X-Men Launches New Romance Between Its Most Powerful Mutants

Published Nov 12, 2026, 4:56 PM EST Ambrose Tardive is an editor on ScreenRant's Comics team. Over the past two years, he has developed into the internet's foremost authority on The Far Side. Outside of his work for ScreenRant, Ambrose works as an Adjunct English Instructor. The X-Men franchise has a potential hot new power couple, as two Omega-level mutants just shared their first kiss, kicking off a romance plotline that fans have been wanting for years now. There's just one complication: the OG X-Men hero on one side of the kiss has a bit of a messy romantic history, including an unresolved romantic arc with his most recent ex. Bobby Drake, better known as Iceman, locks lips with the powerful reality-warper Ben Liu in the latest chapter of the ongoing X-Men United series. It is the first big fling for Ben as a Marvel hero. That's not so true for Bobby, who was most recently in a relationship with one of the Inhumans. Their status has been unclear for a while, and now it seems Iceman is moving on with a steamy new courtship. Let's talk about the kiss, including who made the first move, and whether fans should get emotionally invested in the couple, or if it is too soon to tell if they can go the distance. Warning! Spoilers ahead for X-Men United #9! In X-Men United #9, Ben Liu joins Iceman in the meditation room. Ben asks Bobby what he's thinking, and after a brief conversation, Bobby flips the question around and asks Ben. Which the latter takes as his opportunity to send a clear signal. "I was wondering...," he says, hesitating for just a moment, "if you're always ice." Iceman smiles. He picks up what Ben is putting down. "Nope," he says, de-icing and putting a hand on Ben's face as they lean in for a kiss. So, it's fair to say that Iceman officially made the first move, but only after it was very clear that Ben has the hots for him. It is a moment that will have a fair share of shippers shouting "FINALLY," because the opportunity for a romance has been sitting there since X-Men confirmed Ben is gay. It is a start, at least. Ben is still getting acclimated to life as a member of the X-Men, and life as a mutant in general, since his X-gene was belatedly activated by the villainous 3K organization. His reality-warping abilities have rocketed him up the power rankings as one of Marvel's most powerful mutants, but how he acts in a relationship is totally unknown to readers right now. With Iceman, it's a different story. Iceman's Previous Relationship Is A Loose Plot Thread That Could Complicate His New Romance Bobby Drake's last romance was with Romeo, a member of the Inhumans. During the "Fall of Krakoa" period a few years ago, Iceman was seemingly killed, only to be resurrected, permanently stuck in ice mode. Romeo's powers were said to be the only thing keeping him alive, seemingly forging an unbreakable bond between the two. However, that didn't stick. Romeo hasn't appeared in over three years, and Bobby has gone back to his status quo, able to return to human form at will. At the time of its release, many readers balked at the depiction of the couple in Marvel's Astonishing Iceman series, citing the extreme codependency of their relationship as a problem. The final issue featured a fake-out death for Iceman, with its denouement revealing he survived by having him leave a note for Romeo, "see you soon! Heart, Bobby," even as Romeo had seemingly moved on with another man. Some have interpreted this to suggest an open relationship, but because Romeo hasn't popped back up since, and Iceman hasn't mentioned him at all, it is more likely Marvel is just moving on from the relationship. Implying a break-up at some point off-page. Still, the door is ajar for a return for Romeo at some point in the future, as a complicating factor in the franchise's new Ben Liu/Bobby Drake pairing. For now, though, fans can bask in the first kiss energy and hope for the best for the potential new couple. Another healthy long-term relationship would be great for both characters, and for the X-Men franchise as a whole. X-Men United #9 is available now from Marvel Comics.