Action Comics#1007 Spoilers and Discussion

[Miles To Go]

There is absolutely no good logical reason for Lois and Clark to get a public divorce and throw away a perfectly good marriage. I really hope this isn't part of some roundabout OMD-esque way of getting them unmarried. If they get a sham divorce for no reason then that an immediate breaking point for me. I'll be out and done with this version unless they get remarried.

Can we please just cut this nonsense out?

[Artemisfanboy]

Can we please just cut this nonsense out?

I'm sorry I keep stuff posting this. It just bugs really bugs me. I'll try to hold back until something actually happens.

[Sacred Knight]

There is absolutely no good logical reason for Lois and Clark to get a public divorce and throw away a perfectly good marriage. I really hope this isn't part of some roundabout OMD-esque way of getting them unmarried. If they get a sham divorce for no reason then that an immediate breaking point for me. I'll be out and done with this version unless they get remarried.

Rather get a divorce, I think the upcoming public "reveal" will be they were never married in the first place. She's married to Superman. But even that isn't set in stone, its just a theory. But even if it DOES happen, I still don't get the big deal. She's still with the same guy, its just the type of lie in place to the public would be changing. I get how some people don't want the public Clark Kent looking bad because of it, but I don't get how fans of the marriage in particular are hurt in any way. In such a scenario, nothing changes except public perception within the supporting cast and larger world. From the reader's POV, the parties are exactly the same and all we're following is window dressing of the larger charade being turned around. We're in on it all, we know its the same guy. In any case, as far as logical reason? This is comics, you can always craft a reason to do anything. And rarely are any of them ever rooted in deep-seated logic. Only requirement I hold writers to when chainging things up is a reason that makes some semblance of sense for the lore. And no one at this stage can say with confidence that no such reason could possibly be conjured up. And if this is the route they go, indeed I think there is a reason that will be rooted in Lois's secret, the book, etc.

[Miles To Go]

I'm sorry I keep stuff posting this. It just bugs really bugs me. I'll try to hold back until something actually happens.

Sage advise.

Bendis has made it clear multiple times there is no break-up coming, either take him at his word or don't, but that's the official line, we need to focus on the story he's telling and the drama he's putting together. Harp on his execution all you will, but that's the only grounds for concern, not this constant projecting of something he's on record as vowing not to do.

[Yoda]

The reasoning behind it would be a combination of Jon's public outing as Lois & Superman's son, those janitors were there for a reason in Superman #7, Lois seeing how important Superman is to the universe at large and feeling that they could work as a family in a way that allows Clark to take on that important role on Earth as well, and an understanding that "Clark Kent journalist" is only there for Clark to get at things he can't as Superman. Which is easier to do if he's not trying to keep up a facade of an all american nuclear family, which with Jon now older and more independent (and about to be outed) they don't need anymore.

[Artemisfanboy]

Rather get a divorce, I think the upcoming public "reveal" will be they were never married in the first place. She's married to Superman. But even that isn't set in stone, its just a theory. But even if it DOES happen, I still don't get the big deal. She's still with the same guy, its just the type of lie in place to the public would be changing. I get how some people don't want the public Clark Kent looking bad because of it, but I don't get how fans of the marriage in particular are hurt in any way. In such a scenario, nothing changes except public perception within the supporting cast and larger world. From the reader's POV, the parties are exactly the same and all we're following is window dressing of the larger charade being turned around. We're in on it all, we know its the same guy. In any case, as far as logical reason? This is comics, you can always craft a reason to do anything. And rarely are any of them ever rooted in logic. And if this is the route they go, indeed I think there is a reason that will be rooted in Lois's secret, the book, etc.

Lois and Clark got a public marriage and filed a marriage license with the government and have been married for ten over years, raising a child together. No court is going to grant an annulment after all that. It they get a legal dissolution of their marriage it would be called a divorce, even if it's mutual amicable one. And it would look really bad for everyone involved for Lois to have said Clark only married her to support her and the child and they've never really been a couple. There's no way I don't see that status quo turning into a mess.

Sage advise.

Bendis has made it clear multiple times there is no break-up coming, either take him at his word or don't, but that's the official line, we need to focus on the story he's telling and the drama he's putting together. Harp on his execution all you will, but that's the only grounds for concern, not this constant projecting of something he's on record as vowing not to do.

I'm willing to believe him as far Lois and Clark are still going to be couple in a relationship. But the direction that they may be going with public marriage uneases me. I think I'm going to have to take a break from this for a while to calm down.

[Artemisfanboy]

The reasoning behind it would be a combination of Jon's public outing as Lois & Superman's son, those janitors were there for a reason in Superman #7, Lois seeing how important Superman is to the universe at large and feeling that they could work as a family in a way that allows Clark to take on that important role on Earth as well, and an understanding that "Clark Kent journalist" is only there for Clark to get at things he can't as Superman. Which is easier to do if he's not trying to keep up a facade of an all american nuclear family, which with Jon now older and more independent (and about to be outed) they don't need anymore.

