10 Unlikely Comic Book Romances That Happened
Romance is weird and sometimes happily ever after is not always on the cards. Having said that, creators pair up popular characters now and then and see whether the chemistry works out. In most cases, it does not. Now and then readers are treated or traumatized to some truly weird pairings. Without further ado, here are 10 of the weirdest comic book romances.
Captain America and Wanda Maximoff
Steve Rogers and Wanda Maximoff as a pairing is weird. Cap mentored her and even sought her assistance in the Christopher Priest run when Falcon went missing. Post the mission, Cap began to experience hallucinations of the Second World War which he began to confide in Wanda. As a result, the two of them grew close and even shared a deep kiss. Given that this moment came just before the events of Disassembled and House of M, Wanda had no recollection of it, leaving Cap upset and resentful but eventually reconciling and going on to work with Wanda again.
Iron Man and the Wasp
Starting an affair with the wife of a friend and teammate is probably not the smartest thing. Then again, Tony Stark has done worse. In Avengers #224, he started an affair with Janet Van Dyne, the Wasp, wife of Henry Pym aka Ant Man. Pym was framed, disgraced, and imprisoned. To add insult to injury, he learned that his wife Janet had filed for divorce. The final nail in his coffin of sorrows: he learned from the gossip columns that Tony Stark was dating his wife. Janet however found that Stark and Iron Man were the same and their relationship came to an end.
Iron man and Emma Frost
He’s a futurist. She’s a former villain turned figurehead for an entire species. Yet, for a while, Tony Stark and Emma Frost enjoyed a brief fling when she and her then on-and-off again partner Cyclops were not together in a relationship. This was revealed in the pages of Mark Millar’s Civil War event when Tony went to visit Emma and the X-Men in Westchester.
Hal Jordan and Arisia
The plucky young lantern, Arisia Rrab and her much, much ‘older’ colleague Hal Jordan were, suffice to say, a thing, back in the 1980s. Hal first referred to her as a little sister but Arisia had begun to develop a sense of affection for Hal. She even (brace yourselves) uses the power ring to age herself into a woman to seem more age appropriate and approachable to Hal who spurned her affections. Eventually Hal gives into what seems like a 14-year-old in the body of an alien woman in her twenties. Even the rest of the corps are wary of this but it did continue till about 1986. Yikes.
Doctor Octopus and Aunt May
We’re not joking. This actually happened and almost ended in the marriage of our beloved Aunt May to one of Spider-Man’s greatest enemies- Doctor Otto Octavius. Why? The answer is crazier than it seems. The supercriminal began a romance with Aunt May and eventually decided to marry her. Aunt May accepted his proposal. The reason Octavius wanted to marry her: Aunt May inherited an island housing a sophisticated nuclear power plant and Octavius wanted to take control of it and the world. Wow. Imagine the drama if she had asked him to sign a prenup.
Batman and Black Canary
How Oliver Queen let this one slide we’ll never know. Set in Frank Miller’s Dark Knight Returns Universe, the critically panned All-Star Batman and Robin by Frank Miller saw the Dark Knight and Black Canary get it on in the rain. Black Canary is aroused and proceeds to throw herself at Batman after they take down a gang of thugs. The adrenaline seems to do the trick as they get down and dirty. However, this is short-lived and not in the main continuity.
MODOK and Maria Hill
Secret Avengers is an underrated series. Ales Kot brings together both well-known and obscure elements from different corners of the Marvel universe and connects them so smoothly. In Secret Avengers #8, MODOK (yes, big floating head MODOK), saves the day and SHIELD by using his strong affections for the director of SHIELD, Maria Hill to overpower a monster. Instead of being creeped out, she has an honest heart-to-heart with the former villain, considering a future for both of them. Unfortunately, the series ended before we knew how they ended up.
Captain Marvel and Stargirl
Billy Batson is living every teenager’s dream as SHAZAM. Courtney Whitmore is proving her worth in one of the greatest comic book legacies. Captain Marvel, as he was known then, and Stargirl began to develop feelings for each other given that they were in the same age group mentally. However, the rest of the JSA was not comfortable with the budding romance as they felt that ‘a man in his 20s’ dating a teenager was inappropriate. Poor Billy had not told the team about his actual identity and was forced to end what might have been a cute teen romance.
Batman and Bekka
Being part of an affair is bad enough. What’s worse if that person you’re with happens to be married to a new god no less. When trying to help Superman escape a planet called Tartaros controlled by Desaad, Batman and Bekka fall for each other. The affair is memorable but brief, as they realize that she’s married to the super-strong New God, Orion. This aspect is also touched upon in the Batman Beyond universe.
Wolverine and Hercules
X-Treme X-Men #10 saw X-Men teams from various timelines, futures, and universes. In one of the many alternate Marvel Timelines, James “Logan” Howlett and the immortal demigod Hercules were involved in a relationship, prompting a lot of jaws to drop. It was a step forward for inclusivity in comics.
