The man who could wipe them off the planet but always chose good has now chosen evil. Superman lays siege, leaving the people of Earth stunned. It turns out Darkseid has brainwashed Superman into thinking he raised him as Kal-El, and he wants 'Kal-El' to attack Earth while carrying the Superman logo as a banner. The being takes off his mask and reveals Kal-El. His forces are led by a masked being who pummels his enemies with relentless violence. In the episode 'Legacy Part 1,' Darkseid besieges an alien planet. When he rushes over to hold her, she asks Clark how he manages to arrive just in time, adding, 'You wouldn't be keeping an eye on me or anything?' He responds, 'Some people need more watching than others.'

Lois is clever and brave, but she's no final girl. Lois, on the other hand, uses each attempt on her life to piece together the puzzle - and find out who is trying to kill her. His commitment shows how much he cares about her. In 'Target,' you see just how frantic Clark Kent and Superman are to save Lois as she's repeatedly marked for death by some unknown assailant. Here, Superman isn't just punching faces: He's learning about himself and being forced to make narrative-changing decisions. We're abducted by its artistic elements and sped away by its thoughtful action sequences. This episode is a great reminder of 'Superman: The Animated Series'' cinematic approach - using visuals, music, and structured set pieces to lure us into a world far from our cereal-crunching Saturday mornings on the couch. Does it happen? Likely not, given what she says and does in a later episode (Bruce u up?). Lois is inspired and decides it's time to make her move. He wants her to physically be in his arms even though he keeps her emotionally at arm's length. After Lois returns to her dimension, her Superman swoops in to carry her away. After alt-Superman saves the day (surprise!), Lois says goodbye with a kiss - the kiss she wants from her Superman.

She's upset at her Superman for making the same mistake. That's when Lois slaps the s**t out of him. More importantly, he says that he didn't fully realize his feelings about Lois until she was gone. He tells Lois that inspiring people with good acts wasn't enough. She became a victim of the violent crime he couldn't stop. Why are Superman's tights in a knot? Because in this world, Lois is dead.

He beats back rebellion and laser-blasts hope. She's pulled into an alternate dimension, where Lex Luthor and an iron-fisted Superman locked down Metropolis. The episode 'Brave New Metropolis' shows us what happens if Superman never makes his feelings clear to Lois.

Darker than black episodes