Quick Links

Odd as it may seem, super-heroes and romances have gone hand in hand for years. Countless heroes have had the plotline of being in love with someone but unable to be with them because of the dangers of their life. The 1950s had tons of stories where Batman and Superman were pursued by a woman out to reveal her secret identities and the nutty idea of how they’d have to quit being heroes to get married. It continues today with various romances in comics, some better than others. A few heroes are actually able to carry on with families while others are the “star-crossed” variety. There was even cases of the heroes and villains having relationships. Some are truly dark; for example, no one can say the Joker and Harley Quinn have anything close to a healthy relationship, as fun as it may be to watch. Thankfully, others are better like Reed and Sue Richards.

That plays into movies and TV shows with several showing great relationships. Some have a slow build before paying off like Fitz and Simmons in Agents of SHIELD. Others look great but sadly suffer a breakup (Alex Danvers and Maggie Sawyer on Supergirl). Sadly, there are a few relationships that don’t come off as well. It can be folks who have little in common but pushed as a great love while others just don’t connect due to chemistry. For every great super-hero romance, another doesn’t come off nearly as well. Here are 10 superhero romances we loved to watch and 5 that made little sense to show how mixing capes and romance can have tricky results.

MADE NO SENSE: Clark Kent and Lana Lang

Smallville was meant to be a stripped-down take on the young life of the future Superman. It lasted eleven seasons and had a great following thanks to Tom Welling's good performance as a younger Clark Kent. The series constantly played on Clark’s first love being Lana Lang, played by Kristen Kreuk. The series pressed how Lana was the most attractive girl in school, a total winner and Clark wanting to be with her but also keeping her safe from his life. This could have worked but sadly, Welling and Kreuk didn’t quite have the chemistry to pull it off. If anything, Clark had far better chemistry with his best friend Chloe (Alison Mack) to the point fans thought they would be a far better romance.

It didn’t help that the producers continued to push Lana as some sort of ultra-capable girl with everyone talking about her skills but the character actually coming off whining and needy. When Erica Durance showed up as Lois Lane, it was obvious she was far better in so many ways than Lana, including bonding with Clark. Kreuk would leave the series for a time but later return with Lana and her “SEAL training” storyline, but it still didn't hit with fans. It’s a shame that the series’ early seasons were marred by the attempt at a “romance” that didn’t come off well.

LOVED: Spider-Man and Gwen Stacy

The first Spider-Man trilogy played on the long-standing romance of Spider-Man and Mary Jane Watson and did a good job with it. The Amazing Spider-Man movies shifted it to show Peter and his first love, Gwen Stacy. They start off as colleagues at school with Peter obviously attracted to the knockout blonde, but given his rather nerdy status, knows he doesn’t have a chance. He gets more confidence following the spider bite and he and Gwen soon begin to bond. They had a talk on a balcony with Peter reluctant to come clean about his identity, but Gwen turns to leave. So Peter webbed her dress to pull her back, revealing who he was as they kissed. That would lead to the rest of the film as the two would continue to connect.

The chemistry between Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone was fantastic and helped boost the entire film up more. It continues in the second movie of them together although Peter did want to break up in an attempt to keep Gwen safe. They did reunite but then, keeping with the comics, Gwen suffered her infamous deadly fate. The franchise was rebooted for the MCU but somehow, it lacks the same great romantic turn of this series.

LOVED: Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl

Many hold The Incredibles as the best comic movie not based on a real comic book. As it kicks off, Mr. Incredible (Craig T. Nelson) is riding high, saving a few people en route to his wedding to the stretching Elastigirl (Holly Hunter). His famous line is, “we’re superheroes, what can happen?” Then it cues the lawsuits against heroes leading to a public row that soon has superheroes outlawed. Years later, the duo are now a suburban couple raising kids with Mr. Incredible chafing in a normal life. He jumps at the chance to be a hero on the sly but soon becomes involved in a wild criminal case. Thus, Elastigirl and their super-powered kids, have to go in and help out.

This may be animated but the relationship between the two is better than most live-action marriages. They clash at first as Elastigirl wants to help their family while her husband would rather enjoy “the good old days.” But they truly love each other and help each other out and that shows in the fantastic climax. They really are like any married couple, a few bumps but truly love each other and always ready to help each other out. The upcoming long-awaited sequel looks to play on it more with Elastigirl in the spotlight. After all, it is like she said, she can't leave saving the world to the men.

