Michael, you know what? I don't think I want a sequel. Oh, I'm not saying that you shouldn't write a sequel, only that I don't really want a sequel. And that is for two reasons. First I don't much care for this Clark and this Lois. She is too galactically stupid, and he is too notorious a liar to warrant much sympathy.
But there is a second reason why I don't want a sequel to this. In its own perverse way, this fic is perfet as it is. It is, in its own strange way, a perfect tragedy. No, I'm not talking about a LnC version of Hamlet here, where bodies litter the floor everywhere and only Horatio is left standing. But a tragedy does not necessarily have to mean a profusion of deaths. A well-written tragedy is is above all relentlessly logical, where the fatal flaws of the main characters inevitably lead to the tragic ending.
Now consider this fic. We all know what has ensued before the start of Michael's story: Clark has come to Metropolis and become smitten with Lois, but she dismisses him as a hack from Kansas. Clark makes his debut as Superman and Lois is incredibly taken by him, but Clark dismisses her adoration as shallow hero-worship.
Lois, somewhat frustrated by Superman's ambiguous response to her and contemptuous of Clark's advances, allows herself to be flattered and courted by Lex Luthor; also, with her usual galactic stupidity when it comes to discerning the character of men, she completely fails to see through Luthor's charming exterior. Clark, in desperation, offers her his farmboy persona in a proposal of marriage, Lois naturally turns him down and asks for Superman instead; Clark, superheroically miffed, denies her his spandex-clad persona, and Lois, being left with what she thinks is second best, accepts Lex's proposal.
Now consider Michael's fic. Lois is on the verge of marrying super-criminal Lex Luthor. Clark finally feels bad about having driven the woman he claims to love into the arms of such a horribly unsuitable suitor, so, full of hubris, he walks into Luthor's lair and flexes his Superman muscles, certain that he can bend the billionaire to his will. However, Luthor, unlike Clark, has come prepared for this encounter, and with contemptuous ease and a chunk of Kryptonite he saps the strength of the marvel of Metropolis.
Now the stage is set for utter tragedy. Lois, blissfully ignorant but full of hubris and confidence in her own judgement, is about to marry one of the most dangerous criminals in the world, while her hero Superman, felled by his own hubris, lies dying in a Kryptonite cage in Luthor's wine cellar. Nothing can save the day. However, now enters deus ex machina, gods from above, in the shape of Kal-El's wife from Krypton, her lieutenant and a shape-changing killer from Krypton. The shape-changer learns of Kal-El's interest in one Lois Lane and changes into Lois's mother, so that he can find Kal-El by making Lois Lane take him to his target. He is brought to Lois as she is preparing for her wedding to Luthor in the Lex Tower. Zara and Ching are in hot pursuit of the changeling to prevent him from killing Kal-El, and they find Tez with Lois. She realizes that her 'mother' is an impostor and takes him out. Zara and Ching inform her that Superman is being held captive in the Lex Tower. With the help of Zara and Ching, but mostly thanks to her own heroic efforts, Lois manages to liberate the almost unconscious Superman. Meanwhile, the changeling has changed into Lois and married Lex Luthor in his continued efforts to find information that will lead him to Kal-El. Lex, jealous that 'Lois' is talking so much about Superman, takes 'Lois' with him as he plunges to his death to avoid capture by the police.
Thus tragedy has seemingly been avoided. Lex Luthor is dead. The changeling that would kill Kal-El is dead. Lois has been saved from a fate worse than death by Zara and Ching, and and she has broken her hero out of Luthor's Kryptonite trap and saved his life.
But alas, Clark and Lois are unable to break out of their own tragic pattern. Clark can't tell Lois that he has lied to her, and that he is two different people. Lois can't stop seeing Clark and Superman as two different people. And the 'gods' from Krypton demand their dues. By the laws of Krypton, Zara is already married to Kal-El. She needs him to go to Krypton with her to prevent a war there. Lois, having 'learnt her lesson', now realizes that she loves Clark more than Superman. So, generously, she helps Zara ship Superman off to Krypton to be married, certain that Clark is waiting for her at home.
There is an abundance of delicious little ironies, comebacks and symmetries here, the most drool-worthy probably being Luthor's marriage (and kiss of) Tez-as-Lois. But consider the Lois-Clark-Superman triangle, too. As Superman, Clark risked his life to save Lois from Luthor, and he almost lost his life that way, too. So Lois owed him. But Lois settled her debt to Superman by saving his life. Superman, on the other hand, ultimately did nothing for Lois. He never came through for her in any way at all. He didn't accept her romantic ouvertures. He didn't warn her about Lex Luthor. He didn't interrupt her wedding or save her from Lex Luthor. He did, in fact, prove himself utterly useless. So Lois sent him back to Krypton. What a delicious irony!
Ah, but Lois was cruel to Clark. She turned him down both in favor of Superman and in favor of Lex. So when she finally decided that he was the man that she loved after all, she belatedly realized that she had indeed gone past the point of no return and shipped Clark off to Krypton! Delicious irony is just the middle name of this!
It is perfect. It is relentlessly logical. It needs a sequel about as much as Romeo and Juliet needs a sequel.
Romeo: Bluuuurrrrrphcchhh!!!!
Juliet: What, Romeo, dost thou puke?
Romeo: What, Juliet, dost thou bleed?
Juliet: 'Tis only a flesh wound. The knife only cut off my ring finger. But, Romeo, why ist thou not dead?
Romeo: Damn apothecary sold me some cheap vodka. 'Tis not much of a poison.
Juliet: Well, I needst to go home and change. There is puke and blood on my dress!
Romeo: What? Thou can't go home! Dost thou want them to kill me? And dost thou want to marry that sissy Paris?
Juliet: Now that thou bringest it up, the man dost have a certain charm... and this dress dost smell yucky....
Romeo: Juliet!!!! Come back!!!!
So... sequel? No, I don't think so!
Ann
