Even Superheroes Have Moments They'd Rather Forget
Comic books have delivered unforgettable heroes, ambitious storytelling, and plenty of genuinely moving moments, but decades of continuous publication have also produced scenes that haven't aged quite so gracefully. Changing social attitudes account for some awkward material, while other examples were controversial from the moment readers first encountered them. Strange romantic decisions, baffling retcons, uncomfortable dialogue, and attempts at edgy storytelling have all given fans reasons to wonder how certain ideas reached the printed page. From Superman's questionable relationship advice to Spider-Man's truly unfortunate biological revelation, these are 20 of the cringiest moments in comic book history.
1. Superman Gives Lois A Spanking
Older Superman stories could take some surprisingly strange approaches to romance, including scenes in which the Man of Steel physically spanked Lois Lane. The material was generally presented as playful comedy rather than serious conflict.
2. Lois Keeps Trying To Trick Superman Into Marriage
Silver Age Lois Lane spent an impressive amount of time trying to discover Superman's identity or maneuver him toward marriage. Superman frequently responded with equally elaborate tricks designed to protect his secret.
Fleischer Studios on Wikimedia
3. Batman And Superman Play A Marriage Prank
Bruce Wayne once allowed Lois to believe that he was Superman, leading to an increasingly elaborate romantic deception. Rather than immediately clearing everything up, Bruce and Clark cooperated in keeping the misunderstanding going. Even DC's own retrospective description has characterized the scheme as a questionable prank, which seems remarkably polite.
4. Carol Danvers Leaves With Marcus
Carol Danvers mysteriously became pregnant and rapidly gave birth to Marcus, who soon revealed that he'd manipulated events so he could escape from Limbo. Despite the troubling circumstances surrounding her pregnancy and altered feelings, her teammates allowed Carol to leave with him.
5. Hank Pym Strikes Janet
During a period of severe instability, Hank Pym struck his wife, Janet Van Dyne, while desperately preparing a plan to restore his reputation. The scene became one of the character's defining moments despite decades of subsequent stories attempting to move him beyond it. For many readers, it's difficult to separate Hank from that single ugly action.
6. Gwen Stacy Secretly Had Norman's Children
Decades after Gwen Stacy's death, readers learned that she'd supposedly had an affair with Norman Osborn and secretly delivered his twins. The revelation drastically altered a well-established piece of Spider-Man history and attached Gwen romantically to the man responsible for her death.
William Tung from USA on Wikimedia
7. Peter's Radioactivity Kills Mary Jane
An alternate-future Peter Parker revealed that Mary Jane had died from cancer caused by prolonged exposure to his radioactive bodily fluids. The story didn't leave much ambiguity about which particular form of intimate exposure was responsible.
Cristian Bortes / bortescristian on Wikimedia
8. Scarlet Witch And Quicksilver Become Romantic
Alternate versions of Wanda and Pietro Maximoff took their unusually close sibling relationship somewhere most readers definitely weren't expecting. The brother and sister were portrayed as being romantically and sexually involved.
9. Wolverine Watches The Siblings Together
Making Wanda and Pietro romantically involved was already enough to generate controversy, but another scene somehow made matters even stranger. Wolverine secretly observed the siblings during an intimate encounter rather than simply leaving. His presence added an unnecessary layer of discomfort to a storyline that hardly needed assistance in that department.
10. Alex DeWitt Goes Into The Refrigerator
Kyle Rayner returned home to discover that villain Major Force had murdered his girlfriend, Alex DeWitt, and stuffed her body into a refrigerator. Her death became so infamous that it helped inspire the term "Women in Refrigerators" for stories in which female characters suffer primarily to motivate male heroes. The criticism eventually became much bigger than the scene itself.
The Conmunity - Pop Culture Geek from Los Angeles, CA, USA on Wikimedia
11. Peter Parker Hits A Pregnant Mary Jane
During an emotionally chaotic period involving revelations about his identity, Peter Parker lashed out and accidentally struck his pregnant wife, Mary Jane. The moment was immediately treated as horrifying rather than heroic, with Peter himself devastated by what he'd done.
12. The Clone Confusion Refuses To End
Peter Parker discovering that another Spider-Man might actually be the original could have created an intriguing identity crisis. Instead, repeated reversals, new clones, changing explanations, and extended mysteries made the situation increasingly difficult to follow. Even Marvel has since openly described this era of Spider-Man storytelling as infamous.
13. Superman Makes A Very Awkward Adult Film
One particularly notorious story involves Superman and Big Barda being placed under mind control by the villain Sleez. The villain attempts to force the two heroes into making an adult video while they're unable to properly control their actions.
14. Frank Castle's Appearance Is Surgically Altered
After undergoing surgery while attempting to hide from authorities, the Punisher temporarily appeared to become a Black man. The concept relied on an extraordinarily ill-considered treatment of race, with Frank then encountering racist police officers while disguised.
15. Ms. Marvel Gets Brainwashed Into Romance
During Carol Danvers' encounter with Marcus, manipulation was treated for much of the story as though it had created a legitimate romance. Subsequent writers would pointedly criticize the characters' behavior within the comics themselves.
16. Batman's Parenting Gets Extremely Harsh
Damian Wayne certainly isn't the easiest child to raise, but Batman's relationships with his younger partners have occasionally crossed from strict into painfully cold territory. Being Batman apparently doesn't automatically include excellent communication skills.
17. Superman's Love Life Gets Ridiculously Complicated
Before Lois and Clark settled into one of comics' most recognizable marriages, Superman accumulated an astonishing assortment of romantic complications. Mermaids, alternate identities, imaginary weddings, misunderstandings, and elaborate deceptions regularly entered the equation.
18. Norman Osborn's Retcon Changes Gwen's Past
The revelation involving Norman and Gwen didn't simply introduce surprise children; it forced readers to reinterpret events surrounding one of Spider-Man's most famous tragedies. Later continuity changes effectively removed the affair from her history.
19. Peter Trades Away His Marriage
Faced with Aunt May's impending death, Peter and Mary Jane accepted a supernatural bargain that erased their marriage from history in exchange for saving her. Years of relationship development consequently vanished from continuity, leaving many longtime readers frustrated.
20. Heroes Somehow Ignore Carol's Situation
Perhaps the most uncomfortable part of Carol Danvers' experience wasn't simply Marcus' manipulation but how casually her superhero friends reacted to it. Rather than recognizing obvious warning signs, the team celebrated developments surrounding her unexplained pregnancy and ultimately watched her leave.
