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LOIS and CLARK

Introduction

By Ficassidy

God created Adam and placed him in the Garden of Eden, thinking that he had done His job –and all is complete. But everything wasn’t complete -- there was still something wrong, something missing and unless God didn’t figure out that every man can’t be an island, Adam wouldn’t have gotten an “Eve” and he would have died an old and lonely man despite living a luxurious life. Thank God that didn’t happen or else me and the rest of the female kind wouldn't even exist!

Adam, that main MAN of the story wasn’t complete without a partner to live life with eternally, and that’s where Eve comes in, to complete his part of the half and be partners for life. She’s the Yang to his Yin—or was it the other way around? Before I get any deeper into this whole man and woman topic to “biblical” proportions and lose the main reason for this introduction, I’m going to zoom in straight to the point which is… “A Man is not complete without a Woman –and vice versa”. Of course that quote can be arguable, but it seems to be what both Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster were thinking when they created Superman/Clark and Lois Lane.

Let’s flashback to the 1930s when Siegel and Shuster first created their “Man of Steel”. Unconsciously, they both originally created Superman as Lex Luthor –a bald, crazy scientist Superman who wanted to rule the world (Hitler must have been plagueing their minds quite often huh?). They scratched that and decided to make the Superman that we all know and are familiar with –the one that fights for truth and justice! They finally have their Super Guy, but something was not right and in a God-like moment, they realize (Just like God did) that there was something missing. Adam had his Eve –so obviously Superman needs his Eve too, the only difference is that her name won’t be Eve. In comes the brainstorming for Superman’s love interest, his woman, his partner in life for eternity. She has to be his romantic interest, somebody he has to rescue and gush at him for being a hero –but she’s gotta be “unique” and different from any other conventional female love interest. So they gave Superman’s love interest a backbone by making her the hero’s rival , a love interest who isn’t afraid to jump into an adventure and is highly competitive with males (It was still that period in time where little girls were taught to be housewives when they grow up and nothing else) but in order for her to be a rival they had to do more—so they ended up giving Superman a weaker alter-ego/disguise who is his Superself’s complete opposite. Running on a creative streak, Jerry Siegel decided to name Superman’s leading lady after a girl who didn’t give him the time of day in his high school life –and that was Lois Amster. Their task was far from over at that point. While they had an idea on what Lois Lane was going to be like, they didn’t have any idea what she was going to look like. In came the beautiful Joanne Carter, a teenager from a family affected by the Great Depression of the 1930s. Just like every starving American of that period, Joanne had to venture out for a job because she couldn’t rely on her parents anymore. And as fate had it, she was hired by Joe Shuster who was looking for a model. Just like Lois, she was a feisty young woman trying to make it on her own in a cruel world.

So finally, they got their Lois Lane attitude *check*. They got their model for Lois *check*. They got their Lois/Clark/Superman—love triangle made for 2 *check*.

They’ve finally got their Adam and Eve…er…I mean their Superman/Clark and Lois. And for a very long time, it was only Superman/Clark and Lois –the King and Queen of Action comics. But unfortunately, things always change.

Just like how the Adam and Eve story was re-created by other people pairing Adam up with a woman named “Lilith”, Adam’s first wife, before Eve –The Superman story also has it’s very own “Lilith” or more technically “Liliths” *plural* who came in the guise of Lana Lang, Lori Lemaris, Lyla Lerrol and other women who are not Lois. The difference between Lilith and these girls though was that Lilith wasn’t a “conventional” love interest—they (Lana, Lori, Lyla and whoever) were! Unfortunately for Lois Lane, her character was drastically changed from what she used to be under the writing of Siegel and Shuster. As soon as DC comics gave Siegel and Shuster the boot and gave them a big “Bye Bye” –the Lois who was supposed to be Clark’s independent, feisty, strong-willed, rival romantic partner was turned into a bitter woman afraid of not being able to marry –bedamned if she was a successful reporter—and is intent on either getting Superman married to her or proving that Clark Kent is Superman. John Byrne said it right when he called the “Silver-age” Lois the “annoying” Lois. She represented why every little boy hates little girls. If you are a staunch defender of women’s rights, I suggest skipping the whole “Silver-age” period of the Superman comics –“Misogyny Ahoy!,” but that’s just my opinion. One of the good things about the Silver-age though is that Lois Lane was popular enough to garner her own comics series, the “Superman’s Girlfriend: Lois Lane” comic books. The bad thing about it was that instead of focusing on a better relationship between Lois/Clark and Superman, it instead devoted most of its time to 3 main things! 1.Lois and Lana fighting each other like cats and dogs over Superman (Yes Superman –not poor Clark), 2. Lois and even Lana, doing every stupid and sneaky trick on the book to prove that Clark is Superman and 3. Lois and Lana teaming up to get rid of another potential “love interest” away from Superman –“If they can’t have him…NO ONE can!” Thank heavens for little miracles that wasn’t going to last!

