Next time I agree to do something like this, please hit me. Nevertheless, we are onto yet another comic book couple. I’ve never been fond of this one as the first three, but they’re high profile and certainly had cute moments, and they meet my criteria.
I give you…
Dick Grayson and Barbara Gordon!
Unlike various people (usually the girl) in all of our previous couples, neither of these characters were created to be the love interest of the other. They just sort of…got together, as those teen sidekicks are wont to do.
When Barbara was first created, she was five or six years Dick’s elder, making a relationship between them scandalous! (Guys can be older, but girls can’t, dontcha know?) But something about those two was so magnetic that our writers couldn’t help but hint at a courtship, despite fan’s protest. Barbara Gordon, in addition to being a kick butt crimefighter, was a crusading Congresswoman, who used her wits to get her way. Much more mature than Dick, she often saw him as a kid. That didn’t stop our fun loving Boy Wonder than flirting with her. Sometimes he felt quite intimidated by her, and the fact she was his equal as a crimefighter sometimes wounded his male ego (this being the sixties/seventies). Well, Barbara Gordon was way too cool to put up with that crap, and thus, found the perfect way to shut the high flying circus kid up, as well as show him up.
Aha! I would have punched him myself, but Babs is just a better person than me. That’s when their first flirting began. The two were an excellent team, both accomplished crimefighters and often having a back and forth banter as they pummeled villians, and they would flirt and trade insults in the same breath. But they were good friends first and foremost, and enjoyed each others company. They even teamed up to prank on Batman! But sometimes his attachment to Babs put poor Robin in a bind.
Man, you have to love Robin’s expression there. “But, Bruce! She made a SIDECAR! With my INSIGNIA! How can I resist, especially when she puts out more than you do? I’m so confused!”
Also, those two were always showing each other up. Look at THIS secret identity reveal.
(Little did Robin know, Babs hadn’t figured out his secret identity, but was simply insulting him)
No, really, it’s awesome. “Ha, I know you’re Babs!”
“OHSHI- Well, I know you’re Dick!”
“OHSHI-”
The two never got to second base, or even on a date (probably due to the protests about Babs age) until Crisis of Infinite Earths. In the reboot, their childhood courtship was expanded upon a little (also Babs was retconned to be a little younger, though she was still substantially older than Dick), but it wasn’t until after Barbara became Oracle and Dick became Nightwing they really became a couple. Though I think they don’t work as a couple long term (First of all, considering the insane number of screwed up relationships Dick managed to accrue, Babs deserves better than his fleeting attention, second, they have some differences that make them incompatible as a couple (Dick needs more affection than Babs is used to giving, etc.) and third , Barb and Dinah make a much better couple. Yes, you know they do!) it was good for both of them to go through so they could grow and move on, as well as strengthen their friendship. And they had some really sweet moments.
Aww. Anyway, due to Babs and Dick both having major issues and some personality differences, as well as editorial mandate, it didn’t work out, though they did have an awkwardly cut off engagement they seem to have forgotten about. But, I like them much better as good friends, therefore I think their relationship ended quite happily and healthily. Most recently, Peter Tomasi showed us how awesome Babs and Dick are as snarky friends, when Dick was incredibly sweet and took Barbara parachuting, so she could experience the thrill of jumping off high places despite not having use of her legs!
Though first he kindly summarizes their relationship for us:
Cute! And on to more cute!
Rock on, you crazy kids.