History Main / OddFriendship

* Marty and Doc in the ''Franchise/BackToTheFuture'' trilogy are as close as a old scientist and a teenager can be. We're never given an explanation as to when and how the two met and became friends... they simply are and that's that. The actors have good enough chemistry that most audiences never find themselves questioning it.

*** Their friendship was not portrayed as particularly unlikely and rocky during UsefulNotes/{{the Golden Age|OfComicBooks}}, [[UsefulNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks Silver Age]], and for much of UsefulNotes/{{the Bronze Age|OfComicBooks}}. It wasn't until the ''ComicBook/CrisisOnInfiniteEarths'' ContinuityReboot (and ''especially'' post-''[[ComicBook/BatmanTheDarkKnightReturns Dark Knight]]'') that suddenly the idea of them being friends was considered odd.

** Hal Jordan[=/=]ComicBook/GreenLantern and Oliver Queen[=/=]ComicBook/GreenArrow get along pretty well despite opposing political and social views (Hal's a straightlaced, conservative {{Space Police}}man while Ollie's a left-leaning VigilanteMan), and they often collaborate together when the opportunity arises, most notably in their [[WalkingTheEarth cross-country tour of America]] during UsefulNotes/{{the Bronze Age|OfComicBooks}}.

** Whirl and Cyclonus spend most of the earlier issues cheerfully attempting to contrive each others' deaths. [[FireForgedFriends They bond while fighting Legislators]] in the "Remain in Light" arc, regularly fight side-by-side from there, and by the later parts of the second "season", Cyclonus actively seeks out Whirl for ''relationship advice'', of all things.

* ''ComicBook/ArchieComics:'' [[BettyAndVeronica Betty Cooper and Veronica Lodge]]. Their friendship goes against the very logic that governs every aspect of the universe, and yet...
* [[ComicBook/Batgirl2000 Cassandra Cain]] and [[ComicBook/Batgirl2009 Stephanie Brown]] zig-zag this. On the one hand they can both be described as and bonded over being teenaged girls who became costumed heroines in part to oppose their abusive supervillain fathers... but then there is the matter of ''degree''.[[note]]Steph's life, aside from her dad's side gig as a third-rate Riddler knock-off, [[OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent was on the depressing side of ordinary]]. Cass was raised in a bunker by one of the world's most feared assassins as an experiment in [[TykeBomb language deprivation and kung fu mastery]] until she ran off at age 8.[[/note]]
* Of course, there's the iconic friendship of {{Ba|dassNormal}}tman and [[FlyingBrick Superman]]. One would not expect the big blue boy scout who works with the law to consider the terrifying vigilante with issues his best friend, but there it is. Heck, Supes is even solar-powered, while most incarnations of the Bat have him refusing to operate in the daytime. Their methods, attitudes, and philosophies differ hugely. But that won't stop them from [[BashBrothers teaming up to curbstomp anyone stupid enough to come to Earth looking for a fight.]]
** Their friendship was not portrayed as particularly unlikely and rocky during the Golden Age, Silver Age, and for much of the Bronze Age. It wasn't until the ''ComicBook/CrisisOnInfiniteEarths'' ContinuityReboot (and ''especially'' post-''[[ComicBook/BatmanTheDarkKnightReturns Dark Knight]]'') that suddenly the idea of them being friends was considered odd.
** And yet it also makes sense -- both are alienated from humanity in a way. ComicBook/{{Superman}} due to his [[IJustWantToBeNormal powers]] and [[LastOfHisKind alien heritage]], and ComicBook/{{Batman}} because... [[ProperlyParanoid well]], [[MyParentsAreDead he's]] [[TheStoic Batman]]. Theirs is a friendship founded on mutual respect, trust, and admiration, even if they don't always see eye-to-eye. Both of them hope and assume that, should they die, the other one will be there. Both of them are hardline adherents to the "no-kill rule", and they both lost their (biological) parents at a young age. And despite the fact they have ''very'' different respective outlooks on life, they both have a strong sense of right and wrong. And while this leans a little into pragmatism, some stories have established that Batman carries around Kryptonite on his person at all times just in case Superman goes rogue, and that Clark is fully aware of this and trusts Bruce to subdue him if necessary.
* In the ''ComicBook/{{Batman}}'' comics, CuteButPsycho GenkiGirl ComicBook/HarleyQuinn was friends with Arnold Wesker (Ventriloquist I), an ExtremeDoormat who gets manipulated by a hand puppet (DependingOnTheWriter). This stems mainly from the fact that the first time Harley was put in Arkham Asylum, Wesker was the only inmate who treated her nicely, using his puppets to try and cheer her up. After Wesker was killed, the second Ventriloquist (Peyton Riley) tried to recruit Harley for a job, but she declined out of respect for her friend.
* ComicBook/{{Cable}}, a messiah wannabe/TimeTravel[=/=]ShellShockedVeteran, and ComicBook/{{Deadpool}}, a [[BunnyEarsLawyer Bunny Ears Assassin]]/ DeadpanSnarker/ [[NoFourthWall enemy of the fourth wall]].
* ''ComicBook/FantasticFour'': Prior to the accident that forced them together forever, Mister Fantastic/Reed Richards and The Thing/Ben Grimm, were near perfect personifications of the nerd and (seemingly) DumbJock, yet were the absolute best friends ever. Reed never missed one of Ben's football games, and Ben gave Reed the championship winning game ball. And despite not knowing the significance, Reed kept the ball forever.
* ''ComicBook/TheInhumans'': Black Bolt has this with Crusher Creel, the Absorbing Man, after they broke out of an interstellar prison together. When Creel died, Black Bolt contacted his wife Titania to organise his funeral.
* [[ComicBook/GreenLantern Hal Jordan]] and [[ComicBook/GreenArrow Oliver Queen]] get along pretty well despite opposing political and social views (Hal's a straight-laced, conservative Space Cop while Ollie's a left-leaning vigilante), and they often collaborate together when the opportunity arises, most notably in their cross-country tour of America during the Bronze Age.

