme”?
114. In Marvel Comics, what is the real name of the villain known as Doctor Doom?
115. What superhero team was created by writer Grant Morrison and includes characters like Robotman, Crazy Jane, and Danny the Street?
Danny the Street is a sentient, teleporting street. If that doesn’t make you want to read comics, nothing will.
116. What was the name of the superhero team in Alan Moore’s Watchmen?
There are actually two teams in Watchmen’s history, and people always name the wrong era.
117. In the MCU, what does J.A.R.V.I.S. stand for?
118. Which superhero was disbarred from practicing law in the comics?
This one rewards people who read the actual storylines, not just the Wikipedia summaries.
119. What is the name of the dimension that Spider-Man villain Dormammu… wait. What is the home dimension of Spider-Man’s villain Mysterio?
Trick question. Mysterio doesn’t come from another dimension. He’s just a guy with special effects expertise. That’s what makes him great.
120. In the comics, which superhero has been a member of both the Avengers and the Justice League?
This sounds impossible, but crossover events made it happen.
121. What superhero was originally published by Fawcett Comics, outsold Superman in the 1940s, and was sued out of existence by DC before DC eventually acquired the character?
The irony of this story never gets old. DC sued to destroy a competitor, then bought the corpse.
122. What was the name of the storyline where Superman renounced his American citizenship?
This actually happened and it caused a real-world political controversy. People argued about a fictional alien’s immigration status on cable news.
123. Which superhero’s comic book was the first to tackle the issue of drug addiction, leading to the Comics Code Authority revising its guidelines?
This is the question where comic book history and American cultural history intersect. The story goes that the U.S. government asked Marvel to do this, and Marvel published it without the Code’s approval.
124. In the entire history of DC and Marvel combined, which single comic book issue has sold the most copies?
The answer to this question disappoints people because it’s not a great story. It’s a great marketing stunt. And that tells you everything about the comic book industry in the early ’90s.
125. Superman’s creators, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, sold the rights to the character in 1938. How much were they paid?
I started with this number and I’m ending with it, because it’s the superhero trivia question that never stops working. I’ve asked it to rooms of hundreds and the silence before someone answers is always the same. People do the math in their heads. They think about what $130 meant in 1938. They think about what Superman has generated since. Billions. Billions and billions. And two kids from Cleveland signed it away for what amounted to a couple months’ rent because they wanted to see their character in print. Every time I tell that story, someone in the room gets quiet. Not because it’s sad, exactly. Because it’s real. Because the entire superhero industry, every movie and lunchbox and Halloween costume, traces back to two guys who loved a character more than they loved the money. That’s where all of this started. That’s the answer underneath every other answer in this whole list.
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