How do you view Superman's love interest change from Lana to Lois in story?

[Slowpokeking]

Clark and Lana are childhood friends and lovers, in many versions Lana was the first human to know Clark's identity beside Pa and Ma Kent. She was created later than Lois, but in universe she was his first crush.

Even after they grew up, they still kept strong relationship, obviously both still have feelings for each other. Such as TAS and Reeve's movie. And some versions had to let Lana marry others/have a son to kill the possibility off. Even as a single mother, Lana and Clark had very good chemistry in Superman III, she likes Clark more than Superman. Clark also showed more of his trueself before her: A shy but confident gentleman.

So it's a bit difficult to actually let Superman change his love interest based on his personality. Smallville is the only media that tried it and didn't go too well.

I like Lois&Clark a lot, became a Superman fan because of that show but I don't think the show did Lana's character well in that episode, she was toned down into a person who couldn't understand Superman's strength and let him keep his power as secret.

Overall I like Lois too, especially Teri Hatcher's version, but I think if Lana and Superman form a couple it would be super awesome as well? Probably too strong for the comic to cause any problems since it goes forever. They are childhood friends, first crush for each other, knowing Superman's identity, still able to form a couple after years of separation. I don't know whatelse could be written after their marriage.

[Yoda]

Not sure what you mean by Smallville not handling the transition well. The show rebounded when it dropped Lana. The Lois & Clark relationship there is one of my favorites and the identity reveal is handled excellently.

Lana in general is fine as a initial love interest. Clark doesn’t know who he is or what he will become but needs to let her and Smallville go to do that. She comes off increasingly pathetic in most stories where it tries to have her go beyond that. The comics generally make her look terrible. With the Austen run being the worst offender. She’s the utterly blank slate of a love interest that offers no challenge or narrative balance to Clark. She’s generally completely inoffensive and agreeable. Doesn’t challenge him at all and is used as an offset by weak writers to what they see Lois’ “problems” being, I.e. she actually offers challenges and growth to Clark.

Most peoples “first loves” are not longterm relationships so there’s little difficulty in haveing Clark move on. I’m not really sure how you could argue it’s difficult when it’s handled pretty easily every single time they do it.

[Prime]

Same as Gwen Stacy and MJ. But Lana isn't killed by Zod

[Slowpokeking]

Not sure what you mean by Smallville not handling the transition well. The show rebounded when it dropped Lana. The Lois & Clark relationship there is one of my favorites and the identity reveal is handled excellently.

Lana in general is fine as a initial love interest. Clark doesn’t know who he is or what he will become but needs to let her and Smallville go to do that. She comes off increasingly pathetic in most stories where it tries to have her go beyond that. The comics generally make her look terrible. With the Austen run being the worst offender. She’s the utterly blank slate of a love interest that offers no challenge or narrative balance to Clark. She’s generally completely inoffensive and agreeable. Doesn’t challenge him at all and is used as an offset by weak writers to what they see Lois’ “problems” being, I.e. she actually offers challenges and growth to Clark.

Most peoples “first loves” are not longterm relationships so there’s little difficulty in haveing Clark move on. I’m not really sure how you could argue it’s difficult when it’s handled pretty easily every single time they do it.

The show didn't do a good job on Lana's character, a lot of the good thing went to Chloe even before Lois showed up. Still I don't like the breakup.

I don't think it's the case to Superman and Lana. They obviously kept feeling for each other in many media, in DCAU Superman's ideal wife is also half Lana half Lois.

[Prime]

Didn't it end with Lana because she was literally kryptonite?

[bat39]

Lana was basically created to be Lois for the Superboy stories, since as fast and loose as those early stories played with continuity, even they wouldn't go so far as to backport Lois into Clark's teenage years! Later continuities and adaptations have worked with this blank slate and fleshed her out, notably by making her Clark's first confidant outside of the Kents and even by teasing the possibility of a relationship when they reunite as adults.

I'm not really sure there's much of a 'problem' here though. Clark was in love with one woman who he grew up with. But, like many other men, he left his hometown, put down roots in another place, and fell in love with a woman from his new life. Not really sure what's complicated about that!

I haven't watched a lot of Smallville so I dunno how they handled it there, but Byrne kinda made Clark's reunion with Lana in MOS # 6 a teachable moment for him, where he briefly reflects on what he lost when he left Lana and Smallville behind, but then resolves to do something concrete about his growing feelings for Lois. I feel if you want the 'transition' to have some kind of impact, that's the best way to do it - Clark realizing the importance of life beyond Superman in what he lost with Lana, and resolving not to make that mistake with Lois.

[the illustrious mr. kenway]

I thought Superman and Lois handled it well. They were in a relationship when they were teens but both moved on as they got older.

[Jim Kelly]

I loved the second half of SMALLVILLE for all the Lois & Clark stuff (but not for much of the other stuff). However, they kept Lois back from appearing and becoming his main woman for a long period. It's torture to watch those episodes and see Lois sidelined. And she never got to be his one true love--because they set it up so maybe Lana was the one for him, but tragic fate kept them apart because she was Kryptonite. It never was a fair contest where Clark chose Lois over Lana because Lois was the better person and his perfect match.

