fictional character
In fiction, a character (or speaker, in poetry) is a person or other being in a narrative (such as a novel, play, radio or television series, music, film, or video game). The character may be entirely fictional or based on a real-life perso ...
appearing in
American comic books
An American comic book is a thin periodical originating in the United States, on average 32 pages, containing comics. While the form originated in 1933, American comic books first gained popularity after the 1938 publication of ''Action Comics'', ...
published by
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. ( doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery.
DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with the ...
. Created by writer
Jerry Siegel
Jerome Siegel ( ; October 17, 1914 – January 28, 1996) Roger Stern. ''Superman: Sunday Classics: 1939–1943'' DC Comics/ Kitchen Sink Press, Inc./Sterling Publishing; 2006 was an American comic book writer. He is the co-creator of Superman, i ...
and artist
Joe Shuster
Joseph Shuster (; July 10, 1914 – July 30, 1992), professionally known simply as Joe Shuster, was a Canadian-American comic book artist best known for co-creating the DC Comics character Superman, with Jerry Siegel, in ''Action Comics'' #1 (c ...
, she first appeared in ''
Action Comics
''Action Comics'' is an American comic book/ magazine series that introduced Superman, one of the first major superhero characters. The publisher was originally known as National Allied Publications, and later as National Comics Publications ...
journalist
A journalist is an individual that collects/gathers information in form of text, audio, or pictures, processes them into a news-worthy form, and disseminates it to the public. The act or process mainly done by the journalist is called journalis ...
for the
Metropolis
A metropolis () is a large city or conurbation which is a significant economic, political, and cultural center for a country or region, and an important hub for regional or international connections, commerce, and communications.
A big c ...
newspaper the ''
Daily Planet
The ''Daily Planet'' is a fictional newspaper appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with Superman. The newspaper was first mentioned in ''Action Comics'' #23 (April 1940). The ''Daily Planet'' build ...
superhero
A superhero or superheroine is a stock character that typically possesses ''superpowers'', abilities beyond those of ordinary people, and fits the role of the hero, typically using his or her powers to help the world become a better place, ...
Superman
Superman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, and debuted in the comic book '' Action Comics'' #1 ( cover-dated June 1938 and pu ...
and his alter ego,
Clark Kent
Superman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, and debuted in the comic book '' Action Comics'' #1 ( cover-dated June 1938 and pu ...
. In DC continuity, she is also his wife and the mother of their son, Jon Kent, the newest
Superboy
Superboy is the name of several fictional superheroes appearing in American comicbooks published by DC Comics. These characters have been featured in several eponymous comic series, in addition to ''Adventure Comics'' and other series featuring ...
in the
DC Universe
The DC Universe (DCU) is the fictional shared universe where most stories in American comic book titles published by DC Comics take place. Superheroes such as Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Robin, Martian Manhunter, The Flash, Green L ...
.
Lois' physical appearance was originally based on
Joanne Carter
Joanne "Jo" Carter (born 17 April 1980) is an Australian former competitive figure skater. She is the 1998 Piruetten champion, the 1996 Golden Spin of Zagreb silver medalist, the 2004 Karl Schäfer Memorial bronze medalist, and a seven-time A ...
, a model hired by Joe Shuster. For her character, Jerry Siegel was inspired by actress
Glenda Farrell
Glenda Farrell (June 30, 1904 – May 1, 1971) was an American actress. Farrell personified the smart and sassy, wisecracking blonde of the Classical Hollywood films. Farrell's career spanned more than 50 years, appearing in numerous Broadwa ...
's portrayal of the fictional reporter
Torchy Blane
Torchy Blane is a fictional female reporter, the main character of nine films produced by Warner Bros. between 1937 and 1939. The Torchy Blane series were popular second features during the later 1930s and were mixtures of mystery, action, adven ...
in a series of films. Siegel took her name from actress Lola Lane. She was also influenced by the real-life journalist
Nellie Bly
Elizabeth Cochran Seaman (born Elizabeth Jane Cochran; May 5, 1864 – January 27, 1922), better known by her pen name Nellie Bly, was an American journalist, industrialist, inventor, and charity worker who was widely known for her record-breaki ...
.
Depictions of the character have varied spanning the comics and other media adaptations. The original
Golden Age
The term Golden Age comes from Greek mythology, particularly the '' Works and Days'' of Hesiod, and is part of the description of temporal decline of the state of peoples through five Ages, Gold being the first and the one during which the G ...
version of Lois Lane, as well as versions of her from the 1970s onwards, portrays Lois as a dauntless journalist and intellectually equal to Superman. During the
Silver Age of Comics
The Silver Age of Comic Books was a period of artistic advancement and widespread commercial success in mainstream American comic books, predominantly those featuring the superhero archetype. Following the Golden Age of Comic Books and an inte ...
, she was the star of ''
Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane
''Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane'' is an American comic book series published monthly by DC Comics. The series focusing on the adventures of Lois Lane began publication with a March/April 1958 cover date and ended its run in September/October 1 ...
'', a comic book series that had a light and humorous tone. Beginning in 2015, she is the protagonist in the young adult novel series, ''Lois Lane'', by writer Gwenda Bond.
Lois has appeared in various media adaptations and is among the best-known female comic book characters. Actress
Noel Neill
Noel Darleen Neill (November 25, 1920 – July 3, 2016) was an American actress. She played Lois Lane in the film serials ''Superman'' (1948) and '' Atom Man vs. Superman'' (1950), as well as the 1950s television series '' Adventures of Superman ...
first portrayed Lois Lane in the 1940s '' Superman'' film series and later reprised her role in the 1950s television series '' Adventures of Superman'', replacing
Phyllis Coates
Phyllis Coates (born Gypsie Ann Evarts Stell; January 15, 1927) is an American former actress, with a career spanning over fifty years. She is best known for her portrayal of reporter Lois Lane in the 1951 film ''Superman and the Mole Men'' and ...
from season two.
Margot Kidder
Margaret Ruth Kidder (October 17, 1948 – May 13, 2018), known professionally as Margot Kidder, was a Canadian-American actress whose career spanned five decades. Her accolades include three Canadian Screen Awards and one Daytime Emmy A ...
played the character in four Superman films in the 1970s and 1980s,
Kate Bosworth
Catherine Anne Bosworth (born January 2, 1983) is an American actress. Following minor roles in the films '' The Horse Whisperer'' (1998) and ''Remember the Titans'' (2000), she rose to prominence with her role as a young surfer in the box-offi ...
in the 2006 film ''
Superman Returns
''Superman Returns'' is a 2006 American superhero film directed by Bryan Singer and written by Michael Dougherty and Dan Harris from a story by Singer, Dougherty and Harris based on the DC Comics character Superman. It is the sixth and fina ...
'', and
Amy Adams
Amy Lou Adams (born August 20, 1974) is an American actress. Known for both her comedic and dramatic roles, she has been featured three times in annual rankings of the world's highest-paid actresses. She has received various accolades, incl ...
in the
DC Extended Universe
The DC Extended Universe (DCEU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on a series of superhero films and television series produced by DC Studios and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. It is based on characters that ...
.
Teri Hatcher
Teri Lynn Hatcher (born December 8, 1964) is an American actress best known for her portrayals of Lois Lane on the television series '' Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman'' (1993–1997); Paris Carver in the ''James Bond'' film '' Tom ...
Erica Durance
Erica Durance (; born June 21, 1978) is a Canadian actress. She is known for her role as Lois Lane in the WB/ CW superhero television series ''Smallville'' and as Dr. Alex Reid in the CTV medical drama '' Saving Hope''.
Early life
Durance was b ...
Elizabeth Tulloch
Elizabeth Tulloch (born January 19, 1981) known as Bitsie Tulloch, is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Juliette Silverton / Eve in the NBC television series '' Grimm'' and as Lois Lane in The CW superhero television series ''S ...
currently plays the character in the
Arrowverse
The Arrowverse is an American superhero media franchise and a shared universe that is centered on various interconnected television series based on DC Comics superhero characters, primarily airing on The CW as well as web series on CW See ...
television series '' Superman & Lois''. Actresses who have voiced Lois in animated adaptations include
Joan Alexander
Joan Alexander (born Louise Abrass; April 16, 1915 – May 21, 2009) ''
Dana Delany
Dana Welles Delany (born March 13, 1956) is an American actress. After appearing in small roles early in her career, Delany received her breakthrough role as Colleen McMurphy on the ABC television drama '' China Beach'' (1988–1991), for whic ...
Jerry Siegel
Jerome Siegel ( ; October 17, 1914 – January 28, 1996) Roger Stern. ''Superman: Sunday Classics: 1939–1943'' DC Comics/ Kitchen Sink Press, Inc./Sterling Publishing; 2006 was an American comic book writer. He is the co-creator of Superman, i ...
first conceived Lois Lane in 1934, when Siegel and
Joe Shuster
Joseph Shuster (; July 10, 1914 – July 30, 1992), professionally known simply as Joe Shuster, was a Canadian-American comic book artist best known for co-creating the DC Comics character Superman, with Jerry Siegel, in ''Action Comics'' #1 (c ...
were still developing Superman. One of the major influence on Lois' characterization was actress
Glenda Farrell
Glenda Farrell (June 30, 1904 – May 1, 1971) was an American actress. Farrell personified the smart and sassy, wisecracking blonde of the Classical Hollywood films. Farrell's career spanned more than 50 years, appearing in numerous Broadwa ...
and her portrayal of the fictional reporter
Torchy Blane
Torchy Blane is a fictional female reporter, the main character of nine films produced by Warner Bros. between 1937 and 1939. The Torchy Blane series were popular second features during the later 1930s and were mixtures of mystery, action, adven ...
in a series of
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...
films. The Torchy Blane movies were popular second features during the later 1930s. On the conception of Lois Lane, Siegel stated in the 1988 ''
Time
Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, ...
'' magazine:
Artist Joe Shuster based Lois' physical appearance on a model named
Joanne Carter
Joanne "Jo" Carter (born 17 April 1980) is an Australian former competitive figure skater. She is the 1998 Piruetten champion, the 1996 Golden Spin of Zagreb silver medalist, the 2004 Karl Schäfer Memorial bronze medalist, and a seven-time A ...
. Carter had placed an ad in the ''
Cleveland Plain Dealer
''The Plain Dealer'' is the major newspaper of Cleveland, Ohio, United States. In fall 2019, it ranked 23rd in U.S. newspaper circulation, a significant drop since March 2013, when its circulation ranked 17th daily and 15th on Sunday.
As of M ...
'' newspaper in the Situation Wanted column, advertising herself as a model. Shuster corresponded with her and hired her as the model for Lois Lane. Shuster's depiction of Lois was modeled on her hairstyle and facial features. "To me she was Lois Lane. She was a great inspiration for me, though. She encouraged me, she was very enthusiastic about the strip; it meant a lot to me." Shuster said about Joanne Carter.
Joanne Carter married co-creator Jerry Siegel in 1948. On working with Joe Shuster for Lois Lane, Carter said in the 1983 '' Nemo'' magazine interview: "Joe was redrawing the strip, and it was going to be more realistic, rather than cartoony. I used to model for him every Saturday until he had enough drawings. He made so many stock drawings that it got to a point where he didn't need any more. We became such good friends by that time we decided we would always stay friends."
Publication history
Lois Lane made her debut in ''
Action Comics
''Action Comics'' is an American comic book/ magazine series that introduced Superman, one of the first major superhero characters. The publisher was originally known as National Allied Publications, and later as National Comics Publications ...