By the 1970s, the Superman world was divided in 2. Earth 2 represents the world of the Golden-age Superman –meaning the Superman of Siegel and Shuster. Earth 1 represents the Silver-age, the world were Superboy, Lana, Krypto, Supergirl and the 1950s additions exist. It was also a time where romance between Lois and Clark were beginning to be given a new light.

Earth 1 played with the question “What if Clark and Lois had s-e-x?” Well if you want the answer to that…YES they DID in issue #297. Clark lost his powers and decided to stop being “weakling Clark” and be more of his real “Superman-stand-up-for-myself” persona. The first person he tested this on was Steve Lombard, the egotistical sportscaster putting the moves on Lois while making fun of Clark. Giving Steve-O a taste of his own medicine and telling off his then boss, Morgan Edge (Yeah, it’s the mob boss Edge). Lois was impressed –“Clark standing up for himself? I guess I underestimated him after all”. This thought leads us to Lois visiting Clark’s apartment that night and making him “Beef Bourguignon,” a dish that Clark will consider to be his favorite. The meal was followed up by a make-out session on the couch, one thing lead to another –then we get Lois in the Daily Planet the next morning, humming a song with a huge smile on her face---wearing the exact same outfit she wore the other day! The rendezvous would forever be a part of the Superman lore, so the next time you run into Lois and Clark’s playful password to each other “Beef Bourguignon with Ketchup”—you’ll know what the in joke was all about.

Over at Earth 2’s corner, Lois and Clark were going to get even closer than they ever were in the past.

Summary to be continued!

LOIS & CLARK

Part of the LOIS LANE History

An essay by Sean Hogan of SupermanHomepage.com

The Man Of Steel miniseries sets up Lois' relationship with Clark Kent. After all her work to get the exclusive interview with Superman, she finds out that she has been scooped by the Planet's newest reporter. In issue #4 she reminds the "swine" that it has been "seventeen months, two weeks, four days and an odd number of hours" since he scooped her. In issue #5 she reveals that for "five years I've been dreaming of being kissed by Superman."

Lois' attitude to Clark is softening by the time the regular series begins. In Superman #1, she says, "Don't be cute Kent. You're hard enough to resist without those puppy-dog looks," but adds, "Denial builds character and I'm gonna be denying you for a loooong time."

Clark, determined to win her as himself (not as Superman), takes heart when she calls him a weasel because, "I consider that up a step up from swine."

One of the frustrations of watching Lois' relationship with Clark is that it often falls into the background as a sub-plot -- with most of the issue being taken up by the 'fight of the week' syndrome. Lois dates Jose Delgado (Gangbuster), among others, while Clark spends time with Cat Grant and flirts with Wonder Woman. For examples of these stories, the trade paperback collection, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, has a collection of entertaining and important stories tied together by the subplot focus on Lois and her relationship with Superman and Clark.

Slowly, Lois and Clark acknowledge their feelings toward each other and begin a more serious relationship. In Adventures of Superman #466 (the issue that introduced Hank Henshaw - later the Cyborg Superman - and his Fantastic Four type origin), Clark decides the time has come to get serious about his feelings toward Lois.

He tells her, "Maybe you want this relationship to proceed at its own pace, Lois. But I think life is too short to sit and wait. Sometimes you have to push life - take chances. And if you fail - at least you can say you tried." When Lois asks, "Chances? Like what?", Clark lets her know with a long, deep, passionate kiss.

Getting Serious

Lois and Clark continue to grow as a couple, finally getting engaged during the Krisis of the Krimson Kryptonite storyline (collected in trade paperback - individually Superman #49, Adventures of Superman #472, Starman #28, Action Comics #659 and Superman #50). Clark is powerless as a result of Mxyzptlk's fake red kryptonite and Luthor's manipulations. At the same time, Lois' mother is seriously ill in hospital.

In Superman #50, Clark pops the question to Lois over lunch at Dooley's, offering her an engagement ring - a family heirloom given to him by Ma Kent. Lois hesitates and tells him, "With all that's going on, give me time to sort it all out."

