The X-Men is a long-running comic book soap opera. It’s filled with drama, betrayal, and, of course, romance. With a vast and varied cast of characters, the X-Men have seen their fair share of relationships and hookups over the decades. It’s these relationships that have continued to draw readers back to the unfolding drama, not only wanting to know if the latest great evil can be stopped, but if their favorite characters will finally share their first kiss.
While the comics have given us some of pop-culture’s most iconic pairings, they’ve also delved into some questionable territory. Some romances are firmly embedded in Marvel lore and X-Men fandom while others are better left forgotten. Let’s take a look at the five best and five worst X-Men relationships.
10 10. Worst: Kitty Pryde & Pete Wisdom
Kitty has found herself involved with a number of Peters over the years: Quill, Rasputin, Parker. But the worst of the bunch has to be MI-6 agent Peter Wisdom, the grizzled, chain-smoking Excalibur-ally who she dated in the ‘90s. While the slimy rogue was happy to start a romance with the young Shadowcat, she initially took a bit more convincing.
When the spark in their relationship finally ignited, it seemed especially out of character for the fun-loving, innocent Kitty that readers knew and adored. Her pet dragon, Lockheed, openly disapproved of the relationship, trying to reunite Kitty with Colossus, whom she had pined for since meeting in Uncanny X-Men #129. Fortunately, Kitty finally came to her senses and broke things off with Wisdom, giving him yet another reason to be broody.
9 9. Best: Polaris & Havok
One of the most enduring romances in X-Men history, Polaris and Havok first met in the 1960s. Fighting alongside each other in the X-Men and X-Force, their on-again-off-again romance has captured reader’s imaginations for over fifty years. When their relationship first became official, they left the mutant super team to live happily ever after.
Unfortunately, no superheroes get a peaceful (or long) retirement, and they found themselves regularly drawn back into conflicts which often fractured their relationship. Although danger, villains, and other romances (such as an incident with nurse Annie) have occasionally stood in their way, Polaris and Havok routinely find their way back to each other, making them a fan-favorite X-couple.
8 8. Worst: Rogue & Magneto
Age is just a number and shouldn’t really stand in the way of true love, especially when time and aging fluctuate as much as they do in comics. However, there was something particularly jarring about Rogue and Magneto’s romance. While their relationship was originally hinted at in the ‘Savage Land’ arc, it was directly portrayed in ‘Age of Apocalypse’ where the couple were shown to be married with a son.
What made their relationship questionable was the pair’s long, complicated history which firmly pitted them against each other. From Rogue’s beginnings in the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, Magneto displayed manipulative, exploitative, and cruel behavior towards her, and they grew to be fierce rivals. It’s an odd pairing, and one Marvel seems to have buried.
7 7. Best: Mystique & Destiny
LGBTQ+ relationships have long been poorly represented in comics, but Chris Claremont had a plan to address queer identities in the 1980s by giving readers a peek into Mystique’s domestic life and the family she had built with Destiny and their adopted daughter, Rogue. Claremont had intended to explicitly show the pair as lovers, but the Comics Code and Marvel’s own rules at the time meant same-sex relationships couldn’t be shown. That didn’t stop Claremont from exploring the romance through deep layers of subtext.
A couple since the 1930s, thanks to Mystique’s shape-shifting abilities to avoid controversy, the pair were rarely separated. The only person Mystique has ever truly cared about, their relationship was deep and caring, supporting each other wholeheartedly in their evil schemes and even co-founded the Second Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. Destiny’s death pushed Mystique over the edge, and she swore never to let her feelings stand in her way again. Which leads us to…
6 6. Worst: Mystique & Iceman
Iceman has been pretty unlucky in love over the years. One of the original X-Men, he’s yet to have a steady, healthy relationship. It was almost guaranteed that a relationship with Mystique would end in deception and heartbreak. Acting as an undercover agent for Mister Sinister, Mystique infiltrated the X-Men, gained Bobby’s trust, and the pair began their romance, lasting for 14 issues.
After sharing some deeply personal and intimate moments, Mystique – of course – revealed herself to be working for the enemy. She disabled Bobby’s powers, and even shot him and severed his arm. The entire relationship was awkward and clichéd. Hopefully, a stable, lasting relationship will be on the cards for Bobby soon.
5 5. Best: Kitty & Colossus
One of the most popular pairings in the X-Men, Kitty and Colossus have been drawn to each other for decades. While it began with Kitty’s unrequited teenage crush on her older teammate which could easily have been brushed off, it was developed for more than thirty years, giving it all the strength and scars of a real relationship.
It’s one of the few relationships in comics which has been fundamental in character growth, and watching their romance blossom has continually drawn readers to the X-Men comics. The pair would have ranked higher on the list if Kitty hadn’t called off their wedding in 2018 after questioning if marriage is really right for them. Whether or not the pair will find their way back together once again is yet to be seen.
4 4. Worst: Husk & Angel
Perhaps one of the most ‘WTF’ relationships in all of X-Men history, the romance between Husk and Angel was a disservice to each of their characters. In a (thankfully) short run filled with melodrama, the intelligent Husk was reduced to an angsty and emotional youngster desperate to go against her mother’s concerns and date her cool older boyfriend anyway. It was painful to read and filled with awful clichés.
To make matters worse, the pair proceed to do the deed in the sky right above Husk’s parents’ house, with family and X-Men watching and catching dropped clothing on the ground below. It was a truly baffling pairing (especially considering the popularity of Angel and Psylocke’s relationship) which fortunately didn’t last.
3 3. Best: Jean Grey & Cyclops
The original and definitive X-Men couple, and perhaps the most iconic relationship in all of comics, no list would be complete without Jean Grey and Cyclops. Growing up together as part of Professor X’s original X-Men team, the pair became incredibly close. They have withstood deranged villains, love triangles, and even death and resurrection, always finding their way back together. Coupled up in film and TV adaptations, Jean and Scott’s romance has become synonymous with their characters.
While their relationship hasn’t always led to them bringing the best out of each other, it has been integral to many of the key plotlines throughout X-Men history. Without their long, established relationship, the heartbreaking conclusion to the Dark Phoenix Saga wouldn’t have been quite so impactful.
2 2. Worst: Scarlet Witch & Quicksilver
Undoubtedly the most problematic romantic decision in all of X-Men comic history, there is no timeline or alternate universe which makes this incestuous – and illegal – relationship acceptable. Following the launch of the edgier Ultimates series, Jeph Loeb took the reins from Mark Millar and scaled up Wanda and Pietro’s relationship to a whole new level of inappropriate.
While Millar had established that the twins’ might be slightly closer than just family, Loeb ditched the subtle hints altogether and openly portrayed them as a couple. And if that wasn’t creepy enough, the Ultimates timeline implied that Wolverine might be their father – the same Wolverine that watched the twins’ intimate moments while hidden behind bushes in the jungle. And reader’s thought Wanda’s marriage to the android, Vision, was weird…
1 1. Best: Rogue & Gambit
This duo takes the top spot thanks to their fun-loving and dedicated relationship. Enemies turned best friends, their romance has been filled with squabbling and desire since they first met in the ‘90s. Both struggling with their dark pasts, they have been able to rely on each other consistently and turn to one another for help.
What makes their connection so wonderful is ladies’ man, Gambit, choosing to be with Rogue, unafraid of her powers. He’s never thought twice about the risks of touching her, which must be a relief for a woman who has a history of putting boyfriends into comas. They’ve built a deep connection through their fiery banter, and while their relationship is messy, the rough-around-the-edges charm makes this the most appealing and endearing X-Men relationships.