* ''ComicBook/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy'': ComicBook/StarLord/Peter Quill is a former intergalactic super-hero / swashbuckling adventurer-turned-BrokenAce, while ComicBook/RocketRaccoon is... well, he's a ''raccoon''. Also applies to Peter Quill and Jack Flag, who's a street-level superhero from Arizona who "doesn't do cosmic stuff", meaning he's about as different from Quill as it's possible to get. Also also applies to Rocket Raccoon and ComicBook/{{Groot}}, who is a walking tree from Planet X, where he claims to be a king.
* This was the trope for ComicBook/IronMan and ComicBook/CaptainAmerica. Later, it got deconstructed: Their differences eventually became too difficult to overcome, and after events like ''ComicBook/CivilWar2006'' and ''ComicBook/TimeRunsOut'', which had Tony acting [[MoralEventHorizon less than heroic in both stories]], their relationship eventually soured to the point where they had a fight to the death. [[TheUnfettered A billionaire engineer who has no problem with doing the end-justifies-the-means tactics]] will have a hard times being friends with [[IncorruptiblePurePureness someone who sees things in black and white and is considered by some to be a saint]], especially when they spend most of their relationship going from [[HeterosexualLifePartners loving each other dearly]] to [[VitriolicBestBuds fighting]].
* ComicBook/CaptainAmerica also has another odd friendship. He is the great World War 2 patriotic hero and ComicBook/EmmaFrost is a former villain and mutant executive in a sex club/cabal (she was also a former stripper there). However they have a friendship that oddly started when Steve Rogers realized that at ComicBook/HellfireGala that she reminds him of his mother. He even has a callsign for her when they need to communicate telepathically, it's "Mommy"!!

* DependingOnTheWriter, ComicBook/{{the Penguin}} and ComicBook/{{the Joker}} have this type of relationship, as well as Penguin and the Mad Hatter or Penguin and ComicBook/{{the Riddler}}. In ''ComicBook/DeathOfTheFamily'', in a twisted way, this is how Joker sees his relationship with the other Bat-Villains, like Penguin and Riddler, [[spoiler:and Batman]].

