Best of Frenemies: 5 Marvel Team-Ups That Could Have Gone Wrong

Miles Morales is missing and only Ironheart can find him in IRONHEART #6, on sale Wednesday, May 15. The only problem? Those two DO NOT like one another. Not one bit.

The good news is that many Marvel heroes have suffered from the same dysfunction and have still managed to come together, solve problems, and save the day. To inspire Spider-Man and Ironheart to new heights of ambivalent alliance, Marvel.com has put together the list below of bad partners who still somehow led to good outcomes.

Hulk/Thing

Hulk fighting Thing has been an irresistible match-up for fans and creators alike for decades. Typically, their meetings hinged on Thing doing everything he can to slow down Hulk until another solution could be found and Hulk utilizing his superior and brutal strength.

However, over time, the two inevitably found themselves on the same side. For example, the two were once transported to the alien world of Matriculon, where they collaborated to find a missing scientist and unravel a dangerous plot. In the end they earned a trip back home and, thanks to Hulk, a literal mountain of cheeseburgers to satisfy their hunger. Plus Hulk wore a squid-like alien as a hat!

During another team-up, the super strong duo managed to get an unsavory television show about Hulk cancelled and another show about the Thing—who was quite jealous that Hulk had a show and he didn’t—greenlit.

Cyclops/Wolverine

Between their being two very different kinds of men or their mutual attraction to Jean Grey, Wolverine and Cyclops have had a rivalry since day one. At times the rivalry turned violent, at others it stayed relatively “civil” with only an assortment of snipes, barbs, and sarcastic quips being tossed in one another’s direction.

Currently, however, the two stand as the best chance of the X-Men regrouping and becoming an active force for good dedicated to peaceful co-existence once more. They may not like each other or like the idea that they have to work together to save Xavier’s dream, but they nonetheless have pushed on to do just that.

Daredevil/Punisher

Daredevil is an incredibly physically gifted street-level hero with a dedication to seeing criminals face consequences via the rule of law—not to mention his punches and kicks. Punisher is a skilled tactical street-level hero with enough weapons to give every man, woman, and child in some small countries a firearm all their own and wishes to use said guns to put a bullet in each and every criminal walking the planet. It makes sense the two never seem to be able to get along.

Still they do agree on one thing: crime has too much power on the streets and needs to be curtailed. So, like it or not, they find themselves fighting side-by-side just as often as they fight toe to toe. Whether it is trying to ensure no one becomes the next Kingpin of Crime in New York City, surviving being incarcerated with the likes of Wilson Fisk and Bullseye, or keeping a jump drive full of criminal secrets out of the hands of organizations such as A.I.M. and Hydra, Castle and Murdock frequently need to take a break from their violent differences of opinions to crack baddie skulls.

Spider-Man/Deadpool

Sure, the two have a monthly title available on shelves now. But that doesn’t mean these guys always get along. After all, Deadpool is a murderous mercenary with a very nebulous moral code while Spider-Man frequently declares that he refuses to let anyone die on his watch. Most recently the two came to blows over Deadpool’s actions during the SECRET EMPIRE storyline.

Still, the two have managed to move past that, and they’re currently attempting to help one another survive a trip through the fourth wall that even the Merc with a Mouth has found to be mind-boggling.

Professor X/Magneto

Yes, they have been divided by an insurmountable philosophical difference about how mutants and non-mutants should relate to one another. However, they have a bond of shared history and years of friendship. Plus, when push comes to shove, the two have, time and again, come to each other’s aid.

From their beginnings opposing the Nazi Baron Von Stucker, to Magneto taking over the school on behalf of a badly injured, off-planet Xavier, to Xavier intervening to save a significantly weakened Magneto, the two have proven almost as good at being allies as they are at being enemies.

How will Riri Williams and Miles Morales find their common ground? You’ll have to read to find out!

IRONHEART #6, written by Eve Ewing with art by Kevin Libranda, goes on sale Wednesday, May 15! Pre-order your copy today online or at your local comic shop.