Top 10 Dysfunctional Superhero Relationships

Script written by Alex Crilly-Mckean
 

Top 10 Dysfunctional Superhero Relationships

 
Just because they’re super doesn’t mean they’re without flaws. Welcome to WatchMojo.com and today we are counting down the top ten dysfunctional superhero relationships.
 
For this list we will be looking at superhero AND supervillain couples from comic books and other mediums that came with some heavy baggage, whether it be emotional or physical disputes. While their love triangle is legendary, Archie, Bettie and Veronica aren’t super so they’re excluded. We’re also excluding relationshipsthat were short flings or one night stands, so don’t expect to see The Comedian and Sally Jupiter on this list. While that pairing was more messed up than most, their relationship status was never official.
 

#10: Cyclops and Emma Frost

Fans of the X-Men franchise are fully aware that the most sort after lady was Jean Grey, aka, um… Jean Grey. She had Wolverine pining for her, but in the end her heart belonged to the optic-laser blasting Scott Summers. In the comics however, Jean dies as heroes are want to do. However, she stayed dead long enough for Cyclops to move on and start dating the reformed villain Emma Frost, with whom he was already having a ‘psychic affair’ with anyway. Their relationship was rocky at best however, as Emma Frost was never able to fully shake her dark side and Cyclops still felt guilty over Jean’s death.



#9: Spider-Man and Black Cat

Peter Parker may have serious luck with the ladies, but Spider-Man just seems to attract the wrong kind of girl. The most dangerous of these was with master thief and Cat Woman wanna-be, Felecia Hardy, AKA, Black Cat. They began their relationship with simple fun and flirtation, but quarrelled over Felecia’s love of all things shiny. While the pair have had their share of physical romps, any chance of love was lost not only due to them operating on different sides of the law, but also because Black Cat only has eyes for Spider-Man and not the man underneath. Their departure was probably for the best, but there’s no doubt they would have made an epic power couple.
 

#8: Bruce Banner and Betty Ross

The Incredible Hulk is known for breaking a lot of things; unfortunately that includes Bruce’s relationship with his sweetheart. While the two tried their hardest to pursue a happy marriage, the green behemoth didn’t make it easy for them. Things were made infinitely more complicated by the fact that Betty’s father, General Ross swore to bring the Hulk down, even though that means killing Banner in the process. Eventually Betty found herself unwillingly following in her father’s footsteps when she became the Red She-Hulk, one of the Hulk’s most formidable enemies. These two doomed lovers are basically a marriage councillor’s dream come true.
 

#7: Elektra and Daredevil

Justice and revenge are two sides of the same coin, and so are these two. Trained to be lethal weapons, each sharing a tragic past, both operating outside the law, they seem like they were made for each other. In some cases they are, but with Daredevil’s moral code and Elektra’s lack thereof, there is some serious strain on their relationship. Throw in the fact that Elektra has a tendency to keep dying and that Matt Murdock has been known to take multiple women to bed, it’s safe to say these two were lacking a solid foundation to build a relationship on from the get-go.
 

#6: Ultimate Quicksilver and Ultimate Scarlet Witch

Before you ask, yes, in the Ultimate Universe, they are still siblings. The children of the infamous mutant supremacist Magneto, these two super powered twins have been portrayed as both heroes and villains of the Marvel Universe. Sometimes they’re by their father’s side fighting against the X-Men, while in other timelines they’re proud member of the Avengers.  Their romantic and very physical relationship however is exclusive to The Ultimate Universe, and it certainly comes as a shock to the rest of the Ultimates. The Marvel Cinematic Universe may take a lot of inspiration from the Ultimates, but we’re glad Joss Whedon didn’t decide to include this aspect in Age of Ultron.
 

#5: Rogue and Gambit

The X-Men’s Cajun Master of Cards and Southern Belle already have more problems than most when it comes to their relationship. Should anyone touch Rogue for too long, they risk going into a coma or even die. Imagine being in a relationship with someone you can’t even touch. However a lot of their most romantic and tender moments have come from their inability to hold each other. They’re one of the longest running on and off couples of the Marvel Universe, their at their most dramatic during their breaks. While both of them have tried on multiple occasions to move on, their relationship is one of the character’s most defining aspects.
 

#4: Hawkman and Hawkgirl

In some ways you could say these two were made for each other, and maybe that’s their biggest problem. Hailing from Thanagar, these two winged pictures of physical perfection are stuck in a constant state of rebirth, destined to find each other again until they are claimed by death, starting the cycle all over again. It’s not surprising that once they become aware of it they began to drift apart in pursuit of their own lives. With each incarnation comes new trials to overcome, whether they’re either running from or accepting their romantic prison.
 

#3: Ultimate Giant-Man and Ultimate Wasp

It’s no secret that while his genius was a crucial factor in helping The Avengers overcome all kinds of threats, Hank Pym has one hell of a dark side. Probably the most famous case of domestic abuse among superheroes, this was also a trait that carried over into the Ultimates comic series. Despite being younger, Giant Man and the Wasp’s relationship was no less violent, if anything it portrayed Hank in a much darker way than ever before. The most infamous of this instances came when he uses his ants to torture Janet while she’s shrunk down to her wasp size, and then sprayed her with bug spray when she refused to come out and talk to him.
 

#2: Batman and Catwoman

The Caped Crusader has an extensive list of ladies in his life. While some are just arm-candy to sell the Bruce Wayne playboy billionaire persona, there are a few that have truly captured his heart. Our pick of the litter had to go to the cat who compliments the bat in almost every way. While her love for thievery constantly causes her to clash with the Dark Knight, it also guarantees that they will always cross paths. There’s no doubt that the two love each other, and if they weren’t so stubborn about their own ideals they would be one of the greatest couples in comics, but for now they’ll just have to stick to fleeting moonlit romances.
 
Before we reveal our number one pick here are a few honourable mentions.
 
Johnny Storm and Lyja
 
Cloak and Dagger
 
Thanos and Death
 
Spider-Man and Mary Jane Watson
 

#1: The Joker and Harley Quinn

Oh Harley, we know a guy who can make you laugh is attractive, but even you deserve so much better. The Clown Prince of Crime always manages to find himself thugs and henchman in his mad quest to break the bat, but his most dedicated follower is the woman who has given him her heart. Which of course he proceeds to step on and shatter whenever he is in a joking mood. Verbal, emotional and physical abuse are all par of the course with The Joker, and sadly no matter how badly he messes her up, his Harley Quinn will always come leaping back to him on a moment’s notice.
 
Do you agree with our list? Which superhero or super villain relationship do you think it’s the most dysfunctional? With more top tens published every day be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com!