History LetsYouAndHimFight / ComicBooks

* Early on in Comicbook/TheSavageDragon, Badrock from Comicbook/{{Youngblood}} randomly appears and attacks Dragon. They cause a bit of property damage, then Dragon gets the upper hand and Badrock begs off. He says he was just testing to see if Dragon, who had just recently appeared and joined the police force, was tough enough; that kind of thing "happens all the time in Marvel Comics." An incredibly pissed off Dragon proceeds to arrest him. Note that Badrock is a mutated grade schooler so he really wouldn't know any better.

* In ''Comicbook/SupermanVsTheAmazingSpiderMan'', Comicbook/LexLuthor and Comicbook/DoctorOctopus trick Superman and Spider-Man into fighting each other. It was unintended, but their actions led to both heroes fighting, and they actively tried to alter the outcome of the fight.
* Rift does this in ''[[Creator/MilestoneComics World's Collide]]'' to Franchise/{{Superman}} and Icon, [[LampshadeHanging stating that the two similar characters had to fight because that's what they're supposed to do]]. They play along and pull their punches. Rift realizes this and forces them into real NoHoldsBarredBeatdown when he states the loser's universe would be destroyed.

* As mentioned in [[WebVideo/AtopTheFourthWall Linkara's]] review, this was surprisingly averted in the Franchise/CareBears / Mad Balls crossover comic. There's an obvious set-up for it, but the protagonists manage to avert it by not being complete idiots.

* In fan and critical fave crossover ''Comicbook/XMen / [[Comicbook/TeenTitans New Teen Titans]]'', there's no conflict between the teams ''at all'' (thanks to Prof X). Instead, the time is better spent exploring how the superheroes would react to each other on a ''personal'' level. For instance, ComicBook/{{Starfire}} hears Colossus speaking Russian, and immediately gives him a long passionate kiss (since that is how she can instantly learn a new language) - which makes Kitty Pride jealous. Nightcrawler merely (and smilingly) asks, "Hmmm... ''Fraulien, sprechen sie Deutch''?"
* Averted in the "Shades of Green" arc from ''Comicbook/UsagiYojimbo''. A wizard summons the Comicbook/{{Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles|Mirage}} to the past to help Usagi and Jen defend his village from evil ninjas. The turtles take defensive positions and are about to attack Usagi and Jen when Leonardo (who met Usagi in an earlier story) says, "Wait a minute, I recognize that guy!" He and Usagi exchange pleasantries and Leo's brothers decide that if he trusts Usagi they will trust him as well.

* [[ExploitedTrope Exploited]] in the second ''[[ComicBook/TheSimpsons Simpsons]]/ComicBook/{{Futurama}}'' crossover. Bart runs into manifestations of DC and Marvel superheroes [[LawyerFriendlyCameo with their faces hidden in shadow]] and, to get past them, he tells the Marvel heroes that "[The DC characters] said that everyone from your comic company is a sissy!". They immediately start fighting and Fry lampshades this trope:
--> '''Fry''': Good work Bart! Lucky you know that comic book characters [will] fight each other at the drop of a hat!

* Played frustratingly straight in Marvel UK's ''[[ComicBook/TheTransformers Transformers]]'' story "Time Wars". A group of Autobots from the future come back to help fight Galvatron...and the present day Autobots attack them on sight, resulting in an issue long fight sequence. The thing that raises it to ridiculous proportions is that the present day counterparts of at least two of the future Autobots were part of the present day line-up at the time...yet none of the present day Autobots recognise them.

*** In ''ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogMegaManWorldsCollide'', the first act of the crossover is dedicated to setting up an epic brawl between Sonic and Mega Man. It gets lampshaded in ''ComicBook/MegaMan'' #24's "Short Circuits" segment, where both title characters are eager to work together before being informed by Orbot that they have to follow the "crossover by-laws" and fight each other first.

