The comic book genre is no stranger to love stories. Pairings like Superman and Lois Lane, Captain America and Peggy Carter, and Cyclops and Jean Grey are just a few of the many long-lasting relationships formed throughout the history of comics. It seems like no matter the hero, comic book writers have had them find love at some point. But what about the villains? Don’t they deserve love too?
Although it’s not as common as their adversaries, supervillains have been known to fall head over heels for other villains or sometimes even for the very heroes they have sworn to kill. For a few it’s a match made in heaven, lasting for entire runs of a series or across several decades. For others, their love is not meant to be and crumbles after a few short years. Either way, these pairings have led to some truly major power couples. Some of these are extremely well known, while others are more obscure, but are odd enough or important enough to be included on the list.
Here are 24 Supervillains Who Fell In Love!
15. General Zod and Ursa/Faora
General Zod is one of Superman’s oldest and most well-known enemies. The Kryptonian soldier has tried many times to lay waste to the Earth and destroy his old rival’s son, Kal-El (AKA Superman). Zod is often joined by an entourage of fellow soldiers. Sometimes the group consists of dozens of Kryptonians, while other times it is just Zod and a handful of loyal followers. In either case, the fierce warrior Ursa (or Faora) is by his side. The character of Faora has been around since the Silver Age, but Ursa was created specifically for 1979’s Superman: The Movie.
In the modern adaptation of the Superman comics the two characters seem to be one and the same, under the name Ursa. In this new canon, the lieutenant and her general are not simply allies. After being banished to the Phantom Zone in their initial appearance, Zod and Ursa got married and had a son. The boy escaped the Phantom Zone and ended up in the care of Clark Kent and Lois Lane. Needless to say, this enraged the villainous duo; they attacked Metropolis in an attempt to reclaim their child. Superman, aided by his newly-adopted son, were able to send them back to the Phantom Zone, where the couple remains to this day.
14. Carnage and Shriek
Everybody seems to have an opinion on Maximum Carnage. To some, it is the epitome of everything wrong with comic books in the 1990s. Others view it as a simple, fun, cheesy addition to Marvel’s repertoire. The story began with Spider-Man villain Carnage busting out of prison and bringing four other criminals with him as he rampaged through New York City. One of the enlisted villains was Shriek, a woman who had the power to manipulate sound. The five supervillains decided that the only people in the world they could rely on was each other and formed a “family,” with Carnage acting as the father and Shriek acting as the mother.
Shriek soon took a liking to the morbidly insane Cletus Kasady. Although it is never outright said in the original arc, Carnage seems to have feelings for her as well-- that is, until push comes to shove and he leaves her and the others to be captured by Spider-Man. The pair remained separated until 2014’s Deadpool vs. Carnage, where they were inexplicably reunited and fought against the Merc with the Mouth. In this story, the love is shown to be mutual. There is even a point at which Kasady allows himself to be arrested because he feels guilty over accidentally harming his love. If that’s not true romance, we don’t know what is.
13. Titania and the Absorbing Man
These two are one of the premier villain couples in the Marvel Universe. The Absorbing Man was a villain who appeared in several of the Thor comics, using his ability to “absorb” the form of any material he touched to give the God of Thunder fits. Titania was introduced during the legendary story Secret Wars as a lackey for Dr. Doom. Doom used the alien technology found on the Battleworld to give the then-scrawny and weak Titania super strength. In return, she pledged her allegiance to Doom and served him during the rest of the story. It was here, in the Battleworld, that the two villains met.
After Secret Wars was over, the pair returned to Earth as part of the Masters of Evil, where they began a somewhat on-again-off-again relationship. Later on, the Absorbing Man would admit his love for Titania when she became gravely injured by Thor’s hammer. The two got married not long after, in a ceremony that was rudely interrupted by The Avengers. The husband-wife villain duo have continued with their evil ways for decades, mostly appearing the She-Hulk and the Thor comics and playing a significant role in major stories like Fear Itself.
12. Plastique
Captain Atom is a character you probably won’t be seeing on the big screen anytime soon. As one of DC’s less prominent heroes, Nathaniel Adam gained his superhuman abilities when he was the test subject of the U.S. Government. Adam was put inside the hull of an alien spaceship as a nuclear bomb detonated under it. Plastique started out as an international terrorist bent on destroying the Statue of Liberty and the Canadian Parliamentary Building before being defeated by Captain Atom. The dangerous villainess had the power to create explosions on a whim.
