Marvel Comics brought the shared universe concept to the superhero, leading to some of the coolest crossovers ever. The Marvel Universe is a huge place full of amazing disparate ideas and characters, with the actions of one group or hero echoing in the lives of others. Readers have been treated to some of the coolest team-ups between heroes and villains, and it’s become a favorite part of Marvel for many fans. Sometimes, these alliances make sense, with characters that belong together working with each other against their foes. However, some of these alliances are basically “odd couple”-type stories, with very different characters fighting side by side.
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These have ended up having some of the most awesome alliances in the history of the House of Ideas. They seemingly have nothing in common but somehow gel perfectly, creating pairings that have led to fantastic moments and stories. These are Marvel’s seven strangest alliances, ones that matched characters that had every reason to not work together.
7) Silver Surfer/Galactus
Silver Surfer is one of Marvel’s most storied characters, and his relationship with Galactus has always been complicated. Norrin Radd became the Herald of the World Devourer and the two worked together until they came to Earth. Surfer rebelled against his former and the two became vicious foes. However, in the years since then the two of them have had to work together numerous times to save the universe. Their relationship is interesting; there’s no real hate between them, but there’s so many years of history behind the two of them that every time they come together it’s electric.
6) Adam Warlock/Thanos
Adam Warlock and Thanos were diametrically opposed for years. Adam was all about saving lives and making the universe a better place, but the Mad Titan wanted nothing more than death. Their greatest battle came in Infinity Gauntlet, with Warlock costing the villain his godhood and taking the Gauntlet for his own. The loss affected Thanos deeply, as Warlock helped him understand who he was and why he failed, the two leaving as quasi-friends. However, the superior sequel Infinity War saw the two teamed together against the Magus, and they would continue to work together for years. They had been at each other’s throats for ages, so seeing them as a duo always prompted a moment of frisson.
5) Cyclops/Magik
Cyclops and Magik have known each other for years, but they rarely worked together until the 21st century. She ended up in his orbit during the Utopia Era, and has ended up becoming his second in command over the years. The two of them are very different people – Cyclops is cool and collected, a measured man who is devoted to his people where Magik is chaos incarnate. However, both of them are warriors of the highest order and have found a trust in each other that no one would have expected. They’re one of the best duos in modern X-Men history.
4) Doctor Doom/Namor
Doctor Doom and Namor are two people united by hatred for Reed Richards and the fact they’re able to work together as well as they have is shocking. Doctor Doom is Marvel’s greatest monster and Namor is their most mercurial character, and they should be at each other’s throats constantly. Both of them are known for their egos, and yet they work together better than some heroic duos. Atlantis and Latveria are allies, and even when the Sub-Mariner is on the side of the heroes, he’s still friends with Doom. Honestly, their alliance shows that hatred of Mister Fantastic is one of the strongest glues in the multiverse.
3) Sabretooth/Mystique
Sabretooth and Mystique are two villains who seem like they would clash immediately. They are both schemers and killers, but for some reason that has made their decades-long alliance work. Both of them know that the other is going to betray them at some point and they just accept it. They had a child together, Graydon Creed, had years of black ops adventures together, and have worked as a pair to take over the island of Madripoor. They make for an amazing team; they are both great in a fight, crafty, and just about unkillable. They could challenge any team of heroes out there, win the day, and then betray each other.
2) Luke Cage/Iron Fist
Luke Cage and Iron Fist are one of Marvel’s greatest teams, but the fact that they even work together is a shock. Luke was basically a mercenary superhero, protecting the people of Harlem, and fighting for anyone who paid him. Iron Fist was a wealthy kung-fu master powered by magic and a more traditional type of hero. Each of them represents two things that were popular in the ’70s – blaxploitation and kung-fu – and were able to work together brilliantly. They were always two very different people, and this allowed them to work together in ways that more connected characters wouldn’t be able to.
1) Spider-Man/Wolverine
Wolverine is known for his partnerships, and his current friendship with Spider-Man is his most surprising. The two of them once hated each other; Spider-Man didn’t like dealing with the mouthy killer and Wolvie thought that the Wall-Crawler was sort of childish and annoying. However, they became Avengers together, which led to some blows at times (most notably when Logan hit on Mary Jane and Spidey threw him through a plate glass window) but a time travel team-up saw them become better friends than ever. Since then, they’ve been amazing partners, working together and forming a stronger friendship than anyone could have predicted.
What’s your favorite strange Marvel alliance? Leave a comment in the comment section below and join the conversation on the ComicBook Forums!
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Image courtesy of Marvel Television