!!DC
* Example of the "BigBad manipulates the actors to fight and eliminate each other" trope: the miniseries ''ComicBook/CrisisOnInfiniteEarths'' featured a subsidiary story arc involving ComicBook/{{Brainiac}} and the Earth-One ComicBook/LexLuthor assembling an army of supervillains to attack the remaining superheroes. Brainiac and Luthor had led their villain army to believe that the superheroes would be easily defeated owing to the villains outnumbering the heroes (who were already distracted dealing with the huge honkin' crisis that was unfolding in the main story arc); however, the real plan was to have the heroes and the other villains kill each other off so that when the the dust finally cleared, Brainiac and Luthor would be the last superpowered "men" standing, and therefore be able to take over all the remaining universes without anyone left to defeat them. If ''ComicBook/WhateverHappenedToTheManOfTomorrow'' is any indication, Brainiac planned to dispose of Luthor soon after.
* In ''ComicBook/GothamCityGarage'', Batman makes [[ComicBook/{{Batgirl}} Barbara Gordon]] believe [[ComicBook/{{Supergirl}} Kara]] killed their father to turn her against her little sister. His deceit almost works, but Harley tells Barbara the truth before she meets Kara.
* In an interesting inversion, ''ComicBook/PlasticMan #4'' has the titular hero spreading himself thin, then standing between two robots, causing them to punch each other through the sheet of his body.
-->'''ComicBook/PlasticMan:''' Hey, hey! Rock 'em Sock 'em robots! Now that's more like it! Let's you and him fight!
* ''Franchise/{{Superman}}'':
** In the story ''ComicBook/WarWorld'', alien tyrant Mongul manipulates Superman into fighting Comicbook/MartianManhunter.
** In ''ComicBook/ActionComics'' #600, Comicbook/{{Darkseid}} tried to use illusions to convince Superman that he was battling his minion Amazing Grace and Franchise/WonderWoman that she was fighting Kalibak, when in reality Superman and Wonder Woman were fighting each other. Subverted in that the two heroes saw through the deception almost immediately and staged a mock battle, fighting their way toward Darkseid's throne room. As Superman reminded Darkseid, "We may be mere mortals, but we're not stupid!"
** This plays out oddly in another issue of ''Action Comics'', where Superman gets into a fight with Diode the Invincible over a misunderstanding... but while he wasn't a member of the murderous Doomslayers roving the area, Diode ''was'' a supervillain. After clearing the air, the aged wash-up decided to help Superman take care of the Doomslayers before retiring peacefully.
** In ''ComicBook/SupermanVsShazam'', [[BigBad Karmang]] forces Black Adam and the Sandman Superman to trick Superman and Captain Marvel into fighting each other so they are too busy to figure out and ruin his master plan.
--->'''Sandman Superman:''' If Captain Marvel and Superman were to discover these engines on their worlds, and join forces to destroy them, they might learn that one weakness-- and it is for this reason that I and Black Adam have been sent to involve the heroes in battle! Fighting each other, the heroes will be too busy to uncover the true threat to their Earths... In this way, both Earth-One and Earth-S will be annihilated-- and neither Superman nor Captain Marvel can do a thing to save them!
** ''ComicBook/StrangersAtTheHeartsCore'': Lesla-Lar subtly influences Gravitron Man and Gravity Lord into hating and attempting to destroy each other using their gravity-manipulating weapons, so ComicBook/{{Supergirl}} gets killed when she tries to stop them.
** In ''ComicBook/NewKrypton'', Reactron kills Supergirl's father, and in ''ComicBook/WhoIsSuperwoman'' his ally Superwoman frames Supergirl's best friend Thara Ak-Var (Flamebird) for her father's murder. In ''ComicBook/TheHuntForReactron'' storyline, both friends come to blows.
** In ''ComicBook/LastDaughterOfKrypton'', when Supergirl arrives on Earth, Superman introduces himself as Kal-El. She attacks him, thinking that he is a villain pretending to be a Kryptonian because she is unaware that Krypton has been destroyed and thinks that it has only been a short time since she left, and when she left, her cousin Kal-El was a mere baby. She eventually relents after the initial misunderstanding.
* The series ''ComicBook/BirdsOfPrey'' once [[LampshadeHanging hung a lampshade]] on the trope with a novice crime fighter who was styling herself as the new ComicBook/{{Batgirl}}. Using her teleporting powers she had been watching the heroes for a long time and knew not only that they were good guys, but also their names, secret identities and powers, and when they set up an ambush one evening to try and find out who has been masquerading as Batgirl (Something Oracle, the ''original'' Batgirl, does not take lightly) she could not have been happier. As they are fighting [[CasualDangerDialogue she happily converses with all the participants]] and explains that after they are done fighting they can all be good friends and teammates, because she had gained the impression that fighting at the first meeting was the traditional thing to do.
* ''ComicBook/Batgirl2000'' has a brief scuffle between Cassandra Cain and [[ComicBook/GreenArrow Connor Hawke.]] Connor comes to Gotham on the trail of bow-wielding assassins, only for Cassandra to assume ''he's'' one of them. It ends when Cassandra [[PlayingPossum fakes being knocked out]] so she can eavesdrop on him and Eddie Myers, confirming they're not the killers.
* Discussed in an issue of ''Franchise/TheFlash'' where he and the Pied Piper almost come to blows while investigating the murders of some homeless people.
-->'''Young Boy:''' This is gonna be neat!\\
'''Flash:''' Neat?\\
'''Pied Piper:''' Neat?!\\
'''Boy:''' Sure. You guys are gonna fight now, right? On account of you really like each other, but a supervillain made you misunderstand so now you gotta fight. So you're gonna fight for about an hour, then realize that you've got a common enemy and be life-long friends. Pretty neat!\\