After a brief stint with the Suicide Squad, Plastique learned the error of her ways and fell in love with her arch-enemy. Sometime in the '90s the two became engaged and eventually got married, although the wedding was never shown on page. The couple fought together as members of the team Extreme Justice as well as L.A.W. Unfortunately, their marriage was brief; in the early 2000s it was revealed by the Captain himself that the two are separated and that their marriage “was never meant to work out.” In 2006, Plastique reemerged in the DC comics continuity as having returned to her evil ways.
11. Kingpin
Wilson Fisk, AKA the Kingpin, is one of the greatest villains to ever grace the pages of Marvel. As a businessman, Fisk is shrewd and manipulative. As a crime boss, he is ruthless and cunning, destroying anyone or anything who dares to stand in his way. Wilson Fisk is such a major player that he is a A-list enemy to both Daredevil and Spider-Man. The most recent incarnation of the Kingpin appeared on the first season of Marvel’s Daredevil.
In this show, Kingpin falls in love with a woman named Vanessa. Fisk meets his new love at the art gallery in which she works; he takes an extreme interest in the girl and asks her to dinner. Although Vanessa is put off by Kingpin’s criminal antics at first, in time she comes to embrace and respect them. This relationship is one of the more sympathetic ones on the list; Fisk is an evil man, but having Vanessa around humanizes him. She makes him think about the bigger picture rather than just his unrelenting desire for revenge. Of course, adding love to the Kingpin’s emotional palate makes him extremely unstable. He kills some of his closest allies just because they upset her. It is Fisk’s love for his girlfriend that eventually leads to his downfall. The relationship of the two characters is still up in the air as we wait for Daredevil's season 3.
10. Baroness and Destro
The G.I. Joe series was one of the most insanely popular franchises of the ‘80s. Children would sit down each Saturday morning to watch the band of elite military forces take on the terrorist organization COBRA. Among the villains in COBRA was the evil Baroness, a wealthy European woman who served as a spy in the military. Her backstory differs depending on the series, but it almost always involves her witnessing the horrors of war first hand and becoming intertwined with COBRA as the head of their intelligence division. Destro plays the role of neutral evil in the series. He is a weapons dealer who does business with COBRA constantly and sometimes acts as the head of their technology division.
Destro and Baroness share romantic feelings for each other in almost every incarnation of the series. The two lovers constantly plotted to overthrow COBRA Commander and take control of the organization for themselves. Eventually the two split, with Destro becoming romantically involved with Zarana for a short period of time. Baroness and Destro end up back together after he literally “dumps” Zarana through a trap door. The relationship between these two characters has ranged from “unknown levels of friendship” to marriage, all throughout G.I. Joe’s decades-long history.
9. Rita Repulsa and Lord Zedd
Do forced marriages count on this list? Rita and Zedd are the power couple of the Power Rangers universe. Rita Repulsa was the main villain of the first season of Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers. When she failed to conquer Earth and destroy the pesky teenagers, Lord Zedd showed up and banished her into space. She remained out there until episode 41 (yes, 41!) of the show’s second season, when she returned with a new plan: she would use a powerful love potion on Zedd, marry him, and then kill him so that she could take his throne.
Although the relationship started with sinister intentions, over time Rita seemed to actually fall in love with the dark lord. The two even faced the same problems everyday couples face, such as Rita getting annoyed with Zedd’s loud snoring and a debate about whether or not they should have a baby (which they eventually did). Rita and Zedd remained as the Power Rangers' enemies until the finale of Power Rangers in Space, which was intended to be the series finale of the entire show. In the final episode, Zordon sacrifices himself and releases all the “good energy” from his tank; this destroys all of the monsters created during the series and turns all of the Ranger’s humanoid enemies (Rita, Zedd, and Divatox) into normal human beings. Rita would reappear as a good guy in later seasons, and it is alluded to by her son that the couple is still together, although “lost to goodness."
8. Mystique and Destiny
Mystique is one of the most well-known villains in the X-Men lore. The deadly assassin plays a pivotal role in all six X-Men movies and has been a member of the Brotherhood of Mutants since 1978. A major part of the character’s allure are her femme fatale characteristics; naturally, she would be involved in a few romances over the course of her history. Her most interesting and controversial romance came with the mutant Destiny.
