My extensive knowledge of the show being what it is, I'm not too sure of who this Vatman guy is supposed to be.
But I'm beginning to think that this dead "Superman" is some sort of a clone. And not a perfect copy of Clark, either, but some sort of twisted, evil version. That would explain why "Superman" spoke to Lois in such a way that he scared her.
My impression is that this Superman was indeed "super", although I don't remember exactly how long Clark was missing. Oh! Wait! I found something here:
Feeling that she couldn't ask Clark to contact Superman for her, she had waited for the hero to drop by. He had come over when Lois hadn't seen Clark for about one and a half days. It had been one and a half days of very many Superman rescues, just another coincidence that seemed to prove her point.
Clark had been gone for one and a half days, and during that time Superman had performed many rescues. And then this happened:
"If growing old is what you want, Lois, be happy with him,' he had said viciously, laughing at her. Shouting a curse that she wasn't going to repeat, Superman had flown away and Lois had remained in her apartment, trembling with surprise, shock and anger.
Superman had shouted a curse and flown away. Flown. Yes, he was super indeed. Also he seemed to have at least some of Superman's memories:
"What can he offer you, Lois? Wouldn't you love to fly with me? Clark can barely pay for an airline ticket!' Superman had hissed at her. "You kissed me.
He knows that Lois kissed Superman. Of course, it would be common knowledge that Lois kissed Superman before he took off to deal with Nightfall.
Hmmmmm. Somehow it seems to me that this Superman has Lex's personality. Or he
had his personality, because now he is dead. I think.
Anyway, if this "Superman" really has Lex's general knowledge and personality, that would explain why he doesn't know that Superman is Clark Kent, and it would also explain why his Superman incarnation reacted so badly at being rejected. But, because Lex pretends to be a philantropist, that would also explain why he would do a lot of Superman rescues.
Is this Superman Lex Luthor? So that if Superman is dead, then Lex Luthor is also dead? I doubt it.
As for why Clark was lying to Lois, I, too, found it incredibly irritating. But that is Clark for you. He is head over heels in love with Lois, he is as tender and sweet as can be, and he keeps lying to her. He doesn't remember anything of his previous relationship with Lois, but he repeats his previous behaviour. Why is he lying to her? Well, that's because - well, because it's too frightening to consider what might happen if he was to be honest with her. Isn't it? Maybe his old habit of lying to her is so ingrained that some parts of his more primal brain centers make it impossible for him to tell her the truth.
Ann
].
