Sex Lives of Superheroes: Wolverine's Immortal Sperm, Superman's Porn Career, the Thing's Thing, and Other Super-Sexual Matters Explained

by Diana McCallum

Is sex with The Hulk technically a threesome? Does The Flash do everything faster? Has Wonder Woman really never faked an orgasm?

Explore these questions and more with this collection of speculative, comedic essays on how superpowers might affect the sex lives of famous superheroes. Based on genuine scientific research and both Marvel and DC comic book and movie canon (and more!), Sex Lives of Superheroes is a refreshingly frank and fun deep dive into the pros, cons, and plot twists of superpowered sex.

Drawing from biology, physics, psychology, and more to play out (wild, fictional) scenarios about superheroes' sex lives, this in-depth analysis will definitively answer your burning questions,
How does sex ed from the 1930s and 1940s stack up to today’s (and what does that mean for Captain America’s love life)?Can Spider-Man do whatever a spider can . . . in bed?Do factors like radiation, psychological stress, and tight spandex affect Batman’s sperm count?Does Green Lantern prove that sex is better in space?Would Wolverine’s healing factor make his sperm immortal?What would sex be like with Daredevil’s enhanced senses?Why did Dr. Strange's girlfriend cheat on him with Benjamin Franklin?Wait, Superman made a porno?!
With interludes detailing some of the strangest sexcapades in superhero history, and the closest sexual equivalents we have in the real world, Sex Lives of Superheroes is a testament that sometimes life is even stranger than fiction (though not by much—comics are weird!). Stimulating in more ways than one, this provocative supplement to your favorite heroes’ lore is a hilarious and thought-provoking glimpse under the covers revealing everything you ever wanted to know about the Sex Lives of Superheroes.

Genres: Nonfiction, Humor, Superheroes, Science, Science Fiction Fantasy, Book Club, Graphic Novels

240 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 19, 2024

Reviews

[Lukasz · Rating 4 out of 5]

So. If you've ever wondered if the Thing has a thing or if Wolverine’s healing factor can keep his swimmers immortal, this book is for you. It's hilarious, a little awkward, and full of strange insights.

McCallum marries legitimate science with comic book canon, and comedy and it mostly works. Some chapters are genuinely funny. Others veer into actual science lessons, which are surprisingly informative.

That said, the humor can get repetitive, and not every essay lands. A little hit-or-miss, but when it’s good, it’s a blast.

ARC through NetGalley

[M]

“Sex Lives of Superheroes” by Diana Mccallum was the balm to my soul I didn’t know I needed. It’s been a terrible winter politically and hiding into these quirky, outrageously imaginative questions about superhero’s sex lives has made me lighter, and more able to deal with waking up again. I’d read a chapter every night and quietly laugh and laugh and then I’d tell everyone around me what I read, the next morning.

It’s a smart mix of biology and imagination that verges on laughing out loud most of the time. Of course I want to know how vampires have sex, how The Hulk does it, how fast The Flash can be, if it’s possible for Superman to do it with human women (and how), how long a penis stretches if you have super-elastic powers, if The Rock has “it” at all, and if Spiderman’s sperm is radioactive. And more. Yes. Please tell us. With science.

Who has the best orgasm? (Spoiler alert: it’s Mystique). Why is Wonder Woman tied up so often (BDSM much?)? Do dolphins want to have sex with you (at least some of the time)? Why don’t we ever see Teenage Ninja Turtles getting some action (it’s for a good reason)? And more!!!!!!!!!

I really recommend it to all nerds and superhero fans!
Thanks to NetGalley for the e-arc!

[Nicole Cann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious and thoughtful. I’m legit impressed by the amount of research the author did - I learned a ton!

[Daniel Celebertti · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book Review: Sex Lives of Superheroes by Diana McCallum

Diana McCallum's Sex Lives of Superheroes is an entertaining deep dive into an unconventional topic that blends humor with surprisingly robust scientific research. The book strikes an impressive balance between witty side commentary and fascinating factual analysis, making it as engaging as it is informative.

As I read, I laughed, I learned, and yes, I occasionally cringed—sometimes all in the same chapter. McCallum leaves no question unanswered (and answers a few I hadn’t even thought to ask), exploring her subject matter with both curiosity and precision.

That said, there were moments where the scientific details became a bit too dense, and I found myself skimming through some of the more technical explanations. However, these instances were rare and didn’t detract from the overall enjoyment of the book.

