Also, Bryan Singer did say that this movie was "loosely based" on the first two movies, but was not intended to be a direct sequel. So the mind-wipe etc may not have happened in this universe
I don't remember having seen this before - if someone mentioned it earlier, I apologize for having missed it. I had thought of it as an direct sequel, therefore the mind-wipe had to be there.
Without the mind-wipe, that clears up several inconsistencies for me. And I could easily see Lois going through the scenario that Paul has suggested.
However, if indeed there was no mind-wipe, I would have problems accepting Superman's behavior of five years ago, when he left Earth. He and Lois would have shared a physical and emotional relationship that both admitted to and both remembered, yet he just took off for an indefinite period of time without even bothering to say goodbye?
Even if they had both accepted that they could not be lovers because he now had his powers back, and that in the future they could only be "friends", because of the bond that they had shared/still share it would be inexcusable of him to just leave without a word of farewell. I don't care how difficult it would have been for him. They would have already accepted that their not being together was for "the greater good"; she could have accepted that his search for Kryptonians was part of a higher cause/personal quest as well. Superman or not, he owed her that.
And Paul, re this comment you made about SII:
Lois (rightfully) doesn't think much of Clark (he's cute and silly). She loves Superman. And yet, Superman, by giving up his powers, has forced himself to become merely Clark. Somehow, Lois doesn't have a problem with this. She's awed and humbled by the sacrifice he made for her.
Huge inconsistency, absolutely. That's always bothered me. Granted, Superman is no longer acting like a nerdy person once he's lost his powers and is "just" Clark. And perhaps he would have given up the mannerisms completely since there would have been no need to hide behind a secret identity. But certainly everyone back at the Planet would have been stunned by the changes in both him and Lois' feelings towards him. It would have been interesting to watch them try to explain it...
Kathy
