Welcome multiversal Lois Lane fans to our latest thoughts and recap of My Adventures with Superman. This episode has something for fans old and new including some excellent references and easter eggs along with some fun re-imaginings. Read on for the details, but watch out for 5th dimensional imps and spoilers!
1. The Relationship is Back on Track
Like we’ve been teased in the opening credits since episode three, Lois and Jimmy get to see Clark’s spaceship. Jimmy is of course loving the spaceship. I definitely chuckled when Jimmy called the obelisks “pointy boys.” Clark doesn’t want any secrets between them. But he’s also bringing Lois because there is nothing to interrupt him when he asks Lois to go on a date with him.
The show has consistently got the chemistry between Superman and Lois right and moved it along at a good pace. With only ten episodes this season we don’t have time to do the “will they won’t they” dance that other iterations have done. The one thing that doesn’t quite click for me is Lois using the nickname Smallville for Clark. I think it works well when their relationship starts a bit antagonistic. She is the big city girl and he’s the country boy from the farm. It only later becomes a term of endearment when Lois discovers how important that his Smallville upbringing is to who Clark is and why she loves him. This version didn’t have that dynamic, they started out crushing on each other. From what we’ve seen she doesn’t know too much about Smallville.
Later when Clark is getting ready for his date he gets to be himself for Jimmy. Clark’s character journey through this show has been him feeling like he’s strange and that he won’t be accepted by people. He started the show wanting to have a normal day. But here he gets to be his weird self. He doesn’t have to hide who he is from his best friend and the woman of his dreams.
While Clark is panicking trying to put together the perfect date, Lois is doing the same thing trying to put together the perfect gift for Clark. She wants to help him discover his past. Since she’s an ace reporter it’s what she does best. But of course she’s forgotten her dress at the cleaners and is still wearing sweatpants.
2. New Ideas and Old Ones Done Well
This episode we are introduced to the show’s Mr. Mxyzptlk. I love Mxyzptlk. He’s one of those characters that allows for so much creativity and variation. Looking like a Dragon Ball character this version is no exception. David Errigo Jr.’s performance captures this anime inspired Mxy excellently. Although the show doesn’t use my personal preferred pronunciation, “mix yes spit lick”, it’s probably the most common one and way better than the Super Friends version “mixle plick”.
Mxy introduces himself as an Interdimensional Peace Keeper charged with the safety of the multiverse. Superman fans know he’s pulling Clark’s leg. I loved the little “IDPK” detail in Interlac on his ID card. He needs Superman’s help and he knows that mild mannered Clark Kent is Superman in almost every reality. This is when the multiverse references start coming in hot which I’ll detail later.
Mxy uses the old “Lois Lane is in danger” line to get Clark to follow him through a portal and break down a door. Once inside Superman realizes he’s been duped by Mxy who just wanted to use Clark’s strength to rob the place. Mxy is looking for a tape recorder no doubt owned by an important Lois Lane.
As Lois and Jimmy run home from the dry cleaners they are met by one of my favorite new additions of the show: The League of Lois Lanes. The League tells us that this Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen are from Earth 12. Although Mxy made an Earth 12 reference earlier in the episode so either this is a mistake or someone is lying. Interestingly they use the same line on Lois that Mxy used on Clark. “Your Clark Kent is in danger.”
The League of Lois Lanes was founded by Lois Prime; the first Lois to discover the multiverse. The Lois Lane in every universe is a hero and I love this. This is now my favorite multiverse league/council/corps/parliament. Meeting multiple versions of Lois plays into Lois’s arc of trying to prove herself and feeling like a failure. She hasn’t won her first Pulitzer Prize yet and she’s 23.
Continued belowThe League is not just for Lois Lane though. Many Olsens are also part of the League and this Olsen, Jalana, is also a Flamebird. Our Jimmy now has a flame bro. He’s definitely not the Steve.
The League explains that Mxy calls himself a chaos god. They were taking him into custody when a portal opened to a previously unknown universe. That portal? It’s the one opened last episode by Monsieur Mallah and The Brain. They think rather than Clark being in danger that he’s helping Mxy. They pull one of her hairs to analyze the dimension’s tachyons and find Clark.
During their break-in Mxy admits to Clark that he lied to him and tells him he’s not the brightest guy from the planet Krypton. We’ve heard the word Krypton before but it was mixed in with a bunch of Kryptonese from Jor-El. Clark is for the first time hearing the name of his home planet. Clark tells Mxy that he’s going to turn him over to the authorities and then go on his normal date with Lois. But Mxy says that Clark is never going to be normal. It is always Clark’s fate to be different, weird, and alone. This is Clark’s worst fear playing to his character arc.
3. There is More to This League Than Meets the Eye
The League tells Lois and Jimmy to make themselves at home, but they can’t go in one secret room. Lois being Lois takes the first opportunity she gets to go in. Strange the other Lois’ don’t anticipate this. Accessing their computers Lois sees versions of herself from Earth 52, Earth 24, and Earth 1. Each more successful than the last, making her feel even worse about herself. Then she stumbles upon Superman – File X which is redacted. It can only be accessed at League headquarters. Lois is now even more suspicious of what is being hidden from her.