Given the sluggish pace that subplots proceed, readers could reasonably expect the proposal to drag out for months, if not years. To everyone's surprise, including Clark's, Lois answers him on the last page of the issue: "Clark, I've already decided ... yes. I want to share my life with you."

The issue also shows Lois' relationship with her family. She and her Dad, Sam, come to an understanding of sorts. Always the gruff commander of the family unit and clashing with his equally strong-willed daughter, Sam confides in Superman #49, "I'm telling you, Clark, you have no idea how much a father worries about his girls!" Just before Lois accepts the proposal, Sam tells her that Clark has "passed muster" with him, while the ill Ella Lane approves saying Clark had good manners and came from a good home.

Unfortunately, having taken the relationship to this new level, the writers delegate it to strung out subplot status again. To my mind, the worst example of this is only a few issues later, when Clark finally reveals his secret identity to Lois in Action Comics #662. The cover shows a shocked Lois holding Clark's glasses (which reflect him opening his shirt to reveal his costume) with the words "At Long Last - The Secret Revealed!" The majority of the issue involves a fight between Superman and the Silver Banshee. It's only in the last three pages that the two sit down and talk, and only on the last page that Clark bares his big red "S".

In the following issue, Superman #53, a stunned Lois asks for some time to think things through. The rest of that issue has Superman in another fight. The following issues send him bouncing through time in the "Time And Time Again" arc. When he finally returns in Action Comics #661, the two carry on their relationship almost as if nothing had happened. It's poor storytelling to have important developments of characters or their relationships glossed over in the cracks between slugfests. But better stories are on the way - even if it means Superman has to die for them to be told.

Til Death Do Us Part

The most vivid image from the "Death of Superman" storyline (other than the tattered cape on the cover of Superman #75) is a grieving Lois holding Superman's body amidst the rubble of Metropolis. Interestingly, Superman's death came about because of the long engagement.

The writer's had been considering using that issue as the wedding issue (after all, it's two years real time since the engagement), but decided to hold off because of the popularity of the TV series, Lois & Clark. with the thought of having a wedding in both television and comics at the same time. Tossing ideas around for a replacement storyline led to the development of Doomsday and the death and resurrection of Superman.

Particularly touching is the pause before the final battle, when Superman takes time for a stolen kiss with Lois and tells her, "Just remember ... no matter what happens .. I'll love you. Always." With Superman gone, the excellent "World Without A Superman" arc which followed spent much time showcasing Lois and how she dealt with her grief.

Numbed by her loss and unable to reveal to anyone that Clark died at the same time as Superman, Lois nevertheless somehow manages to write the front page story. The writers don't flinch at putting Lois through the various stages of grief, and also the need to reach out for help, as Lois calls Ma & Pa Kent, who try to put aside their own grief to comfort her.

We also get to see the stern stuff Lois is made of when Cadmus kidnaps Superman's body for study. Lois suits up in a frogman outfit and, with the aid of the Newsboy Legion and others, storms Cadmus. Although she is not able to recover the body on her first attempt, she uses her other skills to do an expose in the paper and recruit new allies for a more successful second attempt (Superman: The Man of Steel #21, Superman #77)

Lois' recovery continues in"The Return of Superman" storyline which follows (and don't ask me to identify issues as I've got the mega-sized trade paperback), as she investigates the four new Supermen (Superboy, Steel, Eradicator and Cyborg). Lois still has vulnerabilities and doubts, such as when her old flame Jeb tries to comfort her. She thinks, "Clark said he'd always love me. I'd know if he came back ... wouldn't I?"

On hearing of the Cyborg's mysterious activities in Coast City, Lois storms into the editor's office and announces, "I don't trust the Cyborg. Perry, I'm going to Coast City! I'm going to find out what's going on!" When Perry refuses and tells her Superman won't be there this time to pull her out, she retorts, "Superman never 'pulled me out' of anything I couldn't have 'pulled out of' myself! Face it Perry! You can't stop me!"

More tellingly, her thought balloons add, "I've wasted enough time waiting for a miracle that's not going to happen. I've opted out of life for long enough. Finally ... The real Lois Lane is back!"

When a fifth Superman arrives, snazzily dressed in black with silver trim, Lois is at first unwilling to believe that the original has returned, until he mentions Clark's all-time favourite movie, "To Kill A Mockingbird". A private chat gives her further reason to hope, but leaves her more confused.

