Bad Love: The Villain relationship thread

[Dermie]

Marvel needs more Bonnie and Clydes. A reference point I have is the 90's animated series, Gargoyles: David Xanatos and his wife, Fox. Partners in crime, both Machiavellian schemers in a loving, respectfuk and stable relationship. Let's see more of that.

Xantos and Fox are an amazing villain couple...although the "villain" status shifts a little bit by the time the animated series ended. I'm not sure if Marvel really has any villain couple who is quite on that level. Absorbing Man and Titania would probably be the closest in terms of the committed and loving relationship...but neither of them are master schemers the way Xanatos and Fox are.

[Michael Watkins]

That’s why I mentioned The Hood and Madame Masque. They are both very ambitious people. She did introduce him to her father.

[Michael Watkins]

I should mention Sinclair Abbott/Spymaster and his wife/girlfriend/sister (?), Greta. We never got the full story on that relationship; she was eviscerated by the Living Laser. But Sinclair was broken up about it enough to kill Happy Hogan. What was notable was how insane Sinclair’s lifestyle was and how onboard Greta was with it. They never broke https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/...20100315153406

[Dermie]

I should mention Sinclair Abbott/Spymaster and his wife/girlfriend/sister (?), Greta. We never got the full story on that relationship; she was eviscerated by the Living Laser. But Sinclair was broken up about it enough to kill Happy Hogan. What was notable was how insane Sinclair’s lifestyle was and how onboard Greta was with it. They never broke https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/...20100315153406

Yeah, they had a weird dynamic. They were clearly loyal to each other, yet neither of them had any problem with her seducing Tony Stark (or trying to, anyway) to further Sinclair's plots.

Spymaster later turned out to be bisexual or closet gay, since he ended up falling in love with a man during one of his undercover missions.

[Steel Inquisitor]

My favourite villain couple is Sin and Crossbones.

https://66.media.tumblr.com/8bafd1bc...vn9o1_1280.jpg

Got to shout to Mystique/Destiny and Absorbing Man/Titania.

[Michael Watkins]

Yeah, they had a weird dynamic. They were clearly loyal to each other, yet neither of them had any problem with her seducing Tony Stark (or trying to, anyway) to further Sinclair's plots.

Spymaster later turned out to be bisexual or closet gay, since he ended up falling in love with a man during one of his undercover missions.

Or he’s insane/really became immersed in the role. I’m reluctant to take anything about the character at face value. His suicide seemed genuine. Yet he has shown up, recently. I still look at Greta and suspect that she was his sister or something. They weren’t exactly romantic towards one another. And where villain dating site did they use?

[Michael Watkins]

My favourite villain couple is Sin and Crossbones.

https://66.media.tumblr.com/8bafd1bc...vn9o1_1280.jpg

Got to shout to Mystique/Destiny and Absorbing Man/Titania.

Pretty much only Sin would be willing to date Rumlow. That guy’s a piece of work.

[Dermie]

Leila Davis (aka Beetle II or Hardshell): She was married to the original Ringer, until he died. She seduced Boomerang to get close to Abe Jenkins (the first Beetle), whom she blamed for her husband's death. Speed Demon was also interested in her and tried to woo her away from Boomerang. Its not clear how far anything went between them, but she did play along with his interest as a back-up plan if Boomerang failed as her pawn.

For a villain with so few appearances, she racked up a few relationships!

[Michael Watkins]

Leila Davis (aka Beetle II or Hardshell): She was married to the original Ringer, until he died. She seduced Boomerang to get close to Abe Jenkins (the first Beetle), whom she blamed for her husband's death. Speed Demon was also interested in her and tried to woo her away from Boomerang. Its not clear how far anything went between them, but she did play along with his interest as a back-up plan if Boomerang failed as her pawn.

For a villain with so few appearances, she racked up a few relationships!

Leila definitely counts. A shame that they couldn't have saved her from Gravy train. Since you brought up the Syndicate, Hydro-Man was going steady with a woman (Sadie Frickett) who was quite accepting of his (and Sandman's) lifestyle.

https://comicvine1.cbsistatic.com/up...piderman_6.jpg

https://static.comicvine.com/uploads...derman_217.jpg

[Will Evans]

It’s weird how people will reject the Toad but act like Wade is a catch. They must be into skin flakes. This might be a good time to mention that Mastermind’s daughter had a sex fantasy involving Toad. I feel like there’s an untold story there.

Martinique or Regan?

[Michael Watkins]

Martinique or Regan?

Martinique

[Dermie]

Leila definitely counts. A shame that they couldn't have saved her from Gravy train.

True. I liked Leila a lot and was disappointed at her being killed off so quickly--especially before she had a chance to have any meaningful interaction with Abe in T-BOLTS. Smuggler managed to survive; Meteorite's death served as a catalyst for character growth for her father; Charcoal's death had some impact for the other T-Bolts (especially Jolt) since he was one of them; and even Scream managed to pull itself back together for some closure with Songbird. But Leila's death was just an abrupt end with no meaningful impact on the book at all. A shame.

There's also the current Beetle, Janice Lincoln (what is she--Beetle VI, I think?). She dated Ant-Man (Scott Lang). She had a fling with Overdrive, and she's now dating Randy Robertson. She also seduced Tony Stark as part of an assassination attempt.

How far things went between her and Stark is a bit confusing. On the one hand, the scene showed that Tony got naked, the bed sheets were all rumpled, and Tony made a reference to having them washed before Scott took over the apartment, which sounds like they did have sex. On the other hand, when Janice pulls her gun on him she says "did you actually think I was going to sleep with you?" which suggests they hadn't done it yet. But something went down between them, at any rate.

Since you brought up the Syndicate, Hydro-Man was going steady with a woman (Sadie Frickett) who was quite accepting of his (and Sandman's) lifestyle.

https://comicvine1.cbsistatic.com/up...piderman_6.jpg

https://static.comicvine.com/uploads...derman_217.jpg

It was cool that Sadie made a return appearance so long after her introduction. That was an amusing little triangle, but I think she's better matched with Hydro Man than Sandman.

[ARkadelphia]

How far things went between her and Stark is a bit confusing. On the one hand, the scene showed that Tony got naked, the bed sheets were all rumpled, and Tony made a reference to having them washed before Scott took over the apartment, which sounds like they did have sex. On the other hand, when Janice pulls her gun on him she says "did you actually think I was going to sleep with you?" which suggests they hadn't done it yet. But something went down between them, at any rate.

I literally read this book for the first time ever just a few hours ago. I also was confused by what TONY indicated and what JNice said. I finally came to the conclusion that Janice meant she wouldn’t have done the deed willingly. In other words if she wasn’t hired to assassinate him. I mean, Scott saw SOMETHING based on his reaction. AnywY, is this book even in continuity?

[Dermie]

I literally read this book for the first time ever just a few hours ago. I also was confused by what TONY indicated and what JNice said. I finally came to the conclusion that Janice meant she wouldn’t have done the deed willingly. In other words if she wasn’t hired to assassinate him.

That was my guess too. It seems the most likely explanation.

The other option was that they had only gotten as far as foreplay, and then Scott interrupted them before things could go any further (or before Janice could spring her trap).

AnywY, is this book even in continuity?

Yes, it is.

[Huntsman Spider]

And for what it's worth, this was pre-Secret Wars, post-AXIS, so Janice and Scott were dealing with Superior Iron Man, the morally-inverted Tony Stark who'd reverted to the (more) cynical drinker, womanizer, and war profiteer that he used to be.