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Superman and Wonder Woman have been romantically teased in the past, but a new story proves why they’d never work in the long term.
WARNING: The following contains spoilers for the story “Dated” from Wonder Woman 80th Anniversary Special, on sale now from DC Comics.
Many creators have considered what it would be like for Superman and Wonder Woman, two of DC’s biggest heroes, to forge a romantic relationship. It was a major element of the New 52 era in particular, coming during a time when neither hero was with their traditional romantic interests. But the coupling has never truly worked — and a new story fully delves into exactly why that is the case.
In the story “Dated” from Wonder Woman 80th Anniversary Special, by Tom King, Evan “Doc” Shaner, and Clayton Cowles, Lois Lane sets up Superman and Wonder Woman on a date. And while they have a good time, the story codifies why they’d never work long-term as a romantic couple.
Set in the 1970s incarnation of the DC Universe during a period where Wonder Woman briefly gave up her powers, Diana Prince runs a boutique and attracts the attention of Lois Lane. Lois finds out she’s single and reveals she’s been trying to set up a friend with a date to loosen him up. The friend turns out to be Clark Kent, who is very surprised to see Diana. The two are revealed to know one another’s heroic identities and decide to ultimately spend the night out together. Despite Clark’s nature forcing him to look around and notice all the crimes being committed around them, Diana points out that no one is getting hurt or needs to be rescued, and convinces him to just spend the night hanging out with her and seeing a band called the Do-Nothings.
The pair quietly and independently deal with threats to others and spend an evening on the town getting face paint and spending time singing along with a group of hippies around a bonfire. Superman reveals his attraction to Lois and considers the idea that if he was with Diana then he wouldn’t have to be as worried about her. But Wonder Woman casually explains to Superman why them having a romance wouldn’t ultimately work: Diana grew up and could have spent her life in a literal paradise, but her wanderlust and curiosity about the world always gets the better of her. She can never truly tie herself down to one place, one person, or one life. She admits he’s a hunk, but it’s clear that the kind of relationship he’s looking for isn’t the kind of thing that she wants to be a part of.
She’s ultimately too “free” for Superman, and he’s too much of a “cop” for her, defined by his place in the world. Although they understand each other better than almost anyone else, they ultimately aren’t right for each other romantically. The next day proves their point, with Clark trying to ask out an unassuming Lois once more, while Diana leaves the city on a whim to follow some friends across the country. It’s a quietly revealing story, diving into just how different Diana and Clark ultimately are.
While they can empathize with one another, they’re very different people with different views on a perfect life. It’s not that they don’t recognize their compatibility, but they understand it’s only on a surface level. It’s a perfect explanation for why Clark ultimately ends up with someone like Lois — who, in her pursuit and interest in first Superman and then Clark Kent, ultimately wants something similar to what he does. It also explains why Diana is perhaps the DC hero least likely to ever settle down once and for all, as she’s a lover of the world at large, and could never stop exploring and experiencing life for herself.
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