It isn't until Adventures of Superman #505, after the defeat of Cyborg and Mongul, that Superman and Lois properly reunite. The reunion isn't complete however, until Superman publicly rescues Clark (a disguised Supergirl) in Superman: The Man of Steel #26. Back home, when Superman tells "Clark" to let go of his woman, Lois saucily retorts that the arrangements are almost perfect except, "What's with this 'your woman' stuff, hmm?"

After the lengthy dramatics of the death and resurrection, things get back to status quo for a while as Lois and Clark deal with the usual string of villains and subplots, often in long running serial stories such as "Dead Again!" and "The Death Of Clark Kent" (anyone noticing a trend here?)

Once in a while, we do get a story that focuses on the characters, rather than the action. My favourite Lois and Clark story is Adventures of Superman #525. Lois catches up with Clark and his parents after the fight
with Conduit at the conclusion of "The Death of Clark Kent" arc. Clark is ready to abandon his civilian identity to be a full time Superman to avoid putting his loved ones at risk. Lois convinces him that, "under that costume, you're Clark Kent -- you'll always be Clark Kent. You can't live without him ... and neither can I!".

The story by Karl Kesel showcases the best of Lois -- her determination to catch up to the Kent motorhome (by travelling at 137 mph) and treating the police pursuit as an escort. Her indignation at her ticket. Her joy at finding the Kents. The intelligent way she proves why he needs to be Clark.

Breaking Up Is Hard To Do

With the writers apparently searching for something to bring as much attention and controversy as the death and return storyline, someone apparently got the idea for a trial separation between Lois and Clark. In my opinion, "The Engagement Is Off" storyline is the only one which has not been true to Lois' character. Over the course of several months, the writers show a growing rift between the couple, culminating in Action Comics #720 where, for never clearly explained reasons, Lois ends her relationship with Clark

If there is one trait of Lois' established since the re-boot in 1986, it's that she doesn't give up. While her motivation for the breakup is never very clear, certainly the hints of jealousy, insecurity, and the inability to accept Clark's duties as Superman, are not characteristic of Lois.

My suggestion is for readers to completely ignore the breakup (except for the fun Mxyzptlk had trying to reunite the two in the much recommended two parter from Action Comics #721 and Superman: The Man of Steel #56).

Repeat after me: "With Hypertime, anything is possible." ;-)

At least things were quickly set to right with the wedding, although once again the tail wagged the dog as the comic writers scrambled to reconcile the couple to coordinate with the wedding scheduled to take place on television in Lois & Clark (although the comics clearly outshone the television show which offered a frog-eating-clone-Lois to delay the wedding; what were those writers on?). Dan Jurgens does a reasonably good job giving the separation a 180 degree turnaround (considering what he had to work with and where he needed to go) in Superman #118. At issue's end, Lois announces, "It's time to return to Metropolis. I have a wedding to attend!"

With This Ring

Aside from the expected romance, Superman: The Wedding Album has a great deal of fun in it with an appropriate focus on Lois and lots of humour. The issue starts with Lois overcoming a smuggler on an airplane who is trying to force her to marry him. Lois overpowers the three kidnappers then threatens the pilot: "... I have a gun, a knife, and champagne ... and I know how to use all three!"

The real fun though is with the bridal shower and the selection of the wedding dress as we see Lois and her mother spar. Lois' dad also butts heads with her and with Clark, but at the last moment arrives at the church for the wedding.

The Honeymoon arc that followed didn't live up to the standards of The Wedding Album. In an overblown plot, Lois has to rescue her husband from a desperately inept gang of terrorists. Despite the exaggeration, even this theme of "Commando Lois" has it's roots in earlier stories and is consistent with the 15 year old who risked life and limb to sneak into Luthor's complex just to get a job at the Daily Planet.

An earlier example of a "Commando Lois" personality is the 1990 Roger Stern story, "Survival", from Action Comics #655. Dressed in camouflage, Lois follows army munitions thieves, even jumping atop their moving van and clinging to the roof until reaching their hideout.

Captured, Lois fakes an injury to overcome a soldier and escape with his rifle -- only to be caught again when she decides to try and capture the rebel leader. Although Superman comes to her rescue, it's Lois who disarms and captures the leader and holds the bad guys at gunpoint until the army arrives. When Perry is ordered by the Army to classify part of Lois' story, she has no fear of confronting Perry over the censorship. The issue ends on a softer note as Clark picks up Lois for breakfast and receives a kiss on the cheek from Lois as thanks.

In this story, Lois is commando, reporter, girlfriend -- and in character.

