Should Lois Lane Learn Clark Kent's Secret?

[crebo]

I think that eventually Lois Lane should learn about his secret identity but not for a long time. It is more fun to play the secret story and how he makes his excuses whenever he has to change into superman.

[Punisher007]

No it's really not. It's clichéd, it makes him look like a douche and her look like a clueless idiot.

[misslane]

My apologies for my lack of contribution to this thread after I created it. I've read the discussion so far and find it insightful. My position on the issue is that the secret is something that I like playing with for a short time, but I think it sours as a concept quickly. Many of the justifications made for keeping it in play fail the logic test and seem to ignore how detrimental it can be to the characters and the narrative.

What makes the situation with characters like Iris West and Laurel Lance, who is thankfully no longer in the dark, is the imbalance of those who know versus those who don't know. That problem can be mitigated to an extent if the person in the dark is able to form a relationship and partnership with the superhero alter ego that plays a prominent and positive part in stories. However, if all it does is leave that character on the periphery and frame them as a source of conflict and or an object for overprotection, then it simply does not work.

So, for me, it's time for the Superman comics to begin the process of Lois learning the secret. I agree with those that say the way she finds out is important. I like how they did it on Smallville where Lois was able to both figure it out herself, protect it on her own for awhile, but also get to have Clark reveal it to her without him knowing she already knows. That way Lois gets to look smart and trustworthy and Clark gets to look brave and mature for making the decision on his own. The bonus is that those stages can take a few years to play out and can be fun and dramatic as well. I hope DC Comics begins to seriously consider initiating a process by which Lois learns the secret, because the current status quo feels stale, limiting, and lazy.

[Jon Clark]

My apologies for my lack of contribution to this thread after I created it. I've read the discussion so far and find it insightful. My position on the issue is that the secret is something that I like playing with for a short time, but I think it sours as a concept quickly. Many of the justifications made for keeping it in play fail the logic test and seem to ignore how detrimental it can be to the characters and the narrative.

What makes the situation with characters like Iris West and Laurel Lance, who is thankfully no longer in the dark, is the imbalance of those who know versus those who don't know. That problem can be mitigated to an extent if the person in the dark is able to form a relationship and partnership with the superhero alter ego that plays a prominent and positive part in stories. However, if all it does is leave that character on the periphery and frame them as a source of conflict and or an object for overprotection, then it simply does not work.

So, for me, it's time for the Superman comics to begin the process of Lois learning the secret. I agree with those that say the way she finds out is important. I like how they did it on Smallville where Lois was able to both figure it out herself, protect it on her own for awhile, but also get to have Clark reveal it to her without him knowing she already knows. That way Lois gets to look smart and trustworthy and Clark gets to look brave and mature for making the decision on his own. The bonus is that those stages can take a few years to play out and can be fun and dramatic as well. I hope DC Comics begins to seriously consider initiating a process by which Lois learns the secret, because the current status quo feels stale, limiting, and lazy.

The problem with letting Lois in on the secret is a little different from Laurel or Iris (at least the TV versions). Barry and Oliver already have relationships established with their "love-interests" before they put on the suits.

Barry probably would have told Iris if Joe West hadn't talked him out of it. He already knew Iris could be trusted- he'd been trusting her as a friend for years. I suspect Iris knows intimate things no one else knows about Barry- the type of stuff you only share with a best friend as a teenager. I also suspect Barry would have considered his Flash life just another one of those secrets. The problem he has now is the same one he had in the Silver Age- having hidden it from her just how does he reveal it now without having her resent him for ever keeping it a secret.

Oliver. on the other hand, didn't trust anyone with his secret at first. Don't really blame him as The Hood was a wanted fugitive. Anyone he told was either going to turn him in or run the risk of being charges as an accessory if Oliver was ever caught. He didn't tell his mother or sister (hell, Thea is still in the dark) . He didn't tell his good buddy Tommy Merlin until he was backed into a corner. Felicity also only learned it only because there was no choice if they were going to get her help.

The Superman/Clark/Lois dynamic is closer to the Flash/Barry/Iris one except that Clark early on has no reason to trust Lois. It's one of the things I really hate about some Lois & Clark (the TV show) fans. They play up how Lois should be angry with Clark for not telling her his secret. Me, I can't figure out just when he was supposed to do so. Would it be the first episode where Clark really has no reason to believe Lois wouldn't see him a scoop rather than a man? Or after he has gotten to know her and realizes he can trust her ... but has now been lying to her for a few months? And assuming it's the latter, just how do you decide you trust her enough to tell her today but not trust her enough yesterday?
Even on Smallville where exactly was the line where Clark owed it to Lois to come clean? Did they hit on the right time with that show or should he have done it sooner? I mean what would Lois' reaction have been if everything on the show was the same ... except that Lois hadn't discovered the secret on her own first?