MADE NO SENSE: Batman and Chase Meridian

Batman Forever was a serious comedown for the once-great franchise. After two good entries by Tim Burton, Joel Schumacher took over as director and turned it into far more of a cartoon. Val Kilmer was a poor choice for Batman, lacking the charm Keaton brought into the movie. Nicole Kidman was Chase Meridian, a psychologist brought in to handle the cases of Two-Face and the Riddler. She and Bruce were meant to be a good couple but Kilmer and Kidman just didn’t have the chemistry needed. Not helping was how the movie pushed Chase as a smart and capable fighter but then dressed her up in a hot outfit to try and seduce Batman, a truly desperate move.

Crazier is how suddenly, Bruce decides to just give up being Batman for her. A man who’s driven by a lifelong crusade to save the world just decides to give it all up for a woman he’s barely known a couple of weeks. This wasn’t true love, it was barely even a real romance. Plus, the sight of Batman grinning just never looks right. The fact that Chase never appears in the series again (for that matter, neither did Kilmer) doesn’t help it out. Sure, the next movie was worse but this terrible romance was another reason Forever helped sink the franchise majorly.

LOVED: Luke Cage and Jessica Jones

Sadly, it didn’t last long but it was still a terrific one to watch. As Jessica Jones began, she was a rough and boozing private eye haunted by her experiences broken by the evil Killgrave. Luke Cage was just a bartender when they hit it off for a one-night stand. It’s obvious Jessica wants it to be just that and end it. She does help Luke, which reveals her super-strength. Luke then shows how his skin is tough as steel. Realizing they finally have someone who can handle them, they truly cut loose in some wild escapades. They bond over their troubled lives and Krysten Ritter and Mike Colter are terrific making it all work.

There are some roadblocks. It turns out Jessica had been manipulated into killing Luke’s wife under Killgrave’s control and he naturally doesn’t take the truth well. Then he’s forced by Killgrave to attack Jessica for a brutal fight. However, there’s still a bond which showed in the Defenders series and while both have moved on, they clearly still connect. Given the comic book characters are now married, one can hope for a reunion as the two broken souls really did forge a great unit. They may not be a classic pairing but still among the best around.

LOVED: Tony Stark and Pepper Potts

In the comics, Tony Stark is well known for his long list of romances from the occasional super-heroine to some dangerous ladies. The movies have played on that more with the first Iron Man having him in a fling with a reporter. The next morning, the woman wakes up to find Pepper Potts given her the rules on how she’s going to handle this in the tone of someone who’s long used to this. It’s obvious that Pepper’s smarts are what helps Tony along, keeping him grounded and more than ready to deflate that outrageous ego. Robert Downey Jr makes a fantastic Tony but Gwyneth Paltrow backs him up as a truly smart and strong Pepper.

It carries through the movies, Pepper caring for Tony deeply and doing her best to handle his nutty antics. She stepped up big time in the third movie, actually donning the armor herself for a big action sequence. She later ended up being the one to save Tony from the villain of the piece thanks to a brief dose of super-powers. Their breakup in Civil War obviously affected Tony but they were engaged by Infinity War. Their relationship is a great way for the MCU to grow and the chemistry a great turn to help the series out.

MADE NO SENSE: Oliver Queen and Felicity Smoak

Originally, Felicity Smoak was supposed to be just a one-shot character. The quirky IT tech would pop up in one scene of Oliver Queen going for information and that was it. But Emily Bett Rickards was so engaging in the role that the producers brought her back and the audiences liked her. She soon joined Oliver’s quest for justice and her funny lines and great charm brought a much-needed levity to the show. Indeed, up until the third season, fans would cite Felicity as one of the best parts of the show. However, as she and Oliver got together, things seemed to change with Felicity coming off a bit more selfish.

That’s continued as she and Oliver continue to get together but Felicity is shown to be willing to go around him on things, countermand his orders and more. Yet the show continues to push her as a great love for Oliver. Fans are not agreeing, feeling Oliver is much better suited for Laurel Lance. The lowlight would be when Felicity decided she and Oliver should get married right along with Barry Allen and Iris West which made fans upset. The show seems to be trying to fix it but it still seems off for the archer and the hacker to be together and more than one Arrow fan feels their relationship hampers the show more than helps it.

