Long post warning. Also opinion post warning.
So, how many women should Superman have?
Well, if he's Clark Kent/Superman - one. And if it's the great iconic love affair between CK/S and Lois Lane that you care about, then also one - Lois Lane. It's part of the "story" that we've grown up with, like Robin Hood and Maid Marion.
A character who loves many people, really loves none in any special way and so there is no great mythic love.
Even the show Smallville trumpets that he has and will only ever have one love and that is Lana Lang, a premise the show has underscored by writing Lois Lane into the show but having nothing happen between the two.
So what about an adolescent, hormonal fling with a girl he was attracted to? Yes, maybe - in the heat of the moment, etc., at an age where he's not really sure what love is.
Nevertheless, there's the character issue - one of the things that distinguishes CK/S (but not the so-called Clark Kent of Smallville) is his integrity. Clark Kent is a gent (to quote a song lyric
) and also a thoughtful individual.
Acts have meaning, and so, although I can certainly see him, as an emotionally and morally immature adolescent, having a sexual encounter in a hormonal moment, I can also see him really thinking more seriously than the average adolescent about the implications of that act. For him, intimacy is potentially threatening because of his secret powers. I think he would be cautious, where an Earth-boy would not necessarily have to be. So, given both his integrity, and the implications of his unique characteristics, he would perhaps put the brakes on
I don't think Clark Kent is about casual relationships, either emotional or sexual.
The idea of Clark involved with (loving?) many women is a an old-fashioned, traditional notion that puts "the woman" back in her place, removing her from any significant role in the myth. She is not important - it's the guy who counts, well, because, he's the guy. So she's only important as someone who can do something for him or reveal something about his character or advance the A plot. After she's served those purposes, he moves on.
Of course, this poll depends on our definition of "love". So defining it as that one great emotional, symbiotic, engulfing passion between soul-mates brings us a different answer to the poll than if we define love as "we get along and we bring each other needed skill-sets" or "we have a pleasant sex life"^.
In real life, people often settle for this type of 'comfort' relationship, in the absence of the other, and there's nothing wrong with doing that. In fact, very sweet in a way. And if the guy is a good carpenter, I say go for it.
But great love it's not, and so it's kind of boring. Certainly not mythic, nor the stuff from which dreams are made.
Okay, changing direction again
- this time in direction of the "iconic love affair". There are very few of those about in our culture, but Lois Lane and Clark Kent's relationship is one of them.
What makes a love affair iconic is its exclusivity plus the heroic (which is most definitely not to say 'saintly') character of each of the two individuals involved. Their character traits matter; those of one are integral to the other. Also, their love is unique in both its commitment and its passionate intensity.
They are destined for each other and for no one else.
Last comment - Clark having more than one love sucks the romance right out of his relationship with Lois (or anyone else for that matter) – if she's just one woman on the list, then what's so special about it? He'll move on so why should we care all that much?
All this supposes too, that you're a fan of Lois Lane, which I realise some on these boards are not. Nevertheless, in the Reeves movies, in the comics, and of course in L&C:TNAoS it's the Lois Lane relationship that's an important part of the story.
Bottom line, Lois Lane is part of what makes the Superman story so special. Now if his character were different, say like that of Batman, he would go through several relationships, but we wouldn't care about any of them particularly, or the character of Superman either unless, like fan-boys, we were really into action figures.
Does any of this make sense?
c. (fan of Lois Lane and Clark Kent and perhaps a hopeless romantic)
^ edited at admin's request - sorry, guys for using anatomical terms
