They say it is better to have loved, and then lost, then to never have loved at all. Despite the many iconic couples that have come to be in the Marvel Universe, they haven’t all been able to stand the test of time, and have eventually split up.
Whether it was due to world-ending events, family drama, or just the end of the road in their relationships, lovers like Spider-Man and Mary Jane Watson, or Storm and Black Panther, have seen the end of their romances at one point or another. And though some of them may have gotten back together in the future, it doesn’t save fans the pain of having seen their favorite couples break up.
10/10 Ultimate Reed Richards Had A Terrible Falling-Out
Sue Storm and Reed Richards have always been a power couple, and are one of the most iconic pairings in Marvel history. Even in the Ultimate universe of Earth-1610, the two were deeply in love. Unfortunately, their relationship did not end on good terms at all.
After the universe-changing Ultimatum event, Richards and Storm broke up, with Sue rejecting Reed’s marriage proposal. He fell into a crazed depression, and changed his worldview into a singular, maniacal way of thinking, causing him to become the Maker.
9/10 Peter Parker And Mary Jane Watson Have Split Multiple Times
Despite being one of Marvel’s most famous couples, Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson have had their fair share of romantic turmoil. Having lost their marriage in a deal with the demon Mephisto in J. Michael Stracyzynski’s One More Day arc from 2007, the couple managed to get back together.
However, in Zeb Well’s current run on Amazing Spider-Man, the iconic couple seemed to have broken up once again. The details surrounding their break-up continue to be shrouded in mystery, but it has become just another setback that was fallen on the shoulders of one of Marvel’s most doomed couples.
8/10 Storm And Black Panther’s Marriage Ended In Turmoil
The royal marriage of Storm of the X-Men and the Black Panther T’Challa was one of Marvel’s strongest pairings. Together they ruled over Wakanda, and were a force to be reckoned with.
Their marriage became a casualty of their royal duties, especially when the X-Men came to blows with the Avengers over the handling of the Phoenix Force. Storm sided with the X-Men, and when Namor flooded Wakanda with a tidal wave, T’Challa had their marriage annulled by the High Council of Wakanda, ending their relationship.
7/10 Medusa Moved On After Black Bolt Died
Black Bolt and Medusa have known each other since they were very young, with the two becoming betrothed as teenagers. The two ruled over the Inhumans for decades together, but after Black Bolt was assumed dead during Jonathan Hickman’s Infinity event, Medusa was forced to move on.
However, Black Bolt would eventually return, to find the Inhumans in a whole new era, with Medusa as their sole Queen. As she was romantically involved with Johnny Storm, and was hurt by the secrets Black Bolt kept from her during his reign, the two were unable to reconcile their relationship, ending an era for the Inhuman power couple.
6/10 Scarlet Witch Never Recovered After Losing Her Children
The romance between the Vision and the Scarlet Witch is another iconic Avengers pairing. Despite being a synthezoid, the Vision’s love for Wanda Maximoff was unmoving, and the two fell in love and eventually married.
Unfortunately, after the loss of her children, the Scarlet Witch’s mental breakdown caused a huge rift in her marriage, especially after Vision was torn in half by She-Hulk. By the time he was resurrected, he found that there was nothing remaining of his marriage to salvage.
5/10 Hawkeye Thought Mockingbird Was Dead For Years
Hawkeye and Mockingbird were the de-facto couple of the West Coast Avengers. The two street-smart heroes even married, before Mockingbird was believed to have died. Hawkeye mourned his wife for years, and chose not to re-marry again after that.
It was later revealed that Mockingbird wasn’t dead, but had instead been abducted by the Skrulls, and was released after Brian Michael Bendis’s 2006 Secret Invasion event. Despite attempting to rekindle their relationship, both Hawkeye and Mockingbird were forced to come to terms with the distance between their relationship, and the two filed for divorce.
4/10 The Phoenix Drove A Wedge Between Jean Grey’s Marriage to Scott Summers
Two of the first mutants recruited to the X-Men by Charles Xavier, Jean Grey and Scott Summers fell in love at a very young age and grew up together. After being married for years, the couple became synonymous with the X-Men.
However, after Cyclops’s affair with Emma Frost, and Jean’s possession by the Phoenix Force, their marriage became increasingly strained. Eventually, Jean sacrificed herself to stop the Phoenix from razing the planet, and she died in the arms of her loving husband, encouraging him to live his life, because “all [she] ever did was die on you.”
3/10 Kitty Pryde And Colossus Endured Drama
Kate Pryde’s love affair with Colossus has been one of the X-Men’s most defining romances. Ever since she first joined the X-Men, Piotr and Kate have been intertwined, building an incredible bond and understanding of one another.
When Kate was the leader of the X-Men, the two nearly were married, with it being one of the biggest wedding specials in the X-Men’s recent history. However, Kate called off the wedding, and ended her relationship with Colossus, putting an end to one of the X-Men’s longest-standing couples.
2/10 Ant-Man and Wasp Had A Complicated Relationship for Years
Two of the founding members of the Avengers, Hank Pym and Janet Van Dyne fought side-by-side as Ant-Man and the Wasp. Having been married for years, they seemed to have the perfect balance.
However, Hank Pym’s infamous lack of emotional control would eventually end their relationship. Struggling with many personal insecurities and anxiety, on one occasion Hank struck Janet, which quickly lead to the dissolution of their marriage and their relationship.
1/10 Scott Summers And Emma Frost Had A Complex Relationship
After the death of Jean Grey, Scott Summers’s immediate romance with Emma Frost came under scrutiny. But over the next few years, the White Queen became an integral member of both the X-Men, and Scott Summers’s world. There was no doubting the obvious connection between Frost and Summers.
But when both were corrupted by the Phoenix Force, Scott became crazed with power, and distant from Emma. Eventually, in order to take on the Avengers, Scott was forced to forcibly remove the Phoenix’s power from Emma, betraying her, and ending their relationship.
