Lois & Clark Forums Forums Fan Fiction Fanfic Related Let's talk about sex ...

No, really.

Something crossed my mind the other day in regard to a story idea, and it made me wonder: In fic, when is it OK for Lois or Clark to have sex with someone else? Is it OK if a story has them married to someone else first? Or an alt-universe? Or is it not OK at all?

And furthermore, what do you think of Lois and Clark having sex before they're married, or do you prefer the (show) canon of them being married? I am asking this here and not nfic because I am speaking in general terms -- even if it's just alluded to.

Personally, I am okay with LnC not waiting for marriage, but will FUME if there's even a HINT of one sleeping with someone else. Ever. At all. In fact, just earlier I was stewing about the animated Batman/Superman "World's Finest" episode and---*eye twitch*---It just---*twitch* *twitch* YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!!

*cough*

Sorry, I'm better now.

So yeah, I guess you could say I like my LnC as unadulterated as possible.

I really don't like to think about either of them having nookie with anyone else. Plot-wise, I might accept it (i.e., L&C aren't together so doing it with someone else isn't cheating) but I wouldn't like it.

In theory, I like the "wait til you're married" idea, but in fanfic I'm usually okay, either way, for the most part. I just want it to be making love, not just having sex. If you see what I mean. Although a good author can convince me otherwise.

PJ

Generally speaking, it will depend on the reader. You can't please everyone all the time, so I wouldn't restrict myself on a story plot covering any of your scenarios to try and do so.

You will usually find readers for them and readers who are against them, no matter which plot you tackle.

IOW, there are no right or wrong answers and none of these are not OK. Most of them have been done by other authors in the past and while at times reception has been mixed to some of these plot ideas, you'll also find that most of the stories in question have been some of the most popular in the fandom, too. Certainly, the most talked about. And many have gone on to win Kerths.

At a personal level, I'm much more concerned with them being in character. I'm a firm believe in an author being able to make characters do anything - even things they might not normally do - so long as they show logically how they got there. It's when the motivations don't gell for me or the actions make no sense or come out of left field without good explanation that I balk. I generally find that if a story is well written, the author can take me along with them on most things.

LabRat

One of the many things I love about the show is that they do wait until marriage, and that Clark has remained a virgin up until then. I like it for two reasons, one general and one show-specific:

1) It is refreshing to have a relatively recently made show depicting abstinence before marriage both as something doable and something positive. I could count on one hand with fingers left over the number of programs I have seen that have been made recently in which a likable, physically attractive, popular character makes the choice to remain celibate in order to first enjoy intimacy with his/her new spouse. In fact, the only other such character that I can recall to have waited is Marcus Cole from Babylon 5. Of course, he dies a virgin in that show.

2) It does seem in character for Clark to have waited for marriage, for the following reasons (in no particular order):
- Because of having to keep his secret, Clark has become very guarded about letting people get to know him very well. "Crossing the intimacy threshold" requires a level of letting one's guard down that Clark would be reluctant to do with anyone he didn't plan to spend the rest of his life with.
- Clark would probably be afraid that, because of his super-strength, he might hurt his partner if he were to lose control enough to let himself fully enjoy the moment. I couldn't see him having sex with anyone until he could at least tell her his secret and talk through the possible dangers so that she could give informed consent, as it were, and could help him overcome his concerns.
- Clark grew up in a time and place where abstinence before marriage would have been promoted. Clark is, for the most part, a "follow the rules" kind of guy, and might therefore try to abstain until marriage for that reason alone. (Admittedly, his Mom probably had more liberal ideas, so this isn't as strong a reason as the other two.)

I avoid reading nfic altogether, so I would choose not to read graphic depictions regardless of the participants. However, I would read stories that allude to sexual relationships between Lois or Clark and someone else who was his/her spouse.

I'll throw out another hypothetical for this thread: Is it OK to have Lois having sex with someone else in order to save Clark's life, or vice versa? I would say that this is OK at least sometimes; as, for example, in the case of Lady Loisette.

cheers,
Lynn

That was such a downer for me. I liked the part where Dr. Fate went back in time and fixed it so Loisette didn't have to go through with it.

I keep meaning to read What Makes A Man, but have been trying to work up the nerve as it's supposed to be very angsty. I'm not sure if it quite fits the topic here, but it is a story in which Clark is...um...in a situation involving someone who, from the bits I've heard, is not Lois, and I fully intend to read it once I have acquired a sufficient supply of tissues and comforting things.

I don't mind Clark. Not really. But I shudder with Lois

Michael

I'm just the opposite, Michael. I don't mind with Lois--as long as she doesn't know Clark yet--but I shudder at Clark sleeping with someone else. I think it has to do with the fact that we already know from the series that Lois had sex with other men, but Clark NEVER had sex with anyone except Lois. However...

...that has to do with fanfic. In the actual show, I cannot even watch Lois kiss Lex or Dr. Deter. Those kisses aren't ruses, which I can handle. Emotionally, they're the real deal, and every time they come on, I close my eyes until the kiss is over. I'm not very good at handling either L or C being with someone else.

Queenie wrote:
It is. You (that's the generic 'anyone' you) should block out some recovery time when you read it, especially if you're on the sensitive side.

