5 Marvel Couples Who Are Relationship Goals (& 5 Who Aren’t)

Oh, I love you. It’s the glue that holds us all together, a romantic manifestation of all that is wonderful in the world. While people are always on the lookout for love, you might be surprised to learn that superheroes are as well. That’s right, even meta-humans and mutants want love, and superhero pairings have given us some of the best (and worst) love stories of all time. Marvel Comics has been brimming with romance since the beginning. Peter Parker, the youthful Spider-Man, fell in love with Gwen Stacey, and though their relationship ended tragically, he fell in love again, this time with Mary Jane. There’s Kitty Pryde and Colossus, as well as Black Bolt and Medusa, among many more. However, the force of their relationships has always moulded and created the Avengers, Marvel’s titular mightiest heroes. There were characters like Hank Pym and Janet Van Dyne from the start, with all of the hardships and tribulations that come with a complex comic book romance. However, certain Avengers relationships have withstood the test of time and continue to provide something to look forward to, that can be one of the most significant things in comics. So, let’s look at five Avengers couples that are amazing goals and five who we really shouldn’t look up to since they’re simply the worst.

10. WORST: HAWKEYE & BLACK WIDOW:

We really need to preface this piece by mentioning that no Hawkeye/Black Widow romance has worked out all that well. Each has been in a variety of pairings, ranging from Hawkeye and Spider-Woman to Mockingbird and Black Widow, and some are better than others. But these heroes are at their best when they’re on the run, when they’re riding alone, knocking out enemies from the shadows and not committing to any big relationships, friendly or otherwise. So you’d think that the combination of Black Widow and Hawkeye would be the one to bring it all to a close, right? You’d think so, but as previously said, these heroes are really better off on their own. Hawkeye is also more effective when he is tutoring someone, whether it be Red Wolf or Kate Bishop (the best Hawkeye). While we would gladly see this partnership again in the future, we can’t say the first few rounds went particularly well. Things are a little different between the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the Ultimate Universe. In the Ultimate Universe, Hawkeye had a family, and he has one in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the latter of which we’re not sure about in the aftermath of Avengers: Infinity War.

9. GOALS: SPIDER-GWEN AND MILES MORALES:

Gwen Stacy, Spider-Woman, and Miles Morales, Spider-Man, had a brief romance that demonstrated how to do circumstantial love properly. Yes, both heroes are teens, but they are teenagers who feel out of place as superheroes in their own worlds. They could forget about the challenges of their various universes and just be cool adolescent heroes in whichever version of New York City they’re in. It was a pair that was briefly considered, but it was determined that keeping friends would be preferable. To be honest, that may be the most realistic aspect of the issue, especially given the multiverse and radioactive spider powers. They agreed to be friends since their friendship is the outcome of a fleeting event that serves to strengthen each character in their individual journeys. While some fans dismissed it, it stands as a high point in both characters’ short lifetimes. We can only think that the future for these two characters is just getting started, and they’ll be seen on the big screen together for the first time in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse later this year, which may be the quickest page-to-screen jump we’ve seen in comic book films yet.

8. WORST: SHE-HULK AND POWER MAN:

We wouldn’t call this a “relationship,” but it is true that Jennifer Walters and Luke Cage did date at one point. With the Absorbing Man issue and everything, She-Hulk had an aversion to dating “ex-cons,” as she phrased it, but she made an exception for her Heroes for Hire teammate. We wouldn’t call this one a goal because the two were never completely connected. However, a relationship developed between the two characters that has lasted through the years in comics, even when each of the two heroes found love in their own lives and solo stories. Maybe it’s a little difficult to be a superhero and date, like when you can transform into a giant, green angry monster or take a tonne of bullets to your skin and not even have a mark on you. The entire premise of superhero dating is extremely unexpected and unrelatable. But, to be honest, everything worked out for both of them. Jennifer Walters went on to become a very successful lawyer, and Luke Cage met Jessica Jones following her debut in comics, and the two have remained together (and married with a daughter) to this day. And now that She-Hulk is back on the Avengers’ main squad, everyone wins!

7. GOALS: PEPPER POTTS AND IRON MAN:

Pepper Potts (also known as Rescue) and Tony Stark, Iron Man, have had a long and difficult relationship. While some may claim that they were always destined to be together, the characters themselves believe that they are better off as friends. And, well, perhaps that’s the cheerful and healthy thing to do in this situation. They may feel ideal as a relationship, but that does not always imply that they are. The films may provide a different scenario in which Tony and Pepper are finally reunited, only to be (assumedly) wrenched apart by the events of Avengers: Infinity War, but that isn’t the case here. Tony and Pepper both appear to be fine at rolling alone, but they have this nagging feeling in the back of their minds that they could end up together. And, in terms of high-stress relationships in the Marvel Universe, this one is a breeze for both of them. They’ve both had flings throughout the years, but none of them has really made anything else work, so a friendship appears to be working just fine for Tony Stark and Pepper Potts for the time being. We believe that things will only improve for the two of them in the future.

6. WORST: HAWKEYE (KATE BISHOP) AND MARVEL BOY:

But it wasn’t until the series came to an end and the relationship ended that it became evident. It was an intriguing character study, but it was diametrically opposed to Hulkling and Wiccan’s earned and entrenched bond. Despite its heroic fantasies, the Young Avengers seemed real and approachable. And, we have to say, that’s how you accomplish good storytelling with caped heroes. Or, to put it another way, Marvel Boy and Kate Bishop are not the way to go. We’re more than better with Kate Bishop’s present relationship and Marvel Boy’s back in space doing his Kree thing. The Young Avengers have a lot of romance, but one of the more famous pairs is the Kree Marvel Boy and the best Hawkeye, Kate Bishop. And, while it looked to be a teenage romance stolen directly from the pages of a classic WB show, there wasn’t much to it. This was proven by what effectively brought the relationship to a halt: a number of awful errors on Marvel Boy’s part, distrust, adultery, and jealousy. That is a toxic tendency, and Kate Bishop deserved more in this situation.

