Happygirl said:
I think the original part was stronger as a stand-alone. Especially the poignancy of the last line. Orginally, the implication was that Lois had loved him as well--that's what made it so heart-breakingly tragic. With the addition of the backstory, that implication--and therefore the gut-wrenching punch of Lois being the one to bring Superman down--is lost. The clone Superman is a horrible villain who must be killed, but not a former hero with a tragic flaw who must be destroyed be the one who loves him. Interesting and creative, but not as powerful emotionally.
I agree completely. Anyway, this also proves my point: Lois can be made evil - for no particularly good reason, she can be turned into a horrible witch - but Superman's character can't be tampered with. Ever.
It's not that I'm asking for an evil Superman, per se. It's rather that I find it interesting that the complete destruction of Lois Lane's character in Terry's The Cold Shoulder could garner as much acclaim as it did, even if some people were deeply, deeply critical. In response to that story, I wondered if it was possible to destroy Clark Superman Kent's character in a similar way. I guess the preliminary answer is no.
Ann
