History StrangledByTheRedString / MarvelUniverse

** Scott dating Emma Frost. What's really bad is the excuse given for why they're dating so soon after Jean's death is "not" a rebound relationship (Creator/GrantMorrison had them have an adulterous psychic affair before Jean's death, but realistically that was Emma -- his supposed therapist -- unethically taking advantage of him when he was vulnerable). As proof it was contrived, there is this BadFuture that Jean needed to avert. Going back in time, like ''every other'' such future, somehow wasn't an option this time. Instead, the only options were 1. Scott and Emma didn't get together, the X-Men would fall apart and things go all to holy hell; or 2. Jean brainwashes her husband into forgetting his feelings for Jean and giving in to his attraction to Emma.

* During his run on ''ComicBook/TheAvengers'' writer Creator/JonathanHickman paired up his new character, Izzy "Smasher II" Kane and former [[ComicBook/XMen X-Man]] and current Avenger, Cannonball. Up to that point, Avengers readers would be hard-pressed to name a time the two had even talked to each other, let alone established a relationship. In the space of a couple of years, Smasher and Cannonball went from "Didn't know they knew each other's real names" during ComicBook/{{Infinity}} to "they have a son together" by the time of ''ComicBook/TimeRunsOut''.

* ''ComicBook/FantasticFour'': [[ComicBook/HumanTorch Torch]] and [[ComicBook/TheInhumans Crystal]] barely even speak ''three sentences'' to each other before declaring themselves lovers-for-life, and the Torch spends the next ''several'' arcs pining over Crystal. Still, Johnny was awfully young in those days, but it's not as if he and Crystal stayed together for very long after they ''were'' reunited. Subverted in ''ComicBook/UltimateFantasticFour'', where he quotes the 'Lovers-for-life' verbatim... then shrugs and admits "[[TheCasanova I just thought we might get a good thing going]]." Sue proceeds to voice what pretty much everyone is thinking with "[[LampshadeHanging For God's sake Johnny, you've known her for an hour!]]"
* In an oddly well-done example, ComicBook/{{Mockingbird}} and ComicBook/{{Hawkeye}}, who got married literally a fortnight after meeting. The two realized they had chemistry after knowing each other for about a day (during which they spent most of it bickering, though in an old married couple kind of way), and decided to get married as soon as possible. However, since they ''do'' have great chemistry, have similar personalities, and fighting styles which compliment the other, they work well together despite the questionable introduction and, while they're currently broken up and have had several falling outs and breakups, they remain one of Marvel's most popular pairs. Still, ComicBook/CaptainAmerica telling Clint that getting married to a girl he just met is ''the most responsible thing he ever did'' makes for a {{narm}}y moment.

** Following the much-loathed comic ''ComicBook/OneMoreDay'', (an event which nullified Peter Parker's 20-year marriage to ComicBook/MaryJaneWatson) [[ExecutiveMeddling editor in chief]] of Marvel Creator/JoeQuesada's first order of business was to establish a new {{love interest|s}} for Peter, who just happened to be named after [[CreatorsPet Quesada's own daughter]]. Despite how much the readers hated [[RelationshipSue Carlie]], Quesada was so hellbent on setting her up to be Spidey's [[OneTruePairing true love]] that even Mary Jane herself was [[CharacterShilling supporting her on Quesada's behalf]].
** It happens again in the prelude to the ''ComicBook/SpiderVerse'' event when Spider-Man starts a relationship with newcomer ComicBook/{{Silk}}. Thing is, their relationship only happens because of a pheromone that makes them crazy for one another. That means Spider-Man is being strangled, and Silk is the one pulling on the red string.

