Hi Gerry:
Imo Lex would have gone after Lois no matter what. She was beautiful, but he knew many beautiful women. What attracted him were her Mad Dog Lane qualities. She was relentless in pursuing what she wanted, ran over anyone who got in her way, and wasn't above skirting the law in pursuit of a story. She, apparently, wasn't interested in real relationships and was only interested in winning, always being the best. What he saw in her was himself, and she,therefore, became a challenge to him. To tame and subjugate her would be a great triumph.
It seems to me that he even said that they were alike in one of the eps, but I can't remember which one.
Lex never saw her vulnerable side, which she kept well hidden. It was Clark who freed her to show that she wasn't brittle and unfeeling, and it was Superman who first evoked feelings of what she thought was romantic love. The presence of Clark and Superman only sweetened the challenge for Lex. They made winning a supreme victory, but he would still have gone after Lois without them.
He thought he and she were alike and that she would come to revel in evil as he did. His true feelings were revealed in Seconds when she tried to stop him from killing Superman with the ray gun. He brutally pushed her aside, saying,"Learn this now -- I love you, but never, ever stand between me and what I want."
He was obsessed with owning her so that she could no longer challenge him as n equal.
Jude