'' #1 (June 1938), the first published Superman story. Lois is the daughter of Ella and Sam Lane, in earlier comics, her parents were farmers in a town called Pittsdale. The modern comics depicts Lois as a former
Army brat
A military brat (colloquial or military slang) is a child of serving or retired military personnel. Military brats are associated with a unique subcultureDavid C. Pollock, Ruth E. van Reken. ''Third Culture Kids: Growing Up Among Worlds'', Revis ...
, born at Ramstein Air Base with Lois having been trained by her father, a US Army General, in areas such as hand-to-hand combat and the use of firearms. She has one younger sibling, her sister
Lucy Lane
Lucy Lane is a fictional supporting character in DC Comics. She is the younger sister of Lois Lane, and one of several characters who have assumed the Superwoman identity.
She was played by Maureen Teefy in the 1984 film ''Supergirl (1984 film), ...
. Lois is a journalist for the ''
Daily Planet
The ''Daily Planet'' is a fictional newspaper appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with Superman. The newspaper was first mentioned in ''Action Comics'' #23 (April 1940). The ''Daily Planet'' build ...
'', one of the best investigative reporters and the best at the newspaper she works at. Lois has shown obtaining superpowers and becoming a superhero, some of her superhero identities are
Superwoman
Superwoman is the name of several fictional characters from DC Comics. Most of them are, like Supergirl, women with powers similar to those of Superman, like flight, invulnerability, and enhanced strength. Detective Comics, Inc. trademarked ...
and Red Tornado of Earth 2.
Aspects of Lois' personality have varied over the years, depending on the comic book writers handling of the character and American social attitudes toward women at the time. In most incarnations, she is shown to be an independent person who is smart, determined and strong-willed. Her physical appearance has varied over the years, depending either on contemporary fashion or media adaptations. In the 1990s, when the television series '' Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman'' began airing Lois received a haircut that made her look more like actress
Teri Hatcher
Teri Lynn Hatcher (born December 8, 1964) is an American actress best known for her portrayals of Lois Lane on the television series '' Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman'' (1993–1997); Paris Carver in the ''James Bond'' film '' Tom ...
, and her eyes were typically violet to match her character on '' Superman: The Animated Series''. From the late 1980s through the 1990s she was depicted with auburn hair in the comic books.
In the 1940s, Lois had a newspaper comic strip, '' Lois Lane, Girl Reporter'', a direct spin-off of the Superman comic strip running at the time. A similar title comic series began appearing in the '' Superman'' comic book in 1944, starting with ''Superman'' #28. In 1958, DC Comics gave Lois a comic book series, ''
Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane
''Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane'' is an American comic book series published monthly by DC Comics. The series focusing on the adventures of Lois Lane began publication with a March/April 1958 cover date and ended its run in September/October 1 ...
''. The series focuses on her solo adventures and start publication in April 1958. In the 1960s, the series was one of DC's most popular titles and was the top ten best-selling comic books in America. She had a series featured in ''
The Superman Family
''The Superman Family'' was an American comic book series published by DC Comics from 1974 to 1982 featuring supporting characters in the ''Superman'' comics. The term "Superman Family" is often used to refer to the extended cast of characters o ...
'' comic book from 1974 to 1982. In 2015, she received her own young adult novel series written by author Gwenda Bond. Published by Switch Press the series include: ''Lois Lane: Fallout'', ''Lois Lane: Double Down'' and ''Lois Lane: Triple Threat''. Released in 2019, ''Lois Lane'', a 12-issue series by writer
Greg Rucka
Gregory Rucka (born November 29, 1969) is an American writer known for the series of novels starring his character Atticus Kodiak, the creator-owned comic book series '' Whiteout'', ''Queen & Country'', '' Stumptown'' and '' Lazarus'', as well as ...
and artist
Mike Perkins
Mike Perkins is a British comic book artist known for his inking work and full art duties on comic books such as ''Captain America'', '' Ruse'' and Stephen King's ''The Stand''.
Career
Mike Perkins began drawing at a very early age. After att ...
investigates threats and conspiracies in the DC Universe. Published by DC Comics in August 2020, ''Lois Lane and the Friendship Challenge'' by Grace Ellis and Brittney Williams is a graphic novel for young readers.
Lois is the character most commonly associated with Superman, and throughout their long history, she has always been the most prominent love interest in Clark Kent/Superman's life. In the 1990s, after Clark proposes to Lois and reveals to her that he is Superman,Manning, Matthew K. "1990s" in Dolan, p. 247: "When lark Kentproposed to his longtime love Lois Lane, he did so in a modest fashion...Lois accepted and comic book history was made, served up by writer/artist Jerry Ordway." she married him in the comic book '' Superman: The Wedding Album'' (December 1996).Manning "1990s" in Dolan, p. 275: " The behind-the-scenes talent on the monumental issue appropriately spanned several generations of the Man of Tomorrow's career. Written by Dan Jurgens, Karl Kesel, David Michelinie, Louise Simonson, and Roger Stern, the one-shot featured the pencils of John Byrne, Gil Kane, Stuart Immonen, Paul Ryan, Jon Bogdanove, Kieron Dwyer, Tom Grummett, Dick Giordano, Jim Mooney, Curt Swan, Nick Cardy, Al Plastino, Barry Kitson, Ron Frenz, and Dan Jurgens." The couple's biological child in DC Comics
canon
Canon or Canons may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Canon (fiction), the conceptual material accepted as official in a fictional universe by its fan base
* Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture
** Western ca ...
was born in ''Convergence: Superman'' #2 (July 2015) a son named Jonathan Samuel Kent, who eventually becomes
Superboy
Superboy is the name of several fictional superheroes appearing in American comicbooks published by DC Comics. These characters have been featured in several eponymous comic series, in addition to ''Adventure Comics'' and other series featuring ...
.
Fictional character biography
Golden Age
In the
Golden Age
The term Golden Age comes from Greek mythology, particularly the '' Works and Days'' of Hesiod, and is part of the description of temporal decline of the state of peoples through five Ages, Gold being the first and the one during which the G ...
comics, Lois was an aggressive, career-minded reporter for the '' Daily Star'' (the newspaper's name was changed to the ''Daily Planet'' in ''Action Comics'' #23 in 1940). After Clark Kent joined the paper and Superman debuted around the same time, Lois found herself attracted to Superman but displeased with her new journalistic competition in the form of Kent.
Starting early as the 1940s, Lois began to suspect that Clark Kent was Superman, and started to make various attempts at uncovering his
secret identity
A secret identity is a person's alter ego which is not known to the general populace, most often used in fiction. Brought into popular culture by the Scarlet Pimpernel in 1903, the concept was widespread in pulp heroes and is particularly prevalen ...
, all of which backfired because of Superman's efforts. The first such story appears in ''Superman'' #17 (July–August 1942). This theme became particularly pronounced in the 1950s and 1960s Silver Age comic books.
Lois gained her first series of stories (without Superman) starting with ''Superman'' #28 (May–June 1944), ''Lois Lane, Girl Reporter'', running in the ''Superman'' comic book for a number of years, had Lois defeating bad guys and getting front-page stories on her own, without any help from Superman.
In the Golden Age comics, Lois had a niece named Susie Tompkins, whose main trait was getting into trouble by telling exaggerated
tall tale
A tall tale is a story with unbelievable elements, related as if it were true and factual. Some tall tales are exaggerations of actual events, for example fish stories ("the fish that got away") such as, "That fish was so big, why I tell ya', it n ...
s and fibs to adults. Susie's last appearance was in ''Superman'' #95 (February 1955). Subsequent comics presented Lois' only sibling, Lucy, as single and childless.
Silver Age and Bronze Age
When the reading audience of superhero comic books became predominately young boys in the mid to late 1950s, the focus of Superman stories shifted toward science fiction inspired plots involving
extraterrestrials
Extraterrestrial life, colloquially referred to as alien life, is life that may occur outside Earth and which did not originate on Earth. No extraterrestrial life has yet been conclusively detected, although efforts are underway. Such life might ...
,
fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy literature and d ...
creatures, and bizarre plots.
Lois' main interests in various late 1950s and 1960s stories became vying with her rival Lana Lang for Superman's affections, attempting to prove Clark Kent and Superman were one and the same or otherwise getting Superman into marriage. Superman's rationale for resisting her matrimonial desires was that marrying her would put her in increased danger from his enemies and that she could not keep his secret identity hidden. Regardless, Lois married several times in the Superman stories of this era, including to a Superman impostor from Kandor, the villainous Zak-Kul and a man from the future. All these marriages were either annulled or otherwise forgotten.
Lois became more and more popular during the 1950s, and after appearing as the lead character in two issues of DC Comics' ''
Showcase
Showcase or vitrine may refer to:
*Cabinet (furniture)
*Display case
Music
* ''Showcase'' (Bill Anderson album), 1964
* ''Showcase'' (Patsy Cline album), 1961
* ''Showcase'' (Buddy Holly album), 1964
* ''Showcase'' (Philly Joe Jones album), 1959 ...
'' in 1957, DC created an ongoing series for Lois, titled ''
Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane
''Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane'' is an American comic book series published monthly by DC Comics. The series focusing on the adventures of Lois Lane began publication with a March/April 1958 cover date and ended its run in September/October 1 ...
''. The series ran for 137 issues, beginning in April 1958 to October 1974. Most stories were about Lois' romance with Superman, and were drawn by artist Kurt Schaffenberger. Schaffenberger's rendition of Lois became cited by many as the "definitive" version of Lois, and he was often asked by DC editor
Mort Weisinger
Mortimer Weisinger (; April 25, 1915 – May 7, 1978) was an American magazine and comic book editor best known for editing DC Comics' ''Superman'' during the mid-1950s to 1960s, in the Silver Age of comic books. He also co-created such features a ...
to redraw other artists' depictions of Lois Lane in other DC titles where she appeared. So many stories depicted Lois and marriage that the cover of a 1968 80-Page Giant that reprinted several such stories, the "All-Wedding Issue", described the magazine as "featuring Lois' schemes and dreams to marry Superman!".
The series ''Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane'' became one of DC's most popular titles, the third best-selling comic in 1962 and 1965. The title featured the first appearance of the Silver Age
Catwoman
Catwoman is a fictional character created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Batman. Debuting as "the Cat" in ''Batman'' #1 (spring 1940), she is ...
, after an absence from the comics for over a decade.
While Lois is suspicious of Superman's secret identity as early as ''Superman'' #7 (1940), her suspicions grew during the early Silver Age, with many stories in her series focusing on her attempts to prove Superman and Clark Kent were one and the same. Stories showed Superman using various means to protect his secret identity from Lois, including his
Superman robot
The Superman robots are fictional robots from the DC Comics Universe. The robots resembled Superman in appearance and abilities.
History Silver Age versions
Superman robots played a particularly dominant role in late 1950s and 1960s era Superman ...
s or Batman disguising himself as Clark/Superman.
By the end of the 1960s, as attitudes toward women's role in American society changed, Lois' character changed as well. In ''Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane'' #80 (Jan. 1968), the character's fashions were updated to a then more contemporary look. Stories in the 1970s depicted Lois again as fully capable and less reliant on Superman. She engaged in more adventures without Superman being involved and was much less interested in discovering Superman's secret identity.
Lois had a series featured in ''
The Superman Family
''The Superman Family'' was an American comic book series published by DC Comics from 1974 to 1982 featuring supporting characters in the ''Superman'' comics. The term "Superman Family" is often used to refer to the extended cast of characters o ...