* ComicBook/{{Morbius}} [[OurVampiresAreDifferent the Living Vampire]] is a morose, reserved, serious doctor[=/=]scientist from Greece. He's described as looking like the back-end of a bulldog, and it wouldn't be much of a stretch to say his life goal is "cure all diseases on planet earth". ComicBook/WerewolfByNight is a leather-clad, [[BadassBiker motorcycle-riding]] [[TheCasanova ladies' man]] from California who loves alcohol. He's handsome to the point of being a ChickMagnet, and his fantasies involve surfing and "a couple thousand beach babes". There's also [[IntergenerationalFriendship about 20 years between them]]. The two started out as doctor and patient, and over the years grow to be best friends.
* During the advent of [[Characters/NewMutants the team]], [[{{Omniglot}} Cypher]] and [[LifeDrain Warlock]] become fast friends because Cypher was the only person who could communicate with Warlock when he first arrived on earth following his flight from his siredam.
* ComicBook/PlasticMan and Batman are somehow rather close friends despite Batman's usual distrust towards reformed criminals and usual lack of humor, and Plastic Man's status as TheAtoner (though at first he was OnlyInItForTheMoney) and goofy personality.
* ''ComicBook/PowerGirl'' and ''ComicBook/HarleyQuinn'' are more or less friends after some rather unusual events. Namely [[spoiler: Power Girl crashes right outside Harley's crib and has LaserGuidedAmnesia. Harley can't resist tricking her into thinking she is her sidekick (which at first seems like Harley just being a {{Troll}}, but it's later revealed she really does think Power Girl is awesome and always wanted to be her sidekick). When Power Girl gets her memory back she's understandably pissed, but leaves Harley unharmed after she grovels and apologizes.]] Later, the two of them have to work together willingly (usually to fight some threat way out of Harley's league), and are basically FireForgedFriends, or at least allies.
* ''ComicBook/ThePunisher'':
** Oddly enough, Frank has one of these with The Rhino, of all people. The Rhino mainly lets himself get hired out as muscle and is actually pretty friendly once you get to know him. He can actually talk Frank out of killing people by showing him they've turned over a new leaf or are simply stupid, not criminals. Then they'll sit on a roof together and drink hot chocolate. It helps that the Rhino is not the drug-dealing mobster or psycho rapist that Frank usually targets, and Frank knows he doesn't have anything in his arsenal that can even scratch the Rhino so there's no point in bothering. Frank does, however, get extremely exasperated with him sometimes.
** ''ComicBook/ThePunisherPresentsBarracuda'' reveals the titular Barracuda has one of these with DirtyCop Sheriff Danby. The thing is, Danby is a PoliticallyIncorrectVillain and 'Cuda is a ScaryBlackMan.

* ''ComicBook/{{Robin|1993}}'': Sebastian Ives is a physical activity averse Jewish geek who freezes up when faced with confrontation and has become very observant and good at avoiding such situations and losing tails in response. Callie Evans is a [[WhiteAngloSaxonProtestant Protesant]] star basketball player who has and will fight if someone is threatening those around her and is near incapable of sitting still. The two date off and on through High School and remain close friends afterwards.
* ''ComicBook/SensationComicsFeaturingWonderWoman: Wonder World'': Epistime and Techne are diametrically different and are paired as Diana's personal guards while she is growing up. Epistime is tall, patient and graceful while Techine is short, tacturn and abrupt. They argue nearly constantly but seem to like each other regardless, and they are both excellent fighters.
* In ''ComicBook/SexCriminals'', in middle-school Suzie was a 'good girl' and Rachel was a 'dirty girl', with Rachel even disparagingly calling Suzie "slut" on at least one occasion. Sixteen years later, they're roommates.
* ''ComicBook/SpiderMan'': The short-lived (2 issue) team-up of Spider-Man and ComicBook/{{Loki}} in ''ComicBook/TheAmazingSpiderManJMichaelStraczynski'' went a lot like this. Loki wants to save one of his mortal offspring from the Chaos Sorceress possessing her. Spider-Man wants to save the world from that sorceress (and get her to stop hitting on him). They work together. Awesomeness ensues. On Loki's end, complaining that Spider-Man isn't giving him enough respect as a god and wondering why mortals are all so weird. On Spider-Man's, wondering what working with a mostly-evil guy like Loki means and buying chili dogs to share with Loki.
** Plus, at the end, Loki decided he owed Spidey one, and gave him a sort of talisman that he can cash in for that favor. Even though no one brought it up again for a long time (again, it ''was'' only 2 issues), fans hoped it could be a possible ChekhovsGun to undo ''ComicBook/OneMoreDay'' or something. Loki later on tricked Spidey into using his favor to save a random civilian, however.
** Spider-Man and the Human Torch. Two {{kid hero}}es who started their superhero careers at roughly around the same time (the ComicBook/FantasticFour are almost always depicted as the first heroes on the scene in the "modern Marvel universe") but grew up with two completely different lifestyles. Spidey was always on the 'barely scraping by' side financially while Johnny enjoyed the riches and fame that came with being a publicly beloved hero. Then there's their personalities: while Peter is more of a HumbleHero, Johnny is more or less a show off. Yet, they are arguably the closet superhero friends next to ComicBook/LukeCage and ComicBook/IronFist, and consider each other family.
* ''ComicBook/TransformersMoreThanMeetsTheEye:'' Dorky, nerdy, fish-out-of-water Nautica and the truly insane MadScientist Brainstorm bond over SCIENCE.

* ''ComicBook/UltimateXMen'': The X-Men and the Brotherhood are bitter enemies: the Brotherhood wants to kill or enslave the human race, and the X-Men to stop the Brotherhood and have pacific relations between humans and mutants. Toad is a member of the Brotherhood, and ComicBook/{{Cyclops}} of the X-Men. But, somehow, they manage to be friends.

