Poll: X-Couples Who Actually Made Each Other Better?

[JeanGreyForever]

Wow are you ever oversimplifying but you cracked me up on more than one occasion here. Isn't Meggan/Brian one of the longest x-relationships around? I'm not disagreeing with what your saying but it did last.

I also have to disagree with you about Scott and Jean. I think it's easy to overlook how long their relationship was stable and even relativity functional. I'm thinking about 10 years... not counting however much of the 12 years counted in the AoC&P. Yes there was a lot of crap over that time but damn did Claremont and the writers that followed do a lot of on panel relationship affirmation for these two. It's seems a lot of people got bored with how drama-free their relationship became. Isn't that why Morrison axed them?

It's funny because usually people trash Jott because of how much drama they did have. They were in a pretty good place though during the Kelly and Seagle years when they both moved to Alaska and Jean was hinted as pregnant with Rachel. Even when Scott was dead, Jean was adamant that he was still alive (much like Sue was when Reed was temporarily "dead") and after his return their relationship was still fine. It was only Morrison who had his issues with them so he portrayed them as having issues otherwise they never had problems before.

[ChronoRogue]

I'd challenge you to back that statement up with Jott. Lot's of bad moments sure, but how many of them were bad relationship moments and not just bad situations they ended up in?

I think you misunderstood what I meant by bad moments. I meant, writing-wise, of where I've enjoyed the couple or not. But back up how I personally feel about the couple and why even Jott has bad relationship moments? Ok...

The big one is the Madelyne fiasco. It's not Jean's fault there was a clone created of her to seduce Scott, but how they reacted to the situation does count as a "relationship moment" imo. Jean should've put more thought into getting back together after she learned Scott had a child with her clone. That's a lot to digest and work through. It really should've taken longer for them to repair that relationship and drama and it never really got resolved, which left me unsatisfied.

Jeans flirtations with Wolverine were also eyebrow raising. Then we ended up with Scott and Emma, which everyone knows how that turned out.

[Sundowhn]

Wow are you ever oversimplifying but you cracked me up on more than one occasion here. Isn't Meggan/Brian one of the longest x-relationships around? I'm not disagreeing with what your saying but it did last.

Oh yes, Meg and Brian have been around forever. I know Captain Britain fans were pretty bent out of shape over his portrayal in Excalibur. Once that series ended with their marriage (with a last minute, pre-wedding-almost-affair between Colossus and Meg), I think they dropped into the land of stable couple. Meg came into her own as 'Gloriana' in a separate story, and I've only seen the two in an arc appearance during Remender's UXF run, as far as more recent stuff.

I also have to disagree with you about Scott and Jean. I think it's easy to overlook how long their relationship was stable and even relativity functional. I'm thinking about 10 years... not counting however much of the 12 years counted in the AoC&P. Yes there was a lot of crap over that time but damn did Claremont and the writers that followed do a lot of on panel relationship affirmation for these two. It's seems a lot of people got bored with how drama-free their relationship became. Isn't that why Morrison axed them?

It could be. You have to admit that the big picture looks kinda nasty, though. They loved, she died, he married her lookalike and had a kid, Jean comes back and he dumps the wife and kid to be with her then cheats on her with Emma, Jean dies, he grieves and stays with the mistress. A teen shows up that, once again, looks just like her (Hope), and he obsesses over her, too, though at least it's platonic this time.

Sorry, I know they're a favorite couple, but because it ran for SO long, there are a lot of ways to dissect it. I genuinely don't mean any harm by it.

[JeanGreyForever]

Sorry, I know they're a favorite couple, but because it ran for SO long, there are a lot of ways to dissect it. I genuinely don't mean any harm by it.

I ignore anything Cyclops from the Morrison Era onwards. Then again, I pretty much feel that way about most of the Marvel Universe as a whole.

[Sundowhn]

I ignore anything Cyclops from the Morrison Era onwards. Then again, I pretty much feel that way about most of the Marvel Universe as a whole.

I'm not a fan of that era, either.

[Ulfhammer]

:It could be. You have to admit that the big picture looks kinda nasty, though. They loved, she died, he married her lookalike and had a kid, Jean comes back and he dumps the wife and kid to be with her then cheats on her with Emma, Jean dies, he grieves and stays with the mistress. A teen shows up that, once again, looks just like her (Hope), and he obsesses over her, too, though at least it's platonic this time.

Sorry, I know they're a favorite couple, but because it ran for SO long, there are a lot of ways to dissect it. I genuinely don't mean any harm by it.

So the bullet points don't look so good when you put them all together like that... What am I saying, there some serious train-wrecking going on here. The point was that they survived... most of that relatively intact. It's not like Scemma where Emma was constantly paranoid through the whole relationship that Jean would turn up. I'm pretty sure Scott was paranoid about that too. Also, except for the one time where Scott hung out on the S.F. docs for a few weeks neither of them fell into patterns of substance abuse. That has to count for something right?

Regardless, no offense taken. I appreciate your perspective.

[Ulfhammer]

I think you misunderstood what I meant by bad moments. I meant, writing-wise, of where I've enjoyed the couple or not. But back up how I personally feel about the couple and why even Jott has bad relationship moments? Ok...