'''Flash:''' ... Boy, do I feel predictable.\\
'''Piper:''' Let's cut to the part where we team up, okay?
* {{Lampshade|Hanging}}d in an issue of ''Franchise/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica'' in [[TheNineties the early nineties]]. Obsidian and Nuklon are waiting to meet up with the JLA to offer to join the team after its most recent roster overhaul, and Obsidian says, "First, they won't even let us join. 'You were in ComicBook/InfinityInc? Wasn't that some kids' group, like Menudo?' Then there'll be some bizarre misunderstanding, and they'll think we're villains, and there'll be a fight, and..."
* ''Comicbook/BatmanNoMansLand'' has an amusing aversion. Comicbook/{{Bane}} manipulates several of the various Gotham gangs into thinking Comicbook/TwoFace has murdered several of their compatriots. Two of the gangs, the Street Demonz and the Eightballs, run into each other while out for revenge and ''immediately'' team up to stage an assault on Two-Face's headquarters. No argument, no tension, no Mexican Standoff, no nothing. Apparently, ''common street gangs'' are better at teamwork than most crime fighters in the DCU.
* Comicbook/LegionOfSuperHeroes:
** In his first meeting with the Legion, the clone Comicbook/{{Superboy}} mistakes them for villains. If you [[{{Wingdinglish}} translate the Interlac]], Saturn Girl says "This must be the 20th century tradition of fighting then teaming-up I've heard about."
** The JLA/JSA/Legion teamup in the Lightning Saga subverted this slightly by having Superman introduce the Legion team when they showed up in the past [[spoiler: though Karate Kid had been beaten up as Trident earlier]] and in fact Star Boy had already been on one of the teams. But then they all had issues with each other later.
** Also subverted in a different meeting of Superboy and a Legion team. [[spoiler: Turns out the mission team had been pretending to be average citizens and had insinuated themselves into his life beforehand.]]
** This was given a possible callback in ''ComicBook/DCOneMillion''; the Batman of the future (no, not ''that'' [[WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond Batman of the Future]]) meets modern Nightwing, and fights him. Nightwing asks why, and Batman 1-mil says he's honoring the superhero tradition of fighting before teaming up.
* ''Comicbook/BlueBeetle'' and Franchise/GreenLantern Guy Gardner had one when they first met, as his ring detected Jaime's Reach technology as a threat. Also notable for the rematch having been broken up by one fighter's ''mother''.
* In an early storyline of ''Comicbook/JusticeLeagueInternational'', Maxwell Lord and his computer ally sicced the League on Metron after framing him for creating a rampaging robot. Their plan went awry when it turned out that Metron and Mister Miracle knew each other as New Gods and were more inclined to talk things out.
* ''ComicBook/JusticeLeague2011'' puts together the Justice League in this fashion. Green Lantern gets a tip about alien technology in Gotham and finds Batman. They only argue before teaming up, but since the only alien they know of is Superman, they head to Metropolis to question him. GL calls in the Flash when that doesn't go so well, and they all whale on each other for a while until the alien tech activates and starts spewing Darkseid's [[{{Mooks}} Parademons]].
* ''Franchise/WonderWoman'':
** ''ComicBook/WonderWoman1942'': The Green Geni manage to manipulate Wonder Woman and the Holliday Girls into fighting the Golden Policewomen by framing themselves as victims and the Golden gals as opressors. The misunderstanding is helped along by one of the Golden Police's own accusations, but the two groups team up to prevent the Geni from escaping to do more harm once the Geni show their true colors.
** ''ComicBook/WonderWoman2006'': Diana's attempts to talk down a brainwashed Power Girl fail, so the two heroes fight instead.
** ''ComicBook/TheHiketeia'': Thanks in part due the manipulations of the Erinyes, their conflict morals in regards to the situation and Diana's obligations as part of the Hiketeia; Wonder Woman and Batman end up coming to blows twice in the story.
* In ''ComicBook/TheMultiversity'' #1, the Multiversity team and the Retaliators come to blows after a bewildered Thunderer knocks out his Earth-8 counterpart.
* The premise of ''ComicBook/{{Convergence}}'' sees various characters being forced to battle characters from across the Multiverse such as the pre-''ComicBook/{{Flashpoint}}'' Franchise/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica battling the ''Flashpoint'' Comicbook/{{Aquaman}}, and the pre-''Flashpoint'' Comicbook/GothamCitySirens battling Comicbook/CaptainCarrotAndHisAmazingZooCrew.
* ''Comicbook/{{Watchmen}}'' refers to a fight between the Comedian and Ozymandias when they first bumped into each other. Ozymandias shrugs it off as a common enough misunderstanding in reference to the trope, but given the Comedian's personality (and the fact that Ozymandias was investigating the disappearance of Hooded Justice, whom the Comedian might well have murdered) it likely wasn't an accident. And while Ozymandias trivializes the incident, [[spoiler:the severe beating he administers (or has administered) to the Comedian as part of murdering him]] demonstrates that he probably wasn't sincere.
* Defied in ''ComicBook/{{Aztek}}: The Ultimate Man''. When Aztek is confronted by an angry Franchise/GreenLantern out for a fight, he simply swipes Kyle's RingOfPower and then hands it straight back.
-->'''Aztek:''' Good, well, now that we've passed the predictable fight superheroes are obliged to have when they first meet and established the fact that I'm ''not'' a villain, maybe we can get down to business here. Friends?\\
'''Kyle:''' Ring first, ''then'' friends.
* Lampshaded in the ''Doctor Thirteen'' limited series. At one point, Infectious Lass asks if there's going to be a superhero fight, and then points out that in the 31st century, it's common knowledge that superheroes are ''supposed'' to fight each other before teaming up.