LOVED: Captain America and Peggy Carter

It’s the tragic way it ended that gives this romance a push. In The First Avenger, it’s clear Steve Rogers is attracted to Peggy Carter, the gorgeous British agent helping Operation Rebirth out. She’s not just beautiful but shows her grit as she can go into battle as easily as any man. Their connection is obvious from the beginning, with Steve being a skinny guy from the start, not sure how to handle this gorgeous woman. But he’s wowed by her, not for her looks, but because of how she acts. She manages to help him out even against the Red Skull, and they share a kiss before he boards the plane. His last words before he crashes the plane are to tell Peggy he’s sorry they could never have that dance.

It plays into the Agent Carter series as Peggy still feels the pain of Steve gone and continues trying to fight for respect. Steve’s first thoughts upon awakening in the 21st century are about her. This leads to a heartbreaking moment in Winter Soldier as Steve meets an aged Peggy who talks normally at first, but then like a switch got turned off, can't remember who he is. Her death in Civil War clearly affects him as it’s obvious how he mourns the time they could have had together. They had a small scene in Age of Ultron together, which goes to show how their love stood the test of time.

LOVED: Wonder Woman and Steve Trevor

The old Wonder Woman comics played on how Wonder Woman took on the persona of Army operative Diana Prince to get closer to dangerous situations. That meant working for Steve Trevor with the obvious idea of Steve in love with Wonder Woman and no idea it was the mousy-looking woman working with him. The 1970s TV series had Lynda Carter and Lyle Waggoner having a good chemistry and balancing each other out well. The comics had a long period where Steve was married to another woman but a reboot put it back to them being together. This would end with Diana actually being with Superman for a time before another reboot changed it.

The 2018 movie was terrific in the chemistry between Gal Gadot’s Diana and Chris Pine as Steve. It’s shown how Steve is naturally intrigued by this woman who’s more curious about men than anything else. But it shows how well they bond in combat, and with that, Steve helps Diana deal with the horrors of the world. She’s rocked by his sacrifice which clearly haunts her for a century afterward. It showcased a classic mix of the old comics and in modern times to be another reason this movie was a terrific hit and even the amazing Amazon needs some love.

MADE NO SENSE: Supergirl and Mon-El

The first season of Supergirl was a bit rough as it was finding its ways. Melissa Benoist was good as Kara Danvers but the show saddled her with a few poor relationships. There was an attraction to Cat Grant’s son, but then her best friend Winn admitted he liked Kara who didn’t feel the same. The show played on her and James Olsen getting together and even kissing but in the end Kara decided they were better off friends. In season 2, Kara finds Mon-El (Chris Woods) who hails from Krypton’s sister world Daxaam. They clash thanks to how the two worlds long hated each other, but despite that Kara still tries to teach Mon-El how to be a hero. The show made a big deal of their chemistry and getting together. However, fans didn’t like it too much as for all the talk on Mon-El “changing,” he still seemed a rather selfish person who treated Kara badly.

The third season had Mon-El vanishing, then returns to reveal he had spent several years in the 31st century and gotten married. This naturally throws Kara and brings about some tension. A great episode has Kara, influenced by a psychic, going on a massive rant on all the crummy ways Mon-El treated her which summed up a lot of what fans had been thinking. That they openly admit how poorly the “romance” was done says a lot of how bad it came off on screen.

LOVED: Sara Lance and Ava Sharp

Sara Lance had been mentioned in Arrow’s first season as the younger sister of Laurel who was sleeping with her sister’s boyfriend, and both crashed with their yacht. Believed dead, Sara returned, having been trained by the League of Assassins and became the Black Canary. She was notable for how she played for both teams, mixing it up with Oliver but also Nyssa al Guhl along with some other relationships. Briefly killed off, she returned as the White Canary, leader of the time-traveling Legends of Tomorrow. That gave her a chance for unique one-night stands from Supergirl’s Alex Danvers to the Queen of France.

In season three, the Legends started to clash with the Time Bureau, an agency monitoring time who considered them a bunch of bunglers. Sara really mixed it up with Ava Sharpe (Jes Macallan), a cold agent. This included a knock-down brawl between them. However, something also sparked as they eventually worked together and even went on a date. Sara was freaked out over not being “normal” enough for Ava but Ava made it clear she didn’t care about that. The duo were soon together and there was a wonderful connection between them. This includes everything from the stunning truth of Ava’s origins to her giving Sara the confidence to fight a demon. The upcoming season will have Ava as a regular on the show and continue a fun relationship of two women who can kick butt together.

