Superman Confirms His Love Life Isn’t As ‘Vanilla’ As Fans Assume

Warning: contains spoilers for Action Comics #1035!

When it comes to the romantic lives of super heroes, some may assume that Superman’s love life would be pretty vanilla – even bland. He has been in a committed marriage to Lois Lane for years and has had few other love interests beyond her. Yet in Action Comics #1035, on sale now in print and digital, readers learn that the Man of Steel knows how to keep things spicy.

While comic fans know Lois Lane to be Superman’s primary love interest, he has had a few other lovers, such as Lana Lang, his high school girlfriend from Smallville and the mermaid Lori Lemaris. During the New 52 era, Superman engaged in a controversial relationship with Wonder Woman, but its canonicity is up for debate in the new Infinite Frontier era. There have been other characters, such as Maxima, who have sought Superman’s affections, only to be spurred. Despite these relationships, Superman returns to Lois every time, and they are currently married with a teenage son, Jon. Often known as the Big Blue Boy Scout, Superman may have pined after Lois at time, but his love life has never been one of the most exciting in comics, especially compared to perennial ally Batman, who has a tendency to hook up with his own villains. However, fans can see a racier side of Superman in Action Comics#1035‘s ‘Warworld Rising – part six,’ written by Phillip Kennedy Johnson, with art by Daniel Sampere, colors by Adriano Lucas and letters by Dave Sharpe.

Superman’s time on Earth is drawing to an end; he will soon depart for the hellish Warworld to liberate its inhabitants. He meets with Earth’s heroes at the Fortress of Solitude, and afterwards, returns to Lois and Metropolis. Flying high above Metropolis, the Man of Steel tells her what has been on his mind. He assures Lois that his love for her is “the strongest thing there is.” She asks him to show her, and they drift even higher up into the sky. Readers then see Lois’ shirt fall to the ground, and in the next panel, she wakes up naked in bed – the implication being they made love in the sky above Metropolis.

Sex above the skies of Metropolis may seem impractical on one hand – it would be pretty cold up there, for instance – but it also serves to illustrate that Superman and Lois have an adult relationship that enriches both characters. While Clark Kent is an archetypal hero who has been endlessly adapted for many different audiences, it’s important for the mainstream comics to take him seriously as a character, and the idea that Superman’s love life isn’t some forbidden concept never even hinted at is appropriate, especially when it’s handled tastefully.

The moment helps to emphasize what each character is going through in this moment, as the Man of Steel plans to leave his family (and adopted home) behind with no set date for his return, and he and Lois accept the necessity of being apart by being together while they can. And while the semi-exhibitionist moment is a little racier than some fans might expect from Superman, this further speaks to the fact that neither he or Lois are cookie-cutter characters, but rather crusaders for justice enjoying one final night together before months (perhaps years) or uncertainty.

About The Author

Shaun Corley
(1377 Articles Published)

Shaun Corley is a pop culture enthusiast living in the Pacific Northwest. After stints in both customer service and academia, he’s turned his attention to writing about comic books–his lifelong passion. He is a graduate of Radford University, with a degree in English. When not reading comics, he enjoys spending time with his fiance and their dog.

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