7 Superhero Love Interests Who Actually Got Superpowers (Including One Fans Can’t Stand)

Both DC and Marvel frequently explore the balance between their characters’ superhero duties and their love lives. It’s common for heroes to date or marry other heroes – a great example is Mr. Fantastic and Invisible Woman. But we also see many cases of heroes falling for ordinary people. These relationships can often help keep a hero grounded and prevent them from getting too lost in their crime-fighting adventures. However, the superhero world inevitably impacts the romance, and these civilian partners sometimes unexpectedly develop powers of their own. Occasionally, these new abilities are permanent, but often they disappear when the storyline ends. Regardless, it’s clear that dating a superhero is anything but dull for a regular person. It’s a life full of surprises! You can always expect the unexpected.

It’s no surprise that the people superheroes love are often targeted by villains, who try to harm the hero by going after them. But there are many cases where these seemingly vulnerable partners develop powers themselves – and end up rescuing the superhero! It’s a fun twist!

7) Carol Ferris

As a huge comic book fan, let me tell you about Carol Ferris. She’s the owner of Ferris Air and, more importantly, the main love interest of Hal Jordan – you know, Green Lantern. It’s a pretty wild story, actually. These alien beings called the Zamarans picked Carol to be their queen because of how deeply she loved Hal. But here’s the twist: they did it by imbuing her with a Star Sapphire Gem. This gem wasn’t just for show; it gave her powers similar to a Green Lantern Ring – she could create energy constructs and all that. The downside? It also created an evil alter ego, this persona called the Star Sapphire, and turned her into one of Hal’s biggest and most dangerous foes. It’s a classic superhero love story…with a seriously complicated twist!

For a long time, Carol had difficulty managing the powerful and often dangerous Star Sapphire side of herself, constantly trying to avoid harming Hal. Fortunately, the Zamarans eventually realized their errors. They gave Carol a brand-new Star Sapphire Power Ring that she could fully control, replacing the flawed gem she had before. Now, as a proud member of the new Star Sapphire Corps, Carol travels the universe fighting for love and acting as a hero.

6) Mary Jane Watson

For many years, Mary Jane Watson was Peter Parker’s girlfriend and then his wife. But after the storyline “One More Day” essentially erased their marriage from history, their relationship became complicated, leaving fans wondering if they would ever get back together. Things became even more difficult when MJ was transported to another dimension and became stranded with a man named Paul. Fortunately, Paul created a special wrist device to help her survive the dangers of this new world. The device could create three different magical symbols at random, each giving the wearer unique powers. These powers included things like the ability to fly, become skilled with a sword, and even project fire.

Once MJ returned home, she started using the device and transformed into the superhero Jackpot. However, things went wrong when the device malfunctioned, putting her life in serious danger. Luckily, Peter’s former Venom symbiote showed up just in time, rescuing her and allowing her to discard the damaged device. As a result of this encounter, MJ is now connected to the symbiote and has become the latest version of Venom.

5) Lana Lang

Lana Lang and Clark Kent were high school sweethearts in Smallville. They stayed close even after Clark moved to Metropolis, and she was among the first to discover his secret identity as Superman. When a different Superman died from kryptonite poisoning, a large burst of energy was released, and Lana unintentionally absorbed it. This gave her new abilities, including the power to absorb and redirect energy, as well as super-strength and the ability to fly.

Adopting the identity of Superwoman, Lana became a key member of the Superman Family, bravely fighting with Superman against the supervillains who endangered Metropolis. She later lost her abilities when a dangerous AI, known as M1dn1ght, took over her body. To break free from the AI’s grasp, Lana released all of her energy. This powerful surge eliminated M1dn1ght, but unfortunately, it also left Lana without her powers.

4) Betty Ross

As a huge fan of the Hulk’s story, I always felt bad about what happened to Betty Ross. It’s just awful that, in a desperate attempt to destroy the Hulk, the villainous M.O.D.O.K. turned her into a monster – a giant, winged creature called Harpy – through gamma radiation. Thankfully, she was eventually cured and actually got to marry Bruce, which was a sweet moment. But sadly, her long-term exposure to the radiation that the Hulk constantly gives off eventually took its toll, and she tragically died. It’s a really heartbreaking part of the Hulk’s history, and shows how dangerous his power can be, even to those he loves. You can read more about it on Marvel’s website.