LOVED: Batman and Catwoman

There’s always been a strange chemistry between them. The crime-fighter and the sultry thief, they’re on opposite sides but that just adds to their appeal. It was always there in the classic comics and the campy 1960s Batman series had a great touch on it. It was clear Julie Newmar’s sultry Catwoman had a thing for Batman but of course, Adam West’s Caped Crusader couldn’t give up his crime-fighting career. The comics played on it with one alternate world where they married and had a daughter who became the crime-fighting Huntress. DC has shifted their history but the relationship between them remains and has built to them even engaged.

Batman Returns had Michelle Pfeiffer as a very hot Catwoman and her chemistry with Michael Keaton’s Batman was terrific. There’s also The Dark Knight Rises as Anne Hathaway had a new toughness about her that carried well with Christian Bale. There’s also the 1990s animated series that had a great connection between them. They may be on opposite sides but the Bat and the Cat have a bond better than most romances and show that through all the darkness of Batman’s world, Catwoman is a great light to balance him out.

MADE NO SENSE: Hulk and Black Widow

It’s obvious how they were going for a “Beauty and the Beast” thing. But pairing up the Black Widow and the Hulk still doesn’t make much sense. There’s no history for them in the comics as Widow has actually been better connected to Hawkeye (among others). The Hulk himself isn’t quite known for romances outside of wife Betty Ross and he and Widow barely have a history. Mark Ruffalo and Scarlett Johansson are good actors but they just couldn’t quite sell the relationship here. That it just appears to have been created between movies doesn’t help either as it once more just seems to come out of nowhere.

It’s shown Nat is able to calm the Hulk down and they do have a scene in Age of Ultron where Natasha talks of her dark past and Bruce compares it to the destruction he caused as the Hulk. But despite that, the two just have little chemistry and this “relationship” doesn’t quite work as planned. It was shown by their awkward reunion in Infinity War and seen as a real distraction for the movie. The MCU is able to give some great pairings overall but the Hulk and Widow isn’t one of them as there just seems little for these two to build on for a true relationship.

LOVED: The Flash and Iris West

From the beginning of The Flash, it was obvious how Barry Allen was in love with Iris West. When his mother was murdered and his father wrongfully going to jail for it, Barry moved in with the cop Joe West. He and Joe’s daughter, Iris, grew up together and while Iris considered them more like brother and sister, Barry’s feelings were clear. He hid them for a while, not sure she could feel the same. When Barry earned his super-speed and became the Flash, Joe was one of the first to find out and insisted Barry not tell Iris to keep her safe. Iris was engaged to cop Eddie Thawne and Barry dated a few other people but it was clear there was more there.

Things took a turn when Iris found out Barry’s secret and insisted on helping out. She was affected when Eddie sacrificed himself to beat the evil Reverse Flash and eventually, she and Barry finally got together. It’s been a great relationship as Iris gives Barry the strength to carry on and handle himself and Barry uses her as an anchor to his super-hero life. A fun episode had Iris getting the super-speed while Barry was stuck as normal and thus he had to be the one supporting her fighting a bad guy. No matter how things are, Iris manages to keep the Fastest Man Alive grounded and it works out well.

LOVED: Superman and Lois Lane

It’s had changes and shifts over the years but somehow, the romance between Clark Kent and Lois Lane remains the most iconic in all of comics. True, through the 1950s and ‘60s, it could be a bit sadder as Lois would try constantly to prove Superman’s secret identity and then marry him. Margot Kidder made the role stronger in the first Superman movie and the second had her finally figuring it out. That led to a fun romance that Kidder and Christopher Reeve sold well although it had to be forgotten to keep her safe. The Superman Returns film hurt a bit as Brandon Routh and Kate Bosworth didn’t have nearly the same chemistry. But Henry Cavill and Amy Adams did manage to capture more of it for Man of Steel.

It was TV that brought the relationship to a great life. In Lois & Clark, Dean Cain was a good Superman but Teri Hatcher was a fantastic Lois, intelligent, smart and very beautiful. Their great chemistry made the show a success. Tom Welling and Erica Durance helped make it work as well for Smallville. Thus, the relationship between the Man of Steel and this intrepid reporter remains one of the best on TV to watch. Somehow, they just click and balance each other out in any medium and easily showcased thanks to great actors.