The big one is the Madelyne fiasco. It's not Jean's fault there was a clone created of her to seduce Scott, but how they reacted to the situation does count as a "relationship moment" imo. Jean should've put more thought into getting back together after she learned Scott had a child with her clone. That's a lot to digest and work through. It really should've taken longer for them to repair that relationship and drama and it never really got resolved, which left me unsatisfied.

Jeans flirtations with Wolverine were also eyebrow raising. Then we ended up with Scott and Emma, which everyone knows how that turned out.

I did misunderstand you. That makes more sense. I didn't intend to make you defend your opinion. You're free to it.

Maddie will always be the biggest fly in the ointment. I do think x-factor took a good chunk of time to resolve that and Jean was pretty angsty throughout. Plus Inferno...

Jean flirting with Wolverine would have had more impact if it wasn't being written by a guy who was actively breaking Jott up. I take it with a grain of salt... actually more like a whole shaker.

[JeanGreyForever]

Jean flirting with Wolverine would have had more impact if it wasn't being written by a guy who was actively breaking Jott up. I take it with a grain of salt... actually more like a whole shaker.

Agreed. Keep in mind that in Claremont's very first issue of Classic X-Men 1, he already tried to retcon Jean's feelings for Logan as being so strong that it was the reason she left the team.

[Ulfhammer]

Agreed. Keep in mind that in Claremont's very first issue of Classic X-Men 1, he already tried to retcon Jean's feelings for Logan as being so strong that it was the reason she left the team.

That's true. He must have been plenty bitter over the DPS retcon to stay upset that long.

[donpricetag]

Oh... Legion and Blindfold.

[Anduinel]

Colossus/Domino - This relationship represented Colossus finally moving beyond so many of his issues, and it was nice to see some actual forward character development for the guy. So of course, it had to go away when the IvX crap started up. Ugh.

Shadowcat/Pete Wisdom - The benefits to both were pretty straight forward: Wisdom got hauled away from Black Air and onto the side of the angels, Kitty got to finally move beyond her role as the kid with perpetual teen crushes and had a relationship of equals.

X-23/Hellion - He helped to bring her into the fold even more than Wolverine did, she helped him get his head out of his ass. It's a shame that writers love to downplay how important these two characters were to each other's development.

Rictor/Shatterstar - A trainwreck in some ways, but a supportive, sexy trainwreck with a foundation of solid friendship under the romance. Shockingly healthy for an X-Couple, really.

[Purplevit]

Blindfold and Legion

[VNCTG]

Wow. Lot's of silent Scemma fans here. I didn't expect that. I do understand how they could be good for each other but there's a lot of negative influences as well. Emma was always obsessing over being second best and wondering (rightfully I think) a lot of the time if Scott even loved her. Scott had to deal with Emma's methods which tended to be unpopular and I think slowly grew on Scott over time.

We just know...

But in all seriousness, I think those are normal insecurities many couples might tend to have. Looking at things through Emma's perspective, how can you compete with the soulmate of the man you love? Being a telepath didn't help with that regard, since she often liked to be inside his head, and claimed to know him best. As for Scott, he had to carry the burden of leading/saving mutantkind and had to make decisions others wouldn't have made. Not to bring any negativity towards Jott, but if Jean were in Emma's position during recent times, they'd be seen as "so supportive of each other" and "bringing out best of each other" or some other 80s/90s nostalgia. Its really easy bash on Emma as Scott's romantic interest, because of how their relationship came about in the first place and how Emma was the "second woman" after such a longstanding and iconic relationship. Honestly I thought they were fine pre-AVX until the Phoenix came and fucked everything up like always.

[sunofdarkchild]

Jean brings out the worst in Scott. He abandoned his wife and newborn son for her, and when they were together they were written as lacking passion for a while. The only periods where Scott has been interesting or likable have been the periods where Jean has been dead. On the other hand, Jean herself isn't really affected for better or worse by Scott's presence. At least his marriage to Maddie was meant to show that he had matured and no longer needed the X-Men, before they decided to turn her evil because they brought Jean back.

As for couples that bring out the best in each other, I'd say Wolverine and Mariko. The honor aspect of Logan's character very important but often forgotten. Even in the movies his relationship with Mariko was so much better than the Jean love triangle.

[JeanGreyForever]

Jean brings out the worst in Scott. He abandoned his wife and newborn son for her, and when they were together they were written as lacking passion for a while. The only periods where Scott has been interesting or likable have been the periods where Jean has been dead. On the other hand, Jean herself isn't really affected for better or worse by Scott's presence. At least his marriage to Maddie was meant to show that he had matured and no longer needed the X-Men, before they decided to turn her evil because they brought Jean back.

As for couples that bring out the best in each other, I'd say Wolverine and Mariko. The honor aspect of Logan's character very important but often forgotten. Even in the movies his relationship with Mariko was so much better than the Jean love triangle.

I'm not sure how they were written as lacking passion especially under Chris Claremont's prose. Just because they weren't in bed in every issue like a certain couple, doesn't mean they lack passion. You say that Scott got proper development and maturity from leaving the X-Men after his marriage to Maddie, but you could argue the same thing occurred when he and Jean left the X-Men after Operation Zero Tolerance.

I agree with you on Mariko and Logan though. I always liked that relationship so it's a shame she was killed off.