Tale As Old As Time: The 20 Most Memorable ‘Beauty And The Beast’ Romances In Comics
One is a kind, caring and sweet person who wants to make a difference. The other is brash and feels isolated from a world that would paint it as an outsider. Somehow, they find a common bond and fall in love, which makes both of their lives a little bit more complete.
The archetypes behind the classic fairy tale "The Beauty and the Beast" are ones you can spot again and again in stories dating back centuries. We've assembled some of our favorite examples of "beauty and beast" romances in comics.
The couples in this list range from conventional definitions of beauties and beasts --- the sweet virginal naif and the ugly brutish monster --- to more idiosyncratic takes. Maybe the beast is a robot, or a horse, or a guy known for his love of violence? Maybe the beauty is space pirate, or a witch, or hey, another robot?
We've included the comics couples that may be the first you think of when it comes to this particular trope, such as a certain Fantastic Four romance, and a couple with their roots in a different pair of fairy tales, but we've also tried to think outside the box a little too. Beauty comes in many forms, and some beasts don't look like beasts --- though some beasts undeniably do!
Also, while the "beauty and the beast" tropes often break down along gender binary lines --- the beauty is a pretty girl, the beast is a mean guy --- we've done our best to include some male beauties and some female beasts, but the often too-traditional world of comics could probably use a lot more of both.