LOL, Michael. Have to say I've been resisiting temptation with respect to your post.

Nope, I won't say it - being strong.

c.

What's sex?

Tank (who thinks that the gentle posters just make up threads to confuse him)

I feel the same way. I can't stand for either of them to have had any physical relationships other than those given in canon. In other words, Clark doesn't get to sleep with anyone but Lois, and Lois should have as few men in her past as possible. In fact, I have been plotting a fanfic for months where Lois dumps Clark early on and it's years before they get back together, but I can't resolve the issue of her love life in the interim; I don't want her to have an empty life, but I also don't want her sleeping with anyone but Clark. So it's quite likely that the fic will never see the light of day (no great loss, I assure you).

If they're married to other people (I would fully expect that to be fixed by the end of the story)I would think that sex with these other people would be implied unless otherwise stated. But I prefer it if Lois and Clark don't have sex with anyone else at least not after they met. I guess alluding to it would be fine assuming of course it was necessary to the overall story but I most definitely would not want to read about it in any detail.

Having said that, for me, it mostly depends how well it can capture my attention. I've read a lot of stories that used plot points that I didnt think I would ever tolerate much less enjoy but theyre just written so well I cant not like it.

I don't believe in any nookie at all. Never. Not before marriage. Not after marriage. Not Lois or Clark with someone else. Not Lois and Clark with each other. None. Zero. Zilch.

Although... sometimes Lois and Clark have other ideas.

ML

LOL, ML.

It really depends on the story. I usually prefer the canon of "our" L&C and their sexual histories, or lack thereof. I'd understand if Alt-Clark had sex with Lana, though EW. When we get into Elseworlds, though, you really have to sell me on the story.

I was thinking some more about this question and realized that it actually could be interpreted in two ways:

1) Under what circumstances could Lois or Clark have sex with someone else and still remain in character?

2) When would we as readers appreciate a story in which this occurs (whether or not we like that particular part of the story)?

I've already given my answers to both of these questions in my earlier post.

cheers,
Lynn

Ann

I should add, though, that I'm perfectly fine - more than fine - with Clark and Lois having sex with each other before marriage, but I never like either of them having sex with someone else.

When I was reading the comic books as a kid, I wasn't giving much thought to the possibility that they would be having sex at all, but I was definitely aware of the fact that Lois seemed to care about Superman much more than he cared about her. Of course, comic book Clark Kent also cared about Lois much more than she cared about him. However, comic book Superman was dating other women much more regularly than comic book Lois was dating other men. In fact, I can't remember a single comic book I read as a kid where Lois was really dating another man, at least not seriously in any way. Superman, on the other hand, was at least semi-serious about his relationship with Wonder Woman, Lori Lemaris the Mermaid and Lana Lang.

In 1987 or thereabout, there was a comic book where Superman went to a planet called Apocalips (or something), and there he was hypnotized by a female demon and had sex with her. I was quite upset about it.

In the movie Superman III, Superman became evil and had sex with at least one woman who wasn't Lois Lane.

To me, therefore, Superman/Clark isn't really a virgin, not after all the trysts he has had in comic books and movies! And because of that I don't much like it when Clark is portrayed as so much more "virginal" than Lois. For so many years I thought of Superman and Lois as him being the one who was more sexually experienced. So I have reacted quite negatively to at least one fanfic which strongly contrasted Clark's virginity with Lois's lack of it.

On the whole, I prefer both of them waiting for each other. And if that is unrealistic, then at least I don't want them to have sex with other people after they have met each other!

Ann

Admittedly though, it does make more sense if LnC Clark is a virgin than if LnC Lois is one. It is reasonable that Clark would be very careful with his superpowers and be very afraid to hurt people with his powers, and then sex certainly becomes a high-risk activity. Also, the fact that he wants to keep his powers a secret means that he is less likely to share himself with a woman in other ways.

But if young Clark decides to tell his secret to Lana, then it definitely becomes more likely that he will have sex with Lana, too. And that is exactly what happened in the Smallville show!

As for Lois, she is a very beautiful woman having a successful career in a big city, and I find it quite unlikely that a person like her would be a virgin at twenty-seven. So I can't complain if she has lost her virginity before she met Clark, but I can't stand it if she has sex, or even if she is seriously dating, after she has met Clark!

Ann

I agree with Michael. I remember that Mayson didn't bother me at all while the series was running. There were times when I was frustrated with Lois that I actually entertained thoughts that Mayson wouldn't be bad for Clark. Yet when Dan came on the scene, I found him almost intolerable.

I suspect that the males on the board will be more ok with Clark having a past, and the females with Lois. It has to do with who you identify with, I guess.

I know that several of my stories have had Clark having a past...Single White Kryptonian being a big one. Duet had him as a single father. In Family Hour he had been married to a villanous Lana.

In each case those were past relationships which were long over, although the aftermath wasn't. The main focus of the story itself was on Lois and Clark's currently developing relationship.

I have to admit that the idea of Lois married to Lex and having sex with him regularly (or Dan for that matter) is disturbing.

I guess the question is, are past relationships ok as long as they are over by the time of the story?