So the bassically so Clark can more or less just let Superman be who he really is and give up on being Clark Kent outside of investigative Journalism? I''m not sure thats a good Idea.

lt's not like he's really dead, Martha.
He just can't be Clark anymore.
But l am Clark.
l need to be Clark.
l'd go crazy if l had to be Superman all the time.

[Yoda]

So the bassically so Clark can more or less just let Superman be who he really is and give up on being Clark Kent outside of investigative Journalism? I''m not sure thats a good Idea.

I'm not saying its good or bad. It'll depend on how they play it. But yeah it'd be a different take on the Clark/Superman dichotomy. It's like a modernization of the old Clark Kent take. He's still a good forceful journalist. His "real" life will just be the one he lives with Lois and Jon. Like the Hamilton version after a fashion. Their life there was separate and hidden in a sense.

I think "Classic" but tweaked for modern sensibilities is kinda the flavor Bendis is going for. And I can see how that type of take could try to thread the needle between a Pre-Crisis/New 52-ish take on Superman being the primary personality and a Post-Crisis take with Clark being primary as well. Thematically it blends the two the way Reborn tried to do with the continuity.

[Superlad93]

There's also the very real possibility that the public marriage between Lois and Clark will not end, and they'll continue to function as a public couple like they've been doing, but the one new alteration will be that they are now a blended family in the sense that Jon is publicly shown to be Superman's son, and Clark's step-son.

The basic idea being that they confirm the very open secret that Lois and Superman used to date, and while Lois and Clark were on a break before getting married and Lois left town for a while (this is an actual story that happened under Jurgens. Look it up) she rekindled her relationship with Superman, but soon after realized she wanted to be with Clark, thus her and Clark got married shortly after, and that resulted in Jon being born a few months after Lois and Clark were married.

Conceptually this sort of finally canonizes the classic triangle for two in the public eye, and puts it firmly to bed with the answer being Lois picked Clark, and Clark proved to be better than most men when he stepped up the way he did. Superman publicly working alongside Jon when he was 10 shows that he's still a good father for continuing to be there for the hereditary related questions his son likely had, and just to spend time with the kid.

And as a funny bonus, you can reaffirm the classic "why don't we ever see Clark and Superman in the same place at the same time" by saying, they're still friendly, but they'd rather stay clear of one another to cut down on the awkwardness, and no one in the world would begrudge them or dig deeper than that. BOOM! I figured you out Bendis!

Side note: I'm pretty dang sure Bendis is sort of grooming Jon to function similarly to Luke Cage strictly in the sense that publicly he'd be Jon Kent The Superboy (or Superman ) like Luke is Luke Cage The Power Man. I wouldn't at all be surprised if Bendis has people publicly alternate between calling him Superboy (or Superman ) or simply Jon Kent. That goes for heroes, villains, and civilians alike.

[Yoda]

There's also the very real possibility that the public marriage between Lois and Clark will not end, and they'll continue to function as a public couple like they've been doing, but the one new alteration will be that they are now a blended family in the sense that Jon is publicly shown to be Superman's son, and Clark's step-son.

The basic idea being that they confirm the very open secret that Lois and Superman used to date, and while Lois and Clark were on a break before getting married and Lois left town for a while (this is an actual story that happened under Jurgens. Look it up) she rekindled her relationship with Superman, but soon after realized she wanted to be with Clark, thus her and Clark got married shortly after, and that resulted in Jon being born a few months after Lois and Clark were married.

Conceptually this sort of finally canonizes the classic triangle for two in the public eye, and puts it firmly to bed with the answer being Lois picked Clark, and Clark proved to be better than most men when he stepping up the way he did. Superman publicly working alongside Jon when he was 10 shows that he's still a good father for continuing to be their for the hereditary questions his son likely had, and just to spend time with the kid.

And as a funny bonus, you can reaffirm the classic "why don't we ever see Clark and Superman in the same place at the same time" by saying, they're still friendly, but they'd rather stay clear of one another to cut down on the awkwardness, and no one in the world would begrudge them or dig deeper than that. BOOM! I figured you out Bendis!

Side note: I'm pretty dang sure Bendis is sort of grooming Jon to function similarly to Luke Cage strictly in the sense that publicly he'd be Jon Kent The Superboy (or Superman ) like Luke is Luke Cage The Power Man. I wouldn't at all be surprised if Bendis has people publicly alternate between calling him Superboy (or Superman ) or simply Jon Kent. That goes for heroes, villains, and civilians alike.

My prefered outcome by far. And I think Lois' mention of a conversation she should have had with her father before her wedding hints that Bendis is at least partially keyed into that time frame being crucial to something with this whole mess.

