Marvel Comics is teasing that Iron Man is finally about to get married - to the X-Men's Emma Frost. The relationship between the X-Men and the Avengers has been famously fractious, with the rival superhero teams going head-to-head on several occasions.
Take, for example, the relationship between Tony Stark and the telepathic Emma Frost. The two first crossed paths long before Stark suited up as Iron Man for the first time, with both enjoying membership of New York's Hellfire Club, and they became "friends with benefits." As the years passed, though, things became more than a little strained. Emma was one of the few survivors of the mutant genocide on Genosha, and she was never able to forgive the Avengers for not turning up to help in the aftermath of the tragedy. The two even came to blows in 2012's Avengers Vs. X-Men event, when Emma's organic diamond fist dented Iron Man's billion dollar armor. As Marvel noted, it was the most expensive punch in history.
It looks as though Tony Stark and Emma Frost are destined to put all that behind them, however. Mark Waid's History of the Marvel Universe #6 includes a stunning page in which Galactus, the Devourer of Worlds, talks about things that are yet to happen. He mentions several events that have been confirmed to be part of Marvel's 2020 plans - and also the wedding of Tony Stark and Emma Frost.
It's quite a surprising statement, given neither party has ever seemed like the type to settle down. Tony quite enjoys his lifestyle as a billionaire playboy, while the only man Emma has ever truly loved (and lost) was Cyclops. But it's important to note that this may be more a marriage of convenience than anything else, a way of drawing the X-Men and the Avengers together in order to prevent future conflict now the mutant race is ascendant. Such an alliance would strongly benefit both Stark and Frost; Emma would gain access to Tony's wealth, status, and contacts, while Tony would no doubt be thrilled at the chance to access Krakoan biotechnology.
If Galactus' words do indeed come to pass, then it means Jonathan Hickman's X-Men relaunch is about to bind the X-Men and Avengers franchises more closely together than ever before. This is a dramatic change in status quo for the highest-profile member of the Avengers, as well as for a major X-Men character. It will be fascinating to see how it plays out.
The History of the Marvel Universe #6 is on sale now from Marvel Comics.