5 Great Marvel Couples Nobody Talks About

Marvel Comics has always featured a plethora of multi-layered, heartfelt couples, from Mr. Fantastic and Invisible Woman to Cyclops and Jean Grey. Their relationships have been the center of a great deal of drama and character development, helping to elevate their stories to new heights. Yet, many other characters share equally meaningful moments, but because they’re lower profile, they receive much less time in the spotlight. It is perhaps not surprising that Marvel’s most recognizable couples have overshadowed these relationships. Still, this lack of recognition is especially unfortunate as many of these overlooked couples are arguably far healthier than any of Marvel’s mainstream pairings.

With so many famous couples claiming the limelight, it’s inevitable that some of Marvel’s most heartfelt and well-written relationships have gone unnoticed by the vast majority of readers.

5) Mettle and Hazmat

The love story between Ken Mack, aka Mettle, and Jennifer Takeda, aka Hazmat, is a heartwarming tale of two people who saw themselves as unlovable coming together to build a healthy relationship grounded in trust and empathy. Both teen heroes enrolled in Avengers Academy. Hazmat’s ability caused her to emit high levels of radiation involuntarily, which made her feel isolated. As for Mettle, he was repulsed by his metal skin and skull face. Mettle’s kindness and immunity to Hazmat’s radiation gradually tore down her emotional walls, and the two started dating. Tragedy would strike when Mettle sacrificed himself to save Hazmat from the villain Arcade. However, years later, it was revealed that Mettle survived the encounter, and the two young heroes were happily reunited.

4) Moon Knight and Tigra

Marc Spector, aka Moon Knight, and Greer Nelson, aka Tigra, seem like an odd match at first because one is the mentally disturbed avatar of the Egyptian God Khonshu, while the other is a human-tiger hybrid. Still, the relationship between Moon Knight and Tigra is surprisingly sweet and the source of compelling relationship drama. The two heroes began dating while members of the West Coast Avengers. However, Moon Knight had to break things off because Khonshu wouldn’t let him date Tigra. Years later, after Moon Knight had effectively freed himself from Khonshu’s influence, he and Tigra gave their relationship another shot. Unlike Moon Knight’s previous girlfriends, Tigra doesn’t judge him for his mental state, and their shared history as former teammates affords them a singular bond.

3) Rictor and Shatterstar

The relationship between X-Force members Julio Richter, aka Rictor, and Gaveedra Seven, aka Shatterstar, was a game-changer because they shared the first gay kiss between mainstream superheroes in Marvel Comics. An alien from another dimension, Shatterstar relied on Rictor to teach him about Earth and human culture. Over time, as they began to share common interests and fought alongside each other as members of X-Force, Rictor and Shatterstar’s friendship developed into something more romantic. As one can imagine, their different backgrounds often lead to relationship drama. Yet, even though they have an on-again, off-again relationship, it’s undeniable that Rictor and Shatterstar genuinely love each other, making them one of Marvel’s most fully developed gay couples.

2) Ka-Zar and Shanna

The king and queen of the Savage Land, Ka-Zar and Shanna, are one of Marvel’s longest-lasting yet most overlooked married couples. Growing up in the subterranean jungles of the Savage Land underneath Antarctica, Ka-Zar is a mighty warrior who battles all manner of prehistoric beasts and monsters alongside his pet Sabretooth-Cat, Zabu. One day, Ka-Zar encountered Shanna, an explorer whose love for nature and animals led her to move to the Savage Land permanently. Like the classic romance of Tarzan and Jane, Ka-Zar and Shanna fell in love, got married, and became a fearsome duo, protecting the jungles of the Savage Land from invaders. The two also have a son named Mathew, who followed in his parents’ footsteps, becoming a stalwart defender of the Savage Land.

1) Thing and Alicia Masters

Ever since Fantastic Four member Ben Grimm, aka the Thing, was first turned into a rock monster by cosmic rays, he thought he would never find love. That all changed, however, when he met Alicia Masters. Alicia is a compassionate blind woman who was manipulated by her evil stepfather, the villain Puppet Master, into helping him with his scheme to destroy the Fantastic Four. After Puppet Master was defeated, Alicia began dating the Thing because she was charmed by his sensitive, selfless nature. Alicia’s kindness towards the Thing helped the hero accept his new rocky appearance and overcome years of self-loathing. In 2019, after decades of dating, the pair finally tied the knot and got married, ushering in a new era for Marvel Comics’ most underappreciated yet healthiest couple.

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