Relationships rarely get off on the right foot, especially in the DC Universe, where some misstep by one or both people is commonplace. This tension or misstep is usually a writing trope used to catch the reader's attention and to get them invested in the journey. This device, when employed well, can add elements to the overall storyline and universe at large.
Throughout the history of the DCU, the focus of romantic relationships ranges from heroes and villains becoming romantically involved with ordinary people or others like themselves. Starting off the relationship wrong foot can take many forms with mixed results for the couple.
10 Kendra Saunders' Having No Recollection Of Her Connection To Hawkman Caused A Misstep In Their Relationship
Hawkman and Hawkgirl's story is one where the two's relationship goes back to the time they were Princess Chay-Ara and Prince Khufu, lovers murdered by Hath-Set in ancient Egypt and cursed to reincarnate throughout time. The two, doomed to find each other in every life, fall in love again, and then be murdered by Hath-Set, have taken many forms over the centuries.
The pre-Flashpoint incarnation of Chay-Ara was Kendra Saunders, the grand-niece of Shiera Sanders Hall. At first, Kendra had no knowledge or access to her past lives, causing tension with Hawkman, who believed they were destined to be with each other. After learning more about her true identity and time, Kendra would confess her feelings for Carter, only for the two to die during the Blackest Night and return as Shiera during Brightest Day.
9 Even The Wisdom Of Solomon Didn't Help Stargirl and Shazam's Relationship Start On The Right Foot
For Billy Batson, being Shazam is difficult since his transformation involves going from a kid to an adult. Still, it caused his relationship with Courtney Whitmore (Stargirl) to end in a flash. Both members of the JSA, Courtney, and Billy found themselves trapped in The Shadowlands with Shazam's connection to the Wizard severed.
He reverts to Billy Batson, revealing his true nature to Stargirl in the process. Realizing the two were the same age, they started dating, which was made awkward once they returned to Earth. Jay Garrick overheard Shazam and Stargirl making plans to go on a date, causing him to confront Shazam. Refusing to reveal his secret, Billy quits the JSA, as the wisdom of Solomon said it was the only choice.
8 Green Arrow And Black Canary Always Find Their Way Back To Each Other But It Usually Isn't A Smooth Ride
No matter which continuity the two find themselves in, the romantic relationship between Oliver Queen, the Green Arrow, and Dinah Lance, Black Canary, rarely start off smoothly. Oliver, fully embracing the billionaire playboy role has been known for his relationships with various women and overall perceived treatment of the fairer sex.
Dinah, on the other hand, is a strong, independent woman, who doesn't take crap from anybody, including Oliver. Aside from the New 52 where the two didn't have a relationship, the beginning of their courtship and incidents in between could be described as rocky at best. Even though this is the case, the two make the perfect couple, balancing each other out and operating as an unstoppable duo.
7 Tim Drake Found Himself Torn Between Stephanie Brown, The Vigilante Known As Spoiler, And His First Girlfriend, Ariana Dzerchenko
Tim Drake, the third bearer of the Robin mantle, has had more than his fair share of relationships that, for the most part, started on the wrong foot. Tim met and started dating Ariana Dzerchenko during the Robin III: Cry Of The Huntress, a miniseries by Chuck Dixon and Tom Lyle, which continued into his solo series where he first ran into Stephanie Brown, the crimefighting vigilante,
Their paths would continue to cross, and they would flirt even though Tim was dating Ariana outside the mask. Tim would eventually break up with Ariana and start dating Stephanie. The two would have an on-again, off-again relationship until the Rebirth Era, where they were part of Team Batman and Young Justice.
6 Conner Kent and Cassie Sandsmark's Romance Took A Few Missteps When They Were Both Young Heroes
Young love often gets off on the wrong foot but can eventually lead to a relationship that transcends death. Such was the case of Superboy and Wondergirl, whose relationship took time for the two to acknowledge and pursue. In the early days of the first Young Justice team, Cassie Sandsmark was head over heels for Conner Kent when she first joined, although Conner, still immature at the time, didn't acknowledge he also had feelings for her until the final issue of the series.
The two would continue their relationship as members of the Teen Titans, even though Wonder Woman disapproved of Cassie's choices. The two would continue to date until his death during Infinite Crisis and rekindling it after his resurrection by the Legion of Super-Heroes.
5 Hal Jordan And Carol Ferris' Romance Has Always Been A Series of Missteps
Hal Jordan and Carol Ferris first met before Hal becoming the intergalactic space cop, Green Lantern, hiring him as a test pilot for her father's aerospace company. Soon after hiring him, she became attracted to the fearless test pilot, but quickly became complicated when she became his boss and crowned her the new Star Sapphire, tasked with the mission to eliminate the new Green Lantern.
Over the years, the two would eventually reconcile and reveal their true feelings for each other, though they remain to be known if they have a future together.
4 Even The Flash Has Stumbled When It Comes To Romantic Relationships
Life as the fastest man alive is not always all that it is cracked up to be, as proven by Barry Allen and his protege Wally West. Barry's relationship usually revolved around him being late for his date with Iris or missing it entirely because of his alter ego. Wally West's relationship with Linda Park would become a hallmark relationship in the DCU until the New 52 relaunch undid the relationship.
When Wally first met Linda, she was a young reporter looking to make a name for herself, by questioning the motivations and methods of the new Flash. As the two began to work together to take on the criminal elements of Keystone City, eventually falling in love, get married, and start a family.
3 Nightwing Briefly Has A Romance With The Former Criminal Defacer, Who He First Met As Robin
Aside from his heroism and trustworthiness, Dick Grayson's reputation in the DCU for his romantic relationships aside from the long-standing ones with Barbara Gordon and Starfire precedes him. In the Rebirth Era, Dick moved to Bludhaven and met and fell in love with Shawn Tsang, who used to be the criminal Defacer, who he first encountered as Robin. When Tsang, now reformed and working with a former-villain support group, was suspected of murder, she asked Nightwing to help clear her name.
Nightwing, unsure that she was reformed, worked to clear her name and ended up in a romantic relationship after a few tense encounters. The relationship was short-lived when a false-positive pregnancy test spooked Dick, and differences about her criminal past and his vigilante lifestyle clashed.
2 Batman And Catwoman's Romantic Relationship Began With Them On Opposite Sides Of The Law
Batman and Catwoman's relationship in the DCU always begins with the two on the opposite sides of the law. Over the years, the two have had an on-and-off romantic relationship which invariably doesn't work out due to their being on different sides of the law. While this seems to be the case in the main DC continuity, there are instances in the Multiverse that, despite their relationship starting on the wrong foot, they were able to have a life and family with each other.
1 Superman and Lois' Relationship Was A Series Of Missteps Before Clark Revealed His True Identity
Perhaps the most significant relationship that started on the wrong foot was probably that of the DCU's most iconic couple, Superman and Lois Lane. Before Superman revealed to Lois his true identity, there was always the perceived love triangle between Clark Kent, Superman, and Lois, who couldn't decide which one she loved or wanted to marry.
In the series Lois Lane, Superman's Girlfriend, which ran from 1958 through 1974, many of the stories focused on Lois' attempts to trick Superman into marrying her or squaring against her romantic rival for Superman's attention, Lana Lang. Despite this time in their history, the two would eventually get married and become one of the premier relationships in the DCU.