If you’re looking for a read that is equal parts hilarious, insightful, and surprising, Sex Lives of Superheroes won’t disappoint.

Thank you to Netgalley and BenBella books for the advanced reader copy.

[Monika · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everything you wanted to know about the sex life of your favourite superhero but were too afraid to ask (and a few things that you probably didn't want to know).


This book is exactly what you expect, but you can also learn from it a lot about human relationships and sex. I was really suprised by some facts. 

Every chapter focuses on a different case, like Can Supergirl have a child with a human? Or can Reed Richards enlarge his little guy? but they are all treated as a serious question and analyzed with real life science (and a lot of puns).

I especially enjoyed the "Mind over Mattress" part, focusing more on the psychological questions (the Batman chapter is def my fav). Also, there are these quick interludes about weird stories from real comic books. Did you know that Superman actually married Supergirl? Or that he almost starred in an adult movie? Yeah, me neither. 

It's a great book for all comic book nerds and people who just like deep dives into weird subjects.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a digital copy of this book. 

[abi · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was so silly but I needed it after such a heavy read

[Paz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and BenBella Books for this advanced e-copy.

When you take this premise (the title clearly gives away the content of this book) some people could have made it very crass, or very heavy on the science and therefore quite boring. However, Diana McCallum found the perfect balance between humour and sex education.
This book is divided in five parts and it explores the questions so many comic book readers have asked at some point in their comic book journey.
Is the Flash the fastest man in bed too and should I feel bad for Iris and every partner of every speedster? Or, is the Thing's thing gone and does his sex life sucks?
Can Mr. Fantastic make his member fantastic? (The short answer: yes, the long answer is: well, that's actually disappointing and I feel bad for Sue.)

In between questions and the in depth exploration of every superhero plight, power and dating history, we get amazing 'sexual interludes' where Diana explores some wacky moments in the sex life of our heroes. For example, did you know Nightcrawler dated his sister for a while? Actually adoptive sister, but they were raised together soooo. Or, did you know Superman almost made a porn tape once with Big Barda? Hey, how about the time the Human Torch had sex dreams about his sister?
I was laughing so hard while being horrified at all these examples chosen as sexual interludes. And that's the biggest strength of this book, Diana's talent to choose the perfect examples and questions was superb. So much so that if she ever releases a sequel I'll read it immediately. The writing style is so fun. It's casual and lighthearted while actually teaching so much about sex, statistics and even Sex Ed history.
It was so refreshing to read, there was so much information while keeping it nerdy for all comic book readers.

I can't say how much I enjoyed reading this book. I wish it was longer. I do wish we could have explored some other characters outside DC and Marvel, I believe the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were the only exception of it.
However, that can easily be fixed with a second volume.
If you ever felt as curious as Brodie in Mallrats please pick up this book, you won't regret it.

[Shauna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a lot more fun than I thought it would be. I was concerned that it would be very science heavy and take itself too seriously. I'm not sure why I thought a book about superheroes having sex would be serious, but ya never know with books. However, while there's plenty of serious science stuff going on here, the overall feel is fun learning.

The chapters are all quick and easy to skip around to what interests you or what characters are your favorites. The question of the chapter starts off kinda silly but then the science comes in and you're slowly learning about the human body and how it works during different sexual activities. The superheros are just a trick to get you to learn essentially and I'm not mad about it. It feels like Bill Nye would have wrote this, it absolutely has the same vibe his shows do.

I did only give it 3 stars instead of 4 because I read it all from start to finish in order and some of the science got repetitive, sometimes in the very next chapter. So I had to do some skimming over that and getting to the new stuff. Otherwise, surprisingly educational and fun, it makes you think about your favorite characters, and sometimes yourself, in a different way.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Martin Maenza · Rating 4 out of 5]

Smart Pop Books, an imprint of BenBella Books, provided an early galley for review.

As a life-long comic book reader, how could I resist the premise of this collection of essays? Simply, I could not.

With twenty-six essays organized in five different sections, McCallum puts to page the kind of topics comic book fanboys inevitably get into discussing late at night, over snack foods and beverages, on those long convention weekends. I am certain some of these might have come up when I was hanging with my buddies for San Diego Comic-Con decades ago.

