DC Comics has been putting out superhero comics for almost a hundred years now. Golden Age DC is very different from what we have now, but there are numerous tropes that are the same, such as the team-up. Heroes and villains alike have formed alliances to defeat their foes, leading to some of the best in comic history. Sometimes, these partnerships are between two characters who belong together perfectly and have formed groupings that have become iconic. However, sometimes, the best alliances come between characters who don’t have the most in common, their personality clashes and different goals making them even more entertaining than a standard team-up.
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The odd couple approach to things can get pretty old after a while, but DC has made it work for decades. Over the years, some of these strange partnerships have become iconic, adding to the legend of the DC Multiverse. These are the seven strangest alliances in DC history, groupings that shouldn’t work but do.
7) Martian Manhunter/Aquaman
Martian Manhunter is vastly underrated and has forged many lasting friendships, but the one that seems the strangest is his friendship with Aquaman. The two of them literally come from different worlds, one that ended in fire and one under the waves. One is the child of an extinct race and the other is a monarch of the biggest nation on the planet. However, they both know how it feels to be dropped into a new culture and formed a friendship based on everything they’ve lost over the decades. They’ve become one of the weirdest friendships in Justice League history.
6) Booster Gold/Blue Beetle
There have been numerous Justice League teams, and one of the most beloved is the Justice League International. There are lots of reasons the JLI is a favorite of many, and the friendship between Booster Gold and Blue Beetle is a big reason why. Booster is a man from the future who wants to be famous and Beetle is a wealthy scientist who decided to become a superhero. The two of them should have clashed and never became friends, but opposites attract. Their differences is part of what makes them such great friends, as each shores up the other where they are weak. They’ve become immensely popular, an an iconic duo.
5) Fire/Ice
The JLI was full of odd couples, and one of the oddest was Fire and Ice. To begin with, their powers are literally the opposite of each other and that’s only the beginning. Fire is a, well, fiery Brazilian supermodel/spy, known for her brashness. Ice grew up away from civilization and is the sweetest person you can ever imagine. Fire took a liking to Ice, and the two formed a perfect friendship, one that saw two people who usually never would have been friends become an amazing team. They protect each other, their differences making them greater friends.
4) Batman/Zatanna
Batman and Zatanna have quite a history. In the Diniverse of animated shows, they were the best of friends, having trained together with Zatanna’s father Giovanni Zatanna. In the comics, the two have worked together often over the years, sometimes with the Justice League and sometimes with each other. Batman is the hardest of hardcore people, while Zatanna takes things as they come and as a trained stage magician is all about the show. Their friendship has had its share of problems, including when Zatanna mindwiped him, but they always end up putting it behind them and working together.
3) Lex Luthor/Brainiac
Lex Luthor is Earth’s most unhinged genius, his life devoted to killing Superman. Brainiac is the universe’s most evil genius and he also wants to kill Superman. They are the greatest enemies of the Man of Steel, and have teamed up numerous times. However, they’ve also been betraying each other from the beginning. Both of them know the other is going to try to make a move against the other, and this has made their alliance work. It’s mutually assured betrayal, and it’s allowed them to work together pretty well until the inevitable happens. Sometimes it’s Luthor, sometimes it’s Brainiac, but it’s always going to happen.
2) Superboy-Prime/Lois Lane
Superboy-Prime is on a redemption run, helping Superman and Time Trapper battle the Darkseid Legion and teaming with Lois Lane during DC K.O. Superman disappeared after that story, and Prime decided to take his place in Metropolis, with Lois acting as his biggest cheerleader. Prime has committed horrible acts, but Lois sees something in him and is doing her best to give him the tools to become the kind of hero her husband is. Every page they share is awesome, forming an amazing alliance that will hopefully never end.
1) Cyborg Superman/Sinestro Corps
Cyborg Superman was once Hank Henshaw, a scientist who accidentally sentenced his wife and best friends to death when he took them into space. Superman failed to save them, and Hank swore revenge, sending his consciousness into computers. After the Man of Steel died, Henshaw was able to construct a body that fooled all of Superman’s friends into thinking he was the real deal. He’d destroy Coast City and end up being defeated, returning many times over the years because he wants to die and his cyborg form keeps him alive. Eventually, he was recruited by Sinestro, who promised to find a way for Henshaw to die if he helped the Sinestro Corps. He was easily the most surprising character to join the Corps, since he cares nothing for fear or order.
What’s your favorite DC odd couple? Leave a comment in the comment section below and join the conversation on the ComicBook Forums!
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Image Courtesy of Marvel Comics
