10. Lawrence "Crusher" Crock and Paula Brooks, a.k.a. Sportsmaster and Huntress/Tigress (The DCU, mostly JSA titles)



In an appropriate (if unintended) follow-on to Icctrombone 's entry above, I give Mr and Mrs Menace: Sportsmaster and the Huntress, the most happily-married supervillain couple in comicdom (only Absorbing Man and Titania run them close).

When DC started bringing back their golden age heroes in the 60s, it was only natural that their supervillains would also return. And as many of the heroes had married during their absence, it only made sense that some of them would have done so too. Enter Sportsmaster and Huntress who had fought alongside each other in the Injustice Society and were now happily married and continuing their life of crime.

I find this combination utterly charming. It is obvious that they are very happily married. They obviously love each other; they share common interests; are supportive of each other - albeit with a competitive streak. They were also excellent parents, raising a happy and healthy daughter who follows them into the family business: completely unlike the abusive parents almost all other supervillains have been shown to be.

And their marriage has been longer and happier than almost all superhero marriages.

I think it is a great to have an example of a supervillain couple that shows that they can have happy (and dare I say it) normal relationships, and don't have to be total train wreck of Harley and the Joker.

Today's Song: "I Only Have Eyes For You"- The Flamingoes

#10- Popeye & Olive Oyl



Watching the Popeye cartoons as a kid, the thought of a sailor falling in love with a noodle-like gal such as Olive was silly. Used for comedic effect it worked as the old Fleischer cartoons were fun but the central message of love was there. Popeye cared for Olive, when he meant it, but cared for her well being overall. It wasn't until I delved into Thimble Theater and the Popeye strips and saw the progression of their romance. Still curt and blunt as he is, Popeye made sure Olive and her family were kept out of harm's way. No Sea Hag or Bluto could come between them. From comics, the matinee cartoons, to the comic strips, they've been together for close to 70 years. 

On the third day of Christmas, True Love gave to me a couple of destiny, Thorgal and Aaricia.



I've been aware of Thorgal for some time, and read a volume of it some time ago, but it is a series I have only recently taken a deep dive into it and it has been a joy. On the surface Thorgal and Aaricia can appear to be a pretty standard fantasy couple-the beefy barbarian type warrior and the blonde bombshell hanging on his arm (or leg taking cues from Frazetta) but there's a lot more there and appearances can be deceiving. Thorgal himself is more Prince Valiant than Conan, and their relationship is a matter of fate and destiny than barbaric lust.

The setting is that of Viking Culture, and Thorgal is a foundling, assumed to be the son of a sea-god adopted by the chieftain who views his finding as the omen that allowed for their survival on what had been a doomed journey. Aaricia is the daughter of his rival who despises him and Thorgal, and leads a coup to kill the chieftain and take his place as leader of their band/village/petty kingdom. We learn however, that Thorgal is actually the last scion of an advanced human race that had left earth for the stars and returned but crashed and were taken as gods in ancient times, and Aaricia herself was imbued with the blessings of the Norse gods and intended as a gift/partner for Thorgal because he had sacrificed much to help them unknowingly as a child. Their love itself is a gift formt he gods and they are fated to be together.

How it plays out is where the beauty of their relationship is seen and which makes them so appealing as a couple. Often times, love requires sacrifice, and both Thorgal and Aaricia sacrifice much for each other. Thorgal must overcome the schemes and machinations of Aaricia's father just to survive and becomes an outcast, but Aaricia defies her father to aid Thorgal and save his life. Both sacrifice the only home they have known to be together and take to the road to find a place together. In typical fantasy tropes, Aaricia is often placed in danger and Thorgal sacrifices much and undergoes many ordeals to save her, but the reverse is often true, and while Aaricia is not a warrior and is often the damsel in distress, her gifts give her agency of her own and it is often her deeds which save Thorgal's life or put him in a position to achieve victory.

I am still early in the series, and the dynamic may change (there is a child on the way) bot of what I have read, they have become one of my favorite couples in the fantasy/sword and sorcery genre (there's at least one more coming later)

-M

I'm sure this is because the character first appeared during my "sweet spot" when I was REALLY enjoying (and buying) the Batman books. . but my #10 is:

Bruce Wayne & Natalia Knight (Nocturna).

although many always thought she was a Vampire - and I do believe that sometimes in other media (or appearances) sometimes she's referred to as such - Nocturna is NOT a Vampire.
Her powers really are only teleportation over short distances (mainly during nighttime/dark hours). That combined with her skin condition, her sensitivity to sunlight, and her persona/mode of dress meant that she played at being a Vampire to confuse.

at the end of the day. . she's really just a master theif with Teleportation powers.
(oh, and a perfume that allowed her to control the men around her via pheromones). . so she was a goth combination of Catwoman & Poison Ivy.


she had a multi issue arc in which she adopted Jason Todd, and used him as a pawn to try and get Batman to Marry her.
(it was way better than it sounded, really).

initially he was attracted to her due to the Pheromones. . .




but he decided to follow thru with her ask for Jason's sake, although many believed that she wanted to marry Bruce for his money.

Nocturna figured out Bruce = Batman, and eventually it was revealed that she really did love Bruce, and "sacrificed" herself to save Jason from harm, and to show Bruce she loved him.

her last "real" appearance to me, was in this issue, where a gravely injured Nocturna was sent off into a storm (via Hot Air Balloon. . you had to be there), and out of Bruce's/Jason's life.




although the character has popped up again here and there - even joining the Suicide Squad in one iteration (where she was mistakenly portrayed as Vampiric). . .but without the connection to Bruce that so defined her earlier appearances.