'' (an anthology title started in the mid-1970s after the cancellation of ''
Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane
''Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane'' is an American comic book series published monthly by DC Comics. The series focusing on the adventures of Lois Lane began publication with a March/April 1958 cover date and ended its run in September/October 1 ...
'' and '' Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen'') from 1974 to 1982. In her series, Lois regularly battled criminals and often defeated them using her quick wits and considerable skill in the Kryptonian
martial art
Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defense; military and law enforcement applications; competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; and the preserv ...
of Klurkor, taught to her by Kryptonian survivors in the bottle city of Kandor. There were several cameos of the New Gods, including Desaad and Darkseid. Lois Lane was the backup series in '' The Daring New Adventures of Supergirl'' in 1982 to 1983.
During the Silver and Bronze Age, Lois' backstory became more fully fleshed out, with various stories explaining her life before becoming employed at the ''Daily Planet''. This backstory was attributed to the Lois Lane of Earth-One.
As summarized in various stories, Lois was born to Sam and Ella Lane and grew up on their farm in the small town of Pittsdale. At the age of two, Lois suffered measles, and at the age of three,
whooping cough
Whooping cough, also known as pertussis or the 100-day cough, is a highly contagious bacterial disease. Initial symptoms are usually similar to those of the common cold with a runny nose, fever, and mild cough, but these are followed by two or t ...
. At an unspecified time during Lois' childhood, her younger sister Lucy Lane was born. While Lois was a toddler, she encountered a rattlesnake in the woods near the Lane family farm. The snake was scared away by one of Kal-El's baby toys which had landed nearby in one of Jor-El's experimental rockets.
During Lois' adolescence, she won a youth contest run by the ''Daily Planet'', with the prize being a trip to Metropolis to spend a week working as a cub reporter for the newspaper. There, she first met Clark Kent of Smallville, who was the other winner of the contest. Lois found Clark dull and became more interested in asking him for information about Superboy after learning Clark came from Smallville. During the week in Metropolis, Lois made a bet with Clark to see who would get the most scoops, which turned out to be Lois, as Clark was forced to constantly go into action as Superboy. Lois met Superboy for the first time while uncovering a criminal enterprise for one of her stories. At the end of the week, Clark paid off Lois' bet (an ice cream sundae), and the two returned to their respective hometowns. Lois would meet Superboy (but not Clark Kent) again during her adolescence while attending an all-girls summer camp near Smallville. There, Lois met Lana Lang, a fellow camper, for the first time. Lois would make further attempts at landing a job with the ''Daily Planet'' during her teenage years and spent time writing for her hometown's newspaper, the ''Pittsdale Star''.
Upon finishing high school, Lois left Pittsdale and attended Raleigh College to study journalism. While in college, Lois worked for the student newspaper, the ''Raleigh Review'', as a reporter and eventually its co-editor. After graduating from college, Lois became permanently employed at the ''Daily Planet''. Clark Kent and Jimmy Olsen later joined the ''Planet''s staff but Lois remained the newspaper's star reporter, winning the Pulitzer Prize. She was very dependent on Superman, however; he told her that having to rescue her so often from problems she caused prevented him from helping others. For example, when late for a deadline Lois jumped off a cliff expecting Superman to catch her "as he has done a thousand times", and fly her to her destination. When asked on a
Sunday morning talk show
A Sunday morning talk show is a television program with a news/ talk/ public affairs–hybrid format that is broadcast on Sunday mornings. This type of program originated in the United States, and has since been used in other countries.
Overview
T ...
what she would do if trapped in an underground mine with rescue impossible before the air ran out, Lois admitted that she would impatiently await Superman because "I've got a deadline to meet."
Eventually, Lois realized that she had wasted a good part of her career by staying in Metropolis for Superman’s sake and left. As both a journalist and as a woman, she had to get on with her life.
After the 1985–1986 miniseries ''
Crisis on Infinite Earths
"Crisis on Infinite Earths" is a 1985 American comic book crossover storyline published by DC Comics. The series, written by Marv Wolfman and pencilled by George Pérez, was first serialized as a 12-issue limited series from April 1985 to Mar ...
'' writer John Byrne revised the Superman legend and eliminated the Silver Age version of Lois from continuity. Before this happened, a final non-canonical imaginary story '' Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?'' was written by
Alan Moore
Alan Moore (born 18 November 1953) is an English author known primarily for his work in comic books including '' Watchmen'', ''V for Vendetta'', '' The Ballad of Halo Jones'', ''Swamp Thing'', ''Batman:'' ''The Killing Joke'', and '' From He ...
, meant as a send-off for the pre-Crisis versions of the characters, including Lois. Published at the same time but in Earth-One continuity was a two-issue miniseries, ''Lois Lane'', in which she investigates missing children.
Modern Age
Lois underwent a character alteration beginning with John Byrne's '' The Man of Steel'' miniseries, which significantly rewrote Superman's origin and history. In this modern version of events, Lois was portrayed as a tough-as-nails reporter who rarely needed rescuing. She was depicted as strong, opinionated, yet sensitive.
Lois' first real relationship in this version was with Jose Delgado, who she later discovered acted as a vigilante. José's legs are shattered in a battle with a Lexcorp
cyborg
A cyborg ()—a portmanteau of ''cybernetic'' and ''organism''—is a being with both organic and biomechatronic body parts. The term was coined in 1960 by Manfred Clynes and Nathan S. Kline.
/human hybrid gone amok. Delgado eventually recovered. He and Lois would have several on and off experiences together before the relationship completely disintegrated, due to Delgado accepting help from a Lexcorp subsidiary ARL.
Another major change made was that Lois did not fall in love with just Superman, although she was attracted to him. One reason was the revised nature of the Superman/Clark Kent relationship. In the original Silver Age stories, Superman had been the man who disguised himself as Clark Kent. In this newly revised concept, it was Clark Kent who lived a life in which his activity as Superman was decidedly secondary. Lois initially resented the rookie Clark Kent getting the story on Superman as his first piece when she had spent ages trying to get an interview. This sometimes ill-tempered rivalry remained the case until '' The Adventures of Superman'' #460–463 and ''Action Comics'' #650.
Following Clark's brief rampage under the influence of the Eradicator, Lois was hesitant to forgive Clark for "selling out" to Collin Thornton and running ''Newstime'' Magazine, but forgave him in a span of mere minutes when he returned to ask for his job back. Clark elected to repay Lois by finally letting go of his self-imposed inhibitions and passionately kissed her. The two became a couple, and eventually, Lois accepted a proposal of marriage. Clark shortly after revealed to her that he was Superman.
DC Comics had planned on Lois and Clark being married in 1993's '' Superman vol. 2'' #75. With the then-upcoming television show '' Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman'', DC decided they did not want to have the two married in the comics and not married on TV. Partially as a result of this, Superman was killed in ''Superman'' #75 instead, dying in Lois' arms after a
battle royal
Battle royal (; also royale) traditionally refers to a fight involving many combatants that is fought until only one fighter remains standing, usually conducted under either boxing or wrestling rules. In recent times, the term has been used in a ...
with the monster
Doomsday
Doomsday may refer to:
* Eschatology, a time period described in the eschatological writings in Abrahamic religions and in doomsday scenarios of non-Abrahamic religions.
* Global catastrophic risk, a hypothetical event explored in science and fict ...
. After a period of time, Superman returned to life, and both he and Lois resumed their relationship, though not without a few problems (such as a brief reappearance of Clark's former college girlfriend, the
mermaid
In folklore, a mermaid is an aquatic creature with the head and upper body of a female human and the tail of a fish. Mermaids appear in the folklore of many cultures worldwide, including Europe, Asia, and Africa.
Mermaids are sometimes ass ...
Lori Lemaris). Lois eventually decided to take an overseas assignment to assert her independence and not be dependent on Clark, who had begun to overprotect her. When Clark became convinced Lois was in danger, he and her father Sam allied to aid her secretly.
When Lois returned to Metropolis, she had been through several life-threatening exploits and was slightly amused when Clark informed her his powers had been depleted, and that he was her editor (due to
Perry White
Perry White is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He is the editor-in-chief of the Metropolis newspaper the ''Daily Planet''. The character maintains very high ethical and journalistic standards and ...
's cancer). Upon discovering Clark still had her wedding ring within a handkerchief, Lois warmly broke down, teasing Clark and finally agreeing to become his wife.
Lois and Clark were finally married in the comic book '' Superman: The Wedding Album'' (December 1996), which featured the work of nearly every living artist who had ever worked on Superman. The issue was published during the week of October 6, 1996, coinciding with an episode of the television series '' Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman'', which featured the wedding of the two characters. ''The Wedding Album'' itself spent part of its opening pages accommodating and reconciling the then-current comic storyline of Lois and Clark having broken off their engagement.
Since their marriage, Clark and Lois continue to be one of the strongest relationships in comics. In 2006, the couple took the next step in adopting a newly arrived Kryptonian boy, who they named Chris Kent. The boy is later discovered to be the son of
Jor-El
Jor-El, originally known as Jor-L, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, Jor-El first appeared in a newspaper comic strip in 1939 with Superma ...
's foe, General Zod. Although initially uneasy about raising a super-powered child, Lois has shown immense aptitude of being 'Mommy Lois.' Following a devastating battle with Zod, Chris sacrificed himself to seal the
Phantom Zone
The Phantom Zone is a prison-like parallel dimension appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. It is mainly associated with stories featuring Superman. It first appeared in '' Adventure Comics'' #283 (April 1961), and was created ...
rift, trapping himself inside with Zod's forces, leaving Lois without her son.
In the second issue of '' Final Crisis'', Lois and Perry are caught in an explosion triggered by Clayface destroying the ''
Daily Planet
The ''Daily Planet'' is a fictional newspaper appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with Superman. The newspaper was first mentioned in ''Action Comics'' #23 (April 1940). The ''Daily Planet'' build ...
'' and Lois is critically injured. In the third issue, it is revealed that only Clark's heat vision is keeping her heart beating. Clark is visited by a mysterious phantom who insists that he must depart Earth immediately if he is to save his wife's life. The story is continued in the 3D tie-in comic ''Superman Beyond'', where the female Monitor Zillo Valla stops time around Lois, allowing Superman to leave her side for a while, recruiting him and several of his multiversal doppelgangers in a mission to save the entire Multiverse, promising care for Lois. After defeating the dark Monitor Mandrakk, Superman brings back a distilled drop of The Bleed and administers it to Lois through a kiss, restoring her to full health. Lois is later seen in ''Final Crisis'' #6, one of the few still free humans.
After the events of '' Superman: New Krypton'' Superman must leave Earth for an undetermined amount of time swearing off his Earthly connections in the eyes of his fellow Kryptonians to keep an eye on General Zod the New Kryptonian military commander, but he secretly tells Lois he still considers her his wife and will come back to her. In the issues of ''
Action Comics
''Action Comics'' is an American comic book/ magazine series that introduced Superman, one of the first major superhero characters. The publisher was originally known as National Allied Publications, and later as National Comics Publications ...
'' Lois has reunited with Christopher Kent who has aged to adulthood in the past months and became the new Metropolis hero Nightwing. Supergirl and Lana visit Lois' apartment to tell her the bad news that her sister
Lucy Lane
Lucy Lane is a fictional supporting character in DC Comics. She is the younger sister of Lois Lane, and one of several characters who have assumed the Superwoman identity.
