Love triangles are as important a part of comics as the actual superhero battles. They create romantic tension, reminding the readers that the heroes are fallible, and they're not always capable of instantly making the best decisions. Love triangles have been common even as far back as when Lois Lane was in love with both Clark Kent and Superman.
Romance was an even bigger part of Marvel's books than DC's. For Marvel, the idea was to keep heroes from getting everything they want and to provide an element of tension that kept readers coming back to the book. Marvel's writers enjoyed superhero love triangles where someone is in love with a person both in and out of the costume, but also the more traditional kind involving two people in love with the same hero.
10 Sif/Jane/Thor Splits Thor's Human And Divine Aspects
Thor's relationships with Sif and Jane Foster have all the makings of a proper love triangle. Until Jane gained powers as Thor, and later Valkyrie, his two primary love interests couldn't have been less alike.
Sif represents the pull towards Thor's divinity, and their shared desire to protect the people of Asgard. Jane Foster pulls him more towards his humanity, putting him in touch with the people of Midgard he's chosen to protect. How close Thor is romantically with either Sif or Jane often comes down to how much time he's spending in either realm. However, both characters allow the God of Thunder to express his softer side.
9 Betty Ross Learns To Love Sides Of Bruce Banner And The Hulk
It's not new for comic book heroes to find themselves in love triangles with their alter egos, dating back to Lois Lane's Golden Age relationship with Superman and Clark Kent. However, because of Bruce Banner's fractured psyche, Betty Ross can often literally feel like she's dealing with two different people.
Initially, Betty disliked Hulk's brutish ways but came to understand it was just Bruce's pain directed as rage towards other people. Sometimes Betty even prefers Hulk to Bruce, who can be cold and distant because of his upbringing as well as his metahumanity. Their relationship reminds readers that no matter how powerful the Hulk is, he's still only human.
8 Black Cat And Mary Jane Pull Spider-Man Between His Civilian And Costumed Life
Spider-Man is the most eligible bachelor in the Marvel Universe this side of Tony Stark. There's no other way to explain why so many wonderful women are vying for his attention. In the case of Black Cat and Mary Jane, they represent the tension between the hero's lives as Spider-Man and Peter Parker.
Mary Jane loves Peter for his kindness and selfless behavior, even though she often finds his work as Spider-Man frustrating. Black Cat finds those same positive traits endearing but ultimately loves him for his courage, and his devotion to his dangerous costumed lifestyle. Ultimately, Spider-Man and Black Cat can't work without one of them giving up on part of what makes them who they are though, because they're on opposite sides of the law.
7 Namor And Reed Richards Offer Sue Richards A Choice Between Royalty And A Perfect Family Life
The Fantastic Four might not always seem like it, but they have a perfect life. However, sometimes perfect is boring, and for the Invisible Woman, that's where Namor comes in. While living as a member of The Fantastic Four certainly offers a lot of adventures, they're adventures as a family.
As the bare-chested King of Atlantis, Namor exudes a kind of appeal that's not going to come from a happy father of two. That said, the appeal of this love triangle is largely in the what-ifs. As much as Namor would love to be with Sue, Sue is faithful to her husband Reed inside Marvel's main continuity. However, the emotional distance Reed keeps between himself and his wife will always call the wisdom of that choice into question.
6 Human Torch's Childishness Pulled Him Into Relationships With Medusa And Crystal
Some of the best love triangles are forbidden. Medusa certainly had no business going after the Human Torch. He'd spent years as her sister Crystal's boyfriend, after all. But when Medusa and Black Bolt separated over how they were choosing to run the Inhuman kingdom, Medusa found solace in Jonny Storm's arms.
Both Medusa and the Torch were smart enough to talk to Black Bolt about their relationship, but they dodged talking with Crystal. While Crystal expected childish behavior from Johnny, she felt betrayed when her sister couldn't even be honest with her about this new relationship.
5 Magneto Presents Rogue With Another Path Than The Clever Cajun
Rogue and Gambit is one of Marvel's biggest ships for a reason. Everyone can feel the romantic tension between them the moment they're on the page together. The first man fully aware of how dangerous touching Rogue can be, Gambit has never shied away from expressing his feelings for her.
But Remy isn't the only one Rogue's ever carried a torch for. Rogue felt a similar attraction to Magneto and she even dated his clone, Joseph, for a time. The two often find themselves together in alternate timelines like Age of Apocalypse, though those relationships always have troublesome endings.
4 Cyclops, Jean Grey, And Wolverine Is Marvel's Truest True Love Triangle
Scott and Jean were high school sweethearts. Logan was the man Jean told Scott not to worry about. Jean's feelings for Logan have vacillated over the years. Sometimes she gives into the draw of Logan's animal magnetism, other times she stays with Scott.
Though Logan has had countless loves over the years, he's always believed he would eventually end up with Jean, even if it took until the end of the universe. These days, it feels like this love triangle is settled as their relationship has turned polyamorous, with the three sharing a housing area on Krakoa.
3 Pepper Potts Is Torn Between The Ever-Present Happy Hogan And The Secretive Tony Stark
In the early days, Tony Stark's biggest rival for Pepper Potts' affection wasn't just his costumed alter-ego, Iron Man. Instead, it was his chauffeur, Happy Hogan, that stood in his way. Though Pepper had no interest in Happy at first, his willingness to make her a priority while Tony always wanted to be the playboy changed things.
Meanwhile, Tony often felt like he had no right to pursue love because of his life as Iron Man. This love triangle persisted even after Happy and Pepper were married, with the romantic tension with Tony still remaining whenever the two had trouble in their marriage.
2 Emma Frost Shows Jean Grey How It Feels To Be On The Other Side Of A Love Triangle With Scott
For years, there was a rivalry between Cyclops and Wolverine over Jean's affections. However, in the early 2000s, Grant Morrison introduced a new challenger to Scott and Jean's relationship, the diamond-skinned Emma Frost.
Though Cyclops and Jean were still together, Emma Frost used her telepathy to sneak into Scott's mind for a psychic affair. She even occasionally cosplayed as Phoenix to get Scott to open up more about his desires. In the end, Jean discovered Scott's infidelity but gave Emma and Scott's relationship her blessing after she was killed.
1 Peter Parker Is Torn Between Girl Next Door And Adventure With Gwen Stacy And Mary Jane
In the Silver Age, Peter's attention was divided between two amazing, yet completely different women. Gwen Stacy was the ultimate Girl Next Door, who felt like the safe option for him. Mary Jane's identity at the time was a party girl, the one who brought a bit more spice and excitement into Peter's life.
Both MJ and Gwen were both probably too good for Pete, but that romance helped make the comic work as much as Spider-Man's adventures battling his enemies. While Gwen doesn't get the spotlight much these days, fans still have Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale's incredible Spider-Man: Blue miniseries to give a timeless look at this amazing love triangle.