Action Comics: Lois Lane and Superman May Be Poised for Divorce

SPOILER WARNING: The following article contains major spoilers for Action Comics #1004 by Brian Michael Bendis, Ryan Sook, Wade Von Grawbadger, Brad Anderson and Josh Reed, on sale now.

Lois Lane hasn't exactly been forthcoming of late. After leaving the planet with her son Jon and father-in-law Jor-El, she secretly returned to Earth a short time later, as revealed in Action Comics #1001. It was such a big secret, Clark himself didn't even know until Cat Grant inadvertently tipped him off the following issue.

In Brian Michael Bendis and Ryan Sook's Action Comics #1004, Lois and Clark finally meet again, but it's not exactly the warmest of reunions between the couple. In fact, it's not much of a reunion at all – their chilly and awkward discussion points towards some further away time to come. Is the once-happily married couple headed for a split?

A Happy Reunion, or Awkward Reintroduction?

Make no mistake – DC's iconic couple were happy to see each other. This, even though Superman had to use his powers to locate her, and that she didn't want to be found in the first place. That doesn't stop the couple from falling into each other's arms, and into other subsequent marital activities inside of Lois' hotel room.

Things cool off immediately thereafter, though. Clark's next order of business, of course, is wanting to know the state of their son, whom Lois is obviously no longer watching over. Lois professes, though, that Jon is doing just fine under his grandfather's watch, and in fact has "come alive" since leaving Earth. Seeing no need to provide additional protection for their son, and in fact proving to be an apparent liability in space, Lois chose to leave Jon with Jor-El and come back.

Lois has harbored another reason for wanting to return, though – to nurture her ongoing desire to return to writing. Understandably, her roles as a wife, mother, and reporter pushed her dream aside, but her decision to go with Jon and Jor-El changed all that. Her departure resulted in her being fired from the Daily Planet, while her return put her motherly duties on hold. And the secrecy of her return left no room for Clark in her life, either.

Page 2: [valnet-url-page page=2 paginated=0 text='Why%20Lois%20Lane%20Didn%27t%20Tell%20Superman%20About%20Her%20Return']

Why So Secretive?

Why not tell Clark of her return, though? She further professes to him the need for a period of normalcy in her life while she writes her book, and the challenges of being married to Superman while trying to embrace a normal career. To write a book about Superman, she felt the need to put some distance between herself and the very man she's writing about.

Lois was clearly conflicted on whether to tell her husband of her return, but that uncertainty makes for one very large elephant in Lois' hotel room while the couple discuss the matter. The sting of her decision not to return to Clark was worsened by him finding out secondhand – a calculated risk on her part, perhaps, but one that backfired thanks to Cat Grant accidentally giving her up. Clark seems to take it all in stride but being told that their respective careers must be put before their marriage isn't exactly a relationship builder.

Lois says she wants to stay with Clark, but her actions conflict with that statement. She returns to Earth and sequesters herself hundreds of miles away in order to resume her writing career in secret. To make matters worse for a shell-shocked Clark, he gets another surprise from his colleague, gossip writer Trish Q – possibly the worst surprise of all: Lois was spotted with none other than Superman's arch-foe Lex Luthor. Even worse still, Lois never made a mention of that little encounter.

It Gets Even Worse

Luthor showed up at the end of last issue, assuring Lois their discussion would be "interesting," but what they spoke about remains unclear. When Superman presses her on the issue, she dismisses his question with a joke, before telling him that he was concerned about what she might be writing about him in her book. Her explanation rings a little hollow, though – she hasn't been terribly truthful up to this point, and with Luthor involved, there's almost certain to be more to be revealed regarding their conversation. Trish also cites reports of "canoodling" between the two, whatever that might mean, which, not matter how much he may love and trust his wife, plays no part in making Clark feel any better.

Lois' need to find herself, cavort about in secret, and engage in a clandestine encounter with another man aren't exactly examples of all-important open communication in a marriage. It's not like Lois doesn't love Clark, and she even stresses that she's not wanting to divorce him, but their discussion has all the hallmarks of a married couple on the verge of separation. After their talk, their previous separation by circumstance now feels more like a trial separation between a troubled wife and husband. And she's pushing for it to continue.

Clark cites his need for her, but she doesn't reciprocate. In truth, do either of them truly need each other right now? What Lois needs is to write her book, and Superman needs to save the world, as always – neither of those requires the other's participation. If their discussion wasn't a break-up talk, it sure sounded a lot like one.

Page 3: [valnet-url-page page=3 paginated=0 text='Lois%20Lane%20VS.%20Clark%20Kent']

Lois doesn't need to be a mother right now, and doesn't want to be a wife for the time being. Similarly, Clark has a reprieve from his role of a father – for an amount of time to still be determined – and is essentially living the life of an estranged husband in Lois' absence.

The lives the two are living now comprise the recipe for an eventual divorce.

For whatever reason, Superman tells Lois he likes the new "us." What's just as plausible as his willingness to happily go along with their separation is his possible consideration that their new "us" might not be as a union. Is Clark now pondering the possibility that he and Lois will soon be divorcing?

Is this the beginning of the end of the era featuring Superman as a family man? Serving the role of the world's greatest hero doesn't leave much time for family, after all. Lois, historically, has always been a reporter/writer. And Jon sounds like he might be quite content being raised by Grandpa as the pair travel the galaxy. Superman's never been closer to resuming the old status quo than he is right now.

Superman and Lois look to continue going their separate ways in Action Comics #1005, on sale November 28.