Family is a common theme in the DC Universe, and considering that the company has been creating characters and stories for over 80 years, readers have been treated to countless sibling relationships in that time. Whether teaming up to achieve a shared goal, trying to kill each other off over rivalries rooted in hatred, or even a warped combination of both, siblings in the DC Universe, like real families, are varied and complex. Siblings have been the backbone of some of the most memorable story arcs in the history of comics.

The purpose of this list is to look back at some of the best siblings in the DC library, regardless of timelines, and examine what it is about them that makes them special. While there are some iconic characters that didn't make the list, most DC fans will agree that the chosen selection have, in some way, brought hours of entertainment to fans at some point throughout the years. It should also be noted that, given how some of these characters have been featured in several timelines, their origins have been rewritten occasionally.

Without further ado, here are the 15 Best Siblings In DC Comics, Ranked.

15. AQUAMAN AND OCEAN MASTER

Ocean Master from DC Comics Fighting Wonder Woman and Aquaman

Dysfunctional families and sibling rivalries are prevalent in comics. and the relationship between Aquaman and his jealous, resentful brother, Ocean Master, is as strained as they come. Aquaman is the successful and powerful kid any parent would be proud of. Ocean Master is a jerk-- the type who's more inclined to pursue global destruction because he didn't get the attention he required - or the girls.

Originally, Ocean Master was a mere human by the name of Orm Curry, first appearing in Aquaman #29. At first he was a petty criminal. Later he sold his soul, became a pirate, tried to wipe out the world with natural disasters, and plotted to usurp his brother to become the new King of Atlantis. Psychologists have found this exact path to be common behavior in jealous siblings.

After the Crisis storyline, the origins of both men were revised but they have remained siblings in every DC timeline. You can see both in the upcoming film adaptation from James Wan.

14. HAWK AND DOVE

Hawk and Dove atop a building

Although Hawk and Dove have existed in different incarnations across several series throughout the years, the duo originally started out as teenage crime-fighting brothers in 1968. Co-created by Steve Ditko and Steve Skeates, Hawk and Dove debuted in Showcase #75 before moving on to their own series later that year.

The concept behind the heroes was inspired by the polarized political climate in America during 1960s. Hawk (Hank) and Dove (Don) were opposites in nature, forced to compromise for the greater good. Hawk, the aggressive one, was more inclined to use force. Dove, on the other hand, was a pacifist and the more thoughtful and reasonable of the two. That said, the brothers' conflicting ideologies made for an interesting and entertaining dynamic and the social commentary which informed their creation in the late ‘60s is arguably still as relevant today as it was back then.

When Dove was killed off in Crisis on Infinite Earths series, college student Dawn Granger adopted the alias in 1988 and teamed up with the grieving Hawk. When the series was brought back as part of the New 52 era, Hank and Dawn remained the chosen pairing until their cancellation in 2012.

13. JADE AND OBSIDIAN

Jade and Obsidian talk while floating in the air in a panel from DC Comics.

Jade and Obsidian are the twin siblings of Rose Canton and Alan Scott, aka Thorn and the Green Lantern. After their birth, Canton gave them up for adoption, fearing she would bring harm to them, given her split personality and predilection for evil antics from time to time. Separated at birth, Jade and Obsidian would reunite in their teen years to form Infinity Inc., a superhero team made up of the children and successors of the Justice Society.

Co-created by Roy Thomas and Jerry Ordway, Jade and Obsidian first appeared in 1983s All-Star Squadron #25. They also served with the Justice Society and Justice League, and Jade would work with the Green Lantern Corps and become leader of the Outsiders.

Obsidian, however, has the most interesting story; after inheriting his mother's mental illness, he would turn to the dark side for a while before being cured. Furthermore, he later came out and entered a relationship with the attorney, Damon Matthews, retired from the superhero life, and lived happily ever after for - or did briefly until his sister was killed.

The siblings were later fused together before New 52 altered their histories completely.

12. GEO-FORCE AND TERRA

If you look back at the history of siblings in comics, you'll spot a trend where at least one is lured by the dark eventually; some are from the outset, while for others it's a temporary excursion. Most families have a black sheep who doesn't correspond with the ethos and values of the rest. But when superpowers are thrown into the mix, things tend to get a little bit messy. In the case of Terra, you can't really blame her, though...

The heroic Geo-Force is of royal heritage and the son of the noble King Viktor. As his name implies, Geo-Force is an earthly hero who is able to manipulate the natural world against the forces of evil. He also has super strength, the ability to fly, and superhuman endurance. Unfortunately, so does his illegitimate sister, Terra, who was exiled from the kingdom so she couldn't bring shame to the adulterous Viktor.

Upon arriving in America, Terra started working as a mercenary for Deathstroke and infiltrated the Teen Titans as a secret agent, where she accidentally killed herself while trying to betray the heroes and her employer.