Changes

Following the wedding and honeymoon, life continues along with the usual troubles (including dealing with her husband's transformations into the electric versions, Supermans Red & Blue and later into a full time Superman and then global emperor in the 24/7 and King of the World arcs). The writers continue the trend begun following the engagement, solidifying Lois and Clark into a team and a partnership - mutually supportive and complementary to each other.

The next big change for Lois is a professional, not personal, one as Lex Luthor buys and scraps the Daily Planet in the special, Superman: Save The Planet. Luthor fires Clark and most of Lois' co-workers, but keeps her on with his new media enterprise, LexCom. While potentially interesting, the stories once again fall victim to the massive story arc and the stalled subplots.

Then, in 1999, there is a massive change of the teams writing and drawing the Superman titles, led by writer Jeph Loeb, hot off of the successful miniseries, Superman: For All Seasons . Loeb and the new team quickly return the cast to their roots starting in Superman #151, with Luthor selling the Daily Planet back and everyone returning to work. Loeb also incorporates elements of the television show, Superman: The Animated Series with the first official continuity use of Lois' nickname for Clark - 'Smallville' (which he also used in Superman: For All Seasons). He also makes heavy use of the "beef bourguignon" code (starting with Superman #153)

Loeb also sets up a dilemma for Lois as revealed on the last page of that issue, where he reminds Lois that the condition for returning the paper was her agreement to kill one story at his request. Luthor has found Lois' price at last as she reluctantly affirms the deal to compromise her beloved journalistic principles: "Now... I'll be the one who has a terrible, awful, secret... forever."

While the writers appear intent on maintaining the Lois/Clark partnership, they aren't beyond playing with it. In Superman #157, we learn that the growing estrangement between the two was misleading as Lois had been replaced by the Parasite. The writers also flirt with jealousy, both by having the public suspect a "Mrs. Superman" and by playing up Superman's relationship to Wonder Woman (including the strange Action Comics #761 where the two spend a thousand years in Valhalla - conveniently returning to present day at the end of the story).

Lois maintains her devotion to her husband as well as her independence - notably including her recruitment of Batman to recover the kryptonite ring from Luthor when Superman refuses to engage in some breaking and entering to do so (Superman #168 and Detective Comics #756 - a great, fun story)

Lois can't escape other family ties, as her father is recruited into President Luthor's cabinet (Action Comics #774) and later dies defending the White House from Imperiex during the "Our World's At War" arc (Action Comics #781). Sam Lane (among many others) is laid to rest in World's Finest: Our Worlds At War #1.

Due to the feisty character created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster and the well rounded character re-introduced by John Byrne, Lois Lane remains a compelling, fascinating and integral part of the Superman legend.

Despite the tendency of later stories to forego character development in favour of action, Lois really hasn't changed a great deal since the Man Of Steel miniseries. The main development has been the slow growth from hating Clark Kent, to becoming romantically involved with him, and finally to becoming his partner and wife.

Along the way, Lois has become a fully developed character with many characteristics to her personality - a vast improvement over earlier eras - and has truly come into her own as a partner with her husband and as a person in her own right.

Lois on loving Clark Kent:

Does Lois only love Superman and hate Clark?

This was originally what Siegel and Shuster set for the Lois/Superman/Clark triangle –but the thing here is that Clark was only the disguise, Superman was the real deal, so it didn’t matter if Lois didn’t love Clark because he was a made up alter-ego, she was in love with the real guy…Superman. But things changed drastically--for the better--in the Superman myth with the coming of "Crisis of Infinite Earths"--which enabled DC to revamp all it's comic titles and flush out all the ideas that didn't work out in the past. With the coming of a new Superman and thanks to John Byrne's new vision of Superman, this time Lois is attracted to Clark (But would rather deny it) aside from being his professional rival and has a huge crush on the Man of Steel. Another difference to the original was that this time, Clark Kent was the real deal while being Superman was just a job he does. --More on this essay to be continued!

