The world of comic books is full of very awkward and confrontational situations. However, it isn't just heroes and villains that are the problems; sometimes it is a comic book couple that will cause the world to go haywire. When it comes to couples suffering through a myriad of crazy and unpredictable relationship problems, there is one place they can go to work it out -- or throw down. Maury Povich is a modern day Jerry Springer, a tabloid talk show where people come to settle their differences, often with the crowd in the audience egging them on to get physical.
Many shows deal with reckless youth -- parents confronting their teens about drug use, teenage pregnancy or bullying. On a significant number of shows, couples come face-to-face to discuss domestic violence, cheating scandals, or -- in way too many cases -- paternity tests. When looking at the various people heading out to see Maury, one has to wonder what would happen if he existed in the world of comic books. From love-scorned antagonistic relationships and domestic violence issues to deals with the devil and keeping it in the family, here are 15 comic book couples who should be on Maury.
15 BATMAN AND CATWOMAN
One character in the world of superheroes that has gone through a large number of complicated relationships is Batman. The man actually had a son with the daughter of one of his most heinous villains, Ra's al Ghul. Maybe a trip to see Maury for a paternity test is in order since Damian is more than a handful. However, a more likely pairing on Maury is Batman and his new fiancee, Catwoman.
Their shared moments are iconic, but none more so than the infamous rooftop "kiss" that Catwoman laid on a stunned Batman in Batman Returns. Through the years, Selina Kyle has been a burglar opposing Batman and an antihero helping him. The ups and downs of their relationship could fill an entire season on Maury.
14 HANK PYM AND JAN VAN DYNE
As two of the original Avengers, Hank Pym and Janet Van Dyne went through a lot together. While they started as Ant-Man and The Wasp, which saw Jan hitting on every member of The Avengers in early years, they soon developed a romantic relationship. However, Hank didn't make it easy as he suffered through a lot of psychological problems along the way; what's worse, he acted out because of them.
One of the most infamous moments in comic book history came when Pym suffered a mental breakdown and struck Janet -- something editor Jim Shooter said was not meant to be, but was a decision made by the artist Bob Hall. Regardless, the stigma stuck with him and is the perfect combustible situation to have the former couple sit down with Maury to hammer out.
13 SCARLET WITCH AND THE VISION
When it comes to comic book couples who need to go on Maury, there might not be a better topic of discussion than an episode on androids, and the women who love them. Yep, this is all about Vision and the Scarlet Witch -- one of the strangest couples of all-time. Wanda is a mutant and the daughter of Magneto, so she has baggage coming into any relationship.
However, Wanda didn't just fall in love with an android in The Vision, she married him! And somehow, they had children. Of course, the children were originally described as magical creations and later explained as her subconscious creating them, leading her to eliminate almost all mutants. This is a couple that could break the world if they appeared on Maury just to talk about family.
12 LUKE CAGE AND JESSICA JONES
Luke Cage and Jessica Jones have one of the best romance stories in comic books. The two met and had a one-night stand before he helped her overcome the trauma left behind by what the Purple Man did to her. Things progressed in their relationship and the comic book couple actually got married and had a child (Danielle). They had a perfect relationship -- although not without its ups and downs.
However, this is not yet the case in the Marvel Netflix series. It was similar, with Luke and Jessica having their one-night stand, but they have yet to make the move in their relationship, although they have worked together since. Season 1 of Jessica Jones saw the Purple Man storyline, and the trailers for Season 2 shows that she is still struggling. The TV versions of Cage and Jones could come together on Maury and finally realize that the perfect love is there for them to take.
11 THOR AND JANE FOSTER
Thor ended up exiled on Earth in the first Thor movie and met Jane Foster. The two hooked up and seemed like a perfectly cute couple, but then Thor brought her to Asgard to meet the folks, only to have his own mother die protecting her. By the time Thor: Ragnarok rolled around, the two were no longer dating at all according to Thor, and the fans who asked why she dumped him.
What happened? The movies don't discuss it. However, head to the comic books and see that Thor recently lost the ability to wield Mjolner and became Odinson, while a mysterious woman lifts it and becomes the new Thor. That woman was Jane Foster and the fact that she is worthy to wield the hammer (and Odinson is not) could lead to an interesting dynamic if the former couple comes face-to-face in front of Maury.
10 TONY STARK AND PEPPER POTTS
If any man could drive a woman to insanity, it is Tony Stark. As far as the comic books are concerned, Stark has slept with just about anyone and everyone -- from heroes to the worst villains -- leaving them all along the way. In the movies, there were many women through the early years, but once Tony became Iron Man, he had eyes only for Pepper Potts.
However, if the three Iron Man movies proved anything, it has been that Stark does not deserve Pepper Potts. He uses her, he lies to her all the time, and almost caused her death twice in Iron Man 3 alone. Yet she continues to come back to him. The two "took a break" before Captain America: Civil War and were back together by Spider-Man: Homecoming. Maury really needs to sit Pepper down and talk to her about this mentally abusive relationship.
9 PETER PARKER AND MARY JANE
Peter Parker has had a few relationships in comic books over the years, but only two mattered: Gwen Stacy and Mary Jane Watson. Since Gwen died at the end of a web, that left Mary Jane to be the future Mrs. Watson-Parker, and incredibly, that is who she became. It seemed that Peter was finally enjoying a happily ever after. The problem is that Marvel won't allow Peter to be happy -- ever.