!!Marvel Comics
Creator/{{Marvel|Comics}} is ''infamous'' for this, as you will see, to the point even they lampshade it often.

* Franchise/SpiderMan:
** Spider-Man's second comic appearance ever (after his OriginStory) was a misunderstanding with the ComicBook/FantasticFour, who were almost the only other superheroes in Marvel Comics at the time.
** ''ComicBook/SpiderMen:'' As might be expected, Peter Parker from the mainstream universe picks a fight with [[ComicBook/UltimateSpiderMan Miles Morales]] because he doesn't trust ''anyone'' in a Spidey suit (not after that "clone" thing). Miles fights him off, however, because only a freaked out and off his game Spider-Man would ever pick a fight with a thirteen year old boy. And mostly because Miles can instantly incapacitate anyone by touch.
** Subverted and lampshaded in Creator/PeterDavid's ''[[Comicbook/SpiderMan Spider-Man 2099 Meets Spider-Man]]'' one-shot. Due to some time-traveling experiments, Peter Parker (Spider-Man c. 1995) and Miguel O'Hara (ComicBook/SpiderMan2099) switch places. After some running around, the two meet while pursuing a time-traveling Hobgoblin from 2211. Peter Parker/Spidey 1995 promptly quips "I know this is the part where we're supposed to be confused about each other, get into a fight, then settle our differences and chase the bad guy -- but we're short on time, so let's just skip all that, okay?" Miguel, dumbfounded, simply agrees.
** Lampshaded in ''The Spectacular Spider-Man'' #13 where, before teaming up, Razorback attacks Spiderman because "Isn't that what superheroes do when they first meet?"
** When Spider-Man met Comicbook/{{Daredevil}} for the very second time, the Masked Marauder deliberately engineered it so they would come to blows. He did this by having guys in Daredevil costumes taunt Spidey until he hunted down the real one. Why, you ask? So the only two threats to his plans would be too tied up dealing with each other to stop him.
*** It happens the very first time the two meet as well, thanks to C-list supervillain the Ringmaster hypnotizing Spidey into fighting Daredevil when he's trying to stop him.
** In the early years of his solo book, Peter's jerkassery tends to get dialed up a few notches whenever other heroes show up in his mag, ''even if they did nothing to antagonize him''. To an extent, this was an EnforcedTrope; any ''peaceful'' meeting would probably end with him joining ComicBook/TheAvengers or the ComicBook/FantasticFour, in which case money and/or publicity worries ([[StatusQuoIsGod the bread and butter]] of the typical Spider-Man comic) would go right down the drain.
* Namor the Comicbook/SubMariner decided to take revenge on the surface world, starting with the city of New York. The Human Torch arrived to stop him [[UrExample and the Marvel Universe was born.]] They later teamed up with Comicbook/CaptainAmerica when it was revealed the Axis was the true enemy, a plot Marvel still homages to this day.
* ''Comicbook/TheAvengers'':
** The original Avengers team was actually created that way: their members met when Loki attempted to trick [[Comicbook/TheMightyThor Thor]] and [[Franchise/IncredibleHulk Hulk]] into fighting each other and accidentally brought Comicbook/IronMan, ComicBook/AntMan and Comicbook/TheWasp into the fight as well. Thor ended up finding out the truth, and the five heroes, after defeating Loki, decided to keep teaming up together.
** The first meeting between Comicbook/TheAvengers and Comicbook/SquadronSupreme {{lampshade|Hanging}}d this way back in [[OlderThanTheyThink 1971]], with [[Comicbook/{{Hawkeye}} Goliath]] stating that it felt weird to meet another team of superheroes they didn't immediately have to start fighting. Of course, nearly every other time the Avengers and the Squadron have met, they've fought anyway, either because the Squadron have been duped or just brainwashed.
** Lampshaded when, about ten or twelve years ago in real time, The Avengers (actually, robot impostors) arrived in Germany to claim jurisdiction over the Red Skull and take him away in the middle of his trial by the German government. [[CaptainGeographic Hauptmann Deutschland]] wondered if protocol required that he should fight Comicbook/CaptainAmerica.
** It was lampshaded just a few years into the original book, when (during their first crossover with the X-Men) Hawkeye, Goliath, and Black Panther deliberately ''staged'' a clash-of-egos with each other to throw Magneto off-guard. Of course, the fact they expected Magneto (not to mention the readers) to swallow this without question is telling in itself...
* Some titles like ''ComicBook/IncredibleHulk'' can usually pull these off repeatedly due to his unstable mental nature. One day he's a giant with the mind of Bruce Banner, the next an unthinking ball of green rage. Getting these fights to stop usually involves a CoolDownHug and the inevitable HulksCooldownHugCorollary to avoid a change in the [[StatusQuoIsGod Status Quo]].
** Lampshaded in one instance by Hulk ''himself''. Granted he was in the middle of his "smart Hulk" phase, but during the Marvel Knights sagas he runs into Comicbook/GhostRider. Unfortunately for him, fortunately for the reader, Ghost Rider is in screaming Spirit of Vengeance mode, and he's not having any of it.
---> '''Hulk''': Alright, I get it. This is the obligatory "good guy meets good guy, they have an obligatory fight based on misunderstanding, then team up to fight the REAL bad guy. Can we just skip it?"
* ''Comicbook/{{Sleepwalker}}'s'' lack of understanding about the human world and its heroes led him to end up fighting with Franchise/SpiderMan, Deathlok and Comicbook/GhostRider at different points in his short-lived series. Thankfully, both of the comic's regular readers were spared Comicbook/{{Wolverine}} and ComicBook/ThePunisher guest starring.
* Used twice in ''ComicBook/{{Marvel 1602}}''. Peter Parquagh is sent by Sir Nicholas Fury to deliver a message to Carlos Javier. Before he can even reach the gate, Hal [=McCoy=] pins him to the ground and accuses him of being a spy. [[spoiler: Earlier, Parquagh is sent to bring Virginia Dare to visit the queen and is waylaid by her bodyguard Rojhaz. Rojhaz (who later turns out to be Steven "Captain America" Rogers) protests his exclusion from the meeting by lifting Peter up by his shirt.]]
