Pop Culture Love on Valentine’s Day

Ah yes, it’s that time of year again! Love is in the air, so hopefully you’re lucky enough to share this day with that special person. Unfortunately, maybe some of us aren’t so lucky. Perhaps that someone has passed on or the person you want to spend that special moment with is yet to be. Love can be a wondrous feeling or it can be very painful depending on your situation.

So with that said, let’s explore some of those complex and intriguing relationships that we visualize and read about in our modern day pop culture.

Let’s start with a popular and celebrated couple in comics, Peter Parker (aka Spiderman) and Mary Jane Watson. When Peter Parker’s first love, Gwen Stacey was killed by Norman Osborne (aka The Green Goblin) who would have thought that Peter would find some peace in this world and actually get married to the love of his life, all the while fighting villains and holding down a photography job?

Another celebrated but unusual relationship in comics is the one between two co-workers in Metropolis – yes, we have mild mannered reporter, Clark Kent (aka Superman) and prized winning journalist, Lois Lane. An odd couple of sorts indeed, yet they work well together when mayhem strikes. It’s amusing that the Man of Steel that we have all come to admire and love could be that same quirky, clumsy and simple person at the Daily Planet. What’s even more amusing is Lois, a very capable reporter, not being able to see past the eyeglasses…probably the most simple disguise ever.

Love is powerful, powerful enough to bring people together, even during a bloody intergalactic war. Though from different species that have been long time mortal enemies, Alana and Marko (from the uber popular comic, Saga) have overcome the odds and found love. Think Romeo and Juliet set in space. Raising a hybrid child while being hunted by their kinsmen is no easy task. But if these two can come together and find true love in their part of the galaxy despite their constant struggle to survive, why can’t we find love here on our pale blue dot?

Finally, a wistful thought about a love that could have been. What if Steve Rogers had not crashed that plane into the ice and had gotten the chance to have that dance with Peggy Carter? Can S.H.I.E.L.D. or some other mad scientist come up with some ultra super serum and give Peggy her youth back so that she and Steve can have a chance at love? That vial of his blood perhaps? Just a thought…