In a complicated mess, Iron Man convinced Spider-Man to reveal his secret identity, which put everyone he loved in danger and caused someone to shoot Aunt May. In order to save his aunt's life, Peter then made a deal with the Devil, or more accurately Mephisto, to give up any memories of his marriage to Mary Jane in order to save May. If that doesn't put a former couple on the Maury show, nothing will.
8 BATMAN AND ROBIN
The jokes were long and loud for many years, and when this new thing called the Internet came along, the memes grew to monster levels. The relationship between Batman and Robin goes back to 1940 and ever since then, Batman has had a thing for young boys that he dressed in leotards and sent into deadly battles with a increasingly dangerous retinue of murderous costumed villains. Yeah, it got weird.
Remember when the two rode a seesaw together in 1952? Remember when members of the JLA showed concern for everyone they ever touched and thought of their girlfriends while Batman was concerned for Robin? Remember the bat nipples in Batman & Robin? This is one comic book couple that might have a few secrets to reveal.
7 BLACK PANTHER AND STORM
The courtship and marriage of The King of Wakanda, The Black Panther, and the former X-Men leader Storm seemed like another perfect love story. The couple ended up together and married for six years in comic book time, although during that time they were not always together. Storm still battled evil mutants and Panther ruled over his country as a great leader.
However, something happened that finally came between what looked to be a perfect marriage and relationship. That came when the X-Men and Avengers battled when the Phoenix Force returned to Earth and Namor laid waste to Wakanda. After this, T'Challa annulled his marriage to Storm, although he later said he still loved her. This was heartbreaking and one wonders if they can't just one day sit down with Maury and work things out.
6 DAREDEVIL AND ELEKTRA
While Batman and Catwoman were always fighting and then working together, almost on a constant seesaw, there was a couple over in Marvel Comics that was just as flammable, but a couple that had a tragic end -- or two. Daredevil and Elektra had a forbidden love, one that was never meant to last. Daredevil was a good man, the protector of Hell's Kitchen who operated under the law. Elektra was an assassin. What could go wrong?
The two were like oil and water but they were also deeply in love. It all came to a head when Elektra gave her life to try to save Daredevil, dying at the blade of Bullseye. However, like any good comic book character, she didn't stay dead. The same thing happened in the Netflix series, without Bullseye, and the resurrection occurred as well. However, like Romeo and Juliet, it seems Daredevil and Elektra could never live happily ever after.
5 SCOTT SUMMERS AND JEAN GREY
Scott Summers and Jean Grey have one of the craziest relationships in all of comic books. The two were original X-Men, and Scott liked Jean from the start. It seemed the two were destined to be together forever -- that is until the Phoenix Force possessed Jean and she sacrificed herself to save the world. So, what does Scott do? He marries an identical duplicate of Jean named Madilyn Pryor.
Of course, as all dead comic book characters do, Jean Grey returned from the dead (over and over and over again). As soon as she was back, Scott left his wife and child and ran back to Jean. Maury would have a field day with Scott and Jean -- and if Madilyn could show up, the more the merrier. Heck, throw in their son from an alternate world in Cable and daughter Rachel, and this could be the most combustible episode in TV history.
4 SNOW WHITE AND BIGBY WOLF
Not all comic book couples have to come from the world of superheroes and men in tights. Vertigo published one of the greatest non-superhero series ever made in Fables, a comic book that reimagined the classic fairy tale characters in a modern day world. Actually, they are the classic characters but live in New York after fleeing their world when The Adversary started to conquer them.
What is a more awkward and combustible couple than Snow White, who serves as the deputy mayor of Fabletown, and the Big Bad Wolf, who took human shape and serves as the sheriff, Bigby Wolf? Then again, they did make it work and even had children -- which were, of course, wolf cubs. Imagine the tales these fairy tale characters could tell.
3 JOKER AND HARLEY QUINN
It all started when Doctor Harleen Quinzel was treating The Joker in Arkham Asylum. However, over time, it turned out that Harley was not curing Joker and instead it was Mr. J who was corrupting the good doctor. The problem is that Harley Quinn fell in love with her Mr. J, but The Joker only used Harley to get what he wanted.
Over the years, Joker shot Harley, dumped her in chemicals to make her look more like him, tried to sacrifice her, and did just about everything he could to make her even crazier than he is. This is the most abusive relationships in comic books and Harley Quinn needs to head onto the Maury Povich Show with Joker to finally learn that she needs a complete break from the Clown Prince of Crime.
2 REED RICHARDS AND SUE STORM
There are again-off again relationships and then there is the damaged marriage of Reed Richards and Susan Storm. There might not be a couple that has been through as much and remained together as long as Mr. Fantastic and the Invisible Woman. The founding members of The Fantastic Four married way back in 1965 and it seemed like a marriage that would last forever.
Over the years, Sue miscarried, which caused strife in their marriage, thanks to the Psycho-Man. There were the years that Reed was so preoccupied with his work that he never considered the feelings of his wife. There was Namor and his infatuation with Sue. Reed and Sue eventually split up, got back together, and then ended up on separate sides of the Civil War. Don't even get us started on their relationship in the Ultimate Universe. This is the most damaged comic book couple in history.
1 QUICKSILVER AND SCARLET WITCH
If there is any comic book couple that deserves to be on Maury Povich's show, it is the Ultimate Universe's version of Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch. Yes, the two are still brother and sister in the Ultimate Universe, but that did not stop them from being more than just brother and sister. As Wolverine revealed to anyone who would listen, these two loved to keep it in the family.
The fact is that the Ultimates went all the way and showed that Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch were romantically involved, something that would provide Maury with some very controversial television. Add in the fact that their father might not be Magneto at all -- but Wolverine -- and this show just went off the rails.