On the cover, they're only metaphorically making out on Lois's grave. So far, anyway...

In physics, the observer effect is when the act of observing something changes the outcome, like how when every time you watch a football game your team loses. So let's observe something four or five damn times and see what happens. From 1991, Adventures of Superman Annual #3, "Beyond the Reach of Time" Written by Louise Simonson, pencils by Bryan Hitch, inks by Hitch, James Sanders III, Joe Rubinstein, Ray McCarthy, Nick Napolitano, Jerry Acerno, and Dick Giordano.

Waverider, having time-travelled from 2001 to find the hero that would go bad and become Monarch, checks Superman's future for the third time here; and or course gets completely different results. Touching Clark Kent as he ponders Lois's future with him, Waverider gets a vision of a world where Lois dies in childbirth, prompting the disraught Superman to leave earth. Possibly just to die, since he didn't have that much air; but instead Supes is attacked by aliens who think he's an Almeracian. While they do a number on him, they are then immediately killed by a real Almeraican, Maxima, who rescues Supes. Badly wounded, he calls out for Lois. Maxima's handmaiden/assistant Sazu suggests a ploy for her to win Superman's heart: pretend to be gentle, weak.

While Supes was recuperating, Maxima seemingly allows her ship to be attacked by a race rebelling against the Almerac empire: she knows they look fierce but are creampuffs, Superman will clobber them, and then she can fawn all over him. So she feels a bit foolish when they turn out to have actually dangerous weapons, but it still works out mostly as planned. Maxima tries to paint herself as older and wiser and absolutely not stalking him, but also tries to convince Superman that he could help bring peace to the galaxy. Also, if he could get her out of an arranged marriage to cyborg lunatic De'cine, that would be great: Maxima was under a lot of pressure to deliver an heir and continue the royal line, which seems gross. Attempting to maintain a show of strength, Maxima is about to whip the tar out of some captives, which of course leads to a fight with Supes: she's making headway, but still feels the ghost of Lois between them.

Sazu has an idea, though; that might "kill several throats," as she puts it: she suggests to De'cine that destroying earth would cause Superman to lose face, and he takes the bait. Destroying earth would kind of get back at Superman for causing a rift between Sazu and her mistress, as well as drive him further into Maxima's arms. As De'cine leaves, Maxima's people assume it was because he was afraid of her; and Maxima asks Superman, see the crap I have to put up with? Supes suggests kindness may get her further, and suggests a test with a lowly gardener. The fact that the fearsome Maxima would ask him nicely, inspires the gardener to get her the best fruit; and she and Superman share possibly their first kiss. 

Later that night, Supes decides to visit earth, and Lois's grave, to consider his future. Reading his note in the morning, Sazu has to 'fess up that maybe De'cine maybe might have possibly been on his way to earth, although that certainly isn't anyone's fault; which does not go over especially well. Maxima arrives in time to save Superman, and incidentally earth; but then has to confess she as much as gave Sazu the idea. Superman is pretty forgiving, though: they aren't quite a couple at the end, but close; when Waverider returns to the present, probably having already changed the timeline. Again. His next stop we saw a piece of years back: Justice League Europe Annual #2. I suppose I should finally add some Armageddon 2001 tags.

Incidentally, this book did not want to go into the scanner; but some of those panels really show Hitch when he was a bit more Alan Davis-influenced. I know I have a couple of his issues on ClanDestine when he took that over--I feel like Davis never announces he's leaving a book, he just ghosts. Weird.