** ComicBook/{{Colossus}}' instant infatuation with Zsaji in ''ComicBook/SecretWars1984'' counts -- despite his long-established relationship with ComicBook/KittyPryde, he falls head over heels for the alien after she heals his injuries. Possibly justified by BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor, as some theorize that Zsaji was the Battleworld granting Colossus' wish for "the perfect girlfriend". It was also implied that Zsaji's healing powers also created some degree of an emotional bond between her and the recipient. In RealLife, the reason for the instant romance was ExecutiveMeddling -- Creator/JimShooter, who wrote the story, was becoming increasingly concerned and alarmed at Creator/ChrisClaremont's romantic pairing of Colossus, who was 19-20 at the time, and Kitty Pryde, who was 14, especially after scenes where Kitty had offered herself sexually out of despair to Colossus (he refused) and where the two shared a kiss. He took the opportunity of ''Secret Wars'' to completely and (he thought) irrevocably sink the Kitty/Colossus ship. It would not be raised until decades later, and both characters were of legal age.
** [[ComicBook/{{Cyclops}} Scott]] dating ComicBook/EmmaFrost. What's really bad is the excuse given for why they're dating so soon after ComicBook/{{Jean|Grey}}'s death is "not" a rebound relationship (Creator/GrantMorrison had them have an adulterous psychic affair before Jean's death, but realistically that was Emma -- his supposed therapist -- unethically taking advantage of him when he was vulnerable). As proof it was contrived, there is this BadFuture that Jean needed to avert. Going back in time, like ''every other'' such future, somehow wasn't an option this time. Instead, the only options were 1. Scott and Emma didn't get together, the X-Men would fall apart and things go all to holy hell; or 2. Jean brainwashes her husband into forgetting his feelings for Jean and giving in to his attraction to Emma.
** ComicBook/BlackPanther and ComicBook/{{Storm}}'s marriage resulted from Reginald Hudlin's [[ProtectionFromEditors hamfisted railroading]] of the relationship from casual acquaintance to Wedding of Perfect Couple as soon as possible and they were made out as some kind of First Couple of Black Superheroes. Subsequent writers were not subtle about their distaste for the pairing and found any possible reason to have Storm go on missions with the X-Men or for T'Challa to have solo adventures. After the events of ''ComicBook/AvengersVsXMen'', where the two fought, their marriage has been annulled.[[note]]Their marriage in the older ''ComicBook/EarthX'' miniseries wasn't nearly as hated since it took place in the future where Ororo and T'Challa presumably had a healthy romance before tying the knot. Storm even says at one point that he made her feel like a queen long before he made her one.[[/note]]
** ''{{ComicBook/Sabretooth}}'' & ComicBook/{{Monet|StCroix}} is a big example. After ''ComicBook/SecretWars2015'', the books have an 8-month time-skip with many off-panel developments, which includes the start of this romance in Bunn's ''[[ComicBook/UncannyXMen2016 Uncanny X-Men]]''. The ShipTease is in [[BelligerentSexualTension full effect]] the first issue as they engage in SnarkToSnarkCombat. Psylocke [[{{Exposition}} reveals]] it's typical behavior by asking if they were still bickering, why they don't just [[GetARoom get a room]], and thinking they may be flirting. The seeds of romance were planted asap. Bunn [[https://twitter.com/cullenbunn/status/1009239337588940803 confirmed they had a torturous love]] & their feelings were so apparent, [[EveryoneCanSeeIt six characters could see it]] throughout the two books they shared. Yuriko has an exposition moment in [[ComicBook/WeaponX2017 Weapon X]] 22 when her elaboration on Monet was [[https://i.imgur.com/moqdmos.jpg "as in Sabretooth ex-girlfriend."]] ComicBook/{{Domino|MarvelComics}}, ComicBook/{{Deadpool}}, and Omega Red [[ShipperOnDeck shipped them]]. Domino gushes at them twice, Deadpool impatiently asks when they're gonna kiss, and Omega Red grins at them during a heartfelt convo. She & Creed never met prior to all this and we skipped straight to them already being in love with numerous sources pointing it out.[[note]]Creed met the M-twins during Phalanx Covenant when they were impersonating Monet.[[/note]] [[note]] Even though Creed was a good guy during his pairing with Monet, it was controversial among fandom with many hating the idea of putting a someone of her caliber with a man who has a history of bad treatment toward women. This was compounded with Creed's newfound goodness being brought about by magic. He was inverted by a spell from Scarlet Witch that reversed his moral alignment, making anything he did seem artificial since it wasn't of his own accord to do better, but merely a result of magic beyond his control.[[/note]]
** [[ComicBook/{{Iceman}} Bobby Drake/Iceman]] and Kitty Pryde/Shadowcat. As of the seventh issue of the ''ComicBook/WolverineAndTheXMenMarvelComics'' comic, Bobby and Kitty have shared two kisses, despite how they've spent years as distant acquaintances at best. They had a decent relationship arc in the ComicBook/UltimateMarvel universe, and writers have been known to mix the two up before. It comes completely out of nowhere in the main Franchise/MarvelUniverse. However, this, too, was crashed into the ground, this time by the events of ''ComicBook/BattleOfTheAtom'' after Kitty gets fed up with Wolverine's HolierThanThou attitude and, after chewing out Iceman for not trying to stand up for himself and leaning towards Wolverine's way of thinking, breaks it off and goes to join Cyclops' team.
** Iceman gets it again in his solo series, which began shortly after he came out as gay. This was already contentious among some fans who felt like it came out of nowhere, and many complained that the series seemed far more interested in being a ComingOutStory than a superhero book. While in L.A. Bobby goes out with a guy whom he found on a dating app, winds up sleeping with him, and ''immediately'' decides to move in with him, which of course means relocating across the country and leaving the X-Men. Must have been some really good sex, huh?
** ComicBook/{{X 23}} and Angel of the O5 getting together in ''ComicBook/AllNewXMen''. Despite having not interacted on-panel at all through the first two story arcs after Laura joins the team — and in fact, Laura having been {{Ship Tease}}d ''with an entirely different character altogether'' up to that point — Warren suddenly decides he's interested in her in the third. It comes so far out of left field that many fans are convinced that the romantic plot was meant for Laura and ''Scott'' (the character with whom she was being teased in the first two arcs), but some combination of ExecutiveMeddling and his leaving the book for the Cyclops series forced Bendis to revise the plan and he just picked a random member of the O5 who wasn't doing anything else important. Such views are only reinforced by accusations that Warren has become a SatelliteLoveInterest in the second volume, with everything about his character in the first few issues revolving around his relationship with Laura.
** The relationship between ComicBook/RachelSummers and ComicBook/{{Nightcrawler}} in ''ComicBook/XMenGold'' seems to be viewed like this by most fans, as they get together with zero buildup, almost never spend any time around each other and generally don't display much chemistry as a couple. Since the writer of ''ComicBook/XMenGold'', Marc Guggenheim, has flat out said that the main focus of ''X-Men Gold'' is the romance and wedding between ComicBook/KittyPryde and ComicBook/{{Colossus}} it makes one wonder why he even put Rachel and Kurt together in the first place as them being a couple contributes nothing to the overall plot. One issue even made fun of their lack of screentime together.
** {{ComicBook/Mystique}} and Sabretooth is a [[UnholyMatrimony villainous example]]. In the '90s, Victor has critically wounded Raven without a problem on two occasions. On her end, Raven has raped, used, and poisoned him. She tries to hurt him by taking the form of his dead mother, seems to find him disgusting in X-Factor while having feelings for Forge. Come Aaron's 2010 X-run, they're a couple, captioned in Wolverine #300 as '''"Marvel's Hottest and Deadliest New Couple"'''. Since then, Creed has consistently been depicted as loving her, to the point that hurting her is a BerserkButton. Inverted Rogue threatened to kill her in front of him just to hurt him and Lady Mastermind has pointed out that he thinks Mystique the be all and end all. Mystique's feelings for him [[DependingOnTheWriter vary]]. On good days, she's very affectionate with him, but on bad days, she's got no issue selling him out or being willing to sacrifice him in favor of reviving Destiny.
* During his run on ''ComicBook/TheAvengers'' writer Creator/JonathanHickman paired up his new character, Izzy "Smasher II" Kane and former [[Franchise/XMen X-Man]] and current Avenger, Cannonball. Up to that point, Avengers readers would be hard-pressed to name a time the two had even talked to each other, let alone established a relationship. In the space of a couple of years, Smasher and Cannonball went from "Didn't know they knew each other's real names" during ComicBook/{{Infinity}} to "they have a son together" by the time of ''ComicBook/TimeRunsOut''.