She was played by Maureen Teefy in the 1984 film ''Supergirl (1984 film), ...
was killed during a battle with
Supergirl
Supergirl is the name of several fictional superheroines appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The original, current, and most well known Supergirl is Kara Zor-El, the cousin of superhero Superman. The character made her fir ...
. Lois doesn't believe that her sister is dead and refuses to accept the news until she has irrefutable proof. Lois asks Supergirl for a recovered piece of Superwoman's costume.
Lois hands her exposé in and the government is after her for treason. With agents on her tail, she makes a mad dash for it. When Lois is in custody, her father Sam Lane is there to greet her in an interview room in an unnamed facility. Sam tells Lois the only reason he has been lenient with her is because she is his daughter, while he does love her the planet will always come first over his family and threatens to make her disappear forever if she continues. Lois returns to the ''Daily Planet'' under cover of night and explains all to Perry. She points out the whole paper is at risk and everyone connected to it if her exposé runs. Perry understands and though he must protect the paper he is first and foremost a good journalist and nudges Lois in the right direction; he won't run the story but noted it must get out to the people somehow. Enlightened, she quits the ''Daily Planet'', as Lois gets her edge back. It was later revealed she never really quit the ''Daily Planet''.
Lois learns her father's forces destroyed New Krypton. She is kidnapped by Lucy and taken to Sam's secret base. There, Lois argues with her father, countering his insistence on regarding the Kryptonians as "rabid dogs" by pointing out that they naturally regard ''him'' as a genocidal maniac after he destroyed their planet. In the war between New Krypton and Earth, Supergirl finds them and threatens to kill Sam. Lois stops her, saying her father will be judged for his war crimes. Refusing to go to trial, Sam takes a gun and commits suicide. Later, Lois visits the imprisoned Lucy. She expresses disbelief on what her sister has become. Lois says while she will not miss her father, she will miss her sister.
In '' Superman: Grounded'', Superman begins a journey through America to reconnect with the American people, and Lois, though confused at first, supports his choice. Lois later travels to Rushmark and finds an old college friend Brian, who invites her to have dinner with him and his wife. When Lois leaves Brian's home she is met by Superman. The two reaffirm their love to each other and go to Chicago. There, Lois helps Superman arrest a violent father who has been attacking his wife and son. Later, Lois and Superman investigate a factory in Des Moines. Lois wants to publish an article, which would reveal the workers' illegal activities, but Superman forces her not to. Feeling betrayed, Lois returns to Metropolis and does not speak to Superman for a while. When Lois is kidnapped by Lisa Jennings, a woman who wants to destroy Superman, he rescues her. With the danger over. Superman apologizes to Lois about what happened in Des Moines. Lois replies that she wrote the article anyway, saying that she was a reporter before she was his wife. Knowing that his wife did the right thing, Superman kisses her. The two then return home.
The New 52
In 2011, DC Comics relaunched its titles and its main continuity was rebooted with the
New 52
The New 52 is the 2011 revamp and relaunch by DC Comics of its entire line of ongoing monthly superhero comic books. Following the conclusion of the " Flashpoint" crossover storyline, DC canceled all its existing titles and debuted 52 new series ...
. Lois now works for
Morgan Edge
Morgan Edge is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Originally a supporting character, he is a media mogul who acquires '' The Daily Planet'' and employs Clark Kent as a television journalist for his WGBS ...
heading up the media division of the ''Daily Planet''. She views Clark as a friend and is unaware that he is Superman.
Lois investigates the story of twenty people who developed metahuman powers after being kidnapped by Brainiac. Her search leads her to a U.S. senator, who revealed to be one of the Twenty. The senator dies, but not before transferring his powers to Lois, who falls into a coma. Lois later awakes from her coma at the hospital, with Jonathan Carroll at her side. Lois manifests psychic powers and helps Superman fight the Psychic Pirate. During the fight, Lois learns that Clark is Superman but falls back into a coma. After defeating the Psychic Pirate, Superman brings Lois back to the hospital. Later, the Parasite attacks the hospital and attempts to steal Lois' powers. Superman tricks the Parasite into absorbing Lois' psionic energy. The power overwhelms the Parasite, causing him to collapse. Lois awakens from her coma but she does not seem to remember Superman's identity.
Lois is the main character in the ''Superman: Lois Lane'' #1 one-shot. In this story, Lois' sister, Lucy, asks for her help in finding her roommate Amanda Suresh, who had been kidnapped by a mysterious group called "the Cartel." According to Lucy, Amanda had been taking a drug that transformed her into a monster. As Lois investigates the Cartel, she gets captured and taken to the Cartel's headquarters. There, Lois finds out the Cartel had been capturing people who had been mutated by the drug. Lois escapes and rescues Amanda when the captured monsters cause a riot. As she returns home, Lois finds out Lucy had been taking the drug. As Lucy apologizes for putting all three in danger, Lois chooses to publish her story about the Cartel.
Some time after this, an organisation led by the mysterious 'HODOR-ROOT' learn Superman's secret identity, prompting him to share that information with Lois. When HODOR-ROOT try to analyse Clark's new 'Super-Flare' power, Lois reveals his identity to the public in the hope of removing their blackmail card, but this forces Clark to go on the run, hunted by criminals and law enforcement as some apparent side-effect of his Super-Flare has depleted his powers. Superman eventually learns that his depleted powers are due to
Vandal Savage
Vandar Adg of the Blood Tribe, more widely known as Vandal Savage, is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He is said to be a Cro-Magnon warrior who gained immortality and advanced healing abilities after encount ...
infecting him with a form of radiation that inhibits his cells' ability to absorb solar radiation, subjecting himself to kryptonite as a form of chemotherapy. With his powers restored, Clark reconciles with Lois, accepting that she exposed his identity for good reasons.
In the '' New 52: Futures End'', set five years in the possible future of the New 52-verse. Lois is considered the most successful freelance reporter on the planet and her blog "The Fast Lane" is one of the most read and well-respected sources of news in the world.
In the miniseries ''
Convergence
Convergence may refer to:
Arts and media Literature
*''Convergence'' (book series), edited by Ruth Nanda Anshen
*Convergence (comics), "Convergence" (comics), two separate story lines published by DC Comics:
**A four-part crossover storyline that ...
'', which featured many Post-''Crisis'' DC Universe characters, including a married Superman and his pregnant wife Lois Lane, deal with the impending birth of their child, as Superman is called to protect the city. ''Convergence'' shows the birth of their son, Jon Kent.
Following ''Convergence'', DC announced the spin-off comic book series '' Superman: Lois and Clark'', debuting in October 2015 by
Dan Jurgens
Dan Jurgens (; born June 27, 1959) is an American comic book writer and artist. He is known for his work on the DC comic book storyline " The Death of Superman" and for creating characters such as Doomsday, Hank Henshaw and Booster Gold. Jurg ...
and
Lee Weeks
Lee Weeks (born 1962) is an American comics artist known for his work on such titles as ''Daredevil''.
Career
Lee Weeks attended The Kubert School and made his professional comics debut penciling, inking, and lettering a short story ("Friends ...
. The eight-issue series is set several years after the ''Convergence'' event, where Clark and Lois and their son Jon have been living and working in the New 52 universe. The couple now lives in California and has changed their last name to White (a tribute to Perry White). Lois has become an anonymous author, publishing several critically acclaimed books under the alias name "Author X." While Clark continues his superhero duty, protecting cities and civilians quietly behind the scenes. Their son, Jonathan, eventually began to develop superpowers of his own (similar to those of his father Superman) and learned the truth about his parents' true origin.
In ''The Final Days of Superman'', the pre-''Flashpoint'' Superman helps his ''New 52'' counterpart defeat a man who has become convinced that he is the 'true' Superman after exposure to some of Superman's excess energy. ''New 52''-Lois is present when 'her' Superman expires as recent energy exposures catch up with him, after he tells her his life story for posterity.
DC Rebirth
In June 2016, DC Comics relaunched its entire line of comic book titles with
DC Rebirth
DC Rebirth is a 2016 relaunch by the American comic book publisher DC Comics of its entire line of ongoing monthly superhero comic book titles. Using the end of The New 52 initiative in May 2016 as its launching point, DC Rebirth restored the DC ...
. The publisher once again re-established the Post-''Crisis'' Superman as the principal Superman in DC comics, along with his wife, Lois Lane, and their son, Jonathan.
Lois began to investigate the disappearance of her New 52 counterpart, and after learning the apparent death of her other-self, she returns to the ''Daily Planet'' posing as her counterpart. Following a confrontation with
Mister Mxyzptlk
Mister Mxyzptlk (, ), sometimes called Mxy, is a character who appears in DC Comics' '' Superman'' comic books. He is usually presented as a trickster in the classical mythological sense. Mxyzptlk possesses reality-warping powers with which he en ...
, Lois and Superman's essence is merged with their New 52 counterpart, creating a new DC Universe.
Released in July 2019 to July 2020, Lois stars in a 12-issue limited series ''Lois Lane'' written by
Greg Rucka
Gregory Rucka (born November 29, 1969) is an American writer known for the series of novels starring his character Atticus Kodiak, the creator-owned comic book series '' Whiteout'', ''Queen & Country'', '' Stumptown'' and '' Lazarus'', as well as ...
and art by
Mike Perkins
Mike Perkins is a British comic book artist known for his inking work and full art duties on comic books such as ''Captain America'', '' Ruse'' and Stephen King's ''The Stand''.
Career
Mike Perkins began drawing at a very early age. After att ...
. The series sees Lois as she investigates stories of conspiracy, intrigue and murder in the DC Universe. Writer Greg Rucka intended for the series to focus on Lois' legacy as a hard-boiled journalist and the investigative world which she inhabits, with the series reflecting the state of modern journalism in the world today.
Superhero identities
Lois Lane has become a superhero and gained superpowers several times in the comics, animation, and live-action series.
Superwoman
Lois was the first person to assume the
Superwoman
Superwoman is the name of several fictional characters from DC Comics. Most of them are, like Supergirl, women with powers similar to those of Superman, like flight, invulnerability, and enhanced strength. Detective Comics, Inc. trademarked ...
persona and has become the superheroine on several occasions. Her first appearance as Superwoman (as well as Superwoman's first appearance in DC Comics) was in ''Action Comics'' #60 (May 1943). The story is set in a dream sequence, where, after Lois is hit by a truck, she dreams a transfusion of Superman's blood gives her superpowers and she becomes Superwoman. In ''Superman'' #45, Lois believes Hocus and Pocus—a pair of fraudulent magicians—have given her superpowers, and with Superman's help and intervention, Lois once again becomes Superwoman. In ''Action Comics'' #156, Lois actually gains superpowers from one of
Lex Luthor
Alexander Joseph "Lex" Luthor () is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Lex Luthor originally appeared in ''Action Comics'' #23 (cover dated: April ...
's inventions, which launches a short-lived career as "Superwoman." In ''
The Superman Family
''The Superman Family'' was an American comic book series published by DC Comics from 1974 to 1982 featuring supporting characters in the ''Superman'' comics. The term "Superman Family" is often used to refer to the extended cast of characters o ...
'' #207, the Earth-Two Lois gained superpowers from her husband, after Superman brought an extraterrestrial plant into their home, with Lois losing the powers after the death of the plant. Other stories have Lois transformed into Superwoman when Superman transfers some of his powers to Lois, or due to Mr. Mxyzptlk's interference. On '' Smallville'' in the episode "Prophecy," Jor-El gives Lois all of Clark's powers for one day.