As for Lois hating Clark, the way I see it, Clark got off on the wrong foot with Lois in the start. First of all, her boss Mr. Taylor (There was no Perry White in the beginning) was giving her a lot of flack for being a woman and working as a reporter at the Daily Star (Which will later turn into the Daily Planet), then comes this new guy who doesn’t have as much experience with journalism and she gets bumped off her position for him because he’s a guy and she’s a woman and women are better off in the “lovelorn” section or at home cooking and raising children—Ahhhh…good ol’ fashioned misogyny–if this happened today, lawsuits would be applied sooner or later. To make matters even worse between Lo and CK, Clark, who finally got to bring Lois out on a date, let’s a scary looking goon cut in their dance and EVEN tries to convince Lois to dance with the man so they can leave. Lois knowing that the thug obviously wanted to do more “groping” on her than dancing was smart to refuse. This marked the last straw of Lois for Clark –not only did he get her demoted from a job she worked so hard to get, he even has the gall to tell her to dance with the perverted goon who’ll probably touch her in places she doesn’t want to be touched!

If those events hadn’t happened and Lois got to meet Clark on a more friendly level, she wouldn’t even be that hostile to Clark Kent. Of course, that was a period when most of the Superman stories were purely story-driven and the characters are often portrayed stereotypically. One thing about Lois and Clark’s relationship during the Golden-age was that it wasn’t easily defined –you can’t figure out if she hates him or is his girlfriend. We may be told that Lois hates Clark, but for a person who can’t stand the guy, she sure spends most of her time with him –even outside of work. I’ve lost count on how many dates they’ve had in the Superman dailies (Some dates disastrous, others looking successful). In fact, there was even a time when she was looking at Clark in a good light in the Superman Dailies 1941-42 “Carlos Strikes”…

Lois: Odd, Clark-half the time I can’t make up my mind whether you’re a “SWELL” fellow or a “HEEL”…

Clark:

And in another Superman Dailies strip, Lois was angry with Clark because he had turned conceited after being hired as an actor in Hollywood (She saw him tell the Hollywood Bigwigs that being a reporter was boring and not exciting). By the end of the story, after Superman saves the day and everything is back to normal, the now popular Clark quits Hollywood and tells the Bigwigs that there’s nothing more glamorous than being an ordinary reporter than living in the shallow world of Hollywood –this obviously made Lois happy to have the same old Clark back. The story ends with the two watching Clark’s movie together (Yep—it’s a date between Lois and Clark!)

Continuation of Introduction...COMING SOON!

John Byrne on Lois and Clark

An Introduction from DC Comics Lois & Clark TPB

Clark was totally smitten with Lois from the moment he first met her. As a small-town boy –albeit, by then, a well-traveled small-town boy –he still nurtured certain ideas of what a woman should be, and Lois was so much more. Glamorous, yes, but more than that. She demanded –and got –equal footing in what traditionally was a men’s club, the newsroom of a major newspaper. She asked no special treatment because she was “only a girl,” and none was forthcoming. She had won her position by proving she was as good as the best. How could Clark not fall for her?

It was the counterpoint to Lois’s interaction to Superman. I begin with the assumption that “my” Lois had a perfectly normal, perfectly healthy love life before Superman showed up. She’d just never found quite what she was looking for. Until Superman. But there was more than a cold, calculated “He’s-Number-One-So-I-Must-Have-Him” attitude. After all, in the revised version Lex Luthor was the richest, most powerful man on earth before Superman arrived and Lois had managed to resist his charms, as other women had not. But as Clark was genuinely smitten with Lois, so Lois fell utterly and apologetically in love with Superman.

Thus was created what has been so aptly dubbed “A Triangle Built for Two.” In the past, Clark never had a chance with Lois. She had eyes only for Superman and, in those rare moments when she was not devoting her energies to revealing Clark to be Superman, she felt nothing but pity for her newsroom coworker – how could he be the best in the business and still be such a wimp? (It was in those occasional stories that Lois showed her softer side – when she hatched schemes not designed to strip Superman of his secret, but to boost Clark’s miniscule self-esteem.) In the new, improved (really the original) form, Clark was free to pursue Lois on his own terms. It was important to him that he win her as Clark, as a human being, not as an icon.

In this fashion another of the cornerstones of the former relationship was turned inside out. The main dynamic of the triangle had been a kind of sneering, adolescent revenge fantasy: Lois might scoff at Clark, but that was her loss, since by doing so she robbed herself of the inside track to Superman.

Now though, it was important to Clark that he convince Lois of his real worth, his human worth. After all, Clark Kent was who he really was, who he’d been most of his life. Superman was just a red and blue suit he wore. He wasn’t a real person. That was Clark, the boy raised in Smallville, the man trying to carve a life for himself in Metropolis. A life which the most important element was a vivacious young woman named Lois Lane.