* The ComicBook/UncannyAvengers run brought us Havok paired with ComicBook/TheWasp. After approximately three issues of flirting, readers were suddenly flung into a time skip where they were married with a five-year-old daughter. And ''then'', after timey-wimey stuff caused said kid to get erased, everyone to get sent back to the present, and Alex to get turned evil, he ''kidnaps Jan to "make sure they get their daughter back"'', only for this to then be dropped and the two to show up again separately, making no mention of what happened.

* ComicBook/TheAvengers #200 did this [[AbductionIsLove to such an amazingly offensive level]] that in a later comic, Creator/ChrisClaremont had ComicBook/CarolDanvers (the woman involved) deliver a WhatTheHellHero / TheReasonYouSuckSpeech to her fellow Avengers.

* During his run on ''ComicBook/TheAvengers'' writer Creator/JonathanHickman paired up his new character, Izzy "Smasher II" Kane and former [[Franchise/XMen X-Man]] and current Avenger, Cannonball. Up to that point, Avengers readers would be hard-pressed to name a time the two had even talked to each other, let alone established a relationship. In the space of a couple of years, Smasher and Cannonball went from "Didn't know they knew each other's real names" during [[ComicBook/{{Infinity}} "The Builder Wars"]] to "they have a son together" by the time of [[ComicBook/SecretWars2015 "Time Runs Out."]]

* In an oddly well-done example, ComicBook/{{Mockingbird}} and Comicbook/{{Hawkeye}}, who got married literally a fortnight after meeting. The two realized they had chemistry after knowing each other for about a day (during which they spent most of it bickering, though in an old married couple kind of way), and decided to get married as soon as possible. However, since they ''do'' have great chemistry, have similar personalities, and fighting styles which compliment the other, they work well together despite the questionable introduction and, while they're currently broken up and have had several falling outs and breakups, they remain one of Marvel's most popular pairs. Still, ComicBook/CaptainAmerica telling Clint that getting married to a girl he just met is ''the most responsible thing he ever did'' makes for a {{narm}}y moment.