5. GOALS: MR. FANTASTIC AND THE INVISIBLE WOMAN:

Reed Richards and Susan Storm’s love has physically shredded the fabric of Marvel Comics reality – potentially numerous times. They’ve been together through thick and thin, and the married Fantastic Four duo has proven time and again that marriage can work in the Marvel Universe. Victor Von Doom’s fixation with ultimate control and power, especially authority over Susan Storm, a woman he professed to love and loathed Reed Richards for, recently put their relationship to the test. In a way, this led to “Secret Wars,” when Doom ruled over a duct-taped “Battleworld” with Sue as his wife. But, of course, Reed Richards fights to the end for his one true love, the Invisible Woman. The entire family then set out to repair the multiverse, including the highly clever and powerful Franklin and Valeria Richards. Of course, this led Johnny Storm and Ben Grimm to believe that Reed and Sue had perished, but it appears that the tale will be wrapping up shortly. We could all use a bit more of Marvel’s First Family, Reed Richards, and Sue Storm in our lives.

4. WORST: CAPTAIN AMERICA AND SCARLET WITCH:

In terms of relationships, the ramifications of this one may be the worst yet. The Scarlet Witch has always been a romantic lover of the excellent Captain America, dating back to their early days as Avengers. So, in more recent comic history, the two eventually meet, and it appears to be a very wonderful thing. Captain America, on the other hand, gets second thoughts and decides to end the relationship, which, of course, does not assist Scarlet Witch’s downward spiral. Hello, Avengers: Disassembled. That may be because she was under Doctor Doom’s influence, but that doesn’t make things any better. And, while the events of “Disassembled” have been retconned here and there in the years since, it has left us with a bad taste in our mouths about the pairing of Scarlet Witch and Captain America. Whether we’re talking about the primary comic book Cap or the Marvel Cinematic Universe version of him, there’s basically just one lady (Peggy/Sharon) for him. Scarlet Witch, on the other hand, may have finally found long-term happiness with Brother Voodoo, but if comics history teaches us anything, it’s not to get too comfortable in any relationship.

3. WORST: ANT-MAN AND THE WASP:

It’s possible that you disagree with this entry. And that’s OK, because the canon events of Hank Pym and Janet Van Dyne’s relationship have been the subject of much debate over the years. But, if domestic abuse enters the picture, the last thing we need is for Marvel to reintroduce The Wasp to Ant-Man, or at least these two specific interpretations of the characters. And guess what? These two characters are better off apart. Janet Van Dyne, on the other hand, is better off without Hank Pym. Janet has grown tremendously successful while they were together, and she even has a mother-daughter connection with Hank’s daughter, Nadia Pym. Hank, on the other hand, has merged with the all-powerful Ultron (we believe) and may or may not be living it up someplace in space? The Hank Pym/Ultron situation is a little perplexing, but it can only be seen as karmic vengeance for a figure mired in controversy. With the release of the Ant-Man and The Wasp Marvel Cinematic Universe films later this year, we may see Scott Lang and Nadia become more prominent in the comics, but not as a romance. Certainly not as a pair.

2. GOALS: SCARLET WITCH AND VISION:

Whether you like them or not, the Scarlet Witch and the Vision seem to belong together. Sure, Vision is an emotionless android, and Wanda Maximoff is an unstable, highly strong magic user, but the two balance each other out, and their love is as genuine as any other comic book couple. But it was always doomed for these star-crossed lovers, with Scarlet Witch wreaking unprecedented mayhem in the Marvel Universe and Vision moving from forming his own Avengers team to marrying another android like himself and trying to start a family. In the comics, the two haven’t appeared together in a long time. Vision has been devoting himself to his profession and caring for his daughter, Viv, since the deaths of his wife, son, and dog. On the other hand, Scarlet Witch, on the other hand, has lost her brother to the timestream and is currently on a quest with Brother Voodoo and Wonder Man in the aftermath of the events of Avengers: No Surrender. And who knows what else? If Vision and Scarlet Witch reunite (and resurrect) in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, we may see a return for this comic book couple. We believe it would improve the dynamic of The Avengers, even if it would draw influence from the MCU.

1. WORST: HAWKEYE AND MOCKINGBIRD:

Clint Barton and Bobbi Morse were definitely relationship ideals when it came to really working out in the Marvel Universe for a long time. They were both extremely well-trained agents who loved living on the edge and being in the dark. They worked together to form the Avengers, lived together, and married. There was plenty of tension, love, and awe to go around, but it wasn’t designed to endure. Could it have been because Hawkeye was a fast runner? Probably not, which leads us to the conclusion that the two are best off apart. Hawkeye has had relationships with several of the Marvel Universe’s female characters, including Spider-Woman and Black Widow, and he’ll be the first to say that he’s not a nice person. But Bobbi is one of the brightest and greatest in the Marvel Universe, and she deserves to be happy, even if it isn’t with Hawkeye. Not with Spider-Man, though, because that didn’t seem to work out either. But, hey, there’s always the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. version of Bobbi Morse, who seems to have found happiness with Hunter. Who doesn’t enjoy a happy ending? Let’s hope it’s the one that stays.

So there you have it: five Marvel couples who are relationship goals (and five who aren’t). So which one did you like the most? Do let us know in the comments down below. Till then, keep on reading Animated Times, your one-stop destination for learning more about the entertainment industry, new movies, TV series, celebrity gossip, and so much more.