* Subverted in ''Comicbook/SpiderGirl'', [[http://asylums.insanejournal.com/scans_daily/774475.html#cutid1 when she runs into Araña]] (Grown up version of the 616 Araña, who currently ''is'' the mainstream Spider-Girl, to boot), who wants to fight her. May absolutely refuses, since she refuses to turn "the hero biz" into some sort of "who's stronger" contest and runs away. But Araña chases her and goads her into fighting. From the start of the sequence:
-->'''May''': I don't do "tests", "misunderstanding battles", or "grudge matches".
%%* Lampshaded in ''ComicBook/{{Exiles}}'' and played straight dozens of times.
* Comicbook/{{Deadpool}} once explained the ''real'' reason heroes do this: '''It's fun.'''
-->'''Citizen V''': This fight is completely unnecessary.\\
'''Deadpool''': BLASPHEMY! ''All'' fights are necessary!
* In the ''Soviet Super Soldiers'' oneshot, the Crimson Dynamo laments that "a prerequisite to every visit I make to the United States seems to be a completely gratuitous battle against people I don't even know."
* Occurs in ''Comicbook/DeathsHead'' #10, when an UpperClassTwit manipulates Death's Head and Comicbook/IronMan 2020 to fight each other while he bets on the outcome.
* ComicBook/BlackPanther in his first appearance in ''ComicBook/FantasticFour'' attacks the Four to prove his worthiness to defend his kingdom and the usefulness of the team to help him. After making that point, he stops the fight to explain himself to the team and makes it up to them for the incident.
* Happens between the ''ComicBook/AvengersAcademy'' Students and Comicbook/TheAvengers in Issue #21 then again between the students and the ComicBook/XMen in the next issue! Previously, they also got in a fight with the Comicbook/{{Runaways}}, because of Hank Pym, in yet another one of his asshole moments, had plotted to kidnap Molly Hayes and Klara Prast. Thankfully, most of the Academy's students realized it was an asshole plan.
* ''Comicbook/{{Runaways}}'':
** Most of the team versus Comicbook/CloakAndDagger, who think they're criminals holding Molly hostage. Alex tries to point out how old the routine is, but the more experienced heroes make short work of them. (According to Dagger, ''Stilt-Man'' took longer to beat - ouch.)
** The Runaways also ended up fighting Creator/JossWhedon's ''ComicBook/AstonishingXMen'' over a misunderstanding. While the two teams traded blows, ComicBook/KittyPryde and Gert sat it out and ended up resolving the issue over a nice conversation.
* Somewhat lampshaded in a ''Marvel Team-Up'' miniseries a few years back. Wolverine is searching for a potentially dangerous teen mutant that happens to be talking with Spider-Man. When Wolverine attacks Spider-man, he dodges the berserking attacks and asks why do they keep having to fight every time they meet.
** This is a very popular device across the various incarnations of the ''Marvel Team-Up'' series, often with slight justifications. In ''ComicBook/MarvelTwoInOne'' #15, the Thing and ComicBook/{{Morbius}} are constantly coming to blows because the Living Vampire is trying to slake his thirst throughout the issue -- to the point that they all but ignore the villain of the piece.
* Justice Peace and Thor in ''Comicbook/TheMightyThor'' #371. This one has consequences: the fight delays Justice Peace's pursuit of the serial killer Zaniac, who kills several more people before they catch up with him.
* ''ComicBook/AvengersVsXMen'' not only pit the two groups against each other, it had its own tie-in miniseries dedicated to just the hero vs hero fighting (''[=AvX VS=]'')! Mind you, in this case there isn't any misunderstanding or mistake in identity involved - the two teams simply want things that are mutually exclusive. But some fans feel that the speed at which they resort to violence is just as contrived.
* A variation in ''Comicbook/AvengersArena'', in which Arcade kidnaps a number of young mutants and heroes and forces them to fight each other for his amusement in a parody/ShoutOut to ''Film/BattleRoyale''. The involved heroes are even ''aware'' of his plot right from the start and most of them actively try not to play it straight because they do not want to play Arcade's game and try not to kill anyone. Sadly, fights still happen because of misunderstandings.
* ''ComicBook/{{Nova}}'': Both played straight and lampshaded in one issue of vol 4., when Richard and his old teammate Darkhawk fight. Darkhawk refuses to listen to Rich, on account of there being a Skrull invasion going on, having already been attacked by Skrulls disguised as other heroes. Not helping is that the source of Darkhawk's powers make him unreasonable and angry at the best of times anyway. However, Rich's little brother intervenes and determines Richard is who he says he is, before shortly mocking this trope.
-->'''Robert Rider:''' Isn't it traditional for super-heroes to fight before realising they're on the same side?\\
'''Darkhawk:''' (''To Nova'') Did you want to hit him a lot when you were a kid, too?\\
'''Nova:''' All the freaking time.
* ''X-Men 2099'' featured the odd case of a "first-meeting misunderstanding" fight that had a lasting effect on the plot, occurring during the X-Men's first encounter with the similar group Freakshow. X-Man Metalhead was assaulted by Freakshow member Contagion, [[PoisonousPerson whose touch spreads a deadly disease]]; Metalhead survived because he was [[ChromeChampion in metal form]], but his body was mutated and he lost the ability to turn his powers off. Ashamed of his new monstrous appearance, he joins Freakshow (seemingly with no ill will towards Contagion) and doesn't appear again for a while.
* ''Averted'' in spectacular fashion in issue 5 of ''[[Comicbook/{{X 23}} All-New Wolverine]]'': Wolverine and the Sisters are teleported by Comicbook/DoctorStrange to one of Hank Pym's labs to steal an Ant-Man suit, in hopes that Laura can use it to fight the nanites killing the girls. Except Strange neglected to call ahead. Their break-in is foiled by Comicbook/TheWasp who...''actually waits to clear up the misunderstanding'' and only goes so far as preventing Bellona from shooting the place up. She then calls up Strange and lays into him over sending armed people to one of her labs without letting her know first.