The discussion here is a little bit salacious and a whole lot scientific. McCallum doles out the matter-of-fact facts as well as Sheldon Cooper and the guys on The Big Bang Theory could. It is both entertaining and educational. And she certainly did her research (as the eleven pages of end-notes can attest). I also appreciated that there is a good balance of representation from both of the big two - DC Comics (Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, Flash, etc.) and Marvel (Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, the Hulk, Daredevil, etc.) along with a few others thrown in for good measure as well.

This is one I definitely believe comic book fanatics will enjoy.

[Guilherme Smee · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sex Lives of Superheroes é outro daqueles livros disfarçados de teoria que entregam um pseudo fazer ciência. E o livro é recheado de ciência para corroborar as teorias mais malucas sobre a sexualidade dos super-heróis. Quando fala sexualidade não me refiro às orientações sexuais dos personagens, mas como seus poderes e seus corpos alterados modificam sua relação com o ato sexual através de suas fisiologias únicas. Em nenhum momento é dito qual a formação da autora para que ela traga as informações que traz, pelo contrário, ela é uma comediante de um podcast sobre super-heróis. É um livro um tanto ultrajante tanto para os personagens como para o leitor. Acredito que um livro falando sobre as vidas sexuais dos super-heróis deve levar em conta muito mais aspectos filosóficos, antropológicos, sociológicos do que biológicos. Assim, este livro se aproxima daqueles livros que querem explicar os poderes dos super-heróis através da química, física e biologia. Só que esse faz do ponto de vista sexual, sem muita base, método e rigor científico. Não dá pra levar a sério mesmo.

[Krystelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

This was such a specific topic, but I will admit that this book was a lot of fun. I’m giving it three stars on the basis of some initially very well researched pieces, but I did find that as the book went on that it got rather repetitive.

There were definitely some chapters in here that were incredibly entertaining. The one on vampires and Howard the Duck were particular stand-outs, and there were jokes throughout. I found myself laughing on and off in the book, and it was great. It was incredibly scientific in places, which made it a great read in that it didn’t feel so much salacious as entertaining.

I did think it could have been a little more entertaining, particularly towards the end, but it was a fun book, and I’m keen to see an eventual sequel.

[Kaitlyn (ktxx22) Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really interesting read! Was on NetGalley in the comics/manga/graphic novel section but was not any of those things but rather a traditional nonfiction book. I really enjoyed the subject matter so had no issues getting through it. Would definitely recommend as this goes over the science of each of these questions fantastically. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

[Joel Kramer · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book should have been a lot more fun than it turns out to be. On the plus side, it is extensively researched. The author clearly loves comic books, and is deeply familiar with the scientific data as well, but the writing style is a lot less entertaining than it's intended to be. After a few chapters the jokes are more grating than funny, and once they are gone the scientific analysis is dry.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

My thanks to NetGalley and BenBella Books- Smart Pop for an advance copy of this informative look about the birds, the bees and the radioactive stretchable glowing anatomy parts that make up the private lives of superheroes and other fabled creatures in comics, movies and books.

Years ago I read an essay on Superheroes that was very confusing and considering the subject matter, not as spicy as I had expected. The essay was by science fiction writer Larry Niven, and entitled Man of Steel, Woman of Kleenex. The subject was how would Superman, the last son of the planet Krypton, have relations of the carnal kind with women from planet Earth. What I thought was going to be a funny, maybe kind of dirty look was anything but. The essay was tongue and cheek, but the writing was more biology than comedy. Niven looked at both the act, the gestation and the birth of a so called Superbaby, and the risks that would have to be taken by the mother in a variety of ways. Sadly in reading this I learned more about the facts of life than any health class, or parental talk ever. I had the same thoughts while reading this book, an experience that I found both enlightening and hysterical in spots. And being a a nerd of long standing was embarrassed by quite a few things. Sex Lives of Superheroes: Wolverine's Immortal Sperm, Superman's Porn Career, the Thing's Thing, and Other Super-Sexual Matters Explained by Diana McCallum is a look at what happens when the comic panels go dark, a series of essays dealing with characters from all sorts of media.

The book starts with how many comic readers might have had some questions raised about their favorite characters, the scenes in Mallrats where Stan Lee is asked a bunch of questions that Stan the Man never had to deal with while writing his Stan's Soapbox. From their we travel the mulitverses dealing with characters from DC, Marvel, an independent or two, and vampires. Both serious and sparkly. McCallum asks the hard and sometimes pointed questions that many might have thought up, created slash fiction about, but sometimes were to ashamed to ask. We learn why Daredevil the Man Without Fear probably goes through alot with his enhanced senses, and maybe why he is blinded with success from the ladies. Does the Hulk Hulk out just lying next to a woman, and though a father what that experience must be like. Why does Green Lantern like to take his dates to outer space so much. And a look at one of the more controversial Spider-Man stories, Spider-Man: Reign, and why if might be more accurate of a tale than we think, though it still won't change people's minds on the story. And many other kinks, whoops I meant capes and their private lives.

