Superheroes
A Ranking of the 9 Best Superhero Couples of All Time, From ‘Fantastic Four’ to ‘Superman’ Pairs
A superhero story isn’t worthwhile, in our opinion, if it doesn’t involve romance. Maybe that’s just because we here at Swooon are obsessed with love, but a romantic subplot does wonders in grounding the narrative — especially when otherworldly threats are involved — and upping the stakes. Maybe the hero has a non-powered love interest and fights to protect them, or maybe two heroes find solace in each other in extreme circumstances. Either way, we’re here for it.
Now that Marvel’s longest-lasting married couple — Reed Richards and Sue Storm — has been reincarnated in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, we thought we’d rank our favorite on-screen superhero couples. Some are both superheroes, like Reed and Sue. Others are only half super-powered, like Lois Lane and Superman. Keep reading to see which ones made the cut, and let us know if you agree with our order in the comments below.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps, In Theaters
9. Batman & Catwoman
Batman and Catwoman are a tricky one because their relationship is anything but smooth. Honestly, though, that’s why we like them so much. Bruce and Selina are rivals and lovers, and there’s endless amounts of tension between them. Most importantly, they’re equals and they give each other a different perspective of Gotham. We love a couple that challenges each other, so we had to put them on the list.
8. Atom Eve & Invincible
We feel bad putting Invincible‘s Mark (Steven Yeun) and Eve (Gillian Jacobs) so low on our list, but their romance is a newer development. They just got together in Season 3 of the show, and we haven’t read the comics. Still, they’re quickly becoming a new favorite. We love a friends to lovers arc, and they’re so supportive of one another. And when Eve almost died trying to protect Mark from Conquest (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), we swooned. They’re 100% willing to put their lives on the line for each other. Give them more time, and Eve and Mark might rise in the ranks.
7. Mr. Incredible & Elastigirl
Mr. Incredible (Craig T. Nelson) and Elastigirl (Holly Hunter) are an underrated superhero couple. They’re a great team, but we see them struggle with superhero concerns and normal martial ones. We like how they balance each other out: In The Incredibles, Bob reenters the fold while Helen leads the family, but in the next one, Bob shelves his crime-fighting dreams to support the family so Helen can take the spotlight. They’ll do anything to protect each other and their family, and there’s nothing like shared, perilous circumstances to bring people together, which makes them a standout couple.
6. Starfire & Nightwing
We’re newer to the Kori (Anna Diop) and Dick Grayson (Brenton Thwaites) ship since we started watching them in HBO Max’s Titans, though we know they have a puppy love thing going on in the 2003 Teen Titans series. (Their dynamic is more mature in the HBO Max show, obviously.) Even though we haven’t seen many iterations of the supercouple, they’re still one of our favorites. The duo balances each other out, and they have a strong understanding of each other, acting like parents to the rest of the group. From what we hear, their relationship is less solid in the comics, but we’re choosing to ignore that and go off of what we’ve seen on TV so far.
5. Mr. Fantastic & Invisible Woman
Speaking of shared life-and-death experiences bringing people together, we can’t forget about Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal) and Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby) in The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Their marriage and love for each other is unshakable, and they never stray from one another, hence their long-lasting marriage. Reed and Sue have a more traditional, less fiery relationship compared to the others on the list, but their devotion to each other shines through. They’re equal partners in every sense.
4. Spider-Man & Gwen Stacy
Maybe it’s just because the chemistry between Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone is so good in The Amazing Spider-Man movies, but we can’t get enough of Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy. They’re on the same level intellect-wise, and after seeing their snarky (yet sincere) dynamic develop, we were absolutely rooting for them — until Gwen’s tragic end. Their love left a lasting impact on Peter, which only speaks to how strong their connection was.
(Also, shoutout to Miles Morales’ Spider-Man and SpiderGwen in Into the Spiderverse. We love them, too.)
3. Spider-Man & Mary Jane
Peter and MJ are a classic for a reason. Though some versions are stronger than others, they’ve remained such a constant in the superhero canon that we can’t help but rank them highly. Even though she doesn’t have any superpowers, the best takes on MJ have her character hold her own, and when they’re allowed to be happy together, that’s when their romance is at its best. (The odds are stacked against them, though. We were so mad when the MCU erased Peter from MJ’s memory.)
Plus, even though Sam Raimi’s take on Peter and MJ isn’t perfect, we have to admit that the upside down kiss in Spider-Man is one of the most memorable moments in superhero media, full stop.
2. Scarlet Witch & Vision
After watching Wandavision, we think that the Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision’s (Paul Bettany) relationship is the strongest the MCU has to offer. Though their connection was established because of the Mind Stone, they develop a deep bond and romance that had lasting effects on both of them. Heck, after Vision sacrificed himself in Avengers: Infinity War, Wanda created an entire fake town to cope with the loss of him. If that doesn’t speak to how powerful their love was, we don’t know what does.
1. Superman & Lois Lane
Ah, Clois. Without a doubt in our minds, Clark Kent and Lois Lane are the most iconic, perfect couple in the superhero world. There are seemingly endless iterations of them, and some are stronger than others, but we’ll never get tired of watching their relationship blossom. We especially rock with James Gunn‘s take on the couple in Superman (2025), which sees Lois already knowing Clark’s secret identity, so their connection isn’t based on deception. She also isn’t starstruck by the superhero, and even doubts that they should be together. It makes their connection seem all the more real. Seriously, we could watch Clois’ love story until the end of time and never get sick of it.