When they catch up with Clark and Mxy they still assume Clark helped rob Earth Prime’s Space and Superhero Museum. It seems like this batch of Lois’ haven’t been paired with the best Clarks. Our Lois thinks it’s a misunderstanding, but Superman is too powerful to give the benefit of the doubt. They lock up Lois and tell her she’s not League material, but she’s enough like them to cause problems.
The League attacks Clark with Kryptonite weapons and it’s his first exposure to it. He’s never been hit with anything like that before, but Superman fans watching know it’s no good. The effect on Clark reminded me a bit of Smallville with the use of green in his veins, but it also looked like he was growing bits of Kryptonite rocks from his skin. This is all part of Mxy’s plan though. He uses the battle to escape with the League’s ship.
Mxy does not expect our Lois to still be on the ship, so when she pulls a Kryptonite gun on him he’s not happy. Mxy is trying to get to League headquarters, but Lois not trusting this League wants to get there too. She knows they are hiding something from her in the Superman file. They form an unlikely partnership and Mxy uses the secret key in the stolen tape recorder to get to headquarters.
Mxy is looking for his hat at headquarters. This has some precedence in the comics: the character The Hat has a fifth dimensional hat with magical abilities. It’s also Mxy’s classic bowler hat that he has worn since the 40s. Once he puts the hat on it changes to match his appearance and looks more like a crown. Now he’s got his full abilities and sets headquarters to self destruct.
Clark and the League show up to stop Mxy and we get our first kiss of the show. Clark apologizes that he ruined their date. They both apologize to each other about their perceived shortcomings (Clark is weird, Lois is a failure). But neither of them sees the other that way. They love each other for who they are. Both of their character arcs align really well here. But they’ve gotta stop making out so they can catch the chaos god!
Continued belowLois has the idea to get Mxy to chase Clark around and distract him long enough for Lois to grab the hat and Jimmy to capture him. Once Mxy is locked up Jalana helps our three slip away. Always trust a flame bro.
Back on their Earth. Lois and Clark get the titular second kiss.
4. No More Secrets
While Mxy was looking for his hat Lois was able to access the League’s computer system. She gets a globe with the Superman X file, but in the moment doesn’t know how to activate it.
Later at home she is gets it working and sees alternate versions of Superman that are very different than the one she knows. Mxy pops in (jail didn’t take) and explains that just like not every Lois wins a Pulitzer, not every Superman is good. The globe opens up and there is a piece of Kryptonite inside. I wonder if the three members of the League are connected to the three evil Supermen we see explaining their anti-Superman behavior.
We get a tidy bookend to the episode with Clark starting off saying no more secrets between them and Lois ending with a big secret. The credits end with a photo of the Kryptonite in her hand.
5. References and Easter Eggs Galore
I’m going to try and get out all the references and easter eggs here in one shot starting with Superman. When Superman first meets Mr. Mxyptlk he transforms him into multiple Superman variants. First we see the 1940s Superman from the theatrical animated shorts—commonly referred to the as the Max Fleischer Superman. This Superman is noted as being from Earth 12. Earth 50’s Superman is from the Super Friends cartoons. Earth 508’s Superman is from Superman: The Animated Series. I can’t place weird crab Superman to something specific, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it happened in the Silver Age. Later in the episode Lois sees several evil Superman variants including Overman and Justice Lords Superman. The third Superman she sees looks a bit like the Gods and Monsters Superman if you remove the goatee and add a scar.
Lois meets three variants of herself, which the show calls Leader Lois, Grizzled Lois, and Lewis Lane. We’ve had several Louis Lanes in the comics including one created by Mxyzptlk. Lauren Tom voices Leader Lois, which is a fun spin on her voicing Lois’s rival Angela Chen in The Animated Series. We also see Lois Prime who is based on the Fleischer Lois. One of the variants Lois reads about looks like she’s holding a Keyblade from Kingdom Hearts. In the headquarters we get Lois from Superman The Animated Series, Superwoman Lois from Action Comics 60, and several Lois’ of different races and ethnicities.
Let’s not forget our Jimmy Olsen variant Jalana Olsen voiced by Kimberly Brooks who DC animated fans may recognize as Bumblebee in DC Super Hero Girls (which incidentally is an excellent show fans should watch).
My personal favorite character reference is Comet the Superhorse. It’s the best thing Jalana Olsen has seen in her Flamebird investigations. I practically jumped out of my seat when she started talking about a telepathic horse. Comet doesn’t get enough love these days.
In addition to character variants we get lots of weapon and artifact references. In Earth Prime’s museum vault we glimpse a Mother Box, an Nth metal mace, a Green Lantern Power Battery, a T Sphere, the Helmet of Fate, the Cosmic Rod, a Legion Flight Ring, and Katana’s Sword. The League of Lois Lanes headquarters has a collection of weapons pulled from various movies, video games, and shows from Bioshock Infinite to Men in Black.
Finally, even the episode’s title is a reference. While we do get two kisses and plenty of falling in portals the title references Ouran High School Host Club’s theme “Kiss Kiss Fall in Love.”
Did I miss any obvious references? Sound off in the comments!
If I were to speculate sometime in this next two part episode we will discover that the general is Lois’s father, he will tell her Superman is dangerous and use Zero Day as the proof. Lois will need to make a decision. Will she share the Kryptonite with her father and use it against the man she loves? Or will she side against her father with Superman and work to show that he isn’t a threat. How will what she has seen of Overman and Justice Lord Superman influence her? Tune in next week for “Zero Day” part one.
