Superhero romances. Call them power couples, mighty matches, or whatever cute term that comes to mind, but superheroes in love have been part of comic books since the earliest days of the medium, all the way back to Hawkman and Hawkgirl in the Golden Age.
There have been super-weddings (most recently that old rogue Tony Stark married Emma Frost, though that wasn't exactly for reasons of love), super-breakups and - very occasionally - even long-term relationships between heroes that have worked out despite the pressures of fighting various flavors of crime, alien invasions, multi-dimensional incursions, and so on.
But which superhero romances are our favorites? We've picked out 10 that remain relevant to this day (and in which both parties involved are superheroes - Peter Parker and MJ don't make the cut because, while she is currently the heroic Jackpot, she's no longer romantically involved with Peter). Join us now then as we look back, starting with a relationship that remains controversial to this day...
10. Superman and Wonder Woman
For a brief moment, Superman and Wonder Woman were one of the most prominent superhero couples of all time. Almost since they started appearing together in comic books, fans have speculated and argued over the possible pairing of the Man of Steel and the Amazonian princess - with writers and artists teasing it in alternate universes and imaginary sequences for decades.
Mark Waid and Alex Ross went so far as to have the pair raise a child in Kingdom Come, and the relationship between Superman and Wonder Woman has long been central to Frank Miller's Batman universe in such works as The Dark Knight Strikes Again.
While the relationship admittedly doesn't have the longevity or historical significance of others on this list, there has never been an extended pairing of superhero icons of the magnitude of Wonder Woman and Superman. Alas, their relationship fell apart with the end of 'New 52' and was excised completely from continuity with DC Rebirth's 'Superman Reborn.'
For those Superman/Wonder Woman shippers out there, we'd recommend against expecting any fireworks between the current Superman and Wonder Woman - as he's happily married to Lois Lane. If Lois Lane was primarily a superhero that duo would definitely be on this list too.
9. Wiccan and Hulkling
Billy Kaplan/Wiccan and Teddy Altman/Hukling are about as unlikely a pair as you can get. One's the soul-shard reincarnation of the psychic manifestation of two superhero parents, the other is the heir to two cosmic kingdoms that, until he took the thrones of both, were at war for billions of years.
But they're also pretty much Marvel's cutest couple – two founding Young Avengers whose teen romance quickly blossomed into a relationship that has endured unspeakable challenges and continues to span lightyears
Since the event story Empyre, Billy and Teddy's relationship has faced its ultimate test, with Teddy having been crowned Emperor Dorrek VIII of the Kree/Skrull empire - though it's also brought their ultimate joy, as Teddy and Billy also got married, with Billy officially named court mage and royal consort.
8. Midnighter and Apollo
A company buy-out and multiple line-wide reboots can't seem to keep the Midnighter and Apollo apart. Described as the "World's Finest Couple" by long-time scribe Steve Orlando, Lucas Trent and Andrew Pulaski have gone from being considered Batman and Superman analogues to becoming the preeminent same-sex superhero couple in comic books.
Debuting in 1998's Stormwatch #4, the Midnighter/Apollo duo became a key part of the Authority, eventually marrying. The couple ended up outlasting their team and virtually all of their Wildstorm colleagues after DC's buyout and eventual annexing of that universe's characters.
In the first blush of the 'New 52,' the Authority alums were just ensemble characters on a new Stormwatch but through Midnighter's later usage in Grayson, he was promoted in 2015 for his first actual DC solo title. As Trent's life got a spotlight once again, it revealed the on-again-off-again nature of he and Pulaski's relationship – but that didn't stop Midnighter from descending into the demon Neron's realm to rescue Apollo in the Midnighter & Apollo limited series.
7. Green Arrow and Black Canary
Green Arrow and Black Canary have always had an interesting dynamic. Green Arrow is raw and ill-tempered, while Black Canary is determined and measured. As seen in so many famous superhero couples, it's their opposites that attracted them to each other in the first place.
Like many of the long-term couples on this list, Ollie and Dinah have had their share of ups and downs, not the least of which are the various retcons that have undone, rewritten, and eliminated their relationship time and again, but the duo have had just as many starring opportunities both in their co-habitated stints on the Justice League, and even in a co-starring Green Arrow/Black Canary ongoing series.
The pair didn't hook up in the New 52 era, but their relationship is yet another aspect of the old DC Universe that has been revived since. As of the current Birds of Prey run the pair are an item again and live together in Star City.
6. Cyclops and Jean Grey
Cyclops and Jean Grey have been in love since they were teenagers, with their relationship blossoming at the start of the X-Men's career, culminating in their eventual marriage after Jean's death and resurrection and Cyclops's marriage to another woman.
But their marriage wasn't exactly bliss – in a rare move for a mainstream superhero story, Cyclops began a psychic affair (that eventually became physical) with Emma Frost, the X-Men's former foe who had recently come to the side of the angels (and beasts and icemans and…). But Jean died again before they could hash things out, and so Scott and Emma began a longterm relationship that ended when Cyclops, under the power of the Phoenix Force, killed Professor X.
For a while it was implied that Cyclops maintained a polyamorous relationship with Emma as well as Jean while living on Krakoa, and that Jean may have had a similar connection with Wolverine, but that aspect appears to have been mostly dropped in recent years. Today, Scott and Jean remain a married couple, though the recent events of 'Fall of X' have complicated things with Cyclops having been captured by anti-mutant activists and Jean's physical body seemingly dying, with her mind living on.
Even through all that, they still love each other deeply and remain one of the most complex and layered relationships in superhero comics.
5. Gambit and Rogue
And here we have one of the most beloved X-Men relationships ever, responsible for bringing an entire generation of readers, 'shippers, fanfic enthusiasts, and soap opera junkies into X-Men comic books.
The most compelling aspect of the relationship between the Cajun ne'er-do-well, and the untouchable Southern bombshell is that it has almost always existed at arm's length - literally. It's that whole aforementioned untouchable thing, you see. Rogue's power has traditionally been uncontrollable, in the sense that there's a risk for anyone who makes skin-to-skin contact with her of losing not just their super-powers, but their memories, their identity, and possibly their life.
With that kind of obstacle in their way, the passion that undoubtedly exists between the two usually just smolders, unrequited, yet undeniable, so in the moments when Rogue and Gambit have been able to, for one reason or another, actually become intimate, the release of anticipation is palpable.
With Gambit and Rogue it's never been as much a matter of 'will they/won't they,' as 'can they/can't they,' and for many fans, the question will always be more important than the answer.
Now married, Gambit and Rogue remain one of mutantkind's most prominent couples, even once being dubbed Mr. and Mrs. X for their own title.
4. Scarlet Witch and Vision
Though it's surprising that an artificial intelligence and a somewhat naive young mutant could fall in love, it was Wanda's ability to look past the Vision's cold exterior and see the emotional, caring man hidden in his robotic shell that leads to their coupling.
Eventually, the pair settled down away from the Avengers, even parenting a pair of twin boys who were manifested by Wanda's mystical powers. Sadly, their relationship ended in tragedy, as the Vision was mindwiped and lost his personality, and it was revealed that their children were actually shards of the essence of the demon Mephisto.
An attempt to revive her children lead to Wanda's later breakdown, wherein she lost control of her powers, and inadvertently killed numerous Avengers - including the Vision - and saw the dissolution of the team. Wanda later returned from exile, and discovered that the souls of her children were alive in two of the Young Avengers (Billy Kaplan/Wiccan and Tommy Shepherd/Speed, specifically), though a reconstructed and restored Vision spurned his former wife for her actions during her breakdown.
Wanda's comic book status quo got a serious overhaul in recent years. Today she's unambiguously a hero again with a terrific solo book and she's managed to reconcile with the X-Men and rejoined the Avengers, along with Vision. That said, they are no longer currently a couple, despite a few hints that they may eventually rekindle their enduring romance.
Wanda and Vision's relationship was the core storyline in the Disney Plus streaming series WandaVision, which adapted many aspects of the two classic Vision & Scarlet Witch limited series.
3. Aquaman & Mera
While they've had to overcome many turbulent years (decades really) following the shocking death of their son Arthur Curry, Jr. (Aquababy) when they were no longer together and did some really horrible things to one another, in recent years DC has stabilized the relationship between one of comic books' oldest and most iconic superhero couples - Mera and Aquaman.
The longtime Queen of and King of Atlantis have been married and unmarried according to whatever rebooted era DC happened to be in, but today they are married, seemingly happily.
While superpowered with formidable abilities herself, Mera has been something of an under-realized and underutilized character since her debut in 1963, relegated to being a supporting Aquaman character/love interest for most of her history. Though DC still hasn't yet fully embraced Mera as a solo star on par with characters like Wonder Woman, Catwoman, and Batgirl/Oracle, she's been able to stand outside of Aquaman's shadow more than in decades past.
And while there's still room for growth, the rising profile of Mera as an equal to Aquaman's iconic standing again makes them one of comics' most powerful romantic pairings.
2. Batman and Catwoman
Another fan favorite romantic entanglement, the mutual attraction between Batman and Catwoman has been brewing for decades, with the justice-obsessed Batman constantly attempting to reform Catwoman, and the devil-may-care cat burglar doing her best to get Batman to take a walk on the wild side. Though both have often found themselves in the arms of others, and have both parented children with others over the years, the passion that exists between them is the stuff of comic book legend.
While they've never married or had children in the mainstream DCU, they've done that in more across the DC Omniverse - including over in Earth-2 seeing their daughter Helena Wayne grow up to be the Huntress.
The closest they've come to wedding bells in the main DCU was back in 2018, when Batman proposed to Catwoman, and she accepted. Invitations were sent out, a wedding dress was chosen, but Selina ultimately left him at the altar - and left town completely. If you like drama, that story's all collected in Batman: The Wedding.
Despite this, the pair eventually fell back into each others' arms and are a couple again - though, as ever, superhero life keeps getting in the way. The recent Gotham War event ended with Selina seemingly killed, only for her to realise that she now literally has nine lives. She's dealt with this development by leaving town (again) and throwing herself into ever more dangerous missions. Still, we all know she'll be back in Gotham one day, and it surely won't be too long before she's knocking on Bruce's door once more.
1. Mr. Fantastic and the Invisible Woman
Since the title first started, Marvel's Fantastic Four has always been about family, and at the heart of that family are Reed & Sue Richards, better known as Mr. Fantastic and the Invisible Woman.
Right from the start, their relationship was rocky, mostly thanks to Sue's attraction to just about anybody that hates Reed Richards and Reed's attraction to science - but the Richardses have one thing going for them that few other comic book couples have: they've made it work. They've stayed together through thick and thin, even when they've found themselves on opposite sides of the superhero Civil War, have raised a family, and flourished as a couple.
It's easy to wonder how they've made their love last - Reed can be an emotionally absent jerk, and Sue is often depicted as flighty and given to infatuations with Reed's enemies. But the truth is as simple as love can often be in real life; they just do.
They love each other, and just like real love, their relationship is built on an emotional trust that has survived some of the worst crises any world can offer. They rely on each other to be what the other cannot. Sue is Reed's emotional core, and Reed is Sue's logical center.
Never as strong apart as they are together, Marvel's premiere power couple is one of the best examples of love gone right in comic books.
Who are the best Marvel characters of all time? Join us as we pick out a top 10.
