Martin Prince is an academically brilliant teacher's pet with the typical geek enthusiasms for science fiction, role playing games, and appalling dress sense. A perfect target, in other words, for Bart Simpson, and the bullies of Springfield Elementary School to pick on ruthlessly - and with Martin's fawning behaviour towards adults and condescension towards his peers many watchers of the show cheer his tormentors on.
One of his more notable appearances is in an episode where Bart takes him on for the class presidency. Martin, of course, has a comprehensive (though not particularly politically well-judged) platform that Bart, with the aid of Homer, picks apart with populist nonsense. In a debate, Martin begins to speak of the high level of asbestos in the classrooms. Bart interrupts and says "We want . . . MORE ASBESTOS, MORE ASBESTOS" leaving the entire class chanting this errant nonsense.
Despite the natural animosity between Bart and Martin, the two have teamed up on numerous occasions. In one episode, Martin tutors Bart in exchange for lessons on being cool. In another, Martin and Bart work together on a soapbox racer. Bart, Martin, and Milhouse all pool their money to buy a copy of the first Radioactive Man comic. When kids from Shelbyville steal Springfield's lemon tree, Martin joins Bart as part of the gang of raiders who seek to take the lemon tree back. Martin accompanies Bart, Nelson, and Milhouse on a road trip to Knoxville one spring break.