* ComicBook/{{Wolverine}} and everybody:
** ComicBook/{{Nightcrawler}} is a particularly prominent example. In the Claremont run where both characters first appeared, they were together almost all the time. Nightcrawler is one of the few people Wolverine has said a genuine "[[PlatonicDeclarationOfLove I love you]]" to, possibly the only ''man.''
** There is also a tendency for Wolverine to be paired up with teenaged girl side-kicks. The general idea is to play a gruff outsider gets hit with fatherly instinct sort of angle, but he does it over and over again! Specifically Logan has formed a duo with ComicBook/KittyPryde, ComicBook/{{Jubilee|MarvelComics}}, and a young ComicBook/{{Rogue}} ([[Film/XMenFilmSeries in the movies]]). Later on, he's mentored ComicBook/{{X 23}}, his female clone (ok, so perhaps that friendship is not so odd).
** Wolverine was previously very close with Piotr Rasputin (ComicBook/{{Colossus}}). But after "Peter" suddenly and callously broke up with Kitty, their relationship was never the same again. This was cemented by Colossus' later defection to Magneto's Acolytes.
* ComicBook/WonderWoman by nature is a very friendly sort, but [[ComicBook/WonderWoman1942 from the start]] her friendship with ComicBook/EttaCandy was presented as odd. The super-powered earnest princess who cares deeply about fitness and the prank loving sarcastic flippant troll who eats candy constantly.

* [[ComicBook Black Bolt]] has this with Crusher Creel, the Absorbing Man, after they broke out of an interstellar prison together. When Creel died, Black Bolt contacted his wife Titania to organise his funeral.

* WebVideo/DevilArtemis's videos pair up [[Anime/DragonBallZ Cell]] and [[Franchise/TheMuppets Kermit the Frog]]. A murderous bio-android and a Muppet are not what you'd normally think when you think "best friends".

* This was the trope for ComicBook/IronMan and ComicBook/CaptainAmerica. Later, it got deconstructed: Their differences eventually became too difficult to overcome, and after events like ''ComicBook/CivilWar'' and ''ComicBook/TimeRunsOut'', which had Tony acting [[MoralEventHorizon less than heroic in both stories]], their relationship eventually soured to the point where they had a fight to the death. [[TheUnfettered A billionaire engineer who has no problem with doing the end-justifies-the-means tactics]] will have a hard times being friends with [[IncorruptiblePurePureness someone who sees things in black and white and is considered by some to be a saint]], especially when they spend most of their relationship going from [[HeterosexualLifePartners loving each other dearly]] to [[VitriolicBestBuds fighting]].

** Spider-Man and the ComicBook/HumanTorch. Two {{kid hero}}es who started their superhero careers at roughly around the same time (the ComicBook/FantasticFour are almost always depicted as the first heroes on the scene in the "modern Marvel universe") but grew up with two completely different lifestyles. Spidey was always on the 'barely scraping by' side financially while Johnny enjoyed the riches and fame that came with being a publicly beloved hero. Then there's their personalities: while Peter is more of a HumbleHero, Johnny is more or less a show off. Yet, they are arguably the closet superhero friends next to ComicBook/LukeCage and ComicBook/IronFist, and consider each other family.

* Marty and Doc in the ''Franchise/BackToTheFuture'' trilogy are as close as a old scientist and a teenage CoolLoser can be. We're never given an explanation as to when and how the two met and became friends... they simply are and that's that. The actors have good enough chemistry that most audiences never find themselves questioning it.

** Also, "Kaval", who was essentially Low Ki in all but name and his NXT mentors Wrestling/LayCool, a pair of mean spirited, shallow, self absorbed airheads. They didn't treat Kaval with much respect but that's just how they are, they did genuinely like him and he reciprocated. A lot of fans don't like that Kaval and Laycool were paired up but the man himself enjoyed working with them (even if he didn't like being on NXT).

** To a lesser (meaning less odd) extent Aoi Asahina and Sakura Oogami. The two ALWAYS spend time together, bonding over their love of sports, but Hina is more friendly and approachable while Sakura is more... TheQuietOne who has trouble making friends and who's muscular appearance has had many guys including Yasuhiro Hagakure, and Ishimaru, unintentionallly calling her a guy (though in Hagakure's case he calls her "Ogre" maliciously) This leads to [[spoiler: the events of Chapter 4, where Sakura commits Suicide to stop being TheMole for Monokuma in his attempt to get the Ultimates to turn against each other. Hina decides to frame every other survivor due to her feeling nobody respected Sakura like she did. When she is caught and finds out Sakura didn't want her to blame the others for her suicide, she breaks down.]]

* Marty and Doc in the ''Franchise/BackToTheFuture'' trilogy are as close as a old scientist and a teenage CoolLoser can be. Perhaps Marty sees Doc as a grandfather figure?