Top 10 Sibling Pairs in the Marvel Universe

A shout out to some of the most notable sibling pairs in the Marvel Universe! As most of us are well aware, family drama can be pretty intense. And that drama is amplified when your family is super-powered! But despite all odds (and Super Villains), these siblings have often placed family bonds before all else. Let’s take a look at some of our favorite brothers and sisters who have stood together in the face of adversity. To read more about these memorable duos, and their histories together, join Marvel Unlimited today!

SCARLET WITCH AND QUICKSILVER

The twins Wanda and Pietro Maximoff are among the most high-profile siblings in the Marvel Universe. The Scarlet Witch possesses the ability to manipulate reality, along with impressive mystical powers. And Quicksilver can run at the speed of sound. The two of them faced a difficult childhood together, as they were experimented on by the High Evolutionary and deceived into believing  they were mutants. During that time, they became one another’s most trusted friends and confidants.

As the question of whether Magneto was their true father arose, the two continued to be there for each other. In their early days, they joined Magneto’s Brotherhood of Mutants, but eventually saw the error of their ways, ultimately becoming Avengers. Wanda would later go through some noteworthy tumultuous periods, like when she created an ill-fated reality with the intention of granting people their heart’s desire in the event HOUSE OF M. Even in the aftermath, Pietro remained an ardent defender of his sister.

WICCAN AND SPEED

Billy Kaplan and Tommy Shepherd are the twin sons of Scarlet Witch and Vision. Seeing as Vision is a synthetic being, chaos magic was necessary to bring them into the world. As explored in YOUNG AVENGERS (2005) #11 (and elsewhere), Billy and Tommy were supposedly created by Wanda, who used her reality-warping powers and scattered fragments of Mephisto’s soul, meaning they weren’t technically real. Tragically, their souls would be reabsorbed into Mephisto (via Master Pandemonium). But not to worry—they were reincarnated as actual people and would go on to join the Young Avengers.

Wiccan’s magical powers are expansive, like his mother’s, and sometimes unpredictable, though they often manifest as electrokinetic energy emanating from his hands. He can also fly, teleport, create objects out of thin air, and more. Speed, like his uncle, can run at extremely high rates of, well, speed. His brain also processes information at a faster pace than that of a typical human.

[RELATED: The Comics History of Billy and Tommy]

INVISIBLE WOMAN AND HUMAN TORCH

These two made their first appearance in 1961’s FANTASTIC FOUR #1. Sue Storm Richards and Johnny Storm of course make up half of the Fantastic Four, along with Mister Fantastic and The Thing. The brother/sister duo shared what started off as a happy childhood, until their mother was killed in a car accident. Their father, the surgeon Dr. Franklin Storm, was never the same since. The two went to live with their aunt after Dr. Storm was incarcerated for manslaughter.

Along with Reed Richards and Ben Grimm, Sue and Johnny were exposed to cosmic rays while on a space mission to prove the scientific theories that Reed was researching. This exposure gave Sue the ability to make herself and others invisible, and to create force fields. Johnny gained the power to ignite plasma across his entire body, making him essentially a human flamethrower.

FRANKLIN AND VALERIA RICHARDS

Franklin and his younger sister Valeria are the children of Sue and Reed Richards. Valeria has had quite the dramatic history. During her birth in the Negative Zone, the infant Valeria immediately began emitting deadly radiation and was believed to be stillborn. Franklin used his psionic powers to travel back in time and launch her into an alternate reality, where Sue had married Doctor Doom. As we see in FANTASTIC FOUR (1998) #15, she ultimately appeared in the main timeline, revealing her identity and professing to be from the future.

Valeria is a super-genius with invisibility and energy-projection powers. She grew up to be the hero Marvel Girl. And Franklin is a powerful mutant who can manipulate reality, detect his mother when she’s invisible, and even create avatars of himself.

GAMORA AND NEBULA

When it comes to cosmic sibling pairings, these sisters are among the most memorable. Gamora is Thanos’ adoptive daughter, as he took her in after her people, the Zen-Whoberis, were wiped from existence. Nebula is supposedly his granddaughter, though there’s still some mystery surrounding her heritage. Either way, the two were raised together by the unhinged Titan, which is clearly a recipe for all kinds of sibling rivalry.

Both women are skilled fighters, having been raised to kill. Gamora has often been called the “deadliest woman in the galaxy,” and Gamora uses the anger she feels over being the less-favored sibling to fuel her fighting and thievery. Nebula’s mechanical body parts also give her enhanced strength and speed.

Gamora and Nebula have had a frequently contentious relationship, but there is still something of a sisterly bond there. And they have been through some pretty harrowing experiences. In INFINITY GAUNTLET (1991), Gamora disappeared from existence when Thanos erased half the population of the universe. But when Nebula claimed the Gauntlet, her sister came back to life.