Naturally, being a comic book, Betty was brought back to life by the villains M.O.D.O.K. and the Leader, who transformed her into the Red She-Hulk. Initially, she acted as their mind-controlled follower, but she eventually regained her free will and became an anti-hero. Sadly, when Betty died once more – this time at the hands of the assassin Bushwacker – the gamma radiation within her resurrected her, reverting her back into the Harpy. This should serve as a warning to everyone: dating a monster affected by gamma radiation is never a good idea.

3) Steve Trevor

Colonel Steve Trevor, a U.S. Air Force pilot, found himself stranded on the island of Themyscira after a crash landing. It was there he met and fell in love with Diana, also known as Wonder Woman. Later, during the Darkseid War, Darkseid’s daughter, Grail, tried to bring her father back to life using Steve. She targeted him because he was thought to be the prophesied “chosen one” – the first man to ever arrive on Themyscira. Grail kidnapped Steve and gave him the power of the Anti-Life Equation.

The Anti-Life Equation granted Steve incredible powers, including god-like strength, speed, and heat vision. However, it also turned him into a mindless puppet, controlled by Grail’s plans. While under her control, Steve destroyed Darkseid’s murderer, the dangerous Anti-Monitor. Grail then sent Steve to attack the Justice League, hoping to keep them busy while she performed a ritual to bring Darkseid back to life. As the final step in the ritual, Grail reclaimed the Anti-Life Equation from Steve, successfully resurrecting Darkseid and bringing him under her control. Fortunately, the Justice League was able to overcome both Grail and Darkseid, and Steve was relieved to be free from their evil influence. It was a close call!

2) Pepper Potts

Although the Marvel Cinematic Universe portrays Tony Stark and Pepper Potts as a perfect match, their relationship in the comics is more complicated and has had its ups and downs. However, they do truly care for each other and have been in committed relationships for extended periods. Pepper was seriously injured when a terrorist bomb, set off by the villain Ezekial Stane, sent a piece of metal dangerously close to her heart. This injury mirrored one Tony himself suffered years before, which ultimately led to him becoming Iron Man. Showing just how useful a super-genius, superhero boyfriend can be, Tony created a special, artificial arc reactor and implanted it in Pepper’s chest to safely remove the shrapnel.

After Norman Osborn took charge of the Superhuman Defense Initiative, he ordered the arrest of Tony Stark and his associates. It was then that Pepper Potts discovered Tony’s hidden armor. She put it on, powering it with her own arc reactor, and transformed into the hero Rescue, going on to save countless lives. However, Pepper is a strong and busy businesswoman who generally prefers her normal life, only becoming Rescue when the situation absolutely demands it.

1) Lois Lane

For over 80 years, the intrepid reporter Lois Lane of the Daily Planet – and wife of Superman – has experienced many periods of having superpowers. She’s briefly held a variety of unusual abilities, like stretching and enhanced intelligence. But most often, Lois gains powers similar to those of the Man of Steel: super-strength, super-speed, the ability to fly, heat-vision, and other incredible skills. When Lois develops these Kryptonian powers, she frequently goes by the name “Superwoman.”

Her latest adventures as Superwoman started during the Absolute Power event. Amanda Waller employed robots that could steal powers – called Amazos – to take abilities from nearly all superpowered individuals. After Amanda Waller was defeated and the Amazos were dismantled, most of the stolen powers went back to their rightful owners. Unfortunately, a few superhumans experienced a mix-up, and Lois unexpectedly gained the powers of the Kryptonian villain, General Zod.

Once again embracing the role of Superwoman, Lois Lane teamed up with her husband and son, Jon Kent, to fight crime. To defeat a superpowered clone of Lex Luthor, known as X-El, Lois unleashed a powerful heat vision blast, pushing her abilities to their absolute limit. Although she successfully saved the day, the immense strain left Lois without her powers. Now no longer Superwoman, Lois is content to return to her everyday life as a mother and the leader of the Daily Planet.

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2025-10-04 22:17