As far as the classic comics go, Lois came first. Then when they did their own Legends of the Bright Knight, through the Superboy series, Lana was retconned as his neighbour and friend. But like Lois she was devious and maybe not such a good person. She even schemed to come between Lisa Davis and Clark Kent (for which I can't forgive Lana)--but who knows why Lisa and Clark ultimately never made it (did she die? I wonder).

But where Lana and Lois were almost equal--as reporters and best friends--Lana suffered more for all her schemes and lost out, where Lois never really had to face up to the wrongs she done. On the other hand, Lana is more of an adventurer and action hero and she didn't need Clark/Superman. She was an archaeologist, exploring the mysteries of the ancient world. She was a super-hero, having adventures with the Legion of Super-Heroes and saving the day on more than one occasion. She had love affairs with super-heroes from other planets than Krypton, in the present and the future. She was an international reporter and a T.V. star. So I think, in the end, she realized she could do better than Superman. As for Clark, she loved him and he loved her, but as friends.

I feel like the modern comics have never done Lana right. To me they don't matter because they are so off-base. Wonder Woman got better treatment and she's not even a Superman character.

[JAK]

Lana was basically created to be Lois for the Superboy stories, since as fast and loose as those early stories played with continuity, even they wouldn't go so far as to backport Lois into Clark's teenage years! Later continuities and adaptations have worked with this blank slate and fleshed her out, notably by making her Clark's first confidant outside of the Kents and even by teasing the possibility of a relationship when they reunite as adults.

I'm not really sure there's much of a 'problem' here though. Clark was in love with one woman who he grew up with. But, like many other men, he left his hometown, put down roots in another place, and fell in love with a woman from his new life. Not really sure what's complicated about that!

I haven't watched a lot of Smallville so I dunno how they handled it there, but Byrne kinda made Clark's reunion with Lana in MOS # 6 a teachable moment for him, where he briefly reflects on what he lost when he left Lana and Smallville behind, but then resolves to do something concrete about his growing feelings for Lois. I feel if you want the 'transition' to have some kind of impact, that's the best way to do it - Clark realizing the importance of life beyond Superman in what he lost with Lana, and resolving not to make that mistake with Lois.

This. Lana was his close friend and first crush, but when he went to see the world his perspective changed. If Clark had stayed in Smallville, it might have been different, but that was never going to happen; Clark was always destined for the world. That changed Clark enough that, when he saw Lana again, he saw her as the close childhood friend she always was. So he told her his closest secret and that he loved her as a friend, and that closed the book on that relationship. Lana may or may not have wanted that in that moment, but I'd like to think she grew over time as well. (that's my semi-Post-Crisis headcanon, anyway)

Just like how people change after college/etc experiences, really.

[Matt Rat]

Lana in Superman: TAS was a big favourite of mine, I think she was based a great deal off of Mary Jane there, especially the socialite fashion thing. She crushed big time on Clark and was his confidante in High School, and she was eager to be Clark's partner in crime fighting, often getting in over her head

[Slowpokeking]

This. Lana was his close friend and first crush, but when he went to see the world his perspective changed. If Clark had stayed in Smallville, it might have been different, but that was never going to happen; Clark was always destined for the world. That changed Clark enough that, when he saw Lana again, he saw her as the close childhood friend she always was. So he told her his closest secret and that he loved her as a friend, and that closed the book on that relationship. Lana may or may not have wanted that in that moment, but I'd like to think she grew over time as well. (that's my semi-Post-Crisis headcanon, anyway)

Just like how people change after college/etc experiences, really.

Why is that a problem at all?

Lana didn't just stick in smallville in most of the case. Like in Superman III she moved to find job in Daily Planet as well.

[DochaDocha]

Lana was a retcon, acting as Superboy's love interest because the writers knew it'd be silly to introduce Lois earlier in the timeline (wish they felt the same way with Luthor...). So in a sense, Superman's love interest didn't change from Lana to Lois. It really should be seen as the other way around for Superboy stories, chronology be darned.

[RobinGA]

My Head canon:

It reminds me of the Garth Brooks song Unanswered Prayers.
Go take a listen it explains a lot about how Clark probably feels when he sees Lana.

Clark and Lana had a very close relationship, very romantic.
But then Clark went off to Metropolis, their relationship just ended.
It was love at first sight with Lois, the woman that Clark was meant to be with all along.
When Lana comes back there is certainly a bittersweet quality with Clark.

But we all have that person we were with, or wanted to be with that just didn't work out.
That is our version of Lana.
Hopefully, we all in time find our Lois Lane.

[Slowpokeking]

My Head canon:

It reminds me of the Garth Brooks song Unanswered Prayers.
Go take a listen it explains a lot about how Clark probably feels when he sees Lana.

Clark and Lana had a very close relationship, very romantic.
But then Clark went off to Metropolis, their relationship just ended.
It was love at first sight with Lois, the woman that Clark was meant to be with all along.
When Lana comes back there is certainly a bittersweet quality with Clark.

But we all have that person we were with, or wanted to be with that just didn't work out.
That is our version of Lana.
Hopefully, we all in time find our Lois Lane.

I don't think it ended, obviously Superman has feelings for Lana in Superman III, as well as DCAU(his ideal wife was Lana-Lois fusion).

[DochaDocha]

as well as DCAU(his ideal wife was Lana-Lois fusion).

I also saw that as a retcon. Either that, or Clark Kent wasn't entirely truthful when he told Lana she was like a sister or whatever cliche dumping line he was about to use.