In the original
Crime Syndicate of America
The Crime Syndicate are teams of supervillains from one of DC Comics' parallel universes where they are the evil counterparts of the Justice League. The original team was specifically known as the Crime Syndicate of America and is sometimes abb ...
on
Earth-Three
Earth-Three, or simply Earth-3 or Earth 3, is a “partially-reversed” Earth, where supervillainous counterparts of the mainstream DC superheroes reside. It first appeared in ''Justice League of America'' #29 (1964), and the concept has been reb ...
, Lois Lane and Superwoman were two separate individual characters. Superwoman is a supervillain and Lois married Earth-Three's greatest champion, Alexander Luthor. The pre-Crisis version of the characters perished when Earth-Three was destroyed during the events of ''
Crisis on Infinite Earths
"Crisis on Infinite Earths" is a 1985 American comic book crossover storyline published by DC Comics. The series, written by Marv Wolfman and pencilled by George Pérez, was first serialized as a 12-issue limited series from April 1985 to Mar ...
''. In the graphic novel ''JLA: Earth 2'', Superwoman, a member of the Crime Syndicate is the alternate version of Lois Lane. She is an Amazons (DC Comics), Amazon by birth and the chief editor of the ''Daily Planet''. She inhabits the same antimatter universe which contains the planet Qward. The New 52 version of Superwoman of Earth-3 is also named Lois Lane and is part of the Crime Syndicate.
In ''All-Star Superman'', the 12-issue comic book series by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely, Lois becomes a Kryptonian Superwoman for 24 hours. In the story, Superman (who believed he was dying) revealed his secret identity to her and takes Lois to his Fortress of Solitude to spend her birthday. While at his Arctic sanctuary, he presents Lois with her birthday present, a formula called "Exo-Genes" created by Superman from his own DNA, that allows Lois to have his powers for twenty-four hours. With her new Kryptonian powers and new Superwoman costume (made by Superman), the two spend the whole day together on different adventures and shared a kiss on the moon. At the end of the story, Superman proclaims his love for Lois, before he flies off into the sun to repair it. Lois later appeared as Superwoman in the animated All-Star Superman (film), All-Star Superman film, voiced by Christina Hendricks.
In
DC Rebirth
DC Rebirth is a 2016 relaunch by the American comic book publisher DC Comics of its entire line of ongoing monthly superhero comic book titles. Using the end of The New 52 initiative in May 2016 as its launching point, DC Rebirth restored the DC ...
, the ''New 52'' Lois and Lana gained superpowers due to the solar energy explosion caused by the death of the New 52 Superman. This results in both Lois and Lana becoming Superwoman, with Lois possessing all of Superman's traditional powers, while Lana has the ability to absorb solar energy and release it in other forms. Lois later dies at the hands of a female Bizarro, being overloaded with solar energy the same way Superman was killed.
Red Tornado
Following the DC relaunch, the series ''Earth-Two#Reimagined: Earth 2 in The New 52, Earth 2'' debuted in 2012, set on the List of DC Multiverse worlds, parallel world of that name. It depicts a modern take on the Golden Age world, starring the Justice Society of America and superheroes of that period.
In ''Earth 2'', Lois Lane is married to Superman (Earth-Two), Superman. When Clark's cousin Power Girl, Kara arrived on earth, she stayed with Clark's parents, before moving in and living with Clark and Lois. Lois considers Kara as her daughter and Kara calls Lois mom. Five years prior to the start of the story, during the first Apokolips, Apokoliptian invasion of Earth 2, Lois was killed by one of Darkseid's assassins at the Daily Planet, she died in her husband's arms. Superman and many other heroes of Earth 2 perished in the war.
Five years later, as various heroes begin to rise and various gods from Apokolips begin to wreak havoc again. Lois' consciousness is revealed to have survived and was downloaded into the robot body of Red Tornado (identity), Red Tornado by her father Sam Lane (comics)#Earth 2, Sam Lane and Robotman (Robert Crane)#Earth 2, Robert Crane. Lois, now as Red Tornado, possessed the power of wind manipulation and cyclone generation abilities. Lois bands together with Green Lantern (Alan Scott), Batman (Thomas Wayne), Accountable (Jimmy Olsen) and the other gathered heroes to fight against the forces of Apokolips. After a protracted battle with what was thought to be a surviving brainwashed Superman, Lois realizes he is, in fact, a Bizarro, and takes advantage of his deteriorating form to disintegrate him with a cyclone blast. In the story, Lois is referred to by Doctor Fate as the "Resurrection hope".
During Superman's rampage and destruction on Earth 2, Lois is among a group that discovers Val-Zod, a Kryptonian, hidden in a cell beneath Arkham. Lois helps Val feel accepted and welcomed on Earth 2, learn to control his superpower, and overcome his agoraphobia (due to his prolonged travel in space to Earth). Val-Zod eventually becomes the new Superman of Earth 2.
In the second Apokoliptian invasion of Earth 2, Lois and Kara are reunited, after Kara and Huntress (Helena Wayne), Huntress return to Earth 2 from Prime Earth. Lois, along with Kara, Val, Huntress, Batman and other heroes, fights against the armies of Apokolips and new villains appearing across Earth 2. While searching for Huntress beneath the fire pits of Earth 2 in DeSaad's cloning facility, Lois, Val, Kara and Batman found the real Superman who has been held captive for five years. He was revived by Desaad, DeSaad and was used as the genetic source for the Kryptonian clones. The extraction of his DNA corrupted his body leaving him without any powers. Lois and Superman reunite briefly, before he sacrificed himself one last time, destroying the Parademon facilities using his corrupt DNA. After Superman's death, Lois gave Kara the symbol from his uniform, which was then worn by Kara in remembrance.
In the final days of Earth 2, Lois' instincts as a journalist lead her to attempt to preserve and record the history and stories of Earth 2 in her large memory bank in the hope that someday, someone will read the data and rebuild this world. After the destruction of Earth 2, Lois and the remaining civilians and heroes of Earth 2 relocated to a new world.
The writer of ''Earth 2'', Tom Taylor (writer), Tom Taylor, specifically resurrected Lois Lane on Earth 2 after he was told to kill off the character in the ''Injustice'' comic series. Taylor stated "bringing Lois in was quite a personal thing, because having to do such horrible, horrible things to her in Injustice, the first thing I asked when I got on the book was if I could bring back Lois. Then it was just a matter of working out exactly how." Taylor received "Women in Refrigerators" criticism for his ''Injustice'' comic stories. Bringing back Lois as Red Tornado was Taylor's way to "unfridge" Lois. As Taylor noted, in Lois' first appearance as Red Tornado, Lois literally came out of a blue refrigerator. Other reasons for bringing back Lois involve Superman, Taylor commented "While evil bastard Superman is out there killing and maiming and destroying, I wanted Lois to exist as the counterpoint to this. She's the beating heart at the center. She's the good Ying to Superman's evil Yang. Where there's Lois, there's hope."
Nicola Scott, the long-time artist on Earth 2, on drawing Red Tornado Lois, "I wanted Lois to be Lois, despite the fact that she's metal. I wanted to make sure she looked really feminine and really beautiful, so all she'd need is a flesh coating and a wig and she'd be good to go."
Other identities and powers
* Green Lantern – In ''Tangent Comics: Tales of the Green Lantern'' #1, Green Lantern of Earth-9 is introduced with three different origin tales. In one origin story, Lois is an archaeologist, explorer, and adventurer hired by billionaire playboy Booster Gold to explore the underwater ruins off the coast of Florida. She discovers a community of mutated life forms known as the Sea Devils (comics), Sea Devils and is murdered by Booster Gold when she tries to protect the Sea Devils. Her body is taken to the underwater castle and resurrected as the Green Lantern.
* Elastic Lass – Lois becomes Elastic Lass, after borrowing Jimmy Olsen's Elastic Lad serum, given to him by Professor Potter, so she can catch the Wrecker, who has been blowing up statues around Metropolis.
* Isis – On the television series '' Smallville'', Lois is possessed by the spirit of the Egyptian goddess and hero Isis while wearing the Amulet of Isis in the tenth-season episode "Isis." This was based on the character of Isis who first appeared in an The Secrets of Isis, eponymous 1975-77 CBS television series, later known as ''The Secrets of Isis''. Isis was then brought into DC comics canon, both as a superhero and as a separate goddess. As Isis, Lois had super strength, speed, telekinesis, telepathy, energy projection, magic, and could fly.
*Krypton Girl – In the imaginary story in ''Superman's Girlfriend Lois Lane'' #47, Lois is from Krypton and takes the superhero name Krypton Girl on Earth; Clark Kent is an ordinary human.
*Leopard Lady – Lois becomes the supervillain Leopard Lady and marries Lex Luthor when a machine that can bring out evil in a person is used on her.
* Power Girl – In ''Superman'' #125, Lois dreams she and Clark gain superpowers and become Power-Girl and Power-Man.
* Stiletto – On ''Smallville'', Lois takes on the superhero persona of Stiletto, after saving Chloe from a carjacker in the eighth-season episode "Stiletto."
*Super-Lois – The comic book ''Superman's Girlfriend Lois Lane'' featured several stories in which Lois gains superpowers and becomes Super-Lois. In one, Lois gains superpower after Superman gives her a blood transfusion. In another story, Lois is invited to visit Kandor with three other accomplished women of Earth; while there, a scientist gives her superpowers. Lois uses her new superpowers to save Superman from a Kryptonite trap set by Mayhem, Inc.
* Supermaid – In an imaginary story in ''Superman'' #158, Lois goes to Krypton as a child and becomes Supermaid. Lois' father sent his infant daughter to Krypton in a starship, after discovering Earth's sun would go nova and destroy the solar system. Arriving on Krypton within a power beam modifies Lois' molecular biology, giving her superpowers. Lois was adopted and raised by a zookeeper as Kandi Khan and became the Superheroine Supermaid.
* Ultra Woman – On the television series ''Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman'' in the episode "Ultra Woman" Superman's powers are transferred to Lois when a red Kryptonite laser beam hit him. Martha Kent makes Lois a new costume and Clark introduces her to Metropolis as Ultra Woman.
*Divine empowerment – Lois was briefly granted divine powers as the Goddess of Integrity by the war and death gods, but gave the powers up at the urging of Wonder Woman. Her powers include flight, enhanced intellect, teleportation and weather manipulation.
*Psychic powers – In ''The New 52'', Lois was given various psychic powers by Senator Hume; she has redeveloped and lost these powers numerous times. Some of her powers are telepathy and astral projection.
Earth-Two version
DC Comics instituted its Multiverse (DC Comics), multiverse system in the early 1960s for organizing its continuity and introduced the Superman (Earth-Two), Earth-Two Superman in ''Justice League of America'' #73 (August 1969). This retcon declared the Golden Age Superman and Lois Lane stories (i.e. comics published from 1938 through the early 1950s) as having taken place on the parallel world of "Earth-Two" versus the then mainstream (Silver Age of Comic Books, Silver Age) universe of "Earth-One".
In ''Action Comics'' #484 (June 1978), a flashback story reveals Earth-Two's Lois became infatuated with Clark Kent after the latter lost his memory of his superheroic identity (thanks to a spell cast by the old Justice Society of America enemy Wizard (DC Comics), Wizard working for Colonel Future), with the result of Clark acting more aggressive and extroverted. Clark and Lois began to date each other and were soon married. During the honeymoon, Lois discovered that Clark was indeed Superman. After recruiting the aid of Wizard, Lois restored Clark's memory and Wizard surrendered to the authorities.
