Robot 6
The 25 greatest superhero romances (Or, That Spidey sure gets around)
Spider-Man loves Doc Ock? (by Lucy Knisley)
If we learn one thing from Jeffery Klaehn’s list of the 25 Greatest Superhero Romances, it’s that Bruce Wayne and Peter Parker are kind of trampy.
If we learn two things, it’s that that Scott-Jean-Logan-Emma lust love rectangle is a little icky.
Seriously, though, I enjoy lists, particularly ones like this that make me consider, or reconsider, how the relationships between certain fictional characters can take on an almost iconic status.
I won’t play “But he forgot –,” but I’ll note two things I find interesting: Klaehn’s relatively high placement of the Wonder Woman-Superman relationship — for some reason, I never give much thought to it — and Silver St. Cloud-Bruce Wayne — a coupling I was vaguely aware of but never realized had reached a “greatest” level.
My only criticism is that if I were doing this list — and I’m not — Scarlet Witch and Vision (No. 21, really?) would’ve been much higher, probably somewhere around Big Barda and Mister Miracle (No.7) .
(I stumbled upon the above illustration by Lucy Knisley by accident this morning. Sadly, Spider-Man/Doc Ock didn’t make the list. Maybe next year …)
- April 23, 2009 @ 09:17 AM by Kevin Melrose
9 Comments
Bumblebeeb
April 23, 2009 at 9:36 am
I’m somewhat disappointed that Ralph and Sue Dibny weren’t included. I’d say they deserve to be on that list far more than Batman and Silver St. Cloud.
Shaun M.
April 23, 2009 at 9:43 am
I was also surprised to see no Ralph + Sue. Very strange placement, without giving any explanation or summary. Ach well, it’s one person’s list.
Matthew E
April 23, 2009 at 10:02 am
There are quite a few that I’d include on there ahead of some of those. I mean, Superman and Wonder Woman? When was that anything?
My favourite that was left out: Ultra Boy and Phantom Girl.
Jay Andrew Allen
April 23, 2009 at 10:06 am
What, no Scott and Ramona?
I mean, the dude’s facing seven evil ex-boyfriends in the name of love. That’s fairly super.
David Welsh
April 23, 2009 at 10:25 am
Someone do the flip side. 25 doomed super-hero romances! You could fill a third of it with Daredevil alone.
Joe H
April 23, 2009 at 10:41 am
I’m surprised at (though in complete agreement with) the fact that Gwen Stacy and Betty Brant get listed ahead of Mary Jane Watson.
JJ
April 23, 2009 at 10:46 am
No Aquaman and Mera? No Hal Jordan and Carol Ferris? No Namor and Dorma?
Tom Spurgeon
April 24, 2009 at 4:28 am
I linked to that list, too, and thought it was cute. The one that struck me as perhaps out of place was Thor/Sif, which I can’t remember capturing anyone’s imagination when I was a kid. I’m not sure I was aware they were dating until later on because they they shared so little romance in the actual pages and no memorable storylines came out of the relationship. In fact, if you woke me up in the middle of the night and showed me the waterboarding apparatus and asked me who Thor’s girlfriend was, I might even answer “Jane Foster.”
People forget this, but Vision was for a time a big buzz character for Marvel, Wolverine before Wolverine, a Mr. Spock with weird-ass powers around whom entire, extended storylines were built. The initial Scarlet Witch romance worked for about 50 issues of subplots in some pretty good Avengers comics from back in that time, including the intrusion of the Swordsman’s hooker girlfriend, Mantis. I’m not sure anything about the marriage worked even a tenth as well as the initial “can you really fall in love with a robot” stuff did, though.
nichola
December 23, 2009 at 11:54 am
i think tyhey should be aroung 19,spidey and doc ok have a realy weird relationship.