Summary

• Despite their powerful bond, Wonder Woman realizes Superman will never fully commit to their relationship as long as he still has feelings for Lois Lane.
• Wonder Woman and Superman's relationship escalated from being work partners to lovers, but both had long-term relationships in the past that still impact their current romance.
• Wonder Woman's of the relationship ending confirms Clark's enduring love for Lois Lane and suggests DC Comics recognized the controversial nature of their pairing and decided it was not meant to be.

If there were ever a superhero power couple "for the ages" Superman would have to be the greatest of all time. After decades of fans 'shipping the two heroes, they became an official couple during DC's New 52 era. However, as with many romantic partnerships, former love interests always affect current relationships - and not even two of the strongest superheroes in the universe can escape that fact.

In Louise Simonson and Laura Bragas' The Death of Superman (2018) #9, Wonder Woman finally comes to the realization that Clark is unable or unwilling to completely let go of his feelings for Lois Lane. As she explains it, when Metropolis is attacked by Darkseid's Parademon "shock troopers" she and Superman take on the defense of the city. The troopers are not a serious threat for the two but the few that escape their initial push are a problem for defenseless citizens in the city. One of those citizens is Lois Lane.

Nevertheless, as soon as Clark believes that Lois is subject to a superior threat, he literally abandons Wonder Woman to fight the brunt of the force on her own. He does this to save one person - Lois Lane - who seems perfectly capable of taking care of herself. It is at that point that Wonder Woman realizes that Superman has "Lois issues" and will never be fully committed to their relationship until or if a time comes when he will "finally be over her."

Wonder Woman & Superman Were First Friends, Then Lovers

Romantic relationships tend to ignite as a result of proximity. In the case of Wonder Woman and Superman, that proximity was the result of their decades-long work partnership fighting to take down Earth's most serious threats. It was a relationship where, time after time, both risked their lives to protect the other. They share a connection few people could ever hope to have, even with their partner. Still, outside the "office," Clark and Diana had personal lives that included people they truly cared for and loved. That is, it's one thing to be an "office couple" and another to be an actual couple in love.

That all changed with DC's New 52 reboot. Now without the connections of their personal lives to limit them, Wonder Woman and Superman were free to expand their working relationship into something more. Considering the emotional intensity required of them to perform as two of Earth's mightiest heroes, that they would become a couple seemed natural. Who else could understand what they've experienced other than themselves? But they did not come into their relationship in a vacuum. Both had long-term relationships in the past as their alter egos. Again, as with many new relationships, it will only go as far as both partners are willing to "forget" their last partner.

Wonder Woman: Superman's Just Not That Into Me

Wonder Woman's of how the relationship ended adds an interesting layer to what was a controversial relationship - at least with some fans - from its beginnings. On the one hand, it reconfirms Clark's love for Lois, which has been a consistent element in the story since Superman's debut in 1938. In doing so, it points out that despite the many changes happening in the DC Universe at the time, some things will always remain the same. On the other hand, it gives DC Comics a convenient "escape" from any criticism it suffered for having Wonder Woman and Superman hook up. It, in essence, states, "We've heard you fandom, and we agree - Wonder Woman and Superman's relationship was never meant to be."