The book is funny, let's get that out of the way. McCallum is a very good writer quick with a joke, however I found this book to be a lot more than a snicker-snicker, they are doing it kind of story. McCallum has done a lot of research, and really goes into depth on a lot of the subjects here. Again I learned more from one or two essays than I learned in Health class. I knew very little about the female issues touched on here, and by coaching it with showing superheroes I think this might be a good way to teach some males about what women like too.

The writing is clear, the research is interesting and well presented, and this was a much more informative book than I expected. A great gift for a comic fan just to watch them turn red, and a helpful guide for one's partners to show that there is a lot more to romance than just taking off your cape and cowl.

[Summer R Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you, Diana McCallum and NetGalley, for the ARC. I leave this review voluntarily and happily. Also, thank you publishers for your hard work!

I dare say this was definitely funny as he'll and terrifying in some ways. By terrifying, I don't mean horror. I mean, i found out so many facts I didn't need to know about animals due to superheros having their abilities and such. If you're interested in the sex lives of superheros and maybe some villains and you want to know a lot of facts about penises look no further! This goes very into detail about reproduction and all sorts of twisted things you would possibly want to know. Some will have you laughing, others making you want to throw the book because ewwww! Why would we want to know such things and, of course, for our smutty lovers? This definitely fits that it you may be having.

Spiderman, Wolverine, Superman, Loki, there are so many heroes and some non heroes throughout this book, and we definitely get to learn the nitty gritty things. Perhaps a bit more than we are asking for. If you want to know how some of them are even able to get down and dirty and do things like a normal human being, then you're in the right place. This book is for you and I dare say be prepared.

I enjoyed this book even with how much it went into detail at times. It's a great book for those interested in finding out what goes on behind the closed doors of superheros homes and I will say this i won't look at spider, turtles or a lot of these heros the same ever again.

[Leigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

**Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a free Arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.**

I read a lot of comics and a lot of erotica, so when I saw this on Netgalley it was a no-brainer that surprisingly turned into an actually brainer. I'm gonna say it, I loved how nerdy this was. I loved diving into specifics of all of these superheroes and then working out what the real-world ramifications would be. It was an absolute delight...Until the very last chapters.

At that point we stopped mathematically working out how far Mr. Fantastic can stretch or how fast the Flash actually is. We stopped mentioning wild anecdotes from the comics in which heroes go visiting and get stuck in fascinating places. And we started talking about biology. Just real world biology. And how things would go if certain heroes had the set up of the animals that they are named for. At that point it stopped being and fun and felt like we had ran out of material. There was even a call for more material at the end for a sequel.

This would have been a 4 or 5 star easy, but sadly we did not quit while we were ahead.

[TammyJo Eckhart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Diana McCallum's humor may not be for everyone, but if you like "Texts from Superheroes," you should be fine reading the book. While the subject is sex, I wouldn't call this explicit except in terms of facts that she gathered from comics, TV series, movies, official creator guides, and scientific studies and scientists. There are no images. She also makes no claim that this is an exhaustive study and says if you have suggestions on which characters she should focus on in a sequel to let her know (I suggest via her publisher).

The book is organized into five relatively broad subject parts each with between three and six chapters. There are also interludes that look at a particular storyline or scene within the superhero/villain decades of "life" for genre loving folks to enjoy. McCallum does a good job with citations as well which can be a problem with non-academic books. Overall it was a very fun read that adds to a topic I've sure a sizable segments of the geekdom has thought about.

[Kimberly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honestly, I requested this book because I thought it would-be entertaining to look at the personal lives of some of my favorite MCU/DC superheroes. But this book wasn't even close to what I expected. There were scientific facts and explanations for everything; regardless of the comic book version that came out to prove otherwise.

Some examples are; how Spider-Man killed his wife, MJ through sex. Claiming that he gave her cancer. They also had a theory why Batman/Bruce Wayne prefers to date bad girls, like Catwoman. Then they went into scientific facts.and had experts around the world explaining why the Hulk refuses to have sex, because he's afraid that he'd Hulk-out when his blood pressure got too high: ending up hurting his partner.