A life most ably represented in Superman’s latest foray into another medium, this time TV again with Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman. Even the title tells us more than the old Lois-as-a-pain-in-the-butt/Superman-as-square-jawed-hero routine. It’s about two people people finding each other, discovering the dynamics of their relationship. In other words, it’s about everything I’ve come to think of as making these characters matter.

For more on the relationship between Lois and Clark/Superman, check out the following links:

ZOOMWAY's Photo Essay of Lois and Clark's Relationship

SEERSHA's Lois and Clark Relationship Essay

Mr. and Mrs. Kent

The Wedding and Beyond of Lois and Clark

Introduction by Jenette Kahn, President and Editor-in-Chief, DC comics

From DC Comics Superman: The Wedding and Beyond issue compilation

The woman as famous for being rescued by the Man of Steel as she is for being a star reporter finds herself more than once in the position of rescuer. This egalitarian reversal confirms, if there were any doubt, that Lois and Clark are two people happily joined not by the roles they play but by their fundamental humanity. Most important, we watch the two critical people, Lois and Superman, or, more accurately, Lois and Clark, falter, change and grow.

Edith Hamilton, the classical scholar who made mythology accessible to generations of readers, writes that the miracle of the Greeks was to conceive of powerful, immortal but very human gods. “Human gods,” she offers, “naturally made heaven a pleasantly familiar place…Zeus, trying to hide his love affairs from his wife and invariably shown up, was a capital figure of fun…Hera was the stock character of comedy, the typical jealous wife…”

But despite the easy informality imbedded in Greek myths, the gods themselves were constantly less than heroic, often acting, says Miss Hamilton, “in a way no decent man or woman would…Almost every one of the radiant deities could act cruelly or contemptibly. A very limited sense of right and wrong prevailed in Homer’s heaven…”

What then, could ordinary people learn from them? The all-too-human gods of ancient Greece may have demystified the universe, but they gave little guidance for moral or spiritual growth.

Like the Greek gods, Superman, Lois and Clark let us in on their foibles and doubts and we identify. But they offer us more than recognition. They show us the power of self-knowledge and the exhilarating new landscape of personal change. The same Lois who says to Nabir: “You may have saved my life but you can save your psycho-babble,” high on a frozen mountain-top finds untapped answers inside herself. Clark, having lost Lois and his powers, too, is reminded by Wonder Woman that Superman’s strength is not in his outward abilities but in his character. “Since when does Superman give up?” she asks. And a hero lost and floundering in pain rediscovers his essence and resolve.

This is drama, to be sure, but is filled with humor, slapstick, touching moment and outrageous acts. Bibbo’s Bar –where else?—is the scene of an unforgettable bachelor party. Lois’s tradition bound mother stands up for her daughter when least expected. A grim Batman surprises us with a special act of kindness. And Jimmy Olsen goes from despair to best man.

THE OTHERS

Other love interests of both Lois and Clark--COMING SOON!

LOIS and CLARK FOREVER!!!

NOTABLE QUOTES ON THE LOIS and CLARK RELATIONSHIP

Clark and Lois are married, so I thought that we should just deal with it. Let's tell a terrific, fun story about what that's like, about what marriage is like, and how that can be fun, that it's not boring to a 13-year-old. My children are under the age of 12; they don't see me and my wife as not having fun, they don't see marriage as the death of all things. I think that there's a way to do it well - a little bit of The Thin Man, a little bit of Moonlighting, and a little bit of Lois & Clark, and that's sort-of something for every generation, as far as I'm concerned.

Jeph Loeb

I've been married 13 years and don't need to get divorced to have a fresh and fun relationship with my wife. Joe Kelly is practically a newlywed, so he's got the "young man's" view (Kelly will kill me for saying this) of married life. Lois is very funny, very sharp and one of the few people who can tell Superman where to get off, and he will listen. There's a spark there -- that's always been there -- so, whether they were dating or married, it doesn't matter -- they can have fun. I see it as a combination of The Thin Man movies, Moonlighting and the current animated series (something for every generation). Great couples having great fun.

Jeph Loeb

"[Lois is] the woman that Superman falls in love with. Think about who that woman has to be. It's not the most beautiful person in the world, but that's somebody who can so shake his view -- and once again I have to quote [Mark] Waid -- and 'surprise' Superman. This is a man who can fly around the planet and for Lois to do or say something that sets him on his ear... This is a guy who's seen wonders we'll never see and Lois is to him, one of those wonders."

