Supervillains have the same desires as their goody-two-shoes counterparts, and that includes finding romance. It’s a little difficult to come by, however, when everyone despises them (including other supervillains). Since supervillains tend to be egotistical and territorial, allowing the seeds of romance to blossom can require more care and commitment than they’re capable of.
When supervillains team up to form supervillain couples, it can either be advantageous or disastrous. Their superpowers will either complement each other or hinder each other and often ego is a major reason why they simply aren’t meant to last. When they aren’t arguing and can focus their energies, superheroes beware, because that’s when they’re at their most lethal.
Updated on November 30, 2022 by Scoot Allan: Popular supervillain couples like Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy have reached new heights in their relationship recently, but they aren’t the only fan-favorite pairing in comics. There are several villain couples who have proved how menacing they are both apart and together over the years.
20/20 The Joker And Harley Quinn Were Deadly But Toxic Together
One of the most famous supervillain couples in either Marvel or DC was The Joker and Harley Quinn. The pair have a unique dark chemistry that endeared them to comic book fans. Although the relationship is often seen as unhealthy, they still definitely brought out the worst in each other.
Their romance began when Dr. Harleen Quinzel was assigned to be the Joker’s psychiatrist. He manipulated her feelings for him and she became his partner in crime. Their twisted minds and complete lack of morality combined for a time to terrify Gotham City together. However, one of the best things about Harley Quinn was that she was able to move past The Joker.
19/20 Killer Croc And Enchantress Had A Brief But Sweet Love Story
Sometimes, falling for coworkers is inevitable. For supervillains, it’s almost par for the course; it’s difficult to find a kindred spirit who appreciates the destructive things in life. On a team like the Suicide Squad, it’s no surprise that the members developed feelings for each other. Killer Croc and Enchantress were one of the oddest pairings, even by the standards of what’s available.
The romance between Killer Croc and Enchantress was budding in the Suicide Squad for some time, but when the two were confined to Belle Reve hospital, they finally gave in to their desires. Enchantress was a powerful sorceress with the ability to wield magic like teleportation and hypnosis, and Killer Croc was a big, strong, cannibal. This odd pairing was quite short-lived.
18/20 Carnage And Shriek’s Romance Was Built On Bloody Murder
The ardor Shriek has for Carnage proves that no one is beyond being lovable. Debuting in Spider-Man’s “Maximum Carnage” event, Shriek appeared as the pseudo-mother to a group of five supervillains, with Carnage acting as the pseudo-father.
A formerly addicted groupie, Shriek developed the ability to manipulate sound waves. A serial killer, Cletus Kasady developed the ability to manipulate his body into nearly anything after he became a host for the Carnage symbiote. They were perfect for one another but became bad news for their victims.
17/20 Thanos Fell For A New Mistress Of Death Named Hela
Recent Thor comics have introduced the concept of the Titan Thanos and the Goddess of Chaos and Death Hela becoming a romantic pair. Given Thanos’ obsession with the afterlife and nihilism, it seemed fitting that he would fall for Hela since he failed to win Lady Death’s affection.
Thanos and Hela shared a passionate kiss after she lost the throne of Hel, the Asgardian Underworld. She was forced to prove her worth to Thanos by taking down two of his most competent collaborators right in front of him. Chaos proved the way to Thanos’ heart, and there was no gesture more fitting to bring these two villains together.
16/20 Baroness And Destro Worked Together To Overthrow COBRA
Both collaborators in the COBRA organization, Baroness and Destro have had an on-again-off-again romance throughout every incarnation of G.I. Joe from the ‘80s onward. The Baroness was a wealthy spy who, while not having any superpowers, had incredible influence and was well-trained in weapons handling and martial arts.
Destro was a weapons dealer who works with COBRA often, giving him plenty of opportunities to get close to the austere and disdainful young woman. He was perhaps one of the few people to see her softer side. Eventually, they married and together plotted to overthrow COBRA Commander and lead the organization themselves.
15/20 Top Dollar And Myca From The Crow Were Dark And Twisted
The two people more interesting and charismatic than The Crow‘s Eric Draven were his two enemies, Top Dollar and Myca. They were siblings that shared a close and somewhat disturbing bond. They had no qualms about extreme violence and acts of crime. Together, they managed a crime syndicate full of unscrupulous thugs that spread chaos for the general thrill of it.
Top Dollar had no superpowers but was lethal with a wide variety of weapons, both ancient and modern, specializing in swordsmanship. Myca claimed to have psychic powers and the ability to see into the future. More dangerous than their abilities was their love for each other because they would do literally anything to protect it.
