In Real Life, most marriages end in death, divorce, or rarely annulment. However, in this case supernatural forces are at play to ensure that the marriage is truly over. Common examples include this being performed via a Cosmic Retcon erasing the marriage altogether, or an otherworldly entity intervening to annul the marriage, thus signifying that the marriage is terminated in the eyes of cosmic forces. Or sometimes it's just something as simple as Laser-Guided Amnesia.
This trope is especially common when the couple first wed through supernatural means, so it stands to reason that supernatural means would be required to sever their bond.
Compare Magical Abortion.
Examples
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Comic Books
- Astro City: One memorable story involves a man who is haunted by dreams of a woman he can't remember ever meeting, but whom he somehow knows intimately. At his wit's end, he finally gets an audience with the supernatural Hanged Man, who informs him that the woman was his wife in a previous continuity. Thanks to a time-travelling supervillain, history was changed just enough that her parents never met and she was never born, and thus she never met him, let alone married him.
- Spider-Man: The infamous One More Day storyline erased Peter and Mary Jane's marriage from existence through a literal Deal with the Devil to save Aunt May's life. In the new revised timeline, they only lived together for several years, but never tied the knot. In spite of their eventual reconciliation in The Amazing Spider-Man (2018), One More Day remains one of the most reviled comics in the mythos for this change.
- Superman: Superman and Lois Lane had their marriage wiped from continuity after the Flashpoint event and subsequent rise of the New 52. However, after the reboot failed, their marriage and most of their post-crisis romantic history were restored to continuity, with a bouncing baby boy to boot.
Film — Animated
- Corpse Bride has a sort of magical annulment: Victor's Accidental Marriage to Emily the Revenant Zombie is deemed invalid because "The vows are binding only until death do you part, and death has already parted you." They plan for him to repeat his vows and join her in death, but she releases him from his vow instead.
Literature
- In The Familiar of Zero, when a familiar is assigned to a wizard (usually an animal), they sealed their bond with a kiss. In the case of Louise de la Valiere, she sealed the bond with the recently summoned Saito Hiraga with a kiss in his lips, being considered later as a "magical marriage" for both characters as they became in the Official Couple with the time. But this was broken when a late Love Interest for him, the half-elf Tiffania Westwood, adopted him as her familiar by kissing him and making a new bond, leaving Louise's seal unmade.
Live-Action TV
- The Good Place
- Janet and Jason impulsively get married in Season 1. However, a few episodes later Michael erases the memories of the four humans and Janet once they realize they're really in the Bad Place. Janet and Jason eventually find out they used to be married, and from then on refer to it in the past tense.
- In season three, Tahani and Jason, once again alive on Earth, get legally married so she can transfer half of her funds to his account. However, after the four humans die again they both find out about Janet and Jason's former marriage and that Janet is still in love with him. To make Janet feel better, Tahani makes a "Death Did Us Part" certificate, reasoning that since they're dead she and Jason are no longer married.
Video Games
- The Witcher: Geralt and Yennefer once found a genie and Geralt wished that he and Yennefer would "be together forever". The two went on to be practically married in all but name, even raising an adoptive daughter together. However, circumstances later splits them apart and bout of amnesia causes Geralt to form sexual relationships with many, MANY other women. When he and Yennefer reunite, she is very distant and bitter—not only because one of the women he slept with was her best friend, but because she has started to believe that the only reason the two of them still love each other is because of the genie's magic. In Witcher 3 Wild Hunt, she and Geralt can manage to find another genie, whereupon she wishes that the original wish be undone. The player can then decide whether or not to tell her that Geralt still loves her or that she's right: his feelings are gone, but hers are not.
- Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town: If the Player Character divorces their spouse, their relationship will revert to what it was beofore the proposal. If the pair has a child at that point, it will be Ret-Gone.