CYCLOPS AND HAVOK

Scott Summers and his younger brother Alex Summers certainly had a tumultuous childhood. Cyclops first appeared in UNCANNY X-MEN (1963) #1, and Alex in UNCANNY X-MEN (1963) #54. Their father Christopher, (later the space pirate Corsair), was an Air Force Major and test pilot. As they were flying back from a vacation in the family’s vintage plane, they crashed into a Shi’ar imperial vessel and the plane went up in flames. Their mother pushed them out to save their lives.

Although both boys were recovered from the crash, Scott suffered a traumatic head injury and was separated from his brother to be raised in an orphanage. Alex was adopted by the Blanding family, all the while being monitored by Mister Sinister who inhibited his mutant powers and prevented them from manifesting until later in life. He was given the “Havok” mantle by Larry Trask, the son of the inventor of the Sentinels. Meanwhile, and unbeknownst to Alex, Scott grew up to become the hero Cyclops and joined the X-Men, where he has of course had many storied adventures. Ultimately, during one of those adventures, Scott rescued an endangered Alex, and the latter went on to join the X-Men as the more iconic realization of Havok.

NATASHA ROMANOFF AND YELENA BELOVA

Although both are Black Widows, Natasha Romanoff and Yelena Belova haven’t always fought on the same side. While they’re not biological sisters, they both were raised and indoctrinated by the Red Room, and have a history that makes them found family. Though that doesn’t mean they haven’t clashed with each other over the years.

Yelena was the first Red Room graduate to surpass some of Natasha’s records. In BLACK WIDOW: PALE LITTLE SPIDER (2002), Yelena is activated as the Black Widow and assigned to a mission that puts her at odds with Natasha. However, Natasha ultimately encourages the younger assassin to find out what makes her unique and who she truly is, rather than prioritize blind allegiance to her leaders. Since then, the two have relied on each other for team-ups and mission support, as recently as Black Widow’s latest ongoing series.

SHANG-CHI AND ESME

If you want to talk about family drama, few characters have seen more of it than Shang-Chi and Esme. These half-siblings were both raised to be assassins, with Esme taking on the mantle of Sister Dagger, the champion of the House of the Deadly Dagger.

When Shang-Chi found out about his father’s murderous nature in MARVEL SPECIAL EDITION (1971) #15, he broke ties with his heritage and fled before carrying out his father’s mission. Shang-Chi would eventually go on to become a member of the Heroes for Hire and the Avengers.

After several years, Sister Hammer took over the Five Weapons Society, his father’s organization, and Sister Dagger and Brother Sabre approached Shang-Chi as he was technically the rightful successor. Of course, Shang-Chi had little interest. Esme initially clashed with Shang-Chi, though she eventually warmed up to him despite repeated battles with their other siblings. Through Shang-Chi’s guidance, Esme was able to embrace a lifestyle outside of being an assassin, and is now by her brother’s side after he assumed leadership of the Five Weapons.

[RELATED: Shang-Chi's Secret History]

BLACK PANTHER AND SHURI

Black Panther: T’Challa and Shuri have one of the sweetest sibling bonds. For generations, Wakandans have looked to the Black Panther, a warrior granted powers by the Panther God Bast, as their protector. And as the son of King T’Chaka, T’Challa was raised to take over that role. As a young adult, T’Challa traveled the world, attending prestigious universities. And when he returned home, he took his place as the Black Panther. T’Challa also serves as a member of the Avengers.

Shuri has also held the Black Panther title. In BLACK PANTHER (2009) #1-2, T’Challa was left comatose after an attack by Doctor Doom. Storm, who was married to T’Challa at that time, nominated Shuri to take over. She consumed the Heart-Shaped Herb as part of the process of becoming the Black Panther, but the Panther God didn’t grant her powers, believing her to be jealous of T’Challa. Shuri donned the Black Panther suit and took on the identity anyway, saving both Wakanda and her brother. Because of her self-sacrificing actions, the Panther God finally granted her the powers of the Black Panther.

THOR AND LOKI

Possibly the most well-known siblings in the Marvel Universe. Thor is the son of Odin, All-Father of Asgard, and the royal All-Mother Freyja. Loki is his adoptive brother, the son of Frost Giant King Laufey of Jotunheim who was taken in by Odin when Laufey abandoned him.

It’s important to note that they also have a sister, Angela. Read all about her in her own series, and origin, in THOR AND LOKI: ORIGINAL SIN #5.1-5.5.

Growing up in Asgard, Thor was the favored son, raised to take over the throne. By contrast, Loki was always seen and treated as a mischief-maker, therefore growing up to become the God of Mischief and the God of Lies. The two have clashed time and again, but underneath it all, they have affection for one another. For example, in LOKI: AGENT OF ASGARD (2014), readers get multiple glimpses of their true feelings for one another.

The Marvel Universe is home to some impressive sibling pairs! And whether they’re fighting each other (or working together), they’ve got no shortage of exciting stories to tell.

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