14/20 Clock King Manipulated Disruptor Into A Relationship
The sordid nature of Clock King and Disruptor’s relationship lies in its beginning. He gave Angelica Smith the suit that gave her powers as Disruptor after saving her from a hellish existence in a group home. Clock King became her whole world, and she joined his Terror Titans to take on the Teen Titans. Unfortunately, he often used her in his evil plans with little concern for her safety.
Disruptor took out her adoptive mother, and Clock King preyed on Disruptor’s irrational hatred of other females. While Clock King had no superpowers, he was a technological genius. Disruptor had no powers outside of her suit, but with it, she could disrupt other superpowers. Their problematic relationship didn’t last long, as Clock King used the Disruptor suit to ultimately kill Angelica.
13/20 Punch And Jewelee Were Murderous Lovebirds
Punch and Jewelee were a pair of DC villains who definitely belonged in Batman’s Rogues Gallery. Fittingly, they would end up becoming members of the Suicide Squad alongside the Joker and Harley after fighting Captain Atom for years. They took their codenames from the abusive puppet show that shared their name, which fit the pair well.
By day, Punch and Jewelee were puppeteers on Coney Island, but by night, they became successful thieves. Punch had boots that allowed him to walk in midair and he used alien weaponry that could control the body of anyone like a puppet. Jewelee had a pouch of jewels that could hypnotize or emit energy blasts.
12/20 Lex Luthor And The Parasite Had An Odd Affair
It’s no secret that Lex Luthor wanted what Superman had, but he could never be a powerful hero from another planet. Luthor tried to undermine Superman’s abilities at every turn while also becoming as powerful an enemy as he could possibly be. One of the greatest ways to get back at Superman was through his one true love, Lois Lane.
In Superman‘s “Til Death Do Us Part” storyline, Lois Lane’s marriage to Clark Kent was on the rocks. She decided to start an amorous relationship with Lex Luthor. However, unbeknownst to both Luthor and Kent, Lois was actually one of Superman’s most iconic villains, the shape-shifting Parasite. Luthor was just as shocked as Superman was by the reveal.
11/20 General Zod And Ursa Have Started Their Own Family
General Zod is one of Superman’s main enemies besides Lex Luthor. A fellow Kryptonian, Zod was once at odds with Kal-El’s father, and his malevolence transferred down the line of the House of El. Zod had many of the same powers and abilities that Superman had, as he also gained strength from Earth’s yellow sun.
By his side was his lieutenant, right hand, and lover Ursa. Formidable and disciplined, Ursa proved herself a lethal fighter. Their relationship continued to develop during their time spent imprisoned in the Phantom Zone, where they had a son. Once freed, Zod and Ursa briefly targeted the House of El before deciding to abandon their revenge so they could rebuild Krypton together.
10/20 Titania And Absorbing Man Are A Power Couple
One of the most famous supervillain couples in the Marvel universe, Titania and the Absorbing Man have a romance that has been battle tested. While moonlighting as Dr. Doom’s lackey on Battleworld, Titania was bestowed superhuman abilities by the good doctor. Her life would further be changed when she met Crusher Creel AKA Absorbing Man during the Secret Wars event.
Absorbing Man could absorb the form of any material he touches and proved himself to be one of Thor’s greatest foes. When he met Titania, he knew he had met his match. The two married years later, and joined the Masters of Evil together as a husband-and-wife supervillain duo. Titania and Absorbing Man eventually reformed and joined Gamma Flight together to hunt down the Immortal Hulk.
9/20 Magneto And Mystique Found Love On The Big Screen
Magneto has a few interesting relationships with mutant heroes like Rogue, but one of his longest appeared outside of the comics. Magneto and Mystique first appeared as allies in the live-action X-Men series before their relationship was further developed by the sequels and prequel franchise.
Even though they’ve always been close allies in comics as members of the Brotherhood of Mutants, Magneto and Mystique’s relationship was never romantic until the movie adaptations of the characters. Magneto never wanted Mystique to hide her true self or her shape-shifting ability, and it was this total acceptance that proved the foundation of their relationship that lasted for decades.
8/20 Romance Blossomed Between Harley Quinn And Poison Ivy
The abuse Harley Quinn suffered at Joker’s hands eventually drove her to break free of him after years of living in one of DC’s most toxic relationships. She left his lair one night and enlisted the help of fellow supervillain Poison Ivy, who never much cared for the Joker (or men, for that matter).
