10 Iconic Superhero Team-Ups Fans Love
8. Shatterstar And Rictor
Rictor is a mutant who was born into a crime family in Mexico.
He has seismic energy powers and childhood trauma. Debuted in X-Factor #17 (1987), it was 5 years later that he met the more recently introduced Shatterstar in X-Force #13. Shatterstar was a slave born in the future on Mojoworld, where he was forced to fight as a gladiator. After traveling back in time to try and find the X-Men he ends up bringing his sword-fighting skills and genetically-engineered strengths to their service.
Rictor helps the alien Shatterstar understand emotions and adjust to human life and culture. Shatterstar learns Spanish so that they can speak in Rictor's native tongue (because it is tactically advantages but also so that they can speak privately about personal matters). Rich with chemistry their team-ups became a fan favorite. They were so popular that in 1999 they had an X-Force annual dedicated to them.
Rictor and Shatterstar's friendship is such a defining part of both their characters that they were reunited in X-Factor (2005-2013). This series makes official what fans had been speculating about for years and Rictor and Shatterstar start dating. In the most recent Shatterstar mini-series (2018-2019), the two are "exes" or "on break" depending which of them you ask. Despite this, of course they still teamed-up.