The now-married Lois and Clark appeared in a series of stories in ''
The Superman Family
''The Superman Family'' was an American comic book series published by DC Comics from 1974 to 1982 featuring supporting characters in the ''Superman'' comics. The term "Superman Family" is often used to refer to the extended cast of characters o ...
'' #195–199 and #201–222 titled ''Mr and Mrs Superman'', which presented their further adventures early in their marriage. Susie Tompkins made a return as a recurring character. Years later, Lois and Clark acted as parental figures for Power Girl, Superman's cousin, after she arrived on Earth.
During the ''
Crisis on Infinite Earths
"Crisis on Infinite Earths" is a 1985 American comic book crossover storyline published by DC Comics. The series, written by Marv Wolfman and pencilled by George Pérez, was first serialized as a 12-issue limited series from April 1985 to Mar ...
'' miniseries, the Earth-Two Lois Lane was seemingly seen for the final time, as Lois, the Earth-Two Superman, and the Superboy Prime, Superboy of Earth-Prime are, at the end of the story, taken by
Earth-Three
Earth-Three, or simply Earth-3 or Earth 3, is a “partially-reversed” Earth, where supervillainous counterparts of the mainstream DC superheroes reside. It first appeared in ''Justice League of America'' #29 (1964), and the concept has been reb ...
's Alexander Luthor Jr. into a paradise-like dimension. Following the events of ''Crisis on Infinite Earths,'' this version of Lois was retroactively removed from DC's continuity.
In 2005's ''Infinite Crisis'' miniseries, it was revealed that the Earth-Two Lois Lane Kent, along with Superboy, Alexander Luthor Jr., and Superman, have been watching the events of the post-Crisis
DC Universe
The DC Universe (DCU) is the fictional shared universe where most stories in American comic book titles published by DC Comics take place. Superheroes such as Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Robin, Martian Manhunter, The Flash, Green L ...
from their pocket dimension. Out of the four observers, she is the only one who still believes that the new universe is just going through a rough patch; Superboy-Prime and Alexander Luthor Jr. are convinced that Earth is utterly corrupt, and Kal-L is slowly becoming swayed to their way of thinking. This version of Lois is frail, and dying for reasons not explicitly revealed, though possibly connected to her octogenarian status. This was the main reason for Kal-L's determination to restore Earth-Two, as he believed that Lois' health would recover once back on her proper Earth. Despite the restoration of Earth-Two, Lois Lane Kent died in the arms of her husband Superman regardless of Kal-L's protests that he could not let her die. After Kal-L died at the hands of Superboy-Prime, he commented that he finally understood Lois' final words "It's... not... going..." as meaning that it would never end for them, and one day it would be understood that even the heroes who had been lost in the original Crisis were still out there somewhere. After his demise, they are shown reunited in the stars, while their bodies are buried on Earth alongside Superboy (Kon-El), Kon-El's, who gave his life to stop Superboy-Prime's attempts to restore his Earth.
Lois later returns as a sinister Black Lantern Corps, Black Lantern with her husband in the ''Blackest Night'' crossover. Her first task is to kidnap Jonathan and Martha Kent, Martha Kent with her spouse, and stating that she and Kal-L wish for Superman, Kal-El, Superboy (Kon-El), Connor Kent, and Martha, to be reunited with Jonathan "Pa" Kent, Jonathan Kent in death. She proved unable to deal with the resourcefulness of Martha Kent, and was set ablaze by the widow, but kept regenerating until Krypto intervened, ripping the black ring out of her hand and preventing regeneration for long enough to allow Superman and Conner Kent to destroy the Black Lantern powerhouses attacking Smallville (comics), Smallville, and reaching town to aid others unhindered. Black Lantern Lois later appears to Power Girl, claiming that she has escaped the ring's corrupting influence, and needs her help. This was just a ploy to get close enough to her husband's body, which was being held in the JSA headquarters after his black ring had been removed. Black Lantern Lois "sacrifices" herself by removing her ring and giving it to Kal-L, restoring him to full undead status, and causing her own body to become inert.
In other versions
During the years 1942–1985 Editora Brasil-América and Editora Abril which published the Brazilian versions of Superman comics, Lois Lane's name was translated to "Miriam Lane" and later to "Miriam Lois Lane." In Spanish language, Spanish speaking countries, her name was translated to "Luisa Lane" in comics, TV series and movies.
Elseworlds imprint
*''Superman: Speeding Bullets'', a 1993 Elseworlds story based on the concept of an amalgamation of Superman and Batman. Martha and Thomas Wayne discovered Baby Kal-El, adopt and named him Bruce. Bruce discovers his superpowers when his parents are killed and create the identity Batman to fight criminals in Gotham City. Lois relocates to Gotham City after Lex Luthor buys the ''Daily Planet'', and soon forms a relationship with Bruce Wayne, the owner of her new job at the ''Gotham Gazette''. She later convinces him to abandon the identity of Batman and adopt a more hopeful persona of Superman.
*''Superman: The Feral Man of Steel'', a 1994 Elseworlds special in ''Superman'' (vol. 2) Annual #6, based on Mowgli, The Jungle Book stories with elements from Tarzan. Raised by Wolf, wolves in 19th-century Indian Jungle and is given the name K'L'L. Lois is an American girl who falls for K'L'L.
*In ''Superman: Kal'', Lady Loisse is the daughter of the late Lord Lane in the Middle Ages. She is held captive by Baron Luthor, who hopes to make her his bride. Lois falls for Kal, a blacksmith's apprentice after he wins a contest against Luthor's best fighters. She accepts his request for her hand in marriage, as payment for him forging a suit of armour for Luthor from his rocket. After their wedding, Loisse is taken from Kal by Luthor, who subsequently killed her.
*Lois is a teacher from the undercity in the 1996 series, ''Superman's Metropolis'', modelled on Fritz Lang's classic 1927 science-fiction film ''Metropolis (1927 film), Metropolis''.
*''Superman: War of the Worlds'', a Superman story adapted into the H. G. Wells novel ''The War of the Worlds''. Set in 1938, after applying for a job at the Daily Star, Clark and Lois witness the arrival of the Martian invasion of Earth. Superman dies saving the Earth, and Lois marries Lex Luthor who becomes the Vice President of the United States, Vice President.
* In the 1998 series, ''JLA: The Nail'', the Kents never found Clark, Lois is selected by Hal Jordan, Green Lantern to provide the Justice League with some positive media presentation after a recent propaganda campaign focuses on the idea that many modern metahumans are alien invaders. Tracking recent kidnapped heroes to a secret base, Lois is introduced to the Kents, who provide a safe house for various heroes after Lana Lang smuggled them out of the facility, and later discovers that the true mastermind behind the conspiracy is Jimmy Olsen, mutated into a Kryptonian through genetic experiments carried out based on DNA samples found in Kal-El's crashed and abandoned ship. Jimmy is finally defeated by Kal-El, who was here raised by an Amish couple until their deaths at Olsen's hands, with Lois writing about how Kal-El's time with the Kents helped him accept his abilities and grow into the Superman he should have been. In the sequel, ''JLA: Another Nail'' Lois helps the Kents create Kal-El's 'Clark' disguise- albeit naming him 'Carl' on impulse- to give him a chance at a normal life outside of his role as Superman, reasoning that the simplicity of the glasses will stop people paying too much attention to him, while their original plan to completely cover him with a false beard would make people suspect that Kal-El had something to hide.
* John Byrne's ''Superman & Batman: Generations'' follow the life and families of Superman and Lois and their descendants over the course of three separate Elseworlds series.
*Published in 1999, ''The Superman Monster'' takes elements from Mary Shelley's novel ''Frankenstein'' where Superman is similar to the Frankenstein's monster, Frankenstein monster. Set in Gotham City in 1888, Eloise Edge is the daughter of Burgomaster Edge and the fiancé of scientist Vicktor Luthor who creates the creature, Klaus, using Kryptonian technology. Eloise develops an affection for Klaus, and after she is killed by a ricocheting bullet and revived in the same Matrix that created Klaus, she accompanies him to the Arctic to learn more about her new condition.
*In the series, ''Son of Superman'', fifteen years after the disappearance of Superman, Lois' teenage son Jon Kent begins to display superpowers and learns his father is Superman. Jon joins the rebel organization to fight against the corrupt U.S. government.
*In ''JLA: Created Equal'', all men on Earth except Superman and Lex Luthor is killed by a strange disease. When Lois become pregnant, Superman is forced to leave Earth after Luthor reveals he is still a carrier for the disease. Years later, Lois gives birth to her and Clark's son, Adam, who has various half-siblings conceived with the other females using sperm samples provided by Superman, but Adam accidentally kills his mother when he hugs her too hard.
*Lois is a captain in the military in series ''Superman: Last Son of Earth'' and ''Superman: Last Stand on Krypton''. A reverse of the Superman origin with Kal-El being sent from Earth to Krypton, discovering the Green Lantern power ring, and journeys to Earth and help its people fight against the dictator Luthor.
*In ''Superman/Tarzan: Sons of the Jungle'', Kal-El, the last survivor of Krypton crash-lands in East Africa and is raised by apes to become the Lord of the Jungle; and meet the adventurer John Greystoke, Jane Clayton and her friend Metropolis reporter Lois Lane.
* In the 2003 Elseworlds series ''Superman: Red Son'', Superman's escape rocket did not land in Smallville (comics), Smallville, but in the Soviet Union under Joseph Stalin. Lois is married to
Lex Luthor
Alexander Joseph "Lex" Luthor () is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Lex Luthor originally appeared in ''Action Comics'' #23 (cover dated: April ...
but still uses the surname Lane for her articles in the ''Daily Planet''. Superman saves her life, and the two have an instant attraction with each other and Lois has feelings for him through the rest of the story. After the fall of Superman's Greater Soviet Union and presumed death, he attends his "funeral" wearing a suit and glasses. Superman's secret identity as Clark Kent does not exist on this alternate Earth.
*''Superman: True Brit'', the 2004 series re-imagines the origin of Superman, where his spaceship crashed in Weston-super-Mare in England instead of the town of Smallville in America. A humorous look at Superman and the British Tabloid journalism, tabloid press, it features Louisa Layne-Ferret, a hard-edged reporter. Lois herself briefly appears to offer an American perspective on Superman and invites Colin Clark to visit America.
''Flashpoint''
In the alternate timeline of the ''Flashpoint (comics), Flashpoint'' event, a young Lois Lane sneaks into the facility where her father Sam Lane is stationed to bring him a birthday cake. During a breakout, Lois briefly encounters Superman, Kal-El and Apollo (comics), Neil Sinclair. Sinclair attempts to pursue revenge against her father for the experiments that were performed on him. Sam traps Sinclair and himself in the
Phantom Zone
The Phantom Zone is a prison-like parallel dimension appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. It is mainly associated with stories featuring Superman. It first appeared in '' Adventure Comics'' #283 (April 1961), and was created ...
.
Years later, Lois is reporting on a fashion show in Montmartre when the Atlanteans flooded Europe. She is saved by the Amazons who take her to "New Themiscyra" (the United Kingdom). Once there, she learns that Jimmy Olsen, who dies in the flood while trying to save an old man, was an agent of Cyborg (comics), Cyborg. Lois agrees to spy on the Amazons for Cyborg. When the time comes for her to undergo a near-fatal "conversion" into the Amazonian ranks, she escapes, aided by Penny Black, who is wounded by Artemis of Bana-Mighdall, Artemis in the process.
During this time, Lois walks through the remains of the London Underground and encounters Grifter (comics), Grifter and the Resistance. Lois soon joins the Resistance. After meeting up with the recovering Penny, she uses Cyborg's device to locate her missing armor at Westminster. Lois later broadcasts a message to the world that the Amazons have imprisoned people in internment. The Amazons in Westminster attempt to kill her. Lois is then rescued by Kal-El (who comes to protect her from Sinclair who has returned). During the fight, Kal-El manages to destroy Sinclair, but Lois is caught in the blast. Before Lois dies in the arms of Kal-El, she tells him to save the people.
''Injustice: Gods Among Us''
In the digital prequel comic to the video game ''Injustice: Gods Among Us'', Lois is married to Superman and is pregnant with their child. While on a story at the docks with Jimmy Olsen, she is kidnapped by Joker (character), The Joker and Harley Quinn and taken to a submarine where they perform surgery on her. When the Joker is captured by the Justice League, he informs them he has planted a nuclear bomb in Metropolis and wired the detonator to Lois's heart, set to go off when she dies. While under the influence of Scarecrow (DC Comics), Scarecrow's kryptonite-laced fear gas, Superman mistakes Lois for Global catastrophic risk, Doomsday and, in an attempt to protect his family, unknowingly flies up into space with her, killing both Lois and their unborn child in the process. When she dies, a nuclear bomb obliterates Metropolis. Superman, devastated by the death of Lois and their unborn child as well as his inadvertent role in destroying Metropolis, kills the Joker and begins his campaign for world domination. Her death serves as the catalyst for Superman's new outlook, as he becomes more willing to kill to protect the world.
In Year Three of the series, Superman was put in a magic comatose sleep, where events played out differently in his dream scenario. In this dream world, Superman imagines he had broken free of the fear gas in time to save Lois and their unborn child. Batman had killed Joker to prevent the possibility of another attack on Superman and his family. Lois eventually gave birth to their daughter Lara Lane-Kent. Superman and Lois live a happy and normal life, raising their daughter Lara, who eventually develops superpowers and with her father's guidance becomes a superhero of her own. Superman is eventually awakened from his slumber by Ares and is left feeling angrier and more bitter after realizing and living the life he could've had with Lois and their child. In Year Five, in an alternate world, Lois and Clark are shown happily visiting Clark's parents, telling them that she is pregnant.
''DC Comics Bombshells''
''DC Comics Bombshells'', a comic book series set in an alternate history of World War II, Eloisa "Lois" Lane is a mixed-race 17-year-old newspaper hawker from Metropolis' Cuban district. When criminals working for Killer Frost kidnaps her, she is rescued by the Batgirls (a group of female vigilantes) and partners with them to defeat Hugo Strange, the man who crippled her mother. Later in the series, she gets a job working at the ''Gotham Gazette'' for Vicki Vale and eventually begins dating Supergirl.
''Nightwing: The New Order''
In an alternate reality, Nightwing (Dick Grayson), Nightwing activates a device ending an ongoing war between the super-powered beings and depowers ninety percent of the superhero population, and leads to a future where superpower is outlawed. Lois is a Blue Lantern Corps, Blue Lantern and a member of the Teen Titans, Titans, who form a resistance against the anti-metahuman government.
''Superman: Secret Identity''
Published in 2004, ''Superman: Secret Identity'' is a four-issue miniseries written by Kurt Busiek and art by Stuart Immonen. Set in the real world where superheroes only exist in comic books. Clark Kent, living in a small town in Kansas, discovers that he has the same powers as Superman, the fictional superhero he was named after. Years later, Clark moves to New York City, New York, working as a writer and secretly saving people with his abilities. He meets Lois Chaudhari, an Indian American designer on a blind date (set up by friends because their names resemble the fictional couple Clark Kent and Lois Lane). The two quickly fall in love, got married and had twin daughters Jane and Carol Kent, who also inherit their father's powers.
''Gotham City Garage''
''Gotham City Garage'', a digital-first comic book series written by Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing, reimagines DC superheroes and villains as bikers in a post-apocalyptic world. Governor Lex Luthor controls the modern utopia Gotham City and the rest of the continent is a wasteland. Lois Lane runs a rebel news radio station "The Frequency". When Big Barda, Barda ask for help, Lois and Jimmy Olsen join her in the resistance.
Tales from the Dark Multiverse
''Tales from the Dark Multiverse: Death of Superman'', an anthology series that explores alternate takes on classic DC stories set in a different world in the Dark Multiverse. After Superman is killed by Doomsday, filled with anger and grief, Lois merges with the Eradicator and gains Kryptonian powers so she can take revenge on the corrupt world and those who let Superman die.
Marvel Comics cameos
Lois Lane has had several (mostly cameo) appearances alongside
Clark Kent
Superman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, and debuted in the comic book '' Action Comics'' #1 ( cover-dated June 1938 and pu ...
in past works of Marvel Comics, namely in ''Uncanny X-Men, X-Men'' #98, ''Superman vs. The Amazing Spider-Man'' (1976), ''Thor (Marvel Comics), The Mighty Thor'' #341 (1984), ''Excalibur (comics), Excalibur'' #8, Ghost Rider (Danny Ketch), ''Ghost Rider'' (vol. 3) #66 (1995), and ''Marvels Epilogue'' (September 2019).
Newspaper comic strip
'' Lois Lane, Girl Reporter'' is a newspaper comic strip featuring Lois Lane, a spin-off from the Superman comic strip and Topper (comic strip), topper to the Superman Sunday strip in the ''
Cleveland Plain Dealer
''The Plain Dealer'' is the major newspaper of Cleveland, Ohio, United States. In fall 2019, it ranked 23rd in U.S. newspaper circulation, a significant drop since March 2013, when its circulation ranked 17th daily and 15th on Sunday.
As of M ...
''. Twelve comic strips were produced and originally ran between October 24, 1943, to February 27, 1944. Lois also appears in the ''Superman (comic strip), Superman'' daily newspaper comic strip, distributed by McClure Syndicate which ran continuously from January 1939 to May 1966 with a separate Sunday strip added on November 5, 1939.
Books
Comic books
Lois has appeared in several self-titled miniseries, one-shots and collected editions:
*''Lois Lane'' – a two issue limited series published in August and September 1986.
*''Superman: Lois Lane'' – a one-shot published in June 1998 as part of the "Girlfrenzy!" Fifth-week event.
*''Flashpoint: Lois Lane and the Resistance'' – a three-issue limited series published August 2011-October 2011 as part of the ''Flashpoint (comics), Flashpoint'' crossover.
*''DC Archive Editions: Superman's Girlfriend Lois Lane Archives Vol. 1'' – a collection of Silver Age Lois Lane stories. Showcase #9-10 and ''Superman's Girlfriend, Lois Lane'' #1-8. Published in January 2012.
*''Lois Lane: A Celebration of 75 Years'' – special anniversary anthology celebrating Lois Lane's 75 years in comics. Collects material from Action Comics #1-2, 6, 484, 600, 662, Adventures of Superman #631, All Star Superman #2-3, Man of Steel #2, Showcase #9, Superman #29, 33–34, 58, 168, Superman 80-page giant #1, Superman's Girlfriend, Lois Lane #1, 5, 16, 23, 42, 106, and Wonder Woman #170. Published in November 2013, the collection compiles stories from Golden Age to Silver Age and modern adventures.
*''Superman: Lois Lane'' #1 – a one-shot published in April 2014.
*'' Superman: Lois and Clark'' – an eight-issue limited series, collects #1-8 published in August 2016.
* ''Lois Lane'' – a 12-issue limited series by writer
Greg Rucka
Gregory Rucka (born November 29, 1969) is an American writer known for the series of novels starring his character Atticus Kodiak, the creator-owned comic book series '' Whiteout'', ''Queen & Country'', '' Stumptown'' and '' Lazarus'', as well as ...
and artist
Mike Perkins
Mike Perkins is a British comic book artist known for his inking work and full art duties on comic books such as ''Captain America'', '' Ruse'' and Stephen King's ''The Stand''.
Career
Mike Perkins began drawing at a very early age. After att ...
released in July 2019 to July 2020.
Graphic novels
''Lois Lane and the Friendship Challenge''
A graphic novel by writer Grace Ellis and artist Brittney Williams, and focus on a 13-year-old Lois Lane as she navigates the confusing worlds of social media and friendship during summer break in the sleepy town of Liberty View. Released in August 2020, it is part of DC Graphic Novels for Kids, DC's original graphic novels for young readers.
''Girl Taking Over: A Lois Lane Story''
DC Graphic Novels for Young Adults, DC graphic novels for young adults will release ''Girl Taking Over: A Lois Lane Story'' written by Sarah Kuhn and art by Arielle Jovellanos in April 2023.
Novels
''Lois Lane''
Lois is the protagonist in the young adult novel series, ''Lois Lane'', written by Gwenda Bond and published by Switch Press. The series follows the adventures of Lois Lane as a savvy, whip-smart, and unafraid contemporary teenage high school girl. The first book in the series, ''Fallout'', was revealed by the author in 2014 and was released on May 1, 2015. Bond revealed the second book, ''Double Down'', in July 2015, and the book was released on May 1, 2016.
On the series, Bond said: "Lois is an icon, of course, a superhero without any superpowers ... except her unmatched bravery and smarts. Not to mention her sense of humor and her commitment to truth and justice. She's also one of my all-time favorite characters—which is why I jumped at the chance to write a novel featuring a teen Lois, moving to Metropolis and becoming a reporter for the first time. And, most of all, to get to put Lois front and center in the starring role, obviously."
*''Fallout'' – first novel in the ''Lois Lane'' series by Gwenda Bond. The novel features a teenage Lois Lane, an Army brat, who has lived all over the world. Lois is starting a new life in Metropolis with her family. While attending a new high school, she tries to solve a mystery as a group known as the Warheads begins to tamper with people's minds via a high-tech immersive video game. Two prequel short stories: ''Lois Lane: A Real Work of Art'' and ''Lois Lane: Cloudy With a Chance of Destruction'' was also published by Switch Press. ''Fallout'' received positive reviews and was named by Kirkus Reviews one of the "Best Teen Books of 2015" in the science fiction and fantasy category.
*''Double Down'' – second ''Lois Lane'' novel by Gwenda Bond and published by Switch Press in May 2016. The book also received positive reviews. ''Double Down'' continues to follow teenage Lois Lane as she settled into her new life in Metropolis, and has a job that challenges her. Lois finds herself embroiled in a dangerous mystery that brings her closer to the dirty underbelly of Metropolis.
*''Triple Threat'' – Switch Press announced a third Lois Lane novel, ''Triple Threat'', in August 2016. The book was released in May 2017.
''Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman''
Based on the American Broadcasting Company, ABC television series '' Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman'' four original novels were published in 1996:
* ''Heat Wave'' – written by author Michael Jan Friedman and published by HarperCollins.
* ''Exile'' – by Michael Jan Friedman
* ''Deadly Games'' – by Michael Jan Friedman
*''Lois & Clark: A Superman Novel'' – a full-length Lois and Clark novel by author C. J. Cherryh and published by Prima Publishing, Prima Lifestyles.
Non-fiction
* ''Examining Lois Lane: The Scoop on Superman's Sweetheart'' – an anthology exploring Lois Lane's many incarnations and multiple adaptations from comic book to various films and television series. Analyzing the character in various media through the perspectives of feminism, gender studies, and cultural studies.
* ''Investigating Lois Lane: The Turbulent History of the Daily Planet's Ace Reporter'' – an in-depth look at the character and her history in different media by comic book historian Tim Hanley.
In other media
Since her debut in the comic books in 1938, Lois has appeared in various media adaptations including radio, animations, films, television, video games and Broadway musical. Actresses who have portrayed Lois Lane include
Noel Neill
Noel Darleen Neill (November 25, 1920 – July 3, 2016) was an American actress. She played Lois Lane in the film serials ''Superman'' (1948) and '' Atom Man vs. Superman'' (1950), as well as the 1950s television series '' Adventures of Superman ...
,
Phyllis Coates
Phyllis Coates (born Gypsie Ann Evarts Stell; January 15, 1927) is an American former actress, with a career spanning over fifty years. She is best known for her portrayal of reporter Lois Lane in the 1951 film ''Superman and the Mole Men'' and ...
,
Margot Kidder
Margaret Ruth Kidder (October 17, 1948 – May 13, 2018), known professionally as Margot Kidder, was a Canadian-American actress whose career spanned five decades. Her accolades include three Canadian Screen Awards and one Daytime Emmy A ...
,
Teri Hatcher
Teri Lynn Hatcher (born December 8, 1964) is an American actress best known for her portrayals of Lois Lane on the television series '' Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman'' (1993–1997); Paris Carver in the ''James Bond'' film '' Tom ...
,
Erica Durance
Erica Durance (; born June 21, 1978) is a Canadian actress. She is known for her role as Lois Lane in the WB/ CW superhero television series ''Smallville'' and as Dr. Alex Reid in the CTV medical drama '' Saving Hope''.
Early life
Durance was b ...
,
Kate Bosworth
Catherine Anne Bosworth (born January 2, 1983) is an American actress. Following minor roles in the films '' The Horse Whisperer'' (1998) and ''Remember the Titans'' (2000), she rose to prominence with her role as a young surfer in the box-offi ...
,
Amy Adams
Amy Lou Adams (born August 20, 1974) is an American actress. Known for both her comedic and dramatic roles, she has been featured three times in annual rankings of the world's highest-paid actresses. She has received various accolades, incl ...
, and
Elizabeth Tulloch
Elizabeth Tulloch (born January 19, 1981) known as Bitsie Tulloch, is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Juliette Silverton / Eve in the NBC television series '' Grimm'' and as Lois Lane in The CW superhero television series ''S ...
, and voiced by actresses such as
Joan Alexander
Joan Alexander (born Louise Abrass; April 16, 1915 – May 21, 2009) ''
Dana Delany
Dana Welles Delany (born March 13, 1956) is an American actress. After appearing in small roles early in her career, Delany received her breakthrough role as Colleen McMurphy on the ABC television drama '' China Beach'' (1988–1991), for whic ...
, Anne Heche, Stana Katic, Rebecca Romijn, and numerous others.
In popular culture
*The American sitcom ''Seinfeld'' made numerous references to Lois Lane over its nine-year run:
**In the episode "The Outing (Seinfeld), The Outing", Jerry tells a female reporter for a college newspaper "I was attracted to you, too. You remind me of Lois Lane".
**In the episode "The Marine Biologist", when Elaine accuses Jerry of helping a strange woman just so he can take her out on a date, Jerry replies that Superman is never suspected of such intentions when saving a woman's life, prompting Elaine to comment "Well, you're no Superman", to which Jerry responds, "Well, you're no Lois Lane".
**The episode "The Mom & Pop Store" has Elaine tell Jerry she's been doing some snooping for him. "Ah! What'd you find out, Lois?" he replies.
**In the episode "The Race (Seinfeld), The Race," Jerry dates a woman named "Lois" and enjoys frequently using her first name and slyly making Superman-related references in her presence.
**In the episode "The Face Painter". George discovers that a woman he is dating is deaf in one ear and therefore might not have heard him tell her he loves her. "Don't you see what this means?" he says. "It's like the whole thing never happened. It's like when Superman reversed the rotation of the Earth to save Lois Lane!".
**The episode "The Cartoon" has Jerry make fun of Elaine's drawings, leading her to reply: "It's better than your drawings of naked Lois Lane".
*In Just Jack's 2007 single "Writer's Block," the verse "I'm lovin' Mary Jane Watson, Mary Jane, flyin' with Lois Lane" features.
*The Spin Doctors' 1991 album, ''Pocket Full of Kryptonite'', takes its title as a reference to the album's first song, "Jimmy Olsen's Blues". The song is sung from the point of view of ''Daily Planet'' photojournalist Jimmy Olsen, who's in love with Lois Lane and jealous of Superman because of it.
*In the song "I-E-A-I-A-I-O" by System of a Down, Lois Lane was mentioned in one of the tongue twisters in the song "Fighting crime, with a partner, Lois Lane, Jimmy Carter".
*In the USA Network television series ''Monk (TV series), Monk'', Adrian Monk's nurse, Sharona, reveals to a date that her job as the nurse assistant to the obsessive compulsive detective, makes her feel like Lois Lane. Later in the episode, when Sharona follows the killer they've been after, police captain Stottlemeyer snaps at Monk, "Who does Sharona think she is?" Monk answers sheepishly, "Lois Lane".
*In the movie, ''A Time to Kill (1996 film), A Time to Kill'' (1996) Jake Brigance consults with Ellen Roark about the case and the judge is clearly annoyed and says "If Lois Lane will let us continue".
*In the movie, ''One Fine Day (film), One Fine Day'' (1996) the editor of the newspaper reporter Jack Taylor (George Clooney) has a cat named after Lois Lane.
*In the song "Anybody Seen the Popo's" by rapper Ice Cube, Lois Lane is mentioned in the line: "His girlfriend's Lois Lane and if you f—k with her you must smoke cocaine, brother".
*In the song "Superman" by the band Peggy Sue (band), Peggy Sue, Lois Lane is mentioned in the line: "I'm in love with Lois Lane, but she doesn't even know my real name".
*In the song "Rapper's Delight" by The Sugarhill Gang, she is mentioned in the line: "I said, "By the way, baby, what's your name?" She said, "I go by the name of Lois Lane". According to the song, the rapper Big Bank Hank tells Lois Lane why he would make a better boyfriend than Superman.
*In the movie, ''Megamind'' (2010) the reporter Roxanne Ritchi is heavily based on Lois Lane.
*The 1967 show ''Underdog (TV series), Underdog'' is a parody of
Superman
Superman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, and debuted in the comic book '' Action Comics'' #1 ( cover-dated June 1938 and pu ...
and its star reporter Sweet Polly Purebred is based on Lois Lane.
*Keone Madrid directed and choreography a dance video titled "Lois Lane" and features a poem by Rudy Francisco "I'm a Superman, thanks to Lois Lane" which includes the line, "Superman... The Man of steel, big Blue, the last son of Krypton, he is faster than a speeding bullet, stronger than a locomotive, he has Lasers for eyes, X-ray vision and can fly without even flapping his arms, but his most notable power... was Lois Lane, the love of an amazing woman is a phone booth, that can turn a man from a spineless news reporter into a symbol of justice, into the reason why it's safe to walk outside while the sun is sleeping."
* The That's Entertainment (comic shop), That's Entertainment comic shop successfully petitioned the Worcester, Massachusetts City Council to change the name of the private street running alongside the store to "Lois Lane". On December 28, 2012, the new sign was installed. A celebration at the store followed on December 30, 2012, featuring an unveiling, free sketches of Lois by Paul Ryan (cartoonist), Paul Ryan, and a Lois Lane lookalike contest.
*Matt Groening, the co-creator of ''The Simpsons'', originally wanted to name the Comic Book Guy, Louis Lane, and the character is both "obsessed and tormented" by Lois Lane. He was eventually named Jeff Albertson, the decision was made without Matt Groening's presence.
*In ''The Simpsons'' episode "Married to the Blob," during the song "Comic Book Guy's Lament" the Simpsons' version of vintage Spider-Man and Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane, Lois Lane comics can be seen. The song, sung by Comic Book Guy includes the line "I've always been happy, to call myself single, no Mary Jane, or Lois Lane, with whom I co-mingle, you could say that I was, an unstackable pringles, I've got original, sign by Siegel and Shuster, but they don't satisfy, in the way that they use to."
*On ''30 Rock'', in the episode "Grandmentor," Jack asks Liz if she would be interested in writing the screenplay for the greatest love story ever told, to which Liz responds, "You mean Lois Lane's love affair with journalism?"
*"To Lois" a poem by Shane Koyczan is a love letter from Superman to Lois Lane, written from Clark's perspective.Archived a Ghostarchive and th Wayback Machine
*In the movie, ''Mermaids (1990 film), Mermaids'' (1990) Kate Flax (Christina Ricci) asks her sister Charlotte (Winona Ryder) if her boyfriend has ever kissed her like Superman kisses Lois Lane.
*"From the Backbeat" by Lucy Hale includes the line "And my dad was a Superman stick shift driver, stay at home Lois Lane beside him."
*"Superhero" by 5 Seconds of Summer includes the line "She met him on the staircase, like Kent and Lois Lane."
*In the Mexico, Mexican comedy TV series ''El Chapulín Colorado'', a parody of superhero shows, Captain Hopper says his mother is Lois Lane.
*"Waiting for Superman (song), Waiting for Superman" by Daughtry (band), Daughtry includes the line "She's just watching the clouds roll by and they spell her name like Lois Lane."
*"Lois Lane" a song by pop artist Noelle Bean, includes the line "I'm so happy, and now we're flying, like Superman and Lois Lane."
*"Lois Lane" a song by British indie rock band Farrah (band), Farrah from the album ''Moustache (album), Moustache'' includes the line "If you'll be my Lois Lane, I'll be your superman."
*In the TV series ''Women's Murder Club (TV series), Women's Murder Club'', the character of Cindy Thomas (Aubrey Dollar), a crime reporter, is jokingly nicknamed Lois Lane by the homicide detective Lindsay Boxer (Angie Harmon).
*Mandy Moore portrayed Lois Lane in the 2012 YouTube parody short film ''The Death and Return of Superman (film), The Death and Return of Superman'', directed and narrated by Max Landis.
*In the movie It (2017 film), ''It'' (2017), Mr. Keenes compares Beverly Marsh to Lois Lane when she tries his glasses after she tells him he looks like Clark Kent.
*Lois Lane is also the title of an important character in the musical ''Kiss Me, Kate''.
*Lois Lane is also mention on the show ''Stranger Things'' when Mike Wheeler (Stranger Things), Mike compares his and Eleven (Stranger Things), El's relationship to Lois and Superman's.
See also
* Loïs Lane, The Dutch girl group Loïs Lane
* Lois, Biblical/Greek origin of name Lois
* Superman and Lois Lane
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. ( doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery.
DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with the ...
Lois Lane at DC Database
Lois Lane at Smallville Wiki
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Lois Lane,
Characters created by Jerry Siegel
Characters created by Joe Shuster
Comics characters introduced in 1938
DC Comics titles, Lois Lane
Fictional reporters
Fictional Pulitzer Prize winners
DC Comics film characters
Superhero television characters
DC Comics female characters
Female characters in film
Female characters in television
Fictional amateur detectives
Fictional female detectives
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Superman characters