[Superlad93]

And I think Lois' mention of a conversation she should have had with her father before her wedding hints that Bendis is at least partially keyed into that time frame being crucial to something with this whole mess.

In the thematic sense, yeah, I agree, that felt like a call out. But I don't think that's what he wanted Lois to mean in the practical sense. In that sense, I think Lois simply meant "you're my dad, and I should've told you that my soon-to-be husband was also the space alien you hate so much, so we could've worked through it. But instead we're let it fester and rip us further apart, and your hate for the space alien that happens to be my husband has only grown with time. Maybe it all could've been alleviated, and you could've gotten to know and understood him as a person if I'd have been upfront about it from the jump."

I wonder if down the line we'll get some sort of flashback to the before the wedding with new elements added similar to how Bendis changed up Peter Parker's high school years a bit by adding in Jessica Jones. Special care was even taken to emulate the old art style to an extent. Could probably place this into the issue where Lois and Sam get to really talk again. Just a full on Bendis talking head issue that recounts Lois falling in love with Clark/Superman.

Maybe we'll get Lois or Sam as an unreliable narrator recounting the events of that during the break before the wedding? I'm really thinking Sam's gonna come through for his daughter in the end by saying something like once Lois told Sam that she was having Superman's child, he cut her out from his life, and didn't see the child till he was 10. He'd admit he was wrong for it all and, now in on it, thank all three parents for doing right by the kid.

Thus making Sam Lane the good and not crazy grandparent.

[Yoda]

In the thematic sense, yeah, I agree, that felt like a call out. But I don't think that's what he wanted Lois to mean in the practical sense. In that sense, I think Lois simply meant "you're my dad, and I should've told you that my soon-to-be husband was also the space alien you hate so much, so we could've worked through it. But instead we're let it fester and rip us further apart, and your hate for the space alien that happens to be my husband has only grown with time. Maybe it all could've been alleviated, and you could've gotten to know and understood him as a person if I'd have been upfront about it from the jump."

Bendis' quote from an that CBR article that he looked at what Jurgens and Tomasi had set up like a family counselor would almost literally be true given with what he's working through with Lois. The work Jurgens did with Sam Lane right at the end of his Action run started it and now Lois' new perspective is taking it to the next logical steps. Prior to that Sam might have gone at Superman directly with this knowledge, now he may be at a place where he's wanting to protect Jon and the family and will be receptive to Lois' outreach. Even if it takes him a bit to get there. Jurgens may have even set that up for Bendis specifically.

I wonder if down the line we'll get some sort of flashback to the before the wedding with new elements added similar to how Bendis changed up Peter Parker's high school years a bit by adding in Jessica Jones. Special care was even taken to emulate the old art style to an extent. Could probably place this into the issue where Lois and Sam get to really talk again. Just a full on Bendis talking head issue that recounts Lois falling in love with Clark/Superman.

I'd say that's pretty likely regardless of the way this plays out. You could even get Jurgens, Grummett, or Boganadove to draw it. I think Stuart Immonen was even in on that era (I could be wrong there) and he and Bendis worked together in the past. Grummett just drew that Mysteries in Space story.

Maybe we'll get Lois or Sam as an unreliable narrator recounting the events of that during the break before the wedding? I'm really thinking Sam's gonna come through for his daughter in the end by saying something like once Lois told Sam that she was having Superman's child, he cut her out from his life, and didn't see the child till he was 10. He'd admit he was wrong for it all and, now in on it, thank all three parents for doing right by the kid.

Yeah. Waller and Sam could become integral to setting up whatever is necessary to make it work for them. I even could see how Sam may end up working with Superman on whatever the Earth's part of the fledgling United Planets is. Kind of come full circle with the need for something to take the place of all these organizations that are being taken out by Leviathan. It may all tie together. Bendis has said Action will end up being the backbone of the story he's telling once it all plays out.

Thus making Sam Lane the good and not crazy grandparent.

You need at least one.

[Superlad93]

Bendis' quote from an that CBR article that he looked at what Jurgens and Tomasi had set up like a family counselor would almost literally be true given with what he's working through with Lois.

Holy crap! I totally forget he specifically put it like that. This idea that the Superman family as a whole (not specifically Clark, Lois, and Jon's unit) sort of has glaring cracks that they either avoid, compartmentalize, or treat as an antagonist. Lois and Sam are kind of the oldest and most famous example of this. Lois taking the first real step towards healing has all the more weight and courage behind it with this in mind.

And this also plays into the whole "Family Crisis" idea. If Rogol Zaar does turn out to be part of the El family, then he'd be a problem that Clark can't and shouldn't be trying to punch into submission (a major theme in Bendis' run). Zaar would be the festering mass that has grown from the continued avoiding of family problems and responsibility. Damn, that's some strong use of theme if it turns out to be true.