Teaming up with Poison Ivy was quite beneficial, as she actually had superpowers and could keep Harley safe. Ivy was also surprisingly kind, loving, and respectful of her new BFF, which was something Harley hadn’t experienced much in her life. Their close friendship developed into a blossoming romance that’s made both characters better.
7/20 Namor And Emma Frost Have A Long Romantic History
Namor is more vengeful than his DC counterpart Aquaman, and he often plays the role of the villain as much as the hero. Like Aquaman, he is the ruler of Atlantis. Born of an explorer father and the then Atlantean princess, Namor is the first half-human, half-Atlantean mutant. He has the ability to control all sea life, can fly, and has super strength and speed.
Emma Frost and Namor have a romantic long romantic history that was first teased in the Fear Itself event, before returning during Norman Osborn’s Dark Reign. Their secret relationship carried on for years and sometimes occurred behind Cyclops’s back. They remained close allies, who both continued to switch between hero and villain and back again.
6/20 Bane And Talia Al Ghul Had A Forbidden Love
While most comic fans associate Talia al Ghul as being one of Batman’s main love interests, she has more recently been tied to his nemesis, Bane. The daughter of Ra’s al Ghul, she was raised to take her father’s place as the leader of the League of Assassins. Talia is a deadly martial artist and a cunning spy.
Bane has had a few incarnations, including one that uses one of Batman’s worst gadgets (a steroid compound known as Venom) to enhance his strength. Another version from the film The Dark Knight Rises was simply a very large, strong man. While both versions of Bane found love with Talia, she betrayed his trust and they parted as enemies in the comics.
5/20 Gotham’s Penguin And Riddler Fell In Love
While the relationship between the Penguin and the Riddler was never romantic in the comics, the series Gotham showed a side to their partnership that was plausible and endearing. Gotham explored the origins of each villain before they began working closely together.
Penguin has no inherent superpowers but has the misfortune of being demonized for his appearance, which makes him inclined to criminal and villainous acts. The Riddler understood his pain, often being misunderstood for his genius intellect and sense of sadistic humor.
4/20 Black Adam And Isis Ruled Over Kahndaq Together
Black Adam wasn’t known for his romantic relationships, but he fell in a love with a woman named Adrianna Tomaz. He would learn she was actually the embodiment of the Ancient Egyptian Goddess, Isis. Black Adam used ancient magic to empower her and they ruled together over his home country of Kahndaq.
Black Adam is one of DC’s most unlikable villains who regularly demonstrates superhero tendencies, and Isis is not dissimilar. While she can be petty and vindictive, the love she has for her husband softens her vengeful heart as well. When Isis was tragically killed, Black Adam was sent into a rage that nearly destroyed the world.
3/20 Doctor Doom Manipulated Scarlet Witch For Her Power
Doctor Doom has proven that he is one of Marvel’s most unlikable villains in many different ways, including romantically. He’s been connected with a few different supervillains and superheroes over the years. One of his most impactful relationships was revealed in Avengers: The Children’s Crusade when he turned up alongside Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch.
While Scarlet Witch had spent years as a hero, she began her career as a villain and eventually betrayed the Avengers. When the Avengers found her again, she was married to Doctor Doom, who revealed he had been manipulating her for years to access her reality-altering abilities. Scarlet Witch eventually freed herself from Doom’s control before he gained even more power.
2/20 Amora The Enchantress Used Skurge’s Love For Her
Amora the Enchantress is a powerful Asgardian Goddess with the unique ability to make men kneel at her feet with her intense powers of seduction. Like Loki, she often proves a thorn in the side of Thor, Odin, and other powerful Asgardians, with her right-hand henchman and lover Skurge the Executioner at her side.
Skurge was a great Asgardian warrior and the son of an Asgardian and a storm giant. He had great size, strength, and the ability to wield magical spells and curses. With Amora, they made a truly powerful team, since he was much more than a simple lackey. Skurge’s love for the Enchantress made him a willing accomplice, although she never returned it.
1/20 Thanos Once Killed Half The Universe To Impress Death
Thanos once proved how far he was willing to go for love. He collected the Infinity Stones and wiped out half of humanity just to impress the object of his affection: Death. She was a cosmic entity that took a female form to personify the end itself and didn’t have the capacity for real love. As such, Death possessed almost infinite knowledge of the universe and all the power it contained.
Born on Titan, Thanos was a Deviant member of a race of superhuman beings known as the Eternals. Besides being impossibly strong, fast, and possessing a super-genius intellect, Thanos had a few powerful children to do his bidding as well. If Thanos could ever turn Death’s head, they would become an unstoppable couple.