Destiny was a blind mutant with the ability to see into the future. She joined the Brotherhood in 1981, and quickly developed a relationship with Mystique. Although it was never explicitly stated, many fans believed that the duo’s relationship was more than platonic. The pair danced with each other intimately, raised Rogue as partners, and Destiny’s death was one of the most devastating moments of Mystique’s life. In one particular issue, another villain refers to Destiny as Mystique’s “leman,” a term meaning lover. One of Destiny’s creators later confirmed the fan theory by claiming that the two were intended to be the biological parents of Nightcrawler. However, the comic’s code authority at the time forbade the depiction of gay or lesbian relationships, and the idea was scrapped. Even so, Destiny and Mystique’s relationship is one of the most interesting in comic history.
7. Black Adam and Isis
Black Adam is a famous DC Comics character who usually appears as the enemy of Captain Marvel (or Shazam, as he’s now known). The character has roots in ancient Egypt as the predecessor of Captain Marvel, which gives him the same powers of the famous superhero. His female counterpart, Isis, was introduced during 2006’s 52 story line as a “gift” to Black Adam from Superman villain Intergang. Adam, who had witnessed the brutality of slavery first-hand and sympathized with the captive, freed her and killed the ambassador who had brought her. Upon the return of her mystical necklace, the slave woman was given the powers of the Egyptian goddess Isis.
The two were married not long after and embarked on a quest to find Isis’s enslaved brother. During their many adventures, the duo encounter a group of villains who take on the powers of the four horsemen of the apocalypse. During their encounter, Isis is killed by Pestilence. Adam spends the next year attempting to bring his bride back, trying everything from Lazarus Pits to experimentation from Dr. Fate. She is eventually resurrected when he recovers the four pieces of her magical amulet. However, the villain Felix Faust tricks Black Adam into thinking the ritual was a failure and uses Isis as his puppet. Adam eventually rescues his bride, but the ritual has driven her down a more brutal path which causes her to speak of “cleansing the earth” and attacking the very people Black Adam is supposed to rule. Eventually, the two are turned to stone by Shazam. Isis is later freed from her stone prison and reclaims the throne of her country without her beloved husband.
6. Deathstroke
Deathstroke’s romantic relationship dates back to the origins of the character. Slade Wilson was a loving husband and father who served his country in the military. He met his wife Adeline Wilson in the military, as she was his commanding officer. Slade and Adeline grew closer together as they both despised the other commanding officers in their unit. Eventually Slade underwent a secret military experiment that gave him superhuman abilities and became the mercenary Deathstroke.
On one of his first missions, Deathstroke gained the attention of the President of Quarac when he assassinated one of the leader’s Colonels. The President sent a terrorist known as the Jackal after Slade. The Jackal captured the Wilsons’ youngest boy, Joseph, and held him captive. Although Slade was able to rescue his son, Jackal slit the boy’s throat, destroying his vocal chords and rendering him mute. In a fit of rage, Adeline confronted Slade with a gun. She tried to kill him, but she instead only damaged his right eye. Immediately after, the couple split.
5. Medusa and Black Bolt
Although the Inhumans film has been postponed indefinitely, the characters are currently making a splash in the MCU via Agents of S.H.I.E.l.D. In the Marvel universe, he Inhumans are a race of mutated prehistoric humans who originally started off as enemies of the Fantastic Four. The rightful heir to the Inhumans’ throne is the stoic and silent Black Bolt, who has the power to level an entire city with his voice. His distant cousin Medusa was originally introduced as a member of the Frightful Four until it was later revealed that she was an Inhuman suffering from amnesia. After her memory was restored, she returned to her home city of Attilan.
Medusa and Black Bolt have always had a close relationship, as she is one of the few people in the world who can understand the Inhuman king. She would often visit him when he was in quarantine (a measure the Inhumans took to keep his powers in check), which is where the two fell in love. On her return to Attilan, Black Bolt and Medusa were married and she was appointed as royal interpreter for the young king. The couple are often antagonized by Maximus the Mad, Black Bolt’s brother who also claims to love Medusa and wants to take the Inhuman throne and Queen for himself.
4. Elektra
Elektra Natchios has been a fan-favorite of Daredevil since her creation in 1981. Although she has come and gone over the years, her appearance in season two of Marvel’s Daredevil has reignited interest in the character. As a young girl, Elektra enrolled in Columbia University, where she met Matt Murdock. The two would date soon after. However, a botched attempt at rescuing her father by an unseasoned Daredevil caused her to drop out of school and flee to China, where she learned martial arts and allied herself with the Hand. She returned to New York, where she began an on-again, off-again relationship with her old flame.
