Superman And Lois Lane

Superman and Lois Lane are a fictional couple and the first superhero comic book romance. Created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, both characters including Superman's alter ego, Clark Kent, first appeared in DC Comics' '' Action Comics #1'' (June 1938). They have remained in a complicated relationship ever since. A supercouple, they are among the best known fictional couples and have appeared in multiple media adaptations.

The characters' relationship was based for a long time in a love triangle in which Clark was interested in Lois who was smitten with the superhero Superman. Clark, unable to reveal to Lois that his mild-mannered demeanor was a ruse, was unable to compete for Lois' affection. The irony being he was his own rival in that Clark and Superman are, in fact, the same person. This love triangle and the dual identity were originally conceived in 1934. Following John Byrne's 1986 reboot, '' The Man of Steel'', Clark's character became not only the more dominant personality of the Clark Kent/Superman character and more outgoing, aggressive, and assertive. This allowed a more natural romance to develop between Lois and Clark.

In the 1990s, Clark proposed marriage to Lois and revealed his identity as Superman to her. They began a long engagement, which was complicated by the death of Superman, a breakup, and several other problems. The couple married in '' Superman: The Wedding Album'' (December 1996). Clark and Lois' biological child in DC Comics canon was born in ''Convergence: Superman'' #2 (July 2015), a son named Jon Kent, who becomes Superboy.

Lois is the character most prominently featured with Superman, she appears in virtually every Superman comics and media adaptations and continues to be an essential part of the Superman mythos. Across decades of comics and other media adaptations, in some stories, Lois knows or suspects that Clark is Superman, sometimes this is explored for humour or plot development.

Creation

The characters, Superman/Clark Kent and Lois Lane, were created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Superman was conceived as being like the ideal Hollywood romantic hero of the time, portrayed in films by actors such as Douglas Fairbanks, Clark Gable, and Rudolph Valentino. Siegel and Shuster were both fans of silent film actor Douglas Fairbanks, his films '' The Mark of Zorro'' (1920), '' Robin Hood'' (1922), and '' The Black Pirate'' (1926) became a huge influence on their writing and art on the Superman character. The idea of making Superman a visitor from another planet was inspired by Edgar Rice Burroughs' John Carter of Mars stories. Clark Kent's character grew out of Siegel and Shuster's own personal lives. His name is the combined names of actors Clark Gable and Kent Taylor. Clark Kent's demeanor was based on Harold Lloyd. Lois Lane was inspired by actress Glenda Farrell's portrayal of the fictional reporter Torchy Blane in a series of films. Siegel took her name from actress Lola Lane. Shuster based Lois Lane's physical appearance on a model name Joanne Carter. Carter later married co-creator Jerry Siegel in 1948.

On the conception of Superman's dual identity, Jerry Siegel said in the 1983 ''Nemo'' magazine interview: "That occurred to me in late 1934, when I decided that I'd like to do Superman as a newspaper strip. I approached Joe about it, and he was enthusiastic about the possibility. I was up late one night, and more and more ideas kept coming to me, and I kept writing out several weeks of syndicate scripts for the proposed newspaper strip. When morning came, I had written several weeks of material, and I dashed over to Joe's place and showed it to him. his was the story that appeared in Action Comics #1, June, 1938, the first published appearance of Superman.You see, Clark Kent grew not only out of my private life but also out of Joe's. As a high school student, I thought that some day I might become a reporter, and I had crushes on several attractive girls who either didn't know I existed or didn't care I existed. As a matter of fact, some of them looked like they hoped I didn't exist. It occurred to me: What if I was real terrific? What if I had something special going for me, like jumping over buildings or throwing cars around or something like that? Then maybe they would notice me. That night when all the thoughts were coming to me, the concept came to me that Superman could have a dual identity and that in one of his identities he could be meek and mild, as I was, and wear glasses, the way I do. The heroine, who I figured would be a girl reporter, would think he was some sort of a worm, yet she would be crazy about this Superman character who could do all sorts of fabulous things. In fact, she was real wild about him, and a big inside joke was that the fellow she was crazy about was also the fellow whom she loathed. By coincidence, Joe was a carbon copy f me"

Jerry Siegel objected to any proposal that Lois discovers Clark Kent is Superman because he felt that, as implausible as Clark's disguise is, the love triangle was too important to the stories appeal. Siegel stated: "If Lois should ACTUALLY learn Clark's secret, the strip would lose about 75% of its appeal—the human interest angle. I know that a formula can possibly prove monotonous through repetition but I fear that if this element is removed from the story formula that makes up SUPERMAN, that this strip will lose a great part of its effectiveness."

Comics

1938–1986

Superman/Clark Kent and Lois Lane first appeared in '' Action Comics'' #1 (June 1938), other than the fact that Superman had been rocketed to Earth as an infant, his complex backstory had yet to develop. The first story includes a sequence in which Clark behaved in a cowardly fashion, leaving Lois to defend herself against an aggressive man, from whom Superman later saves her. From then on, Clark was established as a shy man attracted to Lois, while she was interested in his heroic alter ego, Superman. This remained the status quo in the comics for decades, though Lois did warm up to Clark for the most part; yet their relationship could not really advance with Lois left out of Clark's secret and the Clark Kent persona is a disguise.

As early as the 1940s, Lois began to suspect that Clark Kent was Superman, the first such story appears in ''Superman'' #17 (July–August 1942) in a story titled "Man or Superman" by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Across decades of comics, Lois would suspect Clark is Superman and tries to prove it, but Superman always thwarts her. This theme became particularly pronounced in the 1950s and 1960s comics. In the Bronze Age of Comic Books, Lois became more of a heroic figure, more independent of Superman and was less interested in his secret identity.

The first DC Comics story where Superman marries Lois Lane (not dreams, hoaxes or imaginary tales, but in DC canon) was in ''Action Comics'' #484 (June 1978). In this 40th anniversary of Superman issue, a wizard wanted to rid the world of Superman but had no idea that Superman had a secret identity. Clark, with no memory of being Superman and therefore no need to pretend to be a coward. The new take charge Clark Kent, who was fearless and bold, became very attractive to Lois Lane—proving that it was more about attitude and personality than superpowers that attracted her to Superman. Lois and the new Clark began dating, fell in love and eventually, he proposed the couple got married. On their honeymoon, when Lois saw Clark caught in a crossfire that should have killed him, but left no mark on him, she began to suspect he was really Superman. Lois tried to cut a lock of his hair, the scissors broke. As much as she loved Clark with no memory of being Superman, Lois knew that the world needed Superman and found the wizard who had cast the spell and had him reverse it. Clark remembered he was Superman but also his marriage to Lois. He took Lois to the Fortress of Solitude and married her again in a Kryptonian ceremony as Superman. From that point on, Lois and Clark/Superman of the alternate universe known as Earth-Two remained married in DC Comics. This version of the character stars in ''The Superman Family'' comic book in the series ''Mr. and Mrs. Superman'', which feature the adventures of the Earth-Two Superman and his wife, Lois Lane Kent. The couple later appeared in the 2005 '' Infinite Crisis'' limited series.

In the main DC universe, things stay the same, Lois was still not allowed to discover Superman's dual identity. She loved Superman, but he said he belonged to the world and could not commit to anyone. In 1985, the DC universe went through a revamp with the '' Crisis on Infinite Earths'' limited series. The purpose of the year-long event was to get rid of some character histories, conflicting continuity, and overlapping worlds.

In the 1986 two-part story '' Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?'' by Alan Moore and Curt Swan, that told the final tale of Superman (which was being rebooted following the events of ''Crisis on Infinite Earths'', before his modern introduction in the John Byrne series). The story is a frame story set ten years after Superman was last seen, where Lois Lane recounts the end of Superman's career to a reporter. The story includes numerous attacks against Superman by his enemies, the public revelation of his secret identity as Clark Kent, and a number of deaths of his friends. At the end of the story, it is revealed that Lois' husband, the car mechanic Jordan Elliot is Superman. He is without powers and living as an ordinary man with Lois and their son Jonathan. The final image is of Jordan delivering a classic Superman wink to the reader, as he and Lois continue to "live happily ever after". The story was designed to honor the long history of the Superman character and serves as a complete conclusion to his mythology.

1986–2011

Following ''Crisis on Infinite Earths'', DC Comics released six-issue limited series '' The Man of Steel'' by John Byrne. The series told the story of Superman's modern origin. Superman was now never Superboy in his youth, and Clark Kent became the real person and Superman the disguise. There was finally a setting in which Lois could logically fall in love with Clark Kent because he was the real person this time; although it would take years for Lois to have romantic feeling for Clark after he scooped her on the exclusive Superman story.

In ''Superman'' #44 (June 1990), the couple made peace and begin dating and fall in love. In ''Superman'' #50 (December 1990), Clark proposes to Lois, she accepts. Clark did not tell Lois his secret as the superhero Superman until weeks later in ''Action Comics'' #662 (February 1991). After contemplating the revelation and its implications, Lois decides it all comes down to love. She loves Clark and wants to spend the rest of her life with him.

Due to the upcoming television series '' Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman'', a chain of events were put into motion to prevent Clark and Lois in the comics from getting married until the TV couple was ready to get married. Superman was killed off by Doomsday in ''Superman'' #75 (January 1993). After a year of mourning, searching and resurrecting in ''The Death and Return of Superman'' storyline, Superman returned to the land of the living and the arms of Lois Lane. When Clark and Lois on the television series married in October 1996, so did their comic book counterpart in the special '' Superman: The Wedding Album'' (December 1996).

In 2006, the couple adopts a boy, the biological son of Kryptonian villains General Zod and Ursa and named him Chris Kent in the story arc '' Last Son''. Although Clark is quick to embrace parenthood, Lois is more reluctant, until she sees how vulnerable and sweet Chris is, and the three of them become a happy family. When Zod invades Earth, during the battle, Chris along with his birth parents are sucked into the Phantom Zone, leaving Clark and Lois without their son and heartbroken. Chris later returned as a teenager under the guise of Nightwing.

In the 2009 '' Superman: Secret Origin'', a six-part miniseries by Geoff Johns and Gary Frank that detailed Superman's new origin story (replacing Mark Waid's 2003 limited series '' Superman: Birthright'') in the post-''Infinite Crisis'' DC Universe. In the series, Lois becomes Clark's mentor when he begins his employment at the ''Daily Planet''. The paper has been in financial trouble since Lex Luthor controls nearly every media outlet in Metropolis and the ''Daily Planet'' is the only major newspaper that directly attacks him. In Superman's first public appearance, he saves Lois when she falls off the LexCorp building. Understanding the flying hero's benevolence, Lois writes a positive article on him, which boosts the ''Daily Planet''s sales 700%. Eventually, Luthor becomes involved with General Sam Lane, Lois' father, so that they can defeat Superman, believing him to be an alien threat. Superman defeats Metallo, a U.S. soldier converted into a cyborg, and public opinion turns in Superman's favor. In the aftermath, Clark and Lois become friendly rivals, while Superman and Lois begin to develop mutual romantic feelings.

2011–present

In 2011, DC Comics rebooted its continuity with the New 52 relaunch. In the relaunch, Lois views Clark as a friend and respects him as a journalist, but regards him as a loner who has difficulty letting people get close to him and displays no existing knowledge of his dual identity. ''Superman Unchained'', a nine-issue series by Scott Snyder and Jim Lee explores Clark's connection with Lois in the New 52.

Released in April 2015, the miniseries '' Convergence'' features a post-''Crisis'' version of a married Superman and Lois Lane. The couple is expecting the impending birth of their child, and Superman has to protect the city after it was taken out of time by a powerful alternate version of Brainiac. Convergence shows the birth of their son, Jon Kent, Clark and Lois' biological child in DC Comics canon.

Following Convergence, DC announced a spin-off comic book series '' Superman: Lois and Clark''. The eight-issue series debuting in October 2015 by Dan Jurgens and Lee Weeks is set several years after the ''Convergence'' event. The series focuses on Clark and Lois' relationship and their son Jon, living in the New 52 universe. Clark and Lois operating undercover- Superman discreetly helping out in a black variant of his suit and Lois writing exposes under the name 'Author X'.

In June 2016, DC relaunched its entire line of comic book titles with DC Rebirth. DC re-established Lois and Clark's relationship and marriage in DC continuity, along with their son Jonathan, who eventually becomes the newest Superboy in DC Comics.

The story arc ''Superman Reborn'' smooths over the discrepancies between the two versions of Superman and Lois Lane. According to Mr. Mxyzptlk, the creation of the New 52 caused Superman and Lois to be separated into two people: the New 52 characters that served as the protagonists of the ''Superman'' books in 2011-2015 and the post-''Crisis'' characters that took part in the ''Convergence'' event and sired Jon. Mxyzptlk provides a meta-reference to their relationship and says he could not keep Superman and Lois apart when DC Comics could not; referencing the negative reactions from fans when DC dissolved their relationship at the beginning of the New 52. Thanks to Jon, the New 52 and post-''Crisis'' counterparts of Superman and Lois merge into complete versions of themselves, rearranging their shared histories and accommodating them into the restored DC Universe.

The story of the Kents continues as Jor-El, Superman's biological father, re-surfaces on Earth and offers to bring Jonathan into space so he can teach the boy how to be a proper Kryptonian. Despite Clark's protests, Jon accepts his grandfather's proposal and Lois decides to stay at Jon's side, leaving Clark alone on Earth. Weeks later, Lois and Jon return to Earth, both initially remaining distant from Superman for different reasons: Lois is writing a book about her marriage with Superman and Jon has become a teenager over the course of his journey with Jor-El.

Radio

Aired from 1940 to 1951, the long-running radio serial '' The Adventures of Superman'' starring the DC Comics character Superman; for the bulk of the series run, Bud Collyer voiced Superman/Clark Kent, and Joan Alexander