* ComicBook/UltimateMarvel
** A spectacular pile-up of this trope occurred in the ''Comicbook/UltimateSpiderMan'' comic. Peter heads out to stop an up-and-coming crime boss named The Kangaroo only to find Daredevil's already there for the same reason. Daredevil then promptly drops what he's doing to beat the crap out of Peter really for no reason other than believing a teenager is too young to be a super-hero. This is soon dropped when The Punisher arrives, also to stop (read: kill) the Kangaroo and begins riddling the building they're in with bullets. Then when Spider-Man and Daredevil are trying to stop him (while still butting heads and insulting each other) Moon Knight shows up and only adds to the fighting. The Kangaroo attempts to skulk away unnoticed during all the fighting but Daredevil slips away long enough to apprehend him.
** ''ComicBook/TheUltimates'': Captain America easily convinced Hulk against Herr Kleiser, by telling him that he was after Betty. BlatantLies, but does Hulk care about such details?
* The Marvel What-The parodies of course take this UpToEleven. {{Lampshading}} is gratis:
--> '''Team Leader 1:''' "Everybody on the alert, this may be a hackneyed plot contrievance!"
* ''ComicBook/ThePunisher'' gets this all the time, in part due to the fact that many heroes see him as a legitimate threat (they want to arrest criminals, he wants to kill them).
** Several stories have Daredevil or Spider-Man show up to stop Frank. Depending on whose series it is, he either incapacitates them long enough to shoot whatever mobster he was there to kill, or incapacitates them long enough to run away.
** In the "Blood And Glory" story, he's even manipulated into shooting ''ComicBook/CaptainAmerica'' by a corrupt Attorney General (who makes him out to be behind the US selling deliberately faulty weapons to a South American dictatorship).
** One Daredevil / Punisher crossover sees Frank and Matt believe each other to be working for the criminals due to Frank murdering an attorney Matt was friends with. Matt later learns was Frank was correct and the attorney had been taking bribes.
** One story has both the Punisher and Wolverine hunting the same poachers. Naturally, Wolverine sees Frank with a gun near a bullet-riddled dinosaur and goes for him. They only stop when they realize on of the expedition's guides is aiming at them, encouraged by the leader's wife.
** In a later story, the Punisher and Wolverine are after some bizarre mob kidnappings (and it's not Frank this time). The victims are found with their legs cut off (Wolverine thinks Frank is the kind of sick bastard to do this, Frank thinks Wolverine's claws were used). It turns out a mob of [[DepravedDwarf Depraved Dwarves]] was behind it, and believed the two would join them (Frank because he kills criminals, Wolverine because he's short too).
* ''ComicBook/SecretEmpire'' deconstructs this trope along with TeethClenchedTeamwork. By the time of the crossover, the heroes have spent so much time fighting each other that there's no sense of trust between them. Not only does the evil Cap take advantage of it to easily get the heroes out of his way, ComicBook/{{Ultron}}, who has spent his whole existence trying to wipe out mankind, ends up deciding to just kick back and wait for the superheroes to do it for him because all their conflicts have done a darn good job breaking everything.
* ''ComicBook/StarWarsDoctorAphra'':
** When the Imperials raid her [[AuctionOfEvil auction]], Aphra ultimately leads a group of Stormtroopers into a room full of criminals who all want to kill her for a variety of other reasons, letting them all shoot at each other. [[spoiler: Later, she also leads the rampaging [[ArtifactOfDoom Rur crystal]]-powered droid into the room as Darth Vader arrives, letting them fight.]]
** When captured on [[PoliceState Milvayne]] by [[KnightTemplar Tam Polsa]] and a squad of local law enforcement, and facing execution, Aphra points out that Polsa is a vigilante. As she hoped, this causes the squad to deem him a renegade and turn on him, creating a distraction that lets her escape.
* ''ComicBook/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy:'' Any time, ''any time'' the original team goes near heroes of the modern day, things inevitably turn into a fight. By the 90s, they actually get a little wise to this. On one time-travel jaunt, Starhawk (who lives his life in a StableTimeLoop and could've ''warned'' the others all those times) actually takes steps to avert this, mentioning that if they just used their time-travel machine to zap into the Fantastic Four's office, a fight would break out, but by appearing in the downstairs lobby, they actually avoid a fight for once.
* ''[[ComicBook/InfinityWars2018 Secret Warps]]'':
** When the world's supervillains begin attacking the heroes all at once, Soldier Supreme notes that Iron Hammer is the only one not being attacked, and since he's dating Madame Hel, this looks suspicious. Stephen goes to talk with him, and ask him what's going on, but Iron Hammer gets defensive. Things get worse when [[{{Jerkass}} U.S.Archmage]] gets involved as well. [[spoiler:Just as the villains anticipated.]]
** In the third part, Ghost Panther gets transported to 2099, where the heroes of that era are fighting a Martian invasion, and one of their own just vanished. They assume the guy with the flaming skull has done something to their comrade and attack, until the Ghost Panther of 2099 intervenes and tells them to knock it off.
* In ''Marvel Comics Presents'' #53, Silver Sable and ComicBook/BlackWidow clash over custody of a French criminal named Yves Chevrier. Black Widow has been hired by several agencies to capture Chevier for gun-running, fraud, drug dealing and grand larceny. Silver Sable is after Chevrier for aiding a Nazi criminal named Heinrich Edelhardt [[ItsPersonal who later killed Silver's agents when they tried to apprehend him.]] Their fight is rather brief and they immediately turn their attention back to Chevrier when he tries to escape.