Although the two sometimes work as a team, Daredevil and Elektra were often at odds in their methods; she wanted to kill the bad guys whereas Matt believed in the power of the justice system. To make things even more complicated, Elektra was not above pairing with known criminals such as Wilson Fisk. They continued their hot and cold romance for over a year, until Elektra was killed in a battle with the villain Bullseye. Although she was later resurrected, the couple wouldn’t be reunited for over ten years, when they could finally continue their rocky relationship.
3. Catwoman
It takes a special kind of woman to crack the Dark Knight’s cold heart. Countless times, Selina Kyle has been that woman. Whether it be in a self-contained story like The Long Halloween or a series like Batman: The Animated Series, Catwoman has appeared in every single incarnation of the Caped Crusader. Heck, Bruce Wayne even fell in love with her (as Ms. Kitka) in 1966’s Batman: The Movie! Much like Elektra and Daredevil, Catwoman and Batman’s differences cause much tension between them.
Selina Kyle is a cat burglar who often works hand-in-hand with Batman’s greatest enemies. Just the fact that she’s a criminal is enough to go against everything Bruce Wayne holds dear. And yet, he has a soft spot for her. Maybe it’s because he sees a little bit of himself in her, knowing that he easily could have ended up like her had he dealt with his tragedy a different way. Or maybe it’s just that old adage that opposites attract. Many stories dealing with their relationship see Selina trying to turn over a new leaf while at the same time being tempted to return to a life of crime. Sometimes they both know each other's secret identities, while other times it is Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle who fall in love, oblivious to the fact that they are enemies while in costume. The relationship is further complicated by Batman’s constant paranoia about anything and everything. Usually, this relationship ends in heartbreak for both. Even so, they are stuck in a constant battle of trying to make it work even to this day.
2. Thanos
Thanos, the Mad Titan, is Marvel’s most powerful villain. The cosmic entity has given the Avengers lots of grief through the decades, even going as far as to wipe out their very existence via the Infinity Gems. The question remains: why? It’s not like Thanos is out for revenge like Ultron or world domination like Dr. Doom. The Mad Titan’s motivation for his dastardly deeds is one of the most odd and unique in all of comics. Thanos commits all of his atrocities to impress his crush, Death.
Lady Death (or just “Death”) is Marvel comics’ personification of death. She is a supernatural entity that, much like our own grim reaper, takes the souls of the departed after they die. Being an agent of nature, she does not interfere with any conflicts or events in the universe. Thanos became infatuated with Death despite the fact that she refused to even acknowledge him. In an effort to impress her, the Mad Titan gathered up all of the Infinity Gems and used them to become a God. He killed every single Marvel hero and yet Lady Death still gave him the cold shoulder. Thanos has continued his pursuit of Lady Death; he currently has had some conflict with Deadpool, who is one of the few characters that can actually communicate with Death and also wishes to gain her affection. We may see this relationship come to fruition on the big screen, as Thanos gives the audience a big smile at the end of the first Avengers when he is told that “to challenge the earth is to court death.”
1. Harley Quinn
Here’s the big supervillain relationship that recently made its movie debut in Suicide Squad. Dr. Harleen Quinzel was a highly reputable psychiatrist who worked in Arkham Asylum. She was tasked with one of the greatest challenges anyone in her profession could take: she was to act as the Joker’s doctor. After countless sessions with the Clown Prince of Crime, Harley fell head over heels in love. She constantly helped Joker escape from Arkham until the repeated sight of her puddin’ beaten and battered by Batman caused her to have a mental breakdown, and Harley Quinn was born.
Harley originally acted as somewhat of a sidekick to Joker in Batman: The Animated Series. Over time, the popularity of the character became so great that she began to get entire episodes and comic issues devoted solely to her. Harley may love her puddin’, but there is much debate as to if the feeling is mutual; Joker leaves Harley to die or be captured on numerous occasions. He is also extremely abusive to Harley Quinn, torturing her for fun and physically harming her when she gets on his nerves. It comes as no surprise that when the character got her own comic series in the New 52 she was estranged from the Joker, having left him behind in order to be her own person. Of course, it is shown that she still has feelings for the deranged clown on the rare occasions that he appears. Theirs truly is a Mad Love.
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What do you think of our list? Do you think we missed any high-profile supervillain romances? Let us know in the comments!