The First Lady of Comics, Lois Lane
What would a week of talking about supporting characters be without talking about the greatest supporting character of all?
Lois Lane has had life as a character longer than many main characters. Like Superman, she has been through a lot of changes. As we go into a new status quo, I thought it’d be fun to review them.
Lois first appears in Action Comics #1. There she is, a tough and tenacious reporter working for the Daily Star, who barely agrees to go out with Clark Kent on a date. She doesn’t respect him, and thinks him nothing more than a coward. The truth was, Lois didn’t enjoy the competition Clark represented to her for a reporter, and thought him a nuisance.
Lois was tough, tenacious, and if not the best reporter in the city, she was at the top of the food chain at the Daily Star. (That is not a typo.) Over time, she became convinced that Clark Kent was Superman and set out to prove it, usually being foiled by him in some form or another.
at her core, she was waiting for a hero to sweep her off her feet, and Superman was that hero.
For me, what made this incarnation of Lois cool was that at her core, she was waiting for a hero to sweep her off her feet, and Superman was that hero.
Once we got into the 50s and 60s, Lois was played to be in love with Superman and set out to marry him, one way or the other. She starred in Showcase and was eventually given her own series Superman’s Girlfriend Lois Lane which lasted over 137 issues. There are a lot of main characters in current continuity that do not get that much time, which shows just how popular Lois really was.
That said, this is my least favorite Lois Lane. She lost some of her toughness and her independence and became more reliant on Superman and often would be involved in some silly plots as a result of her marrying superman crusade. Sometimes she married Batman, a villain of Superman’s, or one of the many fake marriages that DC conveniently forgot. I always thought this kind of thing was funny in The Muppet Show, but not so much in Superman. But that’s me.
Lois is always rescued by Superman in the end, but I always thought she always tended to show herself more capable then in these stories. Still, popularity like this cannot be denied. In the 70s she does show some more capabilities and that independent spirit again; even mastering a kryptonian martial art. But this still far and away is my least favorite Lois in terms of characterization.
John Byrne revamped the character again in the 80s. The biggest change here was the emphasis on Clark and Superman. This Lois returns to more of a tough, independent type. There’s even that competition issue with Clark from the very beginning, as Clark gets that first exclusive article at the daily planet. Eventually they become friends, and over time, much closer.
This is also the first Lois that actually marries Clark in continuity and has been a major part of the story. To my surprise, they’ve been one of the strongest couples in comics. I have to admit I’m sad to see that go.
All things change, yet in some ways they all stay the same. There is no guarantee Lois will end up with Clark when Action Comics #1 comes out again in a few weeks. That said, I guarantee Lois will still be tough as nails, strong, independent and one hell of a reporter. Most of all, I believe that like all of us, she’ll be waiting for the hero to make his entrance. I for one can’t wait.