* ''Averted'' in spectacular fashion in issue 5 of ''[[Comicbook/{{X 23}} All-New Wolverine]]'': Wolverine and the Sisters are teleported by Comicbook/DoctorStrange to one of Hank Pym's labs to steal an Ant-Man suit, in hopes that Laura can use it to fight the nanites killing the girls. Except Strange neglected to call ahead. Their break-in is foiled by Comicbook/TheWasp who...''actually waits to clear up the misunderstanding'' and only goes so far as preventing Bellona from shooting the place up. [[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments She then calls up Strange and lays into him over sending armed people to one of her labs without letting her know first.]]

* Example of the "BigBad manipulates the actors to fight and eliminate each other" trope: the miniseries ''Comicbook/CrisisOnInfiniteEarths'' featured a subsidiary story arc involving Comicbook/{{Brainiac}} and the Earth-One ComicBook/LexLuthor assembling an army of supervillains to attack the remaining superheroes. Brainiac and Luthor had led their villain army to believe that the superheroes would be easily defeated owing to the villains outnumbering the heroes (who were already distracted dealing with the huge honkin' crisis that was unfolding in the main story arc); however, the real plan was to have the heroes and the other villains kill each other off so that when the the dust finally cleared, Brainiac and Luthor would be the last superpowered "men" standing, and therefore be able to take over all the remaining universes without anyone left to defeat them. If ''ComicBook/WhateverHappenedToTheManOfTomorrow'' is any indication, Brainiac planned to dispose of Luthor soon after.