Greg Rucka

I think Lois is amazing and it comes down to portrayal. She's the woman that Superman falls in love with- think about who that woman has to be. It's not the most beautiful person in the world, but that's somebody who can so shake his view and once again - I have to quote Waid - and 'surprise' Superman. This is a man who can fly around the planet and for Lois to do or say something that sets him on his ear - this is a guy who's seen wonders we'll never see and Lois is to him, one of those wonders. The biggest thing that gets me, and one of the reasons that Lois gets tarred with the 'bitch' appellation, is that we assume rightly that Clark would be attracted to a woman who is strong, passionate and capable. But those very positive traits can be portrayed - if you're not careful - as very negative things, especially when issues of gender get involved. It's very easy to go from strong and outspoken woman to 'bitch.' A lot of that's societal, there's a sexism involved that allows that kind of self-confidence can be read as arrogance. Consequently, that's one of the landmines you have to dodge when you work with Lois, but I don't mind - she fascinates me. I actually think that one of the reasons that Lois is there, one of the secret brilliances of Siegel and Schuster's work whether or not it was intentional, is that we see not only as a love interest for Clark, but through Lois we see the wonder of Superman. It's easy to take for granted that bullets bounce off Superman. When Lois sees this as a reporter, she says, 'Wow! Bullets bouncing off him!'"

A marriage is hard work. If you're Lois Lane, who is hailed as one of the finest investigative journalists working in the world today (at least in the DCU), and you're married to the man who moonlights as Superman, or the other way around, there's tension in that marriage already. But that doesn't mean the marriage isn't valid or good, or that it should be discounted or removed."

Greg Rucka

I think Clark falls for Lois because they don't start out as "romantic" He can be relaxed not so uncomfortable around her.
I'll try to explain what I mean. Chloe is emotionally fragile, she has this huge crush on Clark and Clark knows this, but he doesn't feel the same and has to always be walking a fine line, don't lead her on, but, don't reject her, show you will still be friends, but don't act like more than friends etc. It's always tense. Same with Lana, but in a different way. Clark puts Lana on a pedestal and wants to impress her, or not make her mad or not act like a geek. And has some kind of unrealistic fairytale romance idea of what thier relationship is suposed to be, that the reality can never live up to. Clark doesn't see himself as "worthy" of her. So being around Lana always makes him feel bad.

Since Clark and Lois don't start out seeing each other as perspective boyfriend/girlfriend and trying to impress anyone. They can relax be themselves and eventually get to know each other well enough to see the best in each other.
And Lois is tough, smart, and independent. Clark can treat her as an equal. She doesn't need to be sheltered from the world like Lana or sheltered emotionally like Chloe. Clark finds Lois a bit pesky and annoying as a first impression, that's mild as far as emotional baggage goes. Not like all the pain he's been through getting together and breaking up over and over with with Lana and Chloe.

Quote by my3cats from Kryptonsite.com

She came into his life in a totally unexpected way and even though she doesn't change his life radically, she still has a strong impact on it. Lois does not behave with Clark as others do. She's natural, has no problems and she's got a knack for getting into trouble! Clark doesn't have a clue that she's going to be the love of his life (smile)

Quote by Tom Welling from Total Stars Interview http://www.devotedtosmallville.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6798

Jeffrey Burns (jbb4747@ksu.edu) asks:
Recently in the comics, when Lois got shot, Superman was around the world fast enough to catch her before she hit the ground. But how did Superman hear the gunshot in the first place? The sound from the gunshot would have long since dissipated before it could reach that far, and even if it could reach that far, it would take time to travel that far... far more time than it would take for Lois to hit the ground. What gives? Is it some sort of psychic link Clark has to Lois?

Eddie: Greg Rucka and I discussed this, and it's got more to do with the bond of a husband and wife than any metahuman power. He just knew that something awful had happened to his soul mate. (And that was a loud gun.)

Eddie Berganza: DC Superman Dept. editor-in-chief during an Ask Eddie Forum with Supermanhomepage.com

"Superman has always been about Lois Lane, Superman and Clark Kent and this love triangle between these three people who really are only two people,"

Bryan Singer at the "Superman Returns" San Diego Comic Con 2005 panel

"Lois is the spunky, confident go-getter that we all admire. She has the strength to pursue the truth, even when there are massive obstacles standing in the way. She has a more worldly perspective than Clark, not just from her years as a reporter, but as a female as well. She's a great compliment to his innate goodness, and a great councilor when he's struck with uncertainty or doubt. And their love for each other is so wonderfully never-ending."

Mike Kennedy of Superman:Infinite City. http://www.comicbookresources.com/news/newsitem.cgi?id=4985