** ''ComicBook/RainbowRowellsRunaways'' has Nico and Karolina. While there has been a lot of UnresolvedSexualTension between them over the years, the actual romantic relationship comes at an extremely awkward time, when Karolina has only recently been dumped by her girlfriend Julie, which rubbed a lot of fans the wrong way and led to accusations that Rowell was pandering to fans of [[Series/{{Runaways2017}} the show]] (where Nico and Karolina have been a couple from the beginning) in order to boost sales. Of course, the pairing has always been very popular in the fandom, so most fans have since forgiven the less-than-ideal timing.

* ''Comicbook/XMen'':

** Comicbook/{{X 23}} and Angel of the O5 getting together in ''Comicbook/AllNewXMen''. Despite having not interacted on-panel at all through the first two story arcs after Laura joins the team — and in fact, Laura having been {{Ship Tease}}d ''with an entirely different character altogether'' up to that point — Warren suddenly decides he's interested in her in the third. It comes so far out of left field that many fans are convinced that the romantic plot was meant for Laura and ''Scott'' (the character with whom she was being teased in the first two arcs), but some combination of ExecutiveMeddling and his leaving the book for the Cyclops series forced Bendis to revise the plan and he just picked a random member of the O5 who wasn't doing anything else important. Such views are only reinforced by accusations that Warren has become a SatelliteLoveInterest in the second volume, with everything about his character in the first few issues revolving around his relationship with Laura.

** {{ComicBook/Mystique}} and Sabretooth is a [[UnholyMatrimony villainous example]]. In the '90s, Victor has critically wounds Raven without a problem on two occasions. On her end, Raven has raped, used, and poisoned him. She tries to hurt him by taking the form of his dead mother, seems to find him disgusting in X-Factor while having feelings for Forge. Come Aaron's 2010 X-run, they're a couple, captioned in Wolverine #300 as '''"Marvel's Hottest and Deadliest New Couple"'''. Since then, Creed has consistently been depicted as loving her, to the point that hurting her is a BerserkButton. Inverted Rogue threatened to kill her in front of him just to hurt him and Lady Mastermind has pointed out that he thinks Mystique the be all and end all. Mystique's feelings for him [[DependingOnTheWriter vary]]. On good days, she's very affectionate with him, but on bad days, she's got no issue selling him out or being willing to sacrifice him in favor of reviving Destiny.

** ''{{ComicBook/Sabretooth}}'' & ComicBook/{{Monet|StCroix}} is a big example. After ''ComicBook/SecretWars2015'', the books have an 8-month time-skip with many off-panel developments, which includes the start of this romance in Bunn's ''[[ComicBook/UncannyXMen2015 Uncanny X-Men]]''. The ShipTease is in [[BelligerentSexualTension full effect]] the first issue as they engage in SnarkToSnarkCombat. Psylocke [[{{Exposition}} reveals]] it's typical behavior by asking if they were still bickering, why they don't just [[GetARoom get a room]], and thinking they may be flirting. The seeds of romance were planted asap. Bunn [[https://twitter.com/cullenbunn/status/1009239337588940803 confirmed they had a torturous love]] & their feelings were so apparent, [[EveryoneCanSeeIt six characters could see it]] throughout the two books they shared. Yuriko has an exposition moment in [[ComicBook/WeaponX2017 Weapon X]] 22 when her elaboration on Monet was [[https://i.imgur.com/moqdmos.jpg "as in Sabretooth ex-girlfriend."]] ComicBook/{{Domino|MarvelComics}}, ComicBook/{{Deadpool}}, and Omega Red [[ShipperOnDeck shipped them]]. Domino gushes at them twice, Deadpool impatiently asks when they're gonna kiss, and Omega Red grins at them during a heartfelt convo. She & Creed never met prior to all this and we skipped straight to them already being in love with numerous sources pointing it out.[[note]]Creed met the M-twins during Phalanx Covenant when they were impersonating Monet.[[/note]] [[note]] Even though Creed was a good guy during his pairing with Monet, it was controversial among fandom with many hating the idea of putting a someone of her caliber with a man who has a history of bad treatment toward women. This was compounded with Creed's newfound goodness being brought about by magic. He was inverted by a spell from Scarlet Witch that reversed his moral alignment, making anything he did seem artificial since it wasn't of his own accord to do better, but merely a result of magic beyond his control.[[/note]]

* The ComicBook/UncannyAvengers run brought us Havok paired with ComicBook/TheWasp. After approximately three issues of flirting, readers were suddenly flung into a time skip where they were married with a five-year-old daughter. And ''then'', after timey-wimey stuff caused said kid to get erased, everyone to get sent back to the present, and Alex to get turned evil, he ''kidnaps Jan to "make sure they get their daughter back"'', and nothing has been touched on either character in the current time since.