** In the story ''Comicbook/WarWorld'', alien tyrant Mongul manipulates Superman into fighting Comicbook/MartianManhunter.
** During Creator/JohnByrne's run, Comicbook/{{Darkseid}} tried to use illusions to convince Superman that he was battling his minion Amazing Grace and Franchise/WonderWoman that she was fighting Kalibak, when in reality Superman and Wonder Woman were fighting each other. Subverted in that the two heroes saw through the deception almost immediately and staged a mock battle, fighting their way toward Darkseid's throne room. As Superman reminded Darkseid, "We may be mere mortals, but we're not stupid!"
** This plays out oddly in one issue of ''Action Comics'', where Superman gets into a fight with Diode the Invincible over a misunderstanding... but while he wasn't a member of the murderous Doomslayers roving the area, Diode ''was'' a supervillain. After clearing the air, the aged wash-up decided to help Superman take care of the Doomslayers before retiring peacefully.

* The ComicBook/{{New 52}} puts together the Justice League in this fashion. Green Lantern gets a tip about alien technology in Gotham and finds Batman. They only argue before teaming up, but since the only alien they know of is Superman, they head to Metropolis to question him. GL calls in the Flash when that doesn't go so well, and they all whale on each other for a while until the alien tech activates and starts spewing Darkseid's [[{{Mooks}} Parademons]].
* ''Comicbook/{{Supergirl}}'':
** In ''Comicbook/NewKrypton'' storyline, Reactron kills Supergirl's father and later frames her best friend Thara Ak-Var (Flamebird) for his murder. In ''The Hunt for Reactron'' storyline, both friends come to blows.
** In the New 52 story arc ''Last Daughter of Krypton'', when Supergirl arrives on Earth, Superman introduces himself as Kal-El. She attacks him, thinking that he is a villain pretending to be a Kryptonian because she is unaware that Krypton has been destroyed and thinks that it has only been a short time since she left, and when she left, her cousin Kal-El was a mere baby. She eventually relents after the initial misunderstanding.

*** In Issue #34, Sonic and Tails meet Belle, a wooden RobotGirl. Sonic mistakes her for a Badnik and attacks her until he steps on her tail, triggering an automatic kick function. As Belle, who doesn't even want to fight, apologizes for the kick, Tails steps in and [[WhatTheHellHero tells Sonic to back off]].

** The Runaways also ended up fighting Creator/JossWhedon's ''Comicbook/AstonishingXMen'' over a misunderstanding. While the two teams traded blows, Comicbook/KittyPryde and Gert sat it out and ended up resolving the issue over a nice conversation.
* Somewhat lampshaded in a Marvel Team-Up miniseries a few years back. Wolverine is searching for a potentially dangerous teen mutant that happens to be talking with Spider-Man. When Wolverine attacks Spider-man, he dodges the berserking attacks and asks why do they keep having to fight every time they meet.
** This is a very popular device across the various incarnations of the Marvel Team-Up series, often with slight justifications; In Marvel Two-In-One #15, the Thing and Comicbook/{{Morbius}} are constantly coming to blows because the Living Vampire is trying to slake his thirst throughout the issue -- to the point that they all but ignore the villain of the piece.

* ''Comicbook/AvengersVsXMen'' not only pit the two groups against each other, it had its own tie-in miniseries dedicated to just the hero vs hero fighting (''[=AvX VS=]'')! Mind you, in this case there isn't any misunderstanding or mistake in identity involved - the two teams simply want things that are mutually exclusive. But some fans feel that the speed at which they resort to violence is just as contrived.

* [[ExploitedTrope Exploited]] in the second ''[[ComicBook/TheSimpsons Simpsons]]/{{ComicBook/Futurama}}'' crossover. Bart runs into manifestations of DC and Marvel superheroes [[LawyerFriendlyCameo with their faces hidden in shadow]] and, to get past them, he tells the Marvel heroes that "[The DC characters] said that everyone from your comic company is a sissy!". They immediately start fighting and Fry lampshades this trope:

** ''ComicBook/ArchieComicsSonicTheHedgehog'':

* Example of the "BigBad manipulates the actors to fight and eliminate each other" trope: the miniseries ''Comicbook/CrisisOnInfiniteEarths'' featured a subsidiary story arc involving Comicbook/{{Brainiac}} and the Earth-One ComicBook/LexLuthor assembling an army of supervillains to attack the remaining superheroes. Brainiac and Luthor had led their villain army to believe that the superheroes would be easily defeated owing to the villains outnumbering the heroes (who were already distracted dealing with the huge honkin' crisis that was unfolding in the main story arc); however, the real plan was to have the heroes and the other villains kill each other off so that when the the dust finally cleared, Brainiac and Luthor would be the last superpowered "men" standing, and therefore be able to take over all the remaining universes without anyone left to defeat them. If ComicBook/WhateverHappenedToTheManOfTomorrow is any indication, Brainiac planned to dispose of Luthor soon after.