11. LUCY AND LOIS LANE

Lois Lane is as synonymous with the Superman universe as Clark Kent himself, but her young sister, Lucy, has also played a significant part. The character, created by Otto Binder and Curt Swan, was introduced during the Silver Age in Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #36 as an air hostess who becomes the love interest of the titular character. In subsequent stories, she would consider abortion, miss her sister's wedding, and become a vampire bride.

After years of living in Lois' shadow, Lucy eventually cut ties with her sister because she blamed her for their father's death. Lucy joined the military to honor his memory, but, as is often the case in stories of this ilk, it turned out daddy wasn't dead after all. In reality, he was working on a secret military project designed to wipe out Kryptonians on Earth. Due to her loyalty to dear old dad, Lucy was given super powers and became Superwoman, posing as a Kryptonian so she could betray them.

Lois and Lucy's relationship deteriorated further when Lucy became a weird alien hybrid and kidnapped her big sister. When Lucy was eventually defeated by Supergirl and detained, the sisters parted ways on bad terms.

10. JAI AND IRIS WEST

Jai West in The Flash

Falling in love with reporter Linda Park is perhaps the fastest thing Wally West, the third incarnation of The Flash, ever did. Not long after meeting, they would wed and fall pregnant with twins. Married life was going according to plan until the vengeful and super evil, Professor Zoom, caused Linda to have a miscarriage. But that wasn't to be the destiny of The Flash's kids, so he travelled back in time and stopped the events before they happened.

The babies weren't born normal, however, as their superhuman genetics caused them to age rapidly. Even though steps were taken to stunt their growth, the twins were powerful enough at a young age to help their father save the day, making for one hell of a family stable.

Jai eventually lost his powers due to a disruption in the Speed Force, but Iris managed to establish a connection with the energy and harness it to masterful levels.

9. SELENA AND MAMMOTH

Remember those weird classmates people used to tease for being different? That's Selena and Mammoth in a nutshell, the villainous sister-brother pairing who used their powers against their tormenting peers in New Titans #3. On one hand, you could argue that they were pushed over the edge, but the truth is that this devilish duo were always destined to live life on the wild side.

After being sent to Markovia for psychological counselling, Selena and Mammoth soon joined the nefarious Fearsome Five, led by Doctor Light, to battle the Teen Titans.

Selena and Mammoth did show signs of redemption at one point when they retreated to a Tibetan monastery to live a life of peace. It wasn't to last, though; just like the Mafia, when they thought they were out they were pulled back in. Their tenure in the DC Universe has mostly consisted of dastardly deeds, but you won't find many siblings more devoted to each other either.

8. STARFIRE, BLACKFIRE, AND DARKFIRE

Blackfire is another in a long lineage of DC characters who hates her siblings. She was born into royalty and destined to inherit the throne until her kingdom's enemies, the Citadel, invaded and committed mass slaughter in her name. The event also caused her to lose some of her abilities, as well as incur the hatred of those who blamed her for the attack. Thus, her sister Starfire was appointed next successor to the throne, which led to Blackfire trying to kill her as a result. As punishment, she was exiled and she joined forces with the Citadel to wage war on her people and family.

The central conflict is between Blackfire and Starfire, but their little brother Darkfire is quite the warrior in his own right as well, having fought with freedom fighters The Omega Men to fight against the Citadel. Starfire eventually escaped to Earth to join the Teen Titans and form a romantic relationship with Dick Grayson's Robin.

7. ROSE, JERICHO, AND GRANT WILSON

Grant Wilson, son of the wonderful Deathstroke, is notable for being the first iteration of Ravager. Deathstroke's other kids, Rose and Jericho, have more humane tendencies, though during their tenure in the DC Universe they have been exposed to the corruption and psychosis their father is known for. Jericho was a long-time member of the Teen Titans, but he often found himself at odds with them because of evil influences. Rose was the fifth Ravager and seemed destined to follow in her old man's footsteps as a remorseless killer, but she ultimately decided to rebel against him and become a member of the Teen Titans.

The Wilson family are as dysfunctional as they come, and the siblings' history in the DC Universe has been etched in the moral grey area; sometimes they're good, other times they're not so good. It would seem that Rose and Jericho don't want to follow in their father's footsteps, though they have inherited some of his bad habits; intentionally or otherwise.

6. CAPTAIN MARVEL AND MARY MARVEL

Mary Marvel and Captain Marvel

The history of Captain Marvel is a confusing one. Though originally published by Fawcett Comics, the company ceased in 1953 and Marvel Comics licensed the Captain Marvel name for one of their other own characters. However, as DC owned the rights to the Fawcett series, but couldn't advertise it under its original title, they were forced to change it to Shazam! Anyway, that's the back story in a couple of sentences in case you're only familiar with the Marvel character.

During the 1940s, Captain Marvel (aka Shazam!) was the most popular superhero in American comics and his then-sister, Mary, was one of the first females to don a cape and be given her own spin-off series. When DC resurrected the series in the 1970s, the entire Marvel family was written out of the mythos. When it was brought back in the '90s, they were a formidable sibling pairing once again.

In the New 52 reboot, Mary was re-envisioned as a member of the foster family, as opposed to a blood relative like before.

5. CAPTAIN COLD AND AND GOLDEN GLIDER

Another brother/sister combo, Captain Cold and Golden Slider are renowned in the DC Universe for their relationship with various versions of The Flash. Captain Cold is the leader of the crime organization the Rogues and was a bitter enemy of Barry Allen’s Silver Age iteration of our favorite fast hero. His relationship with Wally Walsh was more complicated, but he had enough beef with the second Kid Flash, Burt Allen, to kill him. Like her brother, Golden Glider also hated Barry Allen.

Originally Golden Glider tried to resist the allure of crime by becoming a figure skater; but when her lover, coach and nemesis of The Flash, Top, was killed by the speedster she swore revenge. After the death of Barry Allen, the siblings tried to renounce their life of crime by becoming neutral mercenaries. That said, it didn't take long for Glider to return to her old ways and die as a result of her misguided decisions.

In the New 52 universe, their history has been rewritten and Golden Glider’s death was removed completely and replaced with a tumour.

4. SONS OF TRIGON

Trigon is a bad-ass demon, hailing from the Azarath dimension and worshipped by the Church of Blood. During his original iteration, he had more kids than the Baldwin family. Although estimated to have hundreds of children, seven products of Trigon's loins in particular have left their mark in DC history. The first is his daughter Raven, who fights alongside the Teen Titans for morality and justice, despite being constantly at war with her suppressed devilish instincts. The other six are the Sons of Trigon; Raven’s half-brothers.

Being demons and all, the Sons weren't exactly loyal to their father. In fact, they tried to drain him of his power for their own personal gain, which made Trigon proud of his wicked brats. The brothers did, however, ignite their sister's inner evil briefly to form the Seven Deadly Sins alliance, but she was eventually saved by her Titan comrades.

The New 52 reintroduced Trigon as a demon with six eyes and four children including the aforementioned Raven and sons Belial, Ruskoff, and Suge.

3. WENDY AND MARVIN

Wendy and Marvin debuted as non-related allies in the Saturday morning cartoon Super Friends, which aired on ABC from 1973 to 1986. The success of the cartoon led to a popular comic book series of the same name, before characters Wendy and Marvin found their way to the DC Universe as caretakers for the Teen Titans, this time re-imagined as twins with the surname Harris.

It is later revealed that Wendy and Marvin are the the children of the super genius villain, Calculator. When the twins are attacked by a monstrous dog, Marvin is killed and his sister is severely injured. Upon visiting his daughter in hospital, Calculator vows to get revenge on the Teen Titans. Wendy is later adopted by Batgirl and takes the moniker of Proxy, resisting the urge to follow in familial footsteps.

2. THE ENDLESS

Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman series is widely regarded as one of the best comic book series of all time and is one of few graphic novels to ever top the New York Times Bestsellers list. The story also boasts one of the best dysfunctional sibling families in the history of the medium in the Endless. Made up of Destiny, Death, Dream, Destruction, Desire, Despair, and Delirium, they are beings as old as time who represent the natural elements their names indicate.

The Endless represent universal ideas and people’s consciousness, which leaves their existence and purpose open to much interpretation. Despite them being personifications of intellectual and philosophical ideas, Gaiman is able to present these characters in a way that’s entertaining and non-pretentious. Each character is multi-dimensional, memorable, unique, and integral to the story. Better yet, the strength of the siblings and strong female representation opened the medium up to a less male-centric audience as well.

The Sandman was published by DC's sister imprint Vertigo, and while the series does take place in the DC Universe, it features very few crossover characters. In that sense, The Sandman feels truly original and separate from other titles in the DC library, and the Endless are unlike any other characters.

1. THE WONDER TWINS

Wonder Twins DC Justice League

Like Wendy and Marvin, the world was introduced to the Wonder Twins through the Super Friends cartoon and subsequent comic adaptations in the 1970s. The characters were incorporated into the DC Universe in 1996, first appearing in Ivan Velez Jr. and Al Rio’s Extreme Justice #9.

The Wonder Twins are Zan and Jayna, shapeshifting alien twins from the planet Exxor. Jayna has the power to transform into any living creature, while Zan can take the guise of any non-living organism. The con, however, is that they can only activate their powers when they touch. Therefore, if they aren't together, they’re pretty useless.

Admittedly, the Wonder Twins haven’t enjoyed the most popularity in the DC Universe. Extreme Justice was cancelled a few issues after their debut and their appearances since in other titles have been sporadic at best. That said, the Wonder Twins are beloved by DC aficionados. It’s only a matter of time before they’re resurrected and given the treatment they deserve, either in comics or the cinematic universe.

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Did we miss any out? Who are your favorite sibling in DC comics? Sound off in the comments below.