Plus, as a bonus it works with your theory regarding Clark's issues with avoiding things, and not wanting to break to far from a specific shape. The idea being that it's found its way into his work.

I'd say that's pretty likely regardless of the way this plays out. You could even get Jurgens, Grummett, or Boganadove to draw it. I think Stuart Immonen was even in on that era (I could be wrong there) and he and Bendis worked together in the past. Grummett just drew that Mysteries in Space story.

I'll be over the moon if it's either someone from that era or if it's someone emulating that era. Both always make me smile pretty hard.

I even could see how Sam may end up working with Superman on whatever the Earth's part of the fledgling United Planets is. Kind of come full circle with the need for something to take the place of all these organizations that are being taken out by Leviathan.

Very strong points right here. Actual government backing would be needed. Getting Amanda Waller and Sam Lane to come around on Superman would certainly help that through. Both understanding Clark Kent as the Krypton born American/Earthling who happens to go by Superman sometimes would really go a long way.

[Soubhagya]

There's also the very real possibility that the public marriage between Lois and Clark will not end, and they'll continue to function as a public couple like they've been doing, but the one new alteration will be that they are now a blended family in the sense that Jon is publicly shown to be Superman's son, and Clark's step-son.

The basic idea being that they confirm the very open secret that Lois and Superman used to date, and while Lois and Clark were on a break before getting married and Lois left town for a while (this is an actual story that happened under Jurgens. Look it up) she rekindled her relationship with Superman, but soon after realized she wanted to be with Clark, thus her and Clark got married shortly after, and that resulted in Jon being born a few months after Lois and Clark were married.

Conceptually this sort of finally canonizes the classic triangle for two in the public eye, and puts it firmly to bed with the answer being Lois picked Clark, and Clark proved to be better than most men when he stepping up the way he did. Superman publicly working alongside Jon when he was 10 shows that he's still a good father for continuing to be their for the hereditary questions his son likely had, and just to spend time with the kid.

And as a funny bonus, you can reaffirm the classic "why don't we ever see Clark and Superman in the same place at the same time" by saying, they're still friendly, but they'd rather stay clear of one another to cut down on the awkwardness, and no one in the world would begrudge them or dig deeper than that. BOOM! I figured you out Bendis!

Side note: I'm pretty dang sure Bendis is sort of grooming Jon to function similarly to Luke Cage strictly in the sense that publicly he'd be Jon Kent The Superboy (or Superman ) like Luke is Luke Cage The Power Man. I wouldn't at all be surprised if Bendis has people publicly alternate between calling him Superboy (or Superman ) or simply Jon Kent. That goes for heroes, villains, and civilians alike.

This is something. How do you think of this stuff? No wonder someone the other day asked you are Bendis or not. Lol.

Its an outcome which i can get behind and makes sense.

[Artemisfanboy]

There's also the very real possibility that the public marriage between Lois and Clark will not end, and they'll continue to function as a public couple like they've been doing, but the one new alteration will be that they are now a blended family in the sense that Jon is publicly shown to be Superman's son, and Clark's step-son.

The basic idea being that they confirm the very open secret that Lois and Superman used to date, and while Lois and Clark were on a break before getting married and Lois left town for a while (this is an actual story that happened under Jurgens. Look it up) she rekindled her relationship with Superman, but soon after realized she wanted to be with Clark, thus her and Clark got married shortly after, and that resulted in Jon being born a few months after Lois and Clark were married.

Conceptually this sort of finally canonizes the classic triangle for two in the public eye, and puts it firmly to bed with the answer being Lois picked Clark, and Clark proved to be better than most men when he stepped up the way he did. Superman publicly working alongside Jon when he was 10 shows that he's still a good father for continuing to be there for the hereditary related questions his son likely had, and just to spend time with the kid.

And as a funny bonus, you can reaffirm the classic "why don't we ever see Clark and Superman in the same place at the same time" by saying, they're still friendly, but they'd rather stay clear of one another to cut down on the awkwardness, and no one in the world would begrudge them or dig deeper than that. BOOM! I figured you out Bendis!

Side note: I'm pretty dang sure Bendis is sort of grooming Jon to function similarly to Luke Cage strictly in the sense that publicly he'd be Jon Kent The Superboy (or Superman ) like Luke is Luke Cage The Power Man. I wouldn't at all be surprised if Bendis has people publicly alternate between calling him Superboy (or Superman ) or simply Jon Kent. That goes for heroes, villains, and civilians alike.

This would be an acceptable outcome for me, and the best way for things to for how they currently look, with the exception that I would still like Jon to de-aged eventually. I'm afraid I'm falling into my bad habit of repeating myself. I've really already made my thoughts clear enough already. Now comes the waiting game to see how things turn out.