Happy Birthday Lois Lane

On April 18, 1938 Action Comics #1* was released. The world was introduced to Superman, but everyone will write about him. We’re here to discuss the other major character introduced that issue – Lois Lane.

*( It had a cover date of June, comics cover dates are always past release dates I can explain but not here, ask and I will)

Lois Lane is, and always has been, unlike any other comic character. She has no powers. She doesn’t wear a costume. She fights for truth and justice just the same, as a reporter. But it’s more than that – Lois’ position in the Superman family is unique, and not just because, reader, she married him.

Superman is both inspirational and aspirational. He inspires hope, and we as aspire to be as good as he is, to have a clear vision of right and wrong and to make the moral choice strongly and surefootedly.

While Clark was raised by Ma and Pa Kent and found his moral center there he still needed to ground himself in humanity, to figure out what he aspired to.

Enter Lois Lane.

Lois is who Clark wishes he could be. Where Clark/Superman inspires us, Lois inspires him. He sees her strength, her unflagging pursuit of truth, and wants to foster it within himself. She is who he wishes to be, and what he thinks the best of us can aspire to.

She is also, outside of his gravity, an amazing character with a huge long history. And yes, there were those years of Lois crying on covers because she loved Superman and didn’t know what to do, and yes there were years of “How can she not tell Clark is Superman” but we can honestly sidestep all of that, because the genre had conventions that didn’t play well with characters being women.

And honestly, even those years Lois got some good stories and a lot of spotlight. She’s always been a stand out character and it’s been noticeable. If you want to dig deeper into the history of Lois Lane and how she changed over the years (and TV shows and movies) I highly suggest Tim Hanley’s book Investigating Lois Lane: The Turbulent History of the Daily Planet’s Ace Reporter. Also, if you want some outside of comics great Lois fiction, Gwenda Bond’s Fallout Trilogy is one of my fave series and you can find that by clicking right here.

No really, learn to knock, dude.

These days Lois is the proud, strong, character she was when she started, only more so. In the comics especially she is firmly planted and amazing.

This is a woman who doesn’t fear Batman, making sure he knocks before he enters her home.

This is a reporter who goes up against the worst the world she lives in has to offer – gang leaders, evil geniuses, secret government plots – and never flinches.

She has truth on her side, she has a mission to expose the badness that lurks both in the shadows, and the daylight, and she doesn’t get why anyone wouldn’t leap in elbow deep and yank the truth out, bodily.

Lois Lane is, simply put, one of the single most important fictional characters of the 20th century.