After asking Lois out above the spaceship buried under his farm, Clark wants to plan the perfect date for her. That means it's time for a little someone to throw a wrench in the works. And by little, I mean Mr. Mxyzptlk. Beware spoilers for My Adventures with Superman Episode 7, "Kiss Kiss Fall In Portal."

"Kiss Kiss Fall In Portal"

Love is complicated for Superman. Even though Lois and Clark are one of the longest-lived couples in pop culture, their eternal romance is always subject to every kind of sci-fi disaster you can imagine. This episode takes that idea and runs with it, getting a little bit meta in the process. As the two characters prepare for their date, determined to make it perfect for each other, both end up waylaid by unexpected interruptions. Clark opens his door to see a short, floating little man, and Lois gets yanked, with Jimmy, through a portal.

Uh oh, it's multiverse time! Pop culture is saturated with the idea of multiverses to the point that a show like Superman can throw the idea in without having to explain it or even commit to it as a plot device for the show's greater story.

Mr. Mxyzptlk gives Clark a good idea of his powers when he transforms him into Fleischer's Superman, the Super Friends Superman, the DC Animation Superman, and then a crab in a red cape because apparently, everything turns into a crab on a long enough timeline.

At the same time, Lois and Jimmy meet an entire multiverse-hopping taskforce of Lois Lanes from other Earths. The Loises lore dump about the multiverse, and our Lois, the Lois of Earth-12, learns that there are other Supermen on other Earths, and that not all of them are good.

There are all kinds of Easter eggs like the slideshow of Supermen that Mxy put Clark through. Once Mxy makes it to the multiversal police headquarters, he opens a closet full of powerful weapons. Pause it and see how many you can identify. You can see Guts' sword from Berserk, the Skyhook from Bioshock Infinite, the Cricket from Men in Black, Manji's swords from Blade of the Immortal, the wand from Card Captor Sakura, Kiyoshi's fan from Avatar: The Last Air Bender--that's just what I can identify. Shots of Loises from other Earths reference other Superman stories, often the same ones that Clark experienced, but not exclusively.

This all makes for a fun episode for fans that still acts as character growth for both characters--but Lois especially. She sees Loises from other Earths who have excelled more than her and blames herself for it. Clark, meanwhile, is more than ready to accept her as she is. The other Loises on other Earths aren't a factor for him. It also reiterates the thing they're still figuring out: they're better together. For all Lois' doubts about herself, it's she, Jimmy, and the Clark from her Earth that are ultimately able to capture Mxy when the supposedly elite combat team from the multiverse are running around like chickens with their heads cut off.

All throughout, there are enough differences to keep things fun, without also making them feel like they're not authentic to Superman. It makes for fun, light, and optimistic viewing that feels like the exact opposite of so many other superhero stories these days, but there's still enough drama and conflict to keep things exciting.