These are a few facts I gathered after reading this book. Sorry, but it wasn't for me.

*I was given a complimentary copy of this book via NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

[Emma Gerts · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a delight this was! Sex Lives of Superheroes was a really fun little read. It didn't take long, didn't require a lot of mental energy, but had a great blend of real science and interesting anecdotes from the truly bonkers world of comics. Anyone who is a fan of superhero comics probably knows that some truly wild stuff happens in older comics, or those which have been forgotten to time, but it's always fun to delve into those. And, for a media (especially in the MCU's case) that has been extraordinarily sexless in recent times, it's really fun to think about what's theoretically happening behind those closed doors.

This was a great time and I highly recommend!

[Bandit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everything you ever wanted to know (and a few things you didn't) about sex lives of the most popular superheroes, back by research and relayed humorously and engagingly.
Yeah, this book is all kinds of fun. You know who may not be having as much fun as you'd think someone with superbods and superpowers might have? The superheroes. Why? Well, it's complicated, But do read this book and find out.
Very entertaining and surprisingly educational. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.


This and more at https://advancetheplot.weebly.com/

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a ton of fun to read! It was the perfect combination of amusingly salacious speculation and solidly cited science! LOL, with a dash of dad humor and puns to keep me chuckling (I adore both dad humor and puns).

As much as I enjoyed all the speculation of genitals and genetics - I was extra, extra amused to read the sexual interludes. LOL, I guess when there are decades and decades and decades of comics being published, that I can't be surprised the occasional sexually perverted plotline slips in. Hahahahahaha!

[Nikki Mcknight · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're a fan of fandom and like the random rabbit holes that come with being a curious nerd, then this book is for you! This collection of scientifically backed essays is both witty and fun while being very clear about the real world implications of our fictional idols. Diana's voice is clearly heard in her writing, and much fun was had. Definitely a book that will make its way into dinner party and trivia night conversations soon!

[Bryan Whitehead · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here’s everything you ever wanted to know about how superpowers could make sex better or – more frequently – much much worse. I was lured in by the author’s work on “Texts from Superheroes” and wasn’t disappointed to find the same kind of humor at play in this longer format. Added bonus: along the way we get entertaining lessons in biology, psychology and even physics. If there’s a sequel, I’ll definitely keep reading.

[Katou Jovi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okiiiii, so! Petite lecture légère et complètement à la con… donc of course j’ai adoré. 😂

Les théories sont absurdes, les exemples encore plus, mais yooo!! Le niveau de recherche pis les explications aux questions que peut de personne se pose… malade haha! J’ai tellement ri!

Mention spéciale à la section sur Wolverine: giiiiiiirl, I wasn’t ready but I learned some cool shit HAHAHAHAHA!!

Bref : j’ai ri pis j’ai appris ben des affaires 😂👌 loved iiit!

[Jocelyn G · Rating 5 out of 5]

Diana McCallum's Sex Lives of Superheroes is both incredibly funny and incredibly informative, in ways I never knew I needed. It presents a ton of information without ever feeling didactic and feels constantly inventive and surprising. I loved it. And can never un-know what I now know about Reed Richards.

[Kat Angus · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s a delicate balance to write a book that comes across as both smart and knowledgeable while also being silly and hilarious at the same time. But Sex Lives of Superheroes finds that balance brilliantly! McCallum’s prose is just excellent, making me laugh out loud many times, but she’s also done her research. This book rules.

[Amanda Rogers · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first expected this to be a bunch of short stories but was surprised to find it is actually much more like a scientific text. there is a lot of sound reasoning behind what the author has to say and they cite a large number of relevant studies. I hope they will be a second book for more such pressing questions.

[Paul Gainer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Humorously written yet seriously researched! I hate to admit that I learned a few things about REGULAR human sex!
The only truly gross thinking was done with the TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES
Fun book, but hiding the title from the bonus daughter was a must…

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! I am amazed about the author's research in both comic books and movies, but also scientific research. With the upcoming Fantastic Four movie this summer, I'm not sure I can look at the characters again without thinking about their mmhmm.

[Todd Van Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. Learned a lot about the various superheroes and how they, erm, do the business. Hilarious, entertaining and educational. Give this a read if you like superheroes, sex, or both, or neither.