Perhaps the most crucial lesson we can take away from superheroes comics is that you should never, ever let a romantic partner know the real you. That's the lesson all the Disney films and traditional advice follows: just be yourself! No. Never be yourself. Down that road lies ruin, and no kissing. And you want kissing. How many relationships have collapsed, both in both comic books and real life, when one person turns out to be completely different to what the other was expecting, what the other had fallen for? Too many, readers. Too many. There have been times where Lois Lane, upon learning Superman's secret identity, was completely devastated to discover that this big hunk of Superman was really her weedy, clumsy colleague Clark Kent. Even worse, in both the mainstream and Ultimate universes, the flirty Black Cat has reacted dramatically at the discovery that the sexy Spider-Man was a total dork underneath the mask. In the Ultimate version she even pukes at the idea of making out with a teen. More than any other piece of advice on this list, this is one that's easy to replicate, and you definitely should. Mask your true identity. Bury your feelings. Don't share your opinions on anything. Be whatever your partner wants you to be. That is the healthiest and best way to have a relationship. Never tell them who you really are, unless maybe you're Stan Lee. Because then you are The Man.
Tom Baker is the Comics Editor at WhatCulture! He's heard all the Doctor Who jokes, but not many about Randall and Hopkirk. He also blogs at http://communibearsilostate.wordpress.com/
