12 Superhero Movie Romances That Actually Didn't Suck

8. Stanley Ipkiss & Tina Carlyle (The Mask)

Despite being adapted from a Dark Horse superhero comic, you rarely hear 1994's Jim Carrey-starring vehicle The Mask mentioned when discussing the pantheon of superhero movies.

But in addition to boasting a height-of-his-powers Carrey and ground-breaking, Oscar-nominated visual effects, the film also touts an early comic book movie romance actually worth a damn.

The Mask is fondly remembered for introducing audiences to a young Cameron Diaz, whose soaking wet entrance early in the film is burned onto the retinas of an entire generation.

But more than that, The Mask manages to wrap its opposites-attract romance around the superhero dichotomy at its very core. Tina Carlyle (Diaz) finds herself pursued by insecure bank clerk Stanley Ipkiss (Carrey) and also his titular alter-ego, the latter proving far more exuberant in his efforts.

Who can forget the hysterical scene in the park where The Mask turns on his most aggressive - and very, very French - charms in an attempt to woo Tina?

But of course, in the end Tina falls for the man rather than his mask, tossing it into the harbour as they ride off into the sunset. And let's face it, once you've won the love of Cameron Diaz, who needs the powers of a God?

It may not be terribly deep as cinematic love stories go, but in realising the battle between Stanley and The Mask to win Tina's heart, it proves ludicrously entertaining and totally unforgettable.