Mr. Fantastic and the Invisible Woman
Sue Storm and Reed Richards seemed to have done the impossible: love one another despite major arguments, marital woes and even death. They’ve battled against one another in the comic book Civil War, raised a handful of kids that are just as super-powerful as they are and dodged the unsavory motives of Prince Namor. As one of Marvel’s most well-recognized pairs, the Fantastic Four couple have been together, truly withstanding the test of time. The success of their long-standing romance can possibly be boiled down to one simple fact: they balance one another out perfectly. Sue has what Reed needs – empathy and emotional intelligence. She’s able to pull him out of his one-track-minded ruts in which he often finds himself. And Reed has what Sue needs – logic and reasoning. He can bring her down to earth and recalibrate her thinking. Here’s to the Richards!
Batman and Catwoman
Yet another iconic couple, this time from the DC world, Batman and Catwoman exhibit a lot of the important characteristics of a traditional, historical comic book pair. Their lives become entangled as their love grows, and like any real-life couple, each defends the other as they would defend themselves. A shot at Catwoman is a shot at Batman and vice versa. There’s a universally known fact that exists when it comes to the Dark Knight and his slinky lady: “If you want to get to them, you’ll have to get through me first.”
While the justice-bent Batman can seem obsessive and intense, the same can be said for the notoriously wild Catwoman. Selina Kyle is vivacious and a bit reckless; Bruce Wayne is lazer-focused and can be quite stubborn. But when the two come together, an equilibrium is found.
Their romance has burned red-hot for many years, and time hasn’t snuffed out their flames. I’m sure this classic couple is among the first that come to mind when you think of comic book relationships, and rightfully so.
Harley Quinn and the Joker
Alright, I’ll be the first to admit that The Joker and Harley Quinn don’t have a healthy relationship. In fact, it’s anything but. They’re both volatile and unstable, and the affections that exist between the two are tangled — and not in a good way. While I don’t endorse their relationship, I can acknowledge its significance within the DC Universe. No one thought The Joker would find a romantic partner who shared in his disdain for B-Man and his affinity for general recklessness. Harley Quinn seems, if only in certain ways, the only match to Joker’s insanity. Though their relationship isn’t great in a positive way, it is great in the scale of its history.
I’ve included the villainous twosome because I do enjoy each half on their own. Because, really, who doesn’t love a good villain?
Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy
Let it be known that I am 100 percent, without a doubt a Gwen girl. Beautiful and brainy
blonde Gwen Stacy affected Peter Parker’s life in one of the largest ways since the death of his Uncle Ben. Peter realized that his actions have consequences he sometimes can’t reconcile and lead to events that he can’t stop, stall or change. Gwen’s death shaped Spider-Man’s legacy and drove his motives in an immense way. Their relationship taught Peter so much about himself and what he wanted to contribute to the world, and Gwen’s untimely passing arguably influenced Peter’s every move from that moment onward.
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Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson
Vision and the Scarlet Witch
An unlikely pairing of a young mutant and a super-intelligent android, the relationship between Vision and Scarlet Witch was endearing and heartfelt. The Scarlet Witch, aka Wanda Maximoff, saw Vision for who he was – caring, sweet and strong – underneath his hardened shell.
They fell in a deep love and started a family – twin boys! – until their romance saw its heart-breaking end. It wasn’t for a loss of love, but a loss of memory, a horrifying revelation and a grave mistake. When Vision’s mind was wiped clean, he was unable to remember his love for Wanda, and when the pair found out their beloved Thomas and William were not real, Wanda spun out and accidentally killed Vision.
Though things have been restored on the Vision-Witch family front, I’m unsure if the once-in-love couple can ever be the same.
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Cyclops and Jean Gray
The first of Scott Summers’s romances was Jean Gray, a deep connection that has influenced the overall story of the X-Men world. Cyclops’s mysterious nature was irresistible to Jean, and she fell quickly. Though their relationship was long-standing and their romance true, as with many other iconic comic book couples, Jean and Cyclops were faced with many adversities. Through Wolverine’s interference, Jean’s multiple (yes, multiple) deaths, villainous clones, on-again/off-again cycles and a host of new partners for Scott, it’s little wonder why the pair’s relationship crumbled. Though the road to its end was messy, the Cyclops/Jean Gray romance is forever ingrained in X-Men history and in the hearts of its fans.
Colossus and Kitty Pryde
Keeping up with the streak of couples who haven’t made it through hardships, we have Piotr Rasputin a.k.a. Colossus and Kitty Pryde a.k.a Shadowcat. They make up one of X-Men’s most famous couples, and are remembered fondly for their touching – and wrenching – story. It began as young lust that might have never blossomed into something more. Kitty Pryde crushed hard on Piotr, and readers rejoiced when their mutual affections were revealed. Colossus even went so far as to get “Katya,” the Russian form of Kitty’s full name “Katherine,” tattooed across his chest after a particularly devastating incident. Though the two had an impact on their particular X-Men generation – much like Cyclops and Jean Gray had – their world around them had different plans for their romance. With Kitty now engaged to a new beau, it seems as though the momentous relationship is done for good. At least we can always look back on their time, knowing that even in the times of heartbreak and defeat, love was there.
Barry Allen and Iris West
Personally, Barry Allen a.k.a The Flash and his now-wife Iris West have perhaps the perfect relationship in comic book history. Perhaps it’s just the optimist in me, but I love how it seems as though things will always continue to go right for the West-Allens. Their love isn’t trite or tumultuous, isn’t hindered by outsiders constantly barraging them and hasn’t fallen flat once. I’m so happy a couple like Barry and Iris have become so classic in a way that doesn’t feel doomed or complicated.
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Luke Cage and Jessica Jones
Luke and Jessica and a baby makes three! As such a well-developed and mature couple, it’s a bit sad that the Marvel pairing aren’t as popular as they should be. They have a true and enduring love and, fortunately unlike some of the other couples on our list, have a fantastic track record of making it through overwhelming hurdles that seem impossible to defeat. Thankfully, audiences have begun to appreciate how special their relationship is with the release of the Netflix original series Marvel’s Jessica Jones. I wouldn’t be shocked if the duo soon goes down in comic book couple history to join the likes of the final couple on our list…
Superman and Lois Lane
These two are the pinnacle of epic comic book relationships. They’ve got everything you’d want, and need, in a partnership: trust, devotion, empathy, understanding, and true happiness. Their romance is one that is deeply humane